The Origin of Dragons:

Maybe you've already thought about this, but it only struck me today. There was something weird on our dining room rug, a monster cricket I thought. I approached it with extreme caution, and picked up what turned out to be a crumpled leaf. Then I asked myself: How much do the legends of dragons, mermaids, griffins and other fanciful creatures owe to the vision of near-sighted people before the invention of glasses?