The Dragon Tamers] · page 21 2 3 4101I shouldn't like to see any harm come to a nice-looking gentleman like you."102The dragon purred at this compliment and said: "All right, I'll be careful.103Now go and fetch the thing, whatever it is."104So John ran up the steps as quickly as he could, for he knew that if the dragon got impatient before it was fastened, it could heave up the roof of the dungeon with one heave of its back, and kill them all in the ruins.105His wife was asleep, in spite of the baby's cries; and John picked up the baby and took it down and put it between the dragon's front paws.106"You just purr to it, sir," he said, "and it'll be as good as gold."107So the dragon purred, and his purring pleased the baby so much that it stopped crying.108Then John rummaged among the heap of old iron and found there some heavy chains and a great collar that had been made in the days when men sang over their work and put their hearts into it, so that the things they made were strong enough to bear the weight of a thousand years, let alone a dragon.109John fastened the dragon up with the collar and the chains, and when he had padlocked them all on safely he set to work to find out how many rivets would be needed.110"Six, eight, ten--twenty, forty," said he. "111I haven't half enough rivets in the shop.112If you'll excuse me, sir, I'll step around to another forge and get a few dozen.113I won't be a minute."114 115_]116And off he went, leaving the baby between the dragon's fore-paws, laughing and crowing with pleasure at the very large purr of it.117John ran as hard as he could into the town, and found the mayor and corporation.118"There's a dragon in my dungeon," he said; "I've chained him up.119Now come and help to get my baby away."120And he told them all about it.121But they all happened to have engagements for that evening; so they praised John's cleverness, and said they were quite content to leave the matter in his hands.122"But what about my baby?" said John.123"Oh, well," said the mayor, "if anything should happen, you will always be able to remember that your baby perished in a good cause."124So John went home again, and told his wife some of the tale.125"You've given the baby to the dragon!" she cried. "126Oh, you unnatural parent!"127"Hush," said John, and he told her some more. "128Now," he said, "I'm going down.129After I've been down you can go, and if you keep your head the boy will be all right."130So down went the blacksmith, and there was the dragon purring away with all his might to keep the baby quiet.131"Hurry up, can't you?" he said. "132I can't keep up this noise all night."133"I'm very sorry, sir," said the blacksmith, "but all the shops are shut.134The job must wait till the morning.135And don't forget you've promised to take care of that baby.136You'll find it a little wearing, I'm afraid.137Good night, sir."138The dragon had purred till he was quite out of breath--so now he stopped, and as soon as everything was quiet the baby thought everyone must have settled for the night, and that it was time to begin to scream.139So it began.140"Oh, dear," said the dragon, "this is awful."141He patted the baby with his claw, but it screamed more than ever.142"And I am so tired too," said the dragon. "143I did so hope I should have a good night."144The baby went on screaming.145"There'll be no peace for me after this," said the dragon. "146It's enough to ruin one's nerves.147Hush, then--did 'ums, then."148And he tried to quiet the baby as if it had been a young dragon.149But when he began to sing "Hush-a-by, Dragon," the baby screamed more and more and more. "150I can't keep it quiet," said the dragon; and then suddenly he saw a woman sitting on the steps. "151Here, I say," said he, "do you know anything about babies?"152"I do, a little," said the mother.153"Then I wish you'd take this one, and let me get some sleep," said the dragon, yawning. "154You can bring it back in the morning before the blacksmith comes."155So the mother picked up the baby and took it upstairs and told her husband, and they went to bed happy, for they had caught the dragon and saved the baby.156And next day John went down and explained carefully to the dragon exactly how matters stood, and he got an iron gate with a grating to it and set it up at the foot of the steps, and the dragon mewed furiously for days and days, but when he found it was no good he was quiet.157So now John went to the mayor, and said: "I've got the dragon and I've saved the town."158"Noble preserver," cried the mayor, "we will get up a subscription for you, and crown you in public with a laurel wreath."159So the mayor put his name down for five pounds, and the corporation each