The Dragon MEGAPACK ®. Kenneth Grahame

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СКАЧАТЬ they made his bed in the same place, but in right royal style. As the student had not slept the night before, the moment he put his head down he began to sleep like a pumpkin, and never even moved till dawn. He had no trouble with his peas this time, for he had tied them up in the corner of his handkerchief as he picked them up from under the bed.

      The spy reported to the king next morning that the traveller slept soundly all night. They now firmly believed that the student simply dressed up as such, but in reality was a prince. They tried to persuade him that he was a prince, and addressed him as such. The king’s daughter ran after the student to get into his favour, and it didn’t take much to make him fall in love with her, and so the two got married.

      They had lived a whole year together, when they were sent off to travel in order that the student-king might show his wife his realm. The student was very frightened that he might not get out of his trouble so well, and grew more and more alarmed, till at last he accepted his fate.

      “Let come whatever is to come,” thought he, “I will go with them, and then, if nothing else can be done, I can escape, and go back to college,” for he had carried his student’s gown with him everywhere.

      They started off and travelled till they came to a large forest. The student slipped aside into a deep ditch, where he undressed, in order to put on his student’s clothes and to escape.

      Now there was a dragon with seven heads lazily lying there, who accosted him thus: “Who are you? What are you looking for here? What do you want?”

      The student told him his whole history, and also that he was just going to run away.

      “There is no need to run away,” said the dragon, “that would be a pity, continue your journey; when you get out of this wood you will see a copper fortress, which swivels on a goose’s leg. Go into it, and live there in peace with your wife, with your dog and cat, till the fortress begins to move and turn round. When this happens, be off, because if I come home and catch you there, there will be an end of you.”

      The student went back to his travelling companions and continued his way until, emerging from the wood, he saw the fortress. They all went in and settled down as in their own, and all went on very well for two years, and he already began to believe that he really was a king, when suddenly the fortress began to move, and swivel round very quickly.

      The student was downcast, and went up on the battlement of the fortress, wandering about in great sorrow; he there found an old woman, who asked him, “What’s the matter with your Majesty?”

      “H’m! the matter is, old woman,” replied the student, “that I am not a king; and still I am compelled to be one,” and then he told her his whole history up to that time.

      “There’s nothing in that, my son,” said the old woman, “be thankful that you have not tried to keep your secret from me. I am the queen of magic, and the most formidable enemy of the dragon with seven heads; therefore this is my advice: get a loaf made at once, and let this loaf be placed in the oven seven times with other loaves, this particular loaf each time to be put in the oven the first and to be taken out last. Have this loaf placed outside the fortress gate tomorrow, without fail. When the dragon with the seven heads is coming, it will be such a charm against him that he will never trouble you again, and the fortress will be left to you with all that belongs to it.”

      The student had the loaf prepared as he was told, and when the clock struck one after midnight the bread was already placed outside the fortress gate.

      As the sun rose, the dragon with seven heads went straight towards the fortress gate, where the loaf addressed him thus, “Stop, I’m guard here, and without my permission you may not enter; if you wish to come in, you must first suffer what I have suffered.”

      “Well,” said the dragon, “I’ve made up my mind to enter, so let me know what ordeals you have gone through.”

      The loaf told him that when it was a seed it was buried in a field that had previously been dug up: then rotted, sprouted, and grew; it had suffered from cold, heat, rain, and snow, until it ripened; it was then cut down, tied into sheaves, threshed out, ground, kneaded into dough, and then seven times running they put it in a fiery oven, each time before its mates.

      “If you can stand all this,” concluded the loaf, “then I’ll let you in, but on no other condition.”

      The dragon, knowing that he could not stand all this, got so angry that he burst in his rage and perished. The student from that day became lord of the fortress, and after the death of his wife’s parents became king of two lands; and if he has not died yet, he reigns still.

      If I knew that I should fare as well as that student, I would become a student this very blessed day!

      OF MICE & DRAGONS, by Gary Lovisi

      Part I

      First there was a twitching of the delicate nose, then a barely perceptible twinge of furry ear tips, soon followed by a shuddering chill that ran the entire length of the tiny body ending in a very loud and resounding sneeze.

      It was a mighty sneeze, especially by human standards, but for this tiny mouse it was of enormous magnitude.

      “Bless you!” A deep, bellowing voice boomed with resounding approval from on high, like thunder.

      The mouse named Dapple, came to instant wakefulness, opened sleep-drenched eyes, wide—wider—wider still—to find himself eyeball to eyeball with a truly horrible and monstrous creature. A very large monstrous creature at that.

      “Oh, no!” Dapple whispered with dread as paralyzed fear gripped him. His eyes looked into eyes that were watching him so closely—eyes that were as big as pumpkins and just as orange—eyes that were only a very miniscule part of an exceptionally major-sized beastie.

      Dapple was astounded by the huge gapping mouth, the enormous pointed fangs, the rough scarily hide, and the long barbed tail that even now danced menacingly in the air overhead with what seemed to have a mind all it’s own.

      The little mouse bravely smiled with chattering teeth, his eyes stared as if mesmerized, looking into the huge eyes of the terrible monster before him.

      “Why, you’re a mouse, ain’t you?” the huge beast asked in a thunderous voice.

      “Oh, boy! What a mess I am in now! An innocent young rodent can’t even take a nap these days without waking up to discover all manner of unpleasantness. Yes, I am a mouse and I certainly hope you are not hungry, Mr. Dragon.”

      The huge beast blinked it’s enormous lids and then focused on the tiny mouse shaking so fearfully before him. Suddenly the dragon’s huge maw opened wide, revealing many terrible pointy teeth, but suddenly his face broke into a wide grin of disarming friendliness.

      “Nah, little one, not to worry. I doubt if you’ve got a full ounce of meat on those puny bones anyway. Why, I’d expend more energy in digesting you than you’d be worth.”

      Dapple swallowed with hopeful relief and a nervous twitch, but somehow felt vaguely insulted by the large creature’s opinion of his worthiness. Nevertheless he did not complain about the fact and was rather elated by the news. “I am exceptionally happy to hear that, Mr. Dragon.” Then regaining his normal amount of confidence and bravery now that he assumed he would not become a tiny tasty appetizer for the giant behemoth in front of him. He stood up and with a low whistle began a long walk around the creature to investigate. СКАЧАТЬ