Stan Bolovan · page 21 2 3101Stan spoke so calmly that this time the dragon began to get a little frightened, though he did not quite believe that things would be as bad as Stan said.102They returned to the house, took all the food that could be found in the old mother’s larder, and carried it back to the place where the club was lying.103Then Stan seated himself on the sack of provisions, and remained quietly watching the setting moon.104‘What are you doing?’ asked the dragon.105‘Waiting till the moon gets out of my way.’106‘What do you mean?107I don’t understand.’108‘Don’t you see that the moon is exactly in my way?109But of course, if you like, I will throw the club into the moon.’110At these words the dragon grew uncomfortable for the second time.111He prized the club, which had been left him by his grandfather, very highly, and had no desire that it should be lost in the moon.112‘I’ll tell you what,’ he said, after thinking a little.113‘Don’t throw the club at all.114I will throw it a second time, and that will do just as well.’115‘No, certainly not!’ replied Stan.116‘Just wait till the moon sets.’117But the dragon, in dread lest Stan should fulfil his threats, tried what bribes could do, and in the end had to promise Stan seven sacks of ducats before he was suffered to throw back the club himself.118‘Oh, dear me, that is indeed a strong man,’ said the dragon, turning to his mother.119‘Would you believe that I have had the greatest difficulty in preventing him from throwing the club into the moon?’120Then the old woman grew uncomfortable too!121Only to think of it!122It was no joke to throw things into the moon!123So no more was heard of the club, and the next day they had all something else to think about.124‘Go and fetch me water!’ said the mother, when the morning broke, and gave them twelve buffalo skins with the order to keep filling them till night.125They set out at once for the brook, and in the twinkling of an eye the dragon had filled the whole twelve, carried them into the house, and brought them back to Stan.126Stan was tired: he could scarcely lift the buckets when they were empty, and he shuddered to think of what would happen when they were full.127But he only took an old knife out of his pocket and began to scratch up the earth near the brook.128‘What are you doing there?129How are you going to carry the water into the house?’ asked the dragon.130‘How?131Dear me, that is easy enough!132I shall just take the brook!’133At these words the dragon’s jaw dropped.134This was the last thing that had ever entered his head, for the brook had been as it was since the days of his grandfather.135‘I’ll tell you what!’ he said.136‘Let me carry your skins for you.’137‘Most certainly not,’ answered Stan, going on with his digging, and the dragon, in dread lest he should fulfil his threat, tried what bribes would do, and in the end had again to promise seven sacks of ducats before Stan would agree to leave the brook alone and let him carry the water into the house.138On the third day the old mother sent Stan into the forest for wood, and, as usual, the dragon went with him.139Before you could count three he had pulled up more trees than Stan could have cut down in a lifetime, and had arranged them neatly in rows.140When the dragon had finished, Stan began to look about him, and, choosing the biggest of the trees, he climbed up it, and, breaking off a long rope of wild vine, bound the top of the tree to the one next it.141And so he did to a whole line of trees.142‘What are you doing there?’ asked the dragon.checked by a teacher143‘You can see for yourself,’ answered Stan, going quietly on with his work.144‘Why are you tying the trees together?’145‘Not to give myself unnecessary work; when I pull up one, all the others will come up too.’146‘But how will you carry them home?’147‘Dear me! don’t you understand that I am going to take the whole forest back with me?’ said Stan, tying two other trees as he spoke.148‘I’ll tell you what,’ cried the dragon, trembling with fear at the thought of such a thing; ‘let me carry the wood for you, and you shall have seven times seven sacks full of ducats.’149‘You are a good fellow, and I agree to your proposal,’ answered Stan, and the dragon carried the wood.150Now the three days’ service which were to be reckoned as a year were over, and the only thing that disturbed Stan was, how to get all those ducats back to his home!151In the evening the dragon and his mother had a long talk, but Stan heard every word through a crack in the ceiling.152‘Woe be to us, mother,’ said the dragon; ‘this man will soon get us into his power.153Give him his money, and let us be rid of him.’154But the old mother was fond of money, and did not like this.155‘Listen to me,’ said she; ‘you must murder him this very night.’156‘I am afraid,’ answered he.157‘There is nothing to fear,’ replied the old mother.158‘When he is asleep take the club, and hit him on the head with it.159It is easily done.’160And so it would have been, had not Stan heard all about it.161And when the dragon and his mother had put out their lights, he took the pigs’ trough and filled it with earth, and placed it in his bed, and covered it with clothes.162Then he hid himself underneath, and began to snore loudly.163Very soon the dragon stole softly into the room, and gave a tremendous blow on the spot where Stan’s head should have been.164Stan groaned loudly from under the bed, and the dragon went away as softly as he had come.165Directly he had closed the door, Stan lifted out the pigs’ trough, and lay down himself, after making everything clean and tidy, but he was wise enough not to shut his eyes that night.166The next morning he came into the room when the dragon and his mother were having their breakfast.167‘Good morning,’ said he.168‘Good morning.169How did you sleep?’170‘Oh, very well, but I dreamed that a flea had bitten me, and I seem to feel it still.’171The dragon and his mother looked at each other.172‘Do you hear that?’ whispered he.173‘He talks of a flea.174I broke my club on his head.’175This time the mother grew as frightened as her son.176There was nothing to be done with a man like this, and she made all haste to fill the sacks with ducats, so as to get rid of Stan as soon as possible.177But on his side Stan was trembling like an aspen, as he could not lift even one sack from the ground.178So he stood still and looked at them.179‘What are you standing there for?’ asked the dragon.180‘Oh, I was standing here because it has just occurred to me that I should like to stay in your service for another year.checked by a teacher181I am ashamed that when I get home they should see I have brought back so little.182I know that they will cry out, “Just look at Stan Bolovan, who in one year has grown as weak as a dragon.”’183Here a shriek of dismay was heard both from the dragon and his mother, who declared they would give him seven or even seven times seven the number of sacks if he would only go away.184‘I’ll tell you what!’ said Stan at last.185‘I see you don’t want me to stay, and I should be very sorry to make myself disagreeable.186I will go at once, but only on condition that you shall carry the money home yourself, so that I may not be put to shame before my friends.’187The words were hardly out of his mouth before the dragon had snatched up the sacks and piled them on his back.188Then he and Stan set forth.189The way, though really not far, was yet too long for Stan, but at length he heard his children’s voices, and stopped short.190He did not wish the dragon to know where he lived, lest some day he should come to take back his treasure.191Was there nothing he could say to get rid of the monster?192Suddenly an idea came into Stan’s head, and he turned round.193‘I hardly know what to do,’ said he.194‘I have a hundred children, and I am afraid they may do you harm, as they are always ready for a fight.195However, I will do my best to protect you.’196A hundred children!197That was indeed no joke!198The dragon let fall the sacks from terror, and then picked them up again.199But the children, who had had nothing to eat since their father had left them, came rushing towards him, waving knives in their right hands and forks in their left, and crying, ‘Give us dragon’s flesh; we will have dragon’s flesh.’200At this dreadful sight the dragon waited no longer: he flung down his sacks where he stood and took flight as fast as he could, so terrified at the fate that awaited him that from that day he has never dared to show his face in the world again.1 2 3← previousThe Child Who Came From an Eggnext →The Two Frogs↑ back to The Violet Fairy BookThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg641/13/page/2/