Story So far: If you haven’t already been following along – A dragon ran off with a princess. When the Knight arrived to save her, she declares that she wants to steal one of her eggs so she can have her very own pet dragon. The Knight obviously, thinks this is a very bad idea.
The sun reflected brightly off his armour. The princess lifted a hand and covered her eyes.
‘Didn’t I tell you to take that off? I am going blind,’ she said. ‘Besides, you will need to be quiet as a mouse this time so you can’t afford to have that clanking about.’
‘What?’ said the Knight, looking up. His hand was on his chest as he drew deep breaths.
In answer, the princess began climbing the nearest tree.
‘Princess?’ said the Knight weakly.
‘Take the armour off,’ she called down from her tree.
He obeyed as he watched her clamber up to a nest high up in its branches and silently take a small egg out.
In a trice, she was back down beside him.
‘This egg’s parents must have gone out looking for food. We are going to substitute this one for the dragon’s egg. It will never know,’ she said, holding the little egg out in triumph.
The knight looked at the egg and back again at the princess, speechless.
This was no joke. She really had lost her mind. He summoned all his will power.
‘And don’t you think,’ he said, with the air of someone very patiently explaining something to a 2 year old. ‘That the dragon will notice that this egg is not the size of a chicken?’
‘Of course not. I read somewhere that dragons’ brains are the size of a walnut. Trust me. It’ll never know.’
The Knight rolled his eyes.
‘And how do you propose you … I mean we,’ he gulped. ‘… switch the eggs? We barely made it to the nest the last time,’ he said.
‘Go collect some dry wood and leaves. Bring it all to the mouth of the cave,’ said the princess, ignoring the Knight’s question.
The Knight stared, but he did as he was told.
In a few minutes, he had collected a small pile of dry wood and leaves. At the princess’ instruction, he selected 2 pieces to rub together and started a fire. Soon it was crackling merrily.
‘More,’ said the princess.
The knight spent the next 10 minutes collecting more dry leaves and brambles and kept adding them to the fire. The smoke started blowing into the cave.
‘Brilliant! Now give me your helmet,’ she said.
Puzzled, the knight handed it over. The princess shook her long hair loose and put the helmet on.
‘Oooh, it’s a bit warm in here but it’ll do,’ she said and stepped towards the cave.
‘Errr … Princess, you do realise that this is a “fire-breathing” dragon, right? She probably loves smoke,’ said the Knight.
‘I know that! Did you think I was going to smoke it out?’ snapped the princess, turning to look at the Knight. ‘The smoke is just so it won’t see us coming.’
‘Coming?’ said the Knight, stricken. ‘We are going in there again?’
‘Of course we are. How do you expect we are going to switch this egg with the dragon’s if we don’t go back in?’ she said, shoving the tiny egg in his face. The Knight recognized it as being a sparrow egg. ‘Really Knight! I must speak to father about you,’ continued the princess. ‘Now, come on,’ she added and snapped the helmet’s visor shut. She then turned on her heel and walked into the cave, her helmeted head held high and shoulders squared. The sparrow egg was clutched firmly in her hand.
Defeated, the Knight followed the princess in, coughing as he went.
Soon they were at the mouth of the cavern again. The smoke was thinner here.
‘Check to see where the dragon is,’ ordered the princess through the Knight’s helmet. Her voice was muffled.
The Knight carefully peeped around the corner and very quickly drew his head back.
‘She is sitting in her nest,’ he informed the princess.
‘Right. Now here is the plan. You go in and distract it while I steal the egg,’ said the princess very quickly. She took the helmet off and shook her head again.
‘What am I going to do with a dirty, big dragon?’ said the Knight, aghast.
‘How would I know?’ said the princess. ‘Sing it a lullaby. Dance naked in front of it. Just get it away from its nest.’
What happens next?
So attempt 1 has failed, and now it’s up to the Knight to distract the dragon. Poor guy! He doesn’t even want to be there, let alone dance naked in front of a giant, fire-breathing dragon. Now what?
