Chapter Five
A Dragon for Sir Roger
The Butler left the palace and walked down into the small town which was the capital city of Minisculia. His brother was the local Blacksmith. The problem was explained to him. He though for a few minutes, then said, "I think I know what we can do. Come on we need to go and talk to Cousin Fred, the carpenter."
The problem was explained to Fred. He thought for a few moments, then said, "Yes. I could make that, but it would be better if it moved. I think Uncle Albert, the Clock maker would be the one to talk to,"
The problem was explained to the Clock maker. He thought for a few moments and said, "I am sure we can do that between us, let’s get started, if you need it by tomorrow morning."
"I will have to leave you to it. I have to go back to the Palace now," said the Butler. "Send a message when it is finished. Oh and this really must be kept a secret, please."
The others nodded. They were too busy to speak.
By the time the Butler returned to the Palace, it was time to serve the evening meal. Sir Roger spent the whole time explaining how he was going to kill the Dragon. Fortunately, Queen Roberta was away at an all Queens evening in a neighbouring country or she would have been very upset. As it was Simon got more and more worried as the evening went on.
"Do not worry, Sire. I have got everything under control," whispered the Butler as he served the coffee in the Drawing room.
"I hope so," replied Simon. "I really do hope so."
After coffee Sir Roger went off to the Exercise Yard to practice a few strokes. Each time he swung his sword he had to stop, lift the visor on his helmet and push his glasses back up his nose. Simon watched him for a few moments then went into the Palace to talk to the Butler.
"Well, what are you going to do?"
"I thought Your Majesty did not want to know," said the Butler.
"I did, but it is probably better if I have some idea other wise I may give the game away by accident."
"Well, Sire what is a Dragon?"
Simon was far too worried to be in a good mood. "Never mind the Twenty Questions, just explain what you are doing!"
The butler sighed. "A Dragon is just a lot of smoke, a bit of fire and few roars, but not much else."
"They usually have a large body, a long tail, and an appetite to match," said the King.
The Butler ignored the interruption. "What we are going to do is to build an artificial Dragon. The Carpenter is putting an old garden shed on wheels and adding a long neck and head and a tail. The Clock maker is going to put some cogs and things inside so that the head can be moved and the Blacksmith is going to put a fire and bellows inside so that it can blow smoke. Then we can put it in the field behind the Palace for Sir Roger to fight."
King Simon thought for a few minutes then nodded. "It could work, but how are you going to stop Sir Roger noticing it is just a shed?"
"You may have noticed that Sir Roger is rather short sighted," said the Butler. "If I swap his glasses for my reading glasses, he is going to have trouble seeing anything beyond the end of his sword."
"It has to work, otherwise we are in real trouble. I wish we had never started this thing," sighed Simon. "When will it be ready?"
"In the morning, we will put it there tonight after everyone is in bed," replied the Butler.
There was nothing else to be said.
Sir Roger entered the throne room "Your Majesty, I am ready to fight the Dragon. Where will I find it?"
"Er, well, I. ummmmm." Simon looked helplessly at the Butler.
"The Dragon usually appears in the field behind the Palace at dawn," said the Butler. "If you go there just as the sun is rising, the Dragon will be there."
Sir Roger nodded and swallowed nervously.
"You will only have the one chance to kill it. If you fail it may well eat you." The Butler sounded as if he was enjoying himself. "If you do not manage to cut of its head with your first blow, all you can do is run. You must leave the Kingdom as fast as you can and never return. Dragons have very long memories."
Sir Roger looked even more nervous.
"But if.....no when you are successful, your name will be in every Newspaper and your girl friend cannot fail to be impressed," went on the Butler
Sir Roger still looked unhappy. "I think I had better go and get a good nights sleep.
King Simon nodded. "A very good idea. I will send the Butler up with a hot drink to help you go to sleep."
Sir Roger went to his room. He got undressed and into bed. The Butler brought him a cup of Cocoa and put it on the bedside cabinet. As he did so he took Sir Roger’s glasses from the bedside cabinet and placed his own there instead.
When everyone in the Palace was settled down, the Butler went into town. The Dragon was ready, but it still did not look enough like a Dragon to fool even a blind knight. The four men raced to the palace and collected up all the egg boxes they could find and glued them all over the shed.
"That looks a bit better," said the Clock maker. "But the colour is wrong, it should be green and purple."
The Carpenter nodded. "I have some paint which will do nicely."
They fetched the paint and set too. Soon the ‘Dragon’ looked more like the real thing, from a distance anyway.
They pushed and pulled the ‘Dragon’ to the field and set it in position. The Blacksmith got inside. "I will set my alarm for just before dawn to give me time to light the fire," he said.
Next morning everyone was up before the sun. The Butler went out to make sure the Blacksmith was awake. There was a plume of smoke already coming from the ‘Dragon's’ mouth. The butler knocked on the shed. "Are you ready?"
"Yes, "came the muffled reply, "But make sure you get everyone away straight afterwards so I can get out."
"Will do!" promised the Butler. "Oh dear, the paint is not dry!" His hand had a purple stain on it.
"It is too late to worry about that," said the Blacksmith.
The Butler wiped his hands on the grass and went back inside to supervise breakfast.
Sir Roger could not face food. Now that it was time to fight the Dragon, he was wondering if it was such a good idea after all.
The Butler encouraged him. "Do not worry, sir. I am positive that you will win without any difficulty what so ever. I feel it in my bones."
Sir Roger was so nervous that he did not even notice that he could hardly see past the end of his nose, nor that the glasses perched there were not his own.
After those who wanted breakfast had finished, the sun was just peeping over the hills and Sir Roger was led out to the field. It was a fine if rather misty morning. It was quite hard to make out the ‘Dragon’ in the haze.
Sir Roger did not want an audience, but King Simon and Queen Roberta insisted and since it was their Kingdom he could hardly refuse. The Butler came along too.
As promised the ‘Dragon’ was there, waiting for him, swinging its head from side to side, breathing smoke and roaring. It was hard to see clearly through the mist and smoke, especially with the sun shining from behind the ‘Dragon’.
The Queen gave a squeal, quite forgetting that it was not real. She had been let in on the scheme when she returned from her party.
Simon turned to the Butler. "I say, you have made a really good job of that."
The Butler bowed.
Sir Roger took a deep breath and pulled down the visor on his helmet. He tried to swallow the huge lump which had jumped into his throat, but it would not go down. He tottered forwards swinging his sword from side to side. There was a satisfying thud and something fell at his feet. He looked down in amazement to see the ‘Dