Aww... It’s a cute baby dragon.

And look! It has grown wings! It must be close to maturing.

Young dragons are relatively defenseless. They are born with relatively soft scales, which are shed and replaced with harder ones as the hatchling matures. Once a hatchling’s wings grow in, it typically marks the beginning of maturation. At this point they are often capable of hunting on their own and are usually left alone by their mother.

While Shirli was hardly the first hatchling to star in a Roaring Lion Productions play, she was the first to attempt to make a career out of acting (though not by choice). When she first began, she didn't have much going for her beyond her ability to look cute, dance a little, and cry on command, but this was enough for star billing in the first of a seemingly endless (and often interchangeable) series of plays. To her credit, Shirli did improve with experience, and she always managed to hold her own even when paired with older, more experienced dragons. Some of her dance routines have even become Roaring Lion standards. If Shirli hadn't been trapped in perpetual hatchlinghood by an overzealous mother, she would certainly become part of the permanent stable of actors, but as it was, there was only so much demand for a hatchling star, no matter how cute, and her days of stardom are far behind her. Instead, she teaches her routines to other young, would-be stars.