Catlike Dragons: When Alma finds the Hotburple stealing the town's silverware, it immediately reminds her of her childhood pet Oso, a cat that was so fat and lazy, it looked more like a small bear than a house-cat.
Mythology Gag: The chapter borrows elements from the Dreamworks Dragons episodes "How to Pick Your Dragon" (Hiccup trying to get a family member to try a dragon, only for them to bond with a dragon causing their village problems) and "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" (dragons stealing metal from the village when nobody is looking).