Tea with Dragons [original story]
TITLE: Tea with Dragons
COMMENTS: [original story] What happens when a young knight talks to the dragon he's come to kill. What things will he learn?
Tea with Dragons
The young, lanky knight stood in paralyzed fear before the huge, green dragon. His pike and shield fell uselessly to the ground as he stood transfixed at the awesome creature before him.
"I say young sir, you seem to have dropped your weapons, are you alright?" The young knight could only nod. "Oh dear! You appear to be scared, would you care for a cup of tea to calm the nerves?" The knight nodded once more.
The dragon scuttled into the cave and lit a fire under a large iron pot by blowing a small flame out of his mouth. "Please come in and make yourself comfortable."
The knight spotted a small bolder and climbed on top of it. Sitting cross-legged he glanced around the vast chamber. It was well lit and had several large, soft carpets of eastern style design.
"Let me take a guess as to what brings you to my cave." The dragon was apparently the chatty sort. "To rule the kingdom you must claim a dragon's head?" He poured water into a delicate, yet enormous tea pot.
"No! No kingdom." Was the hushed reply.
The dragon curled his long tail into a tight spiral that he tucked next to his haunches. He picked up his large tea cup as if it were delicate china. He motioned to a normal size tea cup for the knight to drink from. "Well then, what sends you on this folly? Clearly you are not prepared to fight a dragon of my magnificence."
The knight cleared his throat and sipped the tea. "Well you see.... there's this princess..." He got no further, the dragon held his large hand up.
"Say no more. What did you promise her? A dragon head, or perhaps a great treasure?"
The young man mutely nodded.
"Let me tell you something about princesses, they're fickle, flighty things." He sipped again. "They most certainly do not want gory dragon heads, they might be swayed by treasure but those princesses are not worth the trouble."
"Oh where are my manners, allow me to introduce myself. You may call me Targ the Mighty" He dipped his head in a polite bow.
"I'm Percy Trumbull." The knight bowed back.
"Give your princess a good book. A well read princess is a treasure beyond measure."
"A book?" Percy questioned.
"Any princess worth her crown will welcome a book over trivial gifts. A book is more thoughtful and thought provoking."
This was a rather chatty dragon.
"Oh moons! It's been forever since I've had a chance to talk to anyone. All you knights want to do is kill my kind, then we end up eating you instead. Let me tell you; human's do not taste very good at all. We'd rather not eat you if we don't have to." Targ let out a gusty sigh. "Tell me do the humans eat the dragons they kill?"
Percy cocked his head to the side in deep thought. "No I don't believe they do."
"Barbaric," Targ snorted. To leave the bloody corpse just lying around, with the head chopped off will-nilly, to be dragged before some spoiled princess for appeasement and honor?" A small flame trickled out his one nostril. "Dragons would never do anything like that."
They both took long slow sips of the tea.
"Since we're chatting Targ, I have to know.... where did you get your tea set? It's the most glorious set I've ever seen."
"Well thank you. We dragons do make deals with humans from time to time, and Blat the Great Red found a potter who would make these sets for us. We dragons do love a proper tea after all."
"I had no idea."
"We're civilized, young knight. We like our refinements. Hence the reason we collect treasures."
"Do you all collect the same things?" Percy asked.
"No! Each dragon collects what suits their personalities. For instance, I collect books along with my gold and jewels."
"Dragons are more interesting that I imagined." Percy confessed. "We're told that you are just beasts of the dark."
"Some are, but we tend to shun those type. Dragons only seek to collect and be at peace." Targ poured another cup of tea for himself. "Is your princess worth that?"
"No I can't say she is. Perhaps I'd best rethink my prize." He scratched at his chin. "I'll look into a book and maybe some flowers. If she doesn't like that... then I don't think I'll pursue the relationship."
"Take it from an old dragon, it rarely is."
Percy stood to leave, "I've had a very pleasant talk with you Targ the Mighty. May I visit again and have tea with you?"
"I would be overjoyed to have your company anytime, gallant young sir." Targ tilted his head in the knights direction. "But don't tell anyone of my whereabouts, I won't no other knights seeking prizes from me."
"I promise, on my word as a knight." Percy bowed deeply.
Percy returned to the princess, only to find she had married another suitor. He was glad he had not killed the dragon.
Having tea with dragons was so much better than a flighty princess.
COMMENTS: [original story] What happens when a young knight talks to the dragon he's come to kill. What things will he learn?
Tea with Dragons
The young, lanky knight stood in paralyzed fear before the huge, green dragon. His pike and shield fell uselessly to the ground as he stood transfixed at the awesome creature before him.
"I say young sir, you seem to have dropped your weapons, are you alright?" The young knight could only nod. "Oh dear! You appear to be scared, would you care for a cup of tea to calm the nerves?" The knight nodded once more.
The dragon scuttled into the cave and lit a fire under a large iron pot by blowing a small flame out of his mouth. "Please come in and make yourself comfortable."
The knight spotted a small bolder and climbed on top of it. Sitting cross-legged he glanced around the vast chamber. It was well lit and had several large, soft carpets of eastern style design.
"Let me take a guess as to what brings you to my cave." The dragon was apparently the chatty sort. "To rule the kingdom you must claim a dragon's head?" He poured water into a delicate, yet enormous tea pot.
"No! No kingdom." Was the hushed reply.
The dragon curled his long tail into a tight spiral that he tucked next to his haunches. He picked up his large tea cup as if it were delicate china. He motioned to a normal size tea cup for the knight to drink from. "Well then, what sends you on this folly? Clearly you are not prepared to fight a dragon of my magnificence."
The knight cleared his throat and sipped the tea. "Well you see.... there's this princess..." He got no further, the dragon held his large hand up.
"Say no more. What did you promise her? A dragon head, or perhaps a great treasure?"
The young man mutely nodded.
"Let me tell you something about princesses, they're fickle, flighty things." He sipped again. "They most certainly do not want gory dragon heads, they might be swayed by treasure but those princesses are not worth the trouble."
"Oh where are my manners, allow me to introduce myself. You may call me Targ the Mighty" He dipped his head in a polite bow.
"I'm Percy Trumbull." The knight bowed back.
"Give your princess a good book. A well read princess is a treasure beyond measure."
"A book?" Percy questioned.
"Any princess worth her crown will welcome a book over trivial gifts. A book is more thoughtful and thought provoking."
This was a rather chatty dragon.
"Oh moons! It's been forever since I've had a chance to talk to anyone. All you knights want to do is kill my kind, then we end up eating you instead. Let me tell you; human's do not taste very good at all. We'd rather not eat you if we don't have to." Targ let out a gusty sigh. "Tell me do the humans eat the dragons they kill?"
Percy cocked his head to the side in deep thought. "No I don't believe they do."
"Barbaric," Targ snorted. To leave the bloody corpse just lying around, with the head chopped off will-nilly, to be dragged before some spoiled princess for appeasement and honor?" A small flame trickled out his one nostril. "Dragons would never do anything like that."
They both took long slow sips of the tea.
"Since we're chatting Targ, I have to know.... where did you get your tea set? It's the most glorious set I've ever seen."
"Well thank you. We dragons do make deals with humans from time to time, and Blat the Great Red found a potter who would make these sets for us. We dragons do love a proper tea after all."
"I had no idea."
"We're civilized, young knight. We like our refinements. Hence the reason we collect treasures."
"Do you all collect the same things?" Percy asked.
"No! Each dragon collects what suits their personalities. For instance, I collect books along with my gold and jewels."
"Dragons are more interesting that I imagined." Percy confessed. "We're told that you are just beasts of the dark."
"Some are, but we tend to shun those type. Dragons only seek to collect and be at peace." Targ poured another cup of tea for himself. "Is your princess worth that?"
"No I can't say she is. Perhaps I'd best rethink my prize." He scratched at his chin. "I'll look into a book and maybe some flowers. If she doesn't like that... then I don't think I'll pursue the relationship."
"Take it from an old dragon, it rarely is."
Percy stood to leave, "I've had a very pleasant talk with you Targ the Mighty. May I visit again and have tea with you?"
"I would be overjoyed to have your company anytime, gallant young sir." Targ tilted his head in the knights direction. "But don't tell anyone of my whereabouts, I won't no other knights seeking prizes from me."
"I promise, on my word as a knight." Percy bowed deeply.
Percy returned to the princess, only to find she had married another suitor. He was glad he had not killed the dragon.
Having tea with dragons was so much better than a flighty princess.