dream days(恂知議晩徨)-及25准
梓囚徒貧圭鮗 ○ 賜 ★ 辛酔堀貧和鍬匈梓囚徒貧議 Enter 囚辛指欺云慕朕村匈梓囚徒貧圭鮗 ● 辛指欺云匈競何
!!!!隆堋響頼紗秘慕禰厮宴和肝写偬堋響
the dragon察rather testily。 ;No doubt you would deeply regret any error
you might make in the hurry of the moment察but you wouldn't regret it half
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as much as I should However察I suppose we've got to trust somebody察as
we go through life察and your plan seems察on the whole察as good a one as
any。;
;Look here察dragon察─interrupted the Boy察a little jealous on behalf of
his friend察who seemed to be getting all the worst of the bargain此 I don't
quite see where YOU come in There's to be a fight察 apparently察 and
you're to be licked察and what I want to know is察what are YOU going to
get out of it拭─
;St。 George察─said the dragon察 Just tell him察pleasewhat will happen
after I'm vanquished in the deadly combat拭─
;Well察 according to the rules I suppose I shall lead you in triumph
down to the market´place or whatever answers to it察─said St。 George。
;Precisely察─said the dragon。 ;And then;
;And then there'll be shoutings and speeches and things察─continued St。
George。 ;And I shall explain that you're converted察and see the error of
your ways察and so on。;
;Quite so察─said the dragon。 ;And then拭─
;Oh察 and then; said St。 George察 why察 and then there will be the
usual banquet察I suppose。;
;Exactly察─ said the dragon察 and that's where _I_ come in。 Look
here察─he continued察addressing the Boy察 I'm bored to death up here察and
no one really appreciates me。 I'm going into Society察I am察through the
kindly aid of our friend here察 who's taking such a lot of trouble on my
account察and you'll find I've got all the qualities to endear me to people
who entertain So now that's all settled察 and if you don't mindI'm an
old´ fashioned fellowdon't want to turn you out察but;
;Remember察 you'll have to do your proper share of the fighting察
dragon ─ said St。 George察 as he took the hint and rose to go察 I mean
ramping察and breathing fire察and so on ─
;I can RAMP all right察─ replied the dragon察 confidently察 as to
breathing fire察it's surprising how easily one gets out of practice察but I'll do
the best I can。 Goodnight ─
They had descended the hill and were almost back in the village again察
when St。 George stopped short察 KNEW I had forgotten something察─ he
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said。 ;There ought to be a Princess。 Terror´stricken and chained to a
rock察and all that sort of thing。 Boy察can't you arrange a Princess拭─
The Boy was in the middle of a tremendous yawn。 ;I'm tired to
death察─he wailed察 and I CAN'T arrange a Princess察or anything more察at
this time of night。 And my mother's sitting up察and DO stop asking me to
arrange more things till tomorrow ─
Next morning the people began streaming up to the Downs at quite
an early hour察 in their Sunday clothes and carrying baskets with bottle´
necks sticking out of them察every one intent on securing good places for
the combat。 This was not exactly a simple matter察for of course it was
quite possible that the dragon might win察and in that case even those who
had put their money on him felt they could hardly expect him to deal with
his backers on a different footing to the rest。 Places were chosen察
therefore察with circumspection and with a view to a speedy retreat in case
of emergency察and the front rank was mostly composed of boys who had
escaped from parental control and now sprawled and rolled about on the
grass察regardless of the shrill threats and warnings discharged at them by
their anxious mothers behind。
The Boy had secured a good front place察well up towards the cave察and
was feeling as anxious as a stage´manager on a first night。 Could the
dragon be depended upon拭 He might change his mind and vote the
whole performance rot察or else察seeing that the affair had been so hastily
planned察without even a rehearsal察 he might be too nervous to show up。
The Boy looked narrowly at the cave察 but it showed no sign of life or
occupation。 Could the dragon have made a moon´light flitting拭
The higher portions of the ground were now black with sightseers察and
presently a sound of cheering and a waving of handkerchiefs told that
something was visible to them which the Boy察far up towards the dragon´
end of the line as he was察 could not yet see。 A minute more and St。
George's red plumes topped the hill察as the Saint rode slowly forth on the
great level space which stretched up to the grim mouth of the cave。 Very
gallant and beautiful he looked察on his tall war´horse察his golden armour
glancing in the sun察 his great spear held erect察 the little white pennon察
crimson´crossed察 fluttering at its point。 He drew rein and remained
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motionless。 The lines of spectators began to give back a little察nervously察
and even the boys in front stopped pulling hair and cuffing each other察and
leaned forward expectant。
;Now then察dragon ─muttered the Boy impatiently察fidgeting where he
sat。 He need not have distressed himself察 had he only known。 The
dramatic possibilities of the thing had tickled the dragon immensely察and
he had been up from an early hour察 preparing for his first public
appearance with as much heartiness as if the years had run backwards察and
he had been again a little dragonlet察playing with his sisters on the floor of
their mother's cave察 at the game of saints´and´dragons察 in which the
dragon was bound to win。
A low muttering察mingled with snorts察now made itself heard察rising to
a bellowing roar that seemed to fill the plain。 Then a cloud of smoke
obscured the mouth of the cave察 and out of the midst of it the dragon
himself察 shining察 sea´blue察 magnificent察 pranced splendidly forth察 and
everybody said察 Oo´oo´oo ─ as if he had been a mighty rocket His
scales were glittering察his long spiky tail lashed his sides察his claws tore up
the turf and sent it flying high over his back察 and smoke and fire
incessantly jetted from his angry nostrils。 ;Oh察well done察dragon ─cried
the Boy察excitedly。 ;Didn't think he had it in him ─he added to himself。
St。 George lowered his spear察 bent his head察 dug his heels into his
horse's sides察 and came thundering over the turf。 The dragon charged
with a roar and a squeala great blue whirling combination of coils and
snorts and clashing jaws and spikes and fire。
;Missed ─yelled the crowd。 There was a moment's entanglement of
golden armour and blue´green coils察 and spiky tail察 and then the great
horse察tearing at his bit察carried the Saint察his spear swung high in the air察
almost up to the mouth of the cave。
The dragon sat down and barked viciously察 while St。 George with
difficulty pulled his horse round into position。
;End of Round One ─thought the Boy。 ;How well they managed it
But I hope the Saint won't get excited。 I can trust the dragon all right。
What a regular play´actor the fellow is ─
St。 George had at last prevailed on his horse to stand steady察and was
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looking round him as he wiped his brow。 Catching sight of the Boy察he
smiled and nodded察and held up three fingers for an instant。
;It seems to be all planned out察─ said the Boy to himself。 ;Round
Three is to be the finishing one察evidently。 Wish it could have lasted a bit
longer。 Whatever's that old fool of a dragon up to now拭─
The dragon was employing the interval in giving a ramping´
performance for