here was once a king whose kingdom was plagued by a .

Vocabulary Builder
dragon.The king did not know which way to turn. The ravaged (rav' ijd) v.
ktng'sknights were all cowards who hid under their beds violently destroyed;
ruined
wheneverthe dragon came in sight, so they were of no use
tothe king at all. And the king's wizard could not help
eitherbecause, being old, he had forgotten his magic spells.
Norcould the wizard look up the spells that had slipped his
mind,for he had unfortunately misplaced his wizard's book
manyyears before. The king was at his wit's end.
Everytime there was a full moon the dragon came out of Literary Analysis
hislair and ravaged the countryside. He frightened maid- Character Based on
ensand stopped up chimneys and broke store windows his actions, what
andset people's clocks back and made dogs bark until no words would you use
to describe the
onecould hear himself think.
dragon?
Hetipped over fences and robbed graves and put frogs in
people'sdrinking water and tore the last chapters out of
novelsand changed house numbers around so that people
crawledinto bed with their neighbors.
Hestole spark plugs out of people's cars and put fire-
crackersin people's cigars and stole the clappers from all
thechurch bells and sprung every bear trap for miles
aroundso the bears could wander wherever they pleased.
Andto top it all off, he changed around all the roads in Reading Check
thekingdom so that people could not get anywhere except What is the problem
by starting out in the wrong direction. in the kingdom?
Dragon, Dragon • 191
 "That," said the king in a fury, "is enough!" And he called
a meeting of everyone in the kingdom.
Now it happened that there lived in the kingdom a wise Reading Skill
old cobbler who had a wife and three sons. The cobbler and Make Inferences
his family came to the king's meeting and stood way in How does the
cobbler think he is
back by the door, for the cobbler had a feeling that since he
different from mos
was nobody important there had probably been some mis- people in the
take, and no doubt the king had intended the meeting for kingdom?
everyone in the kingdom except his family and him.
"Ladies and gentlemen," said the king when everyone was
present, "I've put up with that dragon as long as I can. He
has got to be stopped."
All the people whispered amongst themselves, and the
king smiled, pleased with the impression he had made.
But the wise cobbler said gloomily, "It's all very well to
talk about it-but how are you going to do it?"
Critical Viewing
And now all the people smiled and winked as if to say,
Why would the
"Well,King, he's got you there!" people of the
The king frowned. kingdom fear a
"It's not that His Majesty hasn't tried," the queen spoke dragon like this one
up loyally. [Speculate]

192 • Short Stories

J
 "Yes,"said the king, "I've told my knights again and again
thatthey ought to slay that dragon. But 1 can't force them
togo.I'm not a tyrant."!
"Whydoesn't the wizard say a magic spell?" asked the
cobbler.
"He'sdone the best he can," said the king.
Thewizard blushed and everyone looked embarrassed. "I : Literary Analysis
usedto do all sorts of spells and chants when 1was Character Based on
younger,"the wizard explained. "But I've lost my spell book, : his actions and
andI begin to fear I'm losing my memory too. For instance, : words, how would
you describe the
I'vebeen trying for days to recall one spell 1used to do. 1 . wizard?
forget,just now, what the deuce it was for. It went some-
thinglike-
Bimble,
Wimble,
Cha, cha
CHOOMPF!
Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, the queen turned into a
rosebush.
"Ohdear," said the wizard.
"Nowyou've done it," groaned the king.
"PoorMother," said the princess.
"Idon't know what can have happened," the wizard said
nervously,"but don't worry, I'll have her changed back in a .
jiffy."
He shut his eyes and racked his brain for a spell that .
wouldchange her back.
Butthe king said quickly, "You'd better leave well enough
alone.If you change her into a rattlesnake we'll have to
chopoffher head."
Meanwhilethe cobbler stood with his hands in his
pockets,sighing at the waste of time. "About the
dragon. . . " he began.
"Ohyes," said the king. "I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll give
theprincess's hand in marriage to anyone who can make
thedragon stop."
"It'snot enough," said the cobbler. "She's a nice enough Reading Check
girl,you understand. But how would an ordinary person . Why is the wizard
supporther? Also, what about those of us that are already . unable to get rid of
married?" . the dragon?

1.tyrant(tl rant) n. a cruel, unjust ruler.

Dragon, Dragon • 193

 "In that case," said the king, "I'lloffer the princess's hand or
half the kingdom or both-whichever is most convenient."
The cobbler scratched his chin and considered it. "It's not . Reading Skill
enough," he said at last. "It's a good enough kingdom, you Make Inferences
understand, but it's too much responsibility." What details support
the inference that the
"Take it or leave it," the king said.
cobbler is practical
"I'll leave it," said the cobbler. And he shrugged and went . and has common
home. sense?
But the cobbler's eldest son thought the bargain was a
good one, for the princess was very beautiful and he liked
the idea of having half the kingdom to run as he pleased.
So he said to the king, "I'll accept those terms, Your Maj-
esty. By tomorrow morning the dragon will be slain."
"Bless you!" cried the king.
"Hooray, hooray, hooray!" cried all the people, throwing
their hats in the air.
The cobbler's eldest son beamed with pride, and the sec-
ond eldest looked at him enviously. The youngest son said
timidly, "Excuse me, Your Majesty, but don't you think the
queen looks a little unwell? If I were you I think I'd water
her."
"Good heavens," cried the king, glancing at the queen
who had been changed into a rosebush, "I'm glad you men- .
tioned it!"
Now the cobbler's eldest son was very clever and was Literary Analysis
known far and wide for how quickly he could multiply frac- Character Does the
tions in his head. He was perfectly sure he could slay the sentence starting
"Now the cobbler's
dragon by somehow or other playing a trick on him, and he
eldest son ... " use
didn't feel that he needed his wise old father's advice. But direct or indirect
he thought it was only polite to ask, and so he went to his characterization?
father, who was working as usual at his cobbler's bench, Explain.
and said, "Well,Father, I'm off to slay the dragon. Have you
any advice to give me?"
The cobbler thought a moment and replied, "When and if
you come to the dragon's lair, recite the following poem:
Dragon, dragon, how do you do?
I've comefrom the king to murder you.
Say it very loudly and firmly and the dragon will fall, God
willing, at your feet."
"How curious!" said the eldest son. And he thought to
himself, "The old man is not as wise as I thought. If I say

194 • Short Stories

 ,
I
something like that to the dragon, he will eat me up in an Critical Viewing
instant. The way to kill a dragon is to out-fox him." And Why would the king
keeping his opinion to himself, the eldest son set forth on want to protect a
· kingdom like this one
his quest.
· from a dragon?
When he came at last to the dragon's lair, which was a : [Speculate]
cave, the eldest son slyly disguised himself as a peddler
and knocked on the door and called out, "Hello there!"
'There's nobody home!" roared a voice.
The voice was as loud as an earthquake, and the eldest
son's knees knocked together in terror.
"I don't come to trouble you," the eldest son said meekly. : Reading Skill
"Imerely thought you might be interested in looking at Make Inferences
some of our brushes. Or if you'd prefer," he added quickly, What details support
· the inference that
"I could leave our catalogue with you and 1 could drop by this is a humorous
again, say, early next week." : tale rather than a
"I don't want any brushes," the voice roared, "and 1espe- : realistic or scary one?
cially don't want any brushes next week." ,
"Oh," said the eldest son. By now his knees were knock-
ing together so badly that he had to sit down.
Suddenly a great shadow fell over him, and the eldest son .
looked up. It was the dragon. The eldest son drew his
sword, but the dragon lunged and swallowed him in a Reading Check
single gulp, sword and all, and the eldest son found himself
What does the father
in the dark of the dragon's belly. "What a fool 1was not to tell his eldest son to
listen to my wise old father!" thought the eldest son. And he · do when he gets to
began to weep bitterly. · the dragon's lair?

Dragon, Dragon. 195

 "Well,"sighed the king the next morning, "I see the
dragon has not been slain yet."
''I'm just as glad, personally," said the princess, sprin-
kling the queen. "I would have had to marry that eldest
son, and he had warts."

