介绍:
The King couldn't refuse his only daughter. He rose from his throne and knighted the blacksmith. Then, for luck, the Princess unwound her long braid, pulled out a single hair and handed it to the littlest knight. He placed it in a pocket over his heart. "May you have good fortune, my brave knight," she said.
So the littlest knight set out on his pony to find the dragon. He met many tired and injured knights and one helpful fellow told him, "Go back. One man can't carry 1,000 swords, nor can you cross a bridge which isn't there, and if you fill an empty cup it won't be empty any more. It is all a trick." He thought the littlest knight was the biggest fool.
The littlest knight had been traveling half a day when he came upon an object in the road beneath a tree. It was a beehive. Being a kind soul he picked it up to put it back in the tree. Suddenly he heard a tiny, buzzing voice.
We see you have kind intentions,
But please don't put us back.
Every knight who's seen us here,
Raised his sword and gave a whack.
Carry us elsewhere, we pray,
And we'll return the favor one day.
"OK," said the littlest knight and carefully tied the beehive to his saddle.
It was shortly after that he found the dragon or rather it found him. It landed nearby to look him over, and said,
Pfft, why you're nothing but a pea,
Who doesn't reach my knee.
Go home and grow some more.
Fighting you would be a bore.
But the littlest knight charged anyway striking a blow with his sword.
"Ouch," said the dragon. The littlest knight charged and struck him again. The dragon roared.
You've gone too far this time.
You hit me on my behind.
I'll fry you till
What you look like most,
Is a piece of burnt up toast.
Suddenly there was a buzzing from the knapsack. A bee flew out and up to the littlest knight's ear.
We have a way to repay you,
Throw our beehive and we'll save you.
So the littlest knight grabbed the beehive, throwing it at the dragon's head. Immediately a thousand bees flew out with a thousand stingers. With their tiny swords they stung the dragon again and again. The dragon's eyes began to swell and he could hardly see. With a bellow of pain and anger he leaped into the air and flew off to his cave in the mountains.
The littlest knight followed on his pony. When he reached the dragon's lair he saw that the cliffs of the ravine were so far across that building a bridge would take a year. He sat down to think about it, meanwhile pulling from his pocket the Princess' single silken hair.
Again there was a buzzing from the knapsack and a bee flew out. It asked him what the matter was. When he told it, it said.
This is easy.
To cross a bridge which isn't there,
Could be a single human hair.
Tie the Princess's to my back.
I'll fly it there and
Tie it near the dragon's lair.
The bee did just that. The littlest knight couldn't believe his good fortune until he was fully halfway across the ravine, balancing like an acrobat. The Princess's hair seemed magical for it stretched the whole distance and even with his weight did not break.
He made it across and entered the cave. There he found the dragon in a far corner. It was in misery with its eyes swollen shut and its forked tongue lying on the ground. It hissed at his approach, for it could still smell him.
I warn you do not come in here.
I'll kill you if you come near.
It's foolhardy to be involved,
When there's still a riddle to be solved.
But the littlest knight wasn't afraid. With his kind heart all he could feel now was pity. He wanted to help the beast, to give it water to drink and cool its swollen eyes.
Returning outside he climbed down the cliff to the stream below. At the bottom there was plenty of water but nothing with which to carry it. Then he spied a chipped cup some knight had tossed from above. Carefully picking it from the sand he filled it as best as he could and climbed back up.
But when he got back to the dragon he discovered that not only had the cup been chipped but it had a crack he had not seen. What little water there was had drained out while he was climbing. He approached the dragon and said, "I'm sorry. I meant to help you, I really did. But the cup is empty."To his surprise the beast rose up with a roar of glee.
Thank you, oh thank you, little knight,
You have saved me, all right!
An empty cup it may be,
But it was filled with kindness, you see.
And an empty cup filled, sets me free!
I was a good and gentle dragon long ago,
Before I angered an evil wizard so that
He cursed me to be as wicked as he.
I'm forever in your debt,
I&`&m the happiest dragon yet.
Let me take you home.
I'll guard you forever, I tell no lies.
I'll be your wings, if you&`&ll be my eyes.
The littlest knight was shocked, stunned and delighted. The evil dragon wasn't evil at all, only bewitched, and now that the riddles were solved it was proving to be as kind as its new master.
The first thing the littlest knight did was attach the beehive to a high rock at the mouth of the cave. The bees were thrilled. They had a new home with shelter, protection and most important, privacy, and the stream below had enough flowers growing by it to make more honey than they would ever need.
Then the littlest knight, astride his flying dragon, flew home with his pony galloping beneath. At first the King and all the kingdom were terrified. All except the Princess, that is. She trusted her littlest knight and upon hearing the whole story set about immediately to make a healing salve for the dragon's eyes.
The littlest knight married her and got half the kingdom. The dragon got back his eyesight and, true to his word, guarded the kingdom.
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