How The Dragon was Defeated

There weren't always dragons in the valley...

Dragons came and went, and lived all over, and sometimes they came to the valley where people gathered.

Once Upon A Time, there was a dragon, who left the land of his birth and became terribly lost. After long weeks and months of travel, he found himself in a land of oak trees and purple acorns, ruled over by a mighty king.

The people of the land, finding themselves much troubled by the dragon, organised a tourney, reasoning that only the mightiest of champions could slay the beast. Warriors came from far and wide, from the land of the Rowan and the Griffen and of the Acorn itself, and even from the far western borders.

Some were of great renown, having practiced their craft for many years. Some were untested, seeking glory on the field. All were determined to triumph over the others and win the title of Champion.

While the tourney took place, the children of the realm gathered together. Now, as all parents know, leaving small children unsupervised in a situation where they might happen upon a most excellent idea, will always lead to trouble. The children reasoned that many swords were more effective than one… even if that one was more experienced, and an adult. Banding together, they travelled in groups, for everyone knows that Quests are more fun with friends.

Now it came to pass that in this land also dwelled a noble lady of great courage and compassion, who in her youth had found an abandoned nest, and raised the eggs therein to three smaller dragons of her own.

As is the way of children, these three dragons had now grown and moved away. If the Questing Children would visit the three dragons, and bring back news of them, the lady would give them something to help them in their quest.

The children visited each dragon in turn, and each group was set a task, no two side-quests the same. This was, the dragons claimed, so that the children could carry news back to their Mother that they were not just sitting on their hordes all day.

Thus assured, the Lady gave each child some shiny coins, with which to distract the great beast who plagued their lands. As all educated people know, there is nothing the Great Dragons crave so much as bright gold.

The coins were indeed shiny, but they were not true coins, being filled with a tasty treat.

Now, on a quest, there are no rules about bedtime, or in what order dinner and dessert are eaten, or in what quantities. Some of the children, paying less heed to the commands of their wise elders, had eaten the coins by the time they faced the dragon, and were forced to flee before their wrath.

But finally, there came one group who were good children, who obeyed their parents rules, and had not eaten their coins.

These coins they scattered widely over the ground before the Dragon’s cave, and waited in ambush, with blade and arrow at the ready.

The dragon emerged, for the lure of shiny things outweighed any danger that might lurk nearby. The great beast gathered the coins one by one, and when his hands were full and he moved slowly, so as to not drop the coins and have to gather them a second time, they attacked. The children fell upon him with sword and shield and cries of triumph.

So great was their enthusiasm, so boundless their energy, that the dragon was made fearful. He fled before their fury, and vowed to return nevermore to the Acorn Lands.

The children returned to the village hall, where the tourney was just concluding, no less than the Mighty King himself having claimed Victory over all comers.

The king was much dismayed that the dragon was no longer available for him to fight, and even moreso that both of his children, a son not yet seven and a daughter younger yet, had been instrumental in its defeat.

But the cooks of the Acorn Lands were held in great renown, and with very good reason. There was a feast to celebrate, so all in the tale ended the day happily, and with many tasty leftovers.