Now the cobbler's middle son decided it was his turn to

try. The middle son was very strong and he was known far
and wide for being able to lift up the corner of a church. He .
felt perfectly sure he could slay the dragon by simply laying
into him, but he thought it would be only polite to ask his
father's advice. So he went to his father and said to him,
"Well,Father, I'm off to slay the dragon. Have you any
advice for me?"
!he cobbler told the middle son exactly what he'd told the .
eldest.
"When and if you come to the dragon's lair, recite the fol- .
lowing poem:
Dragon, dragon, how do you do? . Reading Skill
I've comejrom the king to murder you. Make Inferences
Say it very loudly and firmly, and the dragon will fall, God . How is the middle
. son different from
willing, at your feet." . the eldest son?
"What an odd thing to say," thought the middle son. "The : Support your answer.
old man is not as wise as I thought. You have to take these .
dragons by surprise." But he kept his opinion to himself
and set forth.
When he came in sight of the dragon's lair, the middle
son spurred his horse to a gallop and thundered into the
entrance swinging his sword with all his might.
But the dragon had seen him while he was still a long . Literary Analysis
way off, and being very clever, the dragon had crawled up . Character What new
on top of the door so that when the son came charging in . details about the
he went under the dragon and on to the back of the cave . dragon's character
. do you learn in this
and slammed into the wall. Then the dragon chuckled and : paragraph?
got down off the door, taking his time, and strolled back to .
where the man and the horse lay unconscious from the ter- .
rifle blow. Opening his mouth as if for a yawn, the dragon
swallowed the middle son in a single gulp and put the
horse in the freezer to eat another day.
"What a fool I was not to listen to my wise old father,"
thought the middle son when he came to in the dragon's \
belly. And he too began to weep bitterly. (
196 • Short Stories
 That night there was a full moon, and the
dragon ravaged the countryside so terribly that
several families moved to another kingdom.
"Well,"sighed the king in the morning, "still
no luck in this dragon business, I see."
"I'm just as glad, myself," said the princess,
moving her mother, pot and all, to the window
where the sun could get at her. ''The cobbler's
middle son was a kind of humpback."

Now the cobbler's youngest son saw that his

turn had come. He was very upset and nervous,
and he wished he had never been born. He was
not clever, like his eldest brother, and he was
not strong, like his second -eldest brother. He
was a decent, honest boy who always minded
his elders.
He borrowed a suit of armor from a friend of
his who was a knight, and when the youngest
son put the armor on it was so heavy he could
hardly walk. From another knight he borrowed a
sword, and that was so heavy that the only way the young-· Critical Viewing
est son could get it to the dragon's lair was to drag it along : Does the boy in this
behind his horse like a plow. . picture look like a
dragon slayer?
When everything was in readiness, the youngest son Explain. [Evaluate]
went for a last conversation with his father.
"Father, have you any advice to give me?" he asked.
"Only this," said the cobbler. "When and if you come to
the dragon's lair, recite the following poem:
Dragon, dragon, how do you do?
I've comefrom the king to murder you.
Say it very loudly and firmly, and the dragon will fall', God
willing, at your feet."
"Are you certain?" asked the youngest son uneasily.
"As certain as one can ever be in these matters," said the
wise old cobbler.
And so the youngest son set forth on his quest. He trav-
eled over hill and dale and at last came to the dragon's Reading Check
cave.
· What happens to the
The dragon, who had seen the cobbler's youngest son · middle son when he
while he was still a long way off, was seated up above the · arrives at the
door, inside the cave, waiting and smiling to himself. But dragon's cave?

Dragon, Dragon _ 197

minutes passed and no one came thundering in. The
dragon frowned, puzzled, and was tempted to peek out. : Vocabulary Build
However, reflecting that patience seldom goes unrewarded, : reflecting (ri flekf i~
the dragon kept his head up out of sight and went on wait- . adj. thinking serioi
ing. At last, when he could stand it no longer, the dragon
craned his neck and looked. There at the entrance of the craned (krand) v.
cave stood a trembling young man in a suit of armor twice : stretched out for a
his size, struggling with a sword so heavy he could lift only . better look
one end of it at a time.
At sight of the dragon, the cobbler's youngest son began
to tremble so violently that his armor rattled like a house
caving in. He heaved with all his might at the sword and got .
the handle up level with his chest, but even now the point
was down in the dirt. As loudly and firmly as he could man - .
age, the youngest son cried-
Dragon, dragon, how do you do?
I've comefrom the king to murder you.
"What?" cried the dragon, flabbergasted. "You? You? Reading Skill
Murder Me???" All at once he began to laugh, pointing at : Make Inferences
the little cobbler's son. "He he he ho ha!" he roared, shak- . What do the dragor
ing allover, and tears filled his eyes. "He he he ho ho ho ha : words and laughter
. suggest about his
ha!" laughed the dragon. He was laughing so hard he had . feelings?
to hang onto his sides, and he fell off the door and landed
on his back, still laughing, kicking his legs helplessly, roll- .
ing from side to side, laughing and laughing and laughing. .
The cobbler's son was annoyed. "I do come from the king .
to murder you," he said. "A person doesn't like to be
laughed at for a thing like that."
"He he he!" wailed the dragon, almost sobbing, gasping
for breath. "Of course not, poor dear boy! But really, he he, .
the idea of it, ha, ha, ha! And that simply ridiculous poem!"
Tears streamed from the dragon's eyes and he lay on his
back perfectly helpless with laughter.
"It's a good poem," said the cobbler's youngest son loy-
ally. "My father made it up." And growing angrier he
shouted, "I want you to stop that laughing, or 1'11-1'11-"
But the dragon could not stop for the life of him. And sud- .
denly, in a terrific rage, the cobbler's son began flopping
the sword end over end in the direction of the dragon.
Sweat ran off the youngest son's forehead, but he labored
on, blistering mad, and at last, with one supreme heave, he .

198 • Short Stories

had the sword standing on its handle a foot from
the dragon's throat. Of its own weight the sword
fell,slicing the dragon's head off. Literature Connection
"He he ho huk, " went the dragon-and then he Traditional Dragon Stories
laydead. Much of the humor in
The two older brothers crawled out and thanked "Dragon, Dragon" comes
their younger brother for saving their lives. "We from the way it turns
have learned our lesson," they said. traditional dragon stories
Then the three brothers gathered all the trea- upside down. For example, in
sures from the dragon's cave and tied them to the Beowulf, one of the most
back end of the youngest brother's horse, and tied famous dragon stories of all
the dragon's head on behind the treasures, and time, the king is a wise and
started home. "I'm glad I listened to my father," noble man. A terrible dragon
the youngest son thought. "Now I'll be the richest has been attacking his hall
and killing his warriors. When
man in the kingdom."
brave Beowulf, a true hero,
There were hand -carved picture frames and
learns that the king needs
silver spoons and boxes of jewels and chests of
help, he sails quickly to the
money and silver compasses and maps telling rescue, humbly yet bravely
where there were more treasures buried when presenting himself as the man
these ran out. There was also a curious old book for the job.
with a picture of an owl on the cover, and inside,
poems and odd sentences and recipes that Connect to the Literature
seemed to make no sense. Which of the cobbler's sons is
When they reached the king's castle the people most like Beowulf? Explain.
allleaped for joy to see that the dragon was dead,
and the princess ran out and kissed the youngest
brother on the forehead, for secretly she had
hoped it would be him.
"Well,"said the king, "which half of the kingdom
do you wan t?"
"Mywizard's book!" exclaimed the wizard. "He's
found my wizard's book!" He opened the book and
ran his finger along under the words and then
said in a loud voice, "Glmuzk, shkzmlp, blam!"
Instantly the queen stood before them in her
natural shape, except she was soaking wet from
beingsprinkled too often. She glared at the king.
"Oh dear," said the king, hurrying toward the
door.

Dragon, Dragon _ 199