gave three, and other people gave their guineas and half guineas and half crowns and crowns, and while the subscription was being made the mayor ordered three poems at his own expense from the town poet to celebrate the occasion.160The poems were very much more admired, especially by the mayor and corporation.161The first poem dealt with the noble conduct of the mayor in arranging to have the dragon tied up.162The second described the splendid assistance rendered by the corporation.163And the third expressed the pride and joy of the poet in being permitted to sing such deeds, beside which the actions of St. George must appear quite commonplace to all with a feeling heart or a well-balanced brain.164When the subscription was finished there was a thousand pounds, and a committee was formed to settle what should be done with it.165A third of it went to pay for a banquet to the mayor and corporation; another third was spent in buying a gold collar with a dragon on it for the mayor and gold medals with dragons on them for the corporation; and what was left went in committee expenses.166So there was nothing for the blacksmith except the laurel wreath and the knowledge that it really was he who had saved the town.167But after this things went a little better with the blacksmith.168To begin with, the baby did not cry so much as it had before.169Then the rich lady who owned the goat was so touched by John's noble action that she ordered a complete set of shoes at 2 shillings, 4 pence, and even made it up to 2 shillings, 6 pence, in grateful recognition of his public-spirited conduct.170Then tourists used to come in breaks from quite a long way off, and pay twopence each to go down the steps and peep through the iron grating at the rusty dragon in the dungeon--and it was threepence extra for each party if the blacksmith let off colored fire to see it by, which, as the fire was extremely short, was twopence-halfpenny clear profit every time.171And the blacksmith's wife used to provide teas at ninepence a head, and altogether things grew brighter week by week.172The baby--named John, after his father, and called Johnnie for short--began presently to grow up.173He was great friends with Tina, the daughter of the whitesmith, who lived nearly opposite.174She was a dear little girl with yellow pigtails and blue eyes, and she was tired of hearing the story of how Johnnie, when he was a baby, had been minded by a real dragon.175The two children used to go together to peep through the iron grating at the dragon, and sometimes they would hear him mew piteously.176And they would light a halfpenny's worth of colored fire to look at him by.177And they grew older and wiser.178At last one day the mayor and corporation, hunting the hare in their gold gowns, came screaming back to the town gates with the news that a lame, humpy giant, as big as a tin church, was coming over the marshes toward the town.179"We're lost," said the mayor. "180I'd give a thousand pounds to anyone who could keep that giant out of the town.181I know what he eats--by his teeth."182No one seemed to know what to do.183But Johnnie and Tina were listening, and they looked at each other, and ran off as fast as their boots would carry them.184They ran through the forge, and down the dungeon steps, and knocked at the iron door. "185Who's there?" said the dragon. "186It's only us," said the children.187And the dragon was so dull from having been alone for ten years that he said: "Come in, dears."188"You won't hurt us, or breathe fire at us or anything?" asked Tina.189And the dragon said, "Not for worlds."190So they went in and talked to him, and told him what the weather was like outside, and what there was in the papers, and at last Johnnie said: "There's a lame giant in the town.191He wants you."192"Does he?" said the dragon, showing his teeth. "193If only I were out of this!"194"If we let you loose you might manage to run away before he could catch you."195"Yes, I might," answered the dragon, "but then again I mightn't."196"Why--you'd never fight him?" said Tina.197"No," said the dragon; "I'm all for peace, I am.198You let me out, and you'll see."199So the children loosed the dragon from the chains and the collar, and he broke down one end of the dungeon and went out--only pausing at the forge door to get the blacksmith to rivet his wing.200He met the lame giant at the gate of the town, and the giant banged on the dragon with his club as if he were banging an iron foundry, and the dragon behaved like a smelting works--all fire and smoke.1 2 3 4← previousOpening, part 11next →The Fiery Dragon]↑ back to The Book of DragonsThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg23661/12/page/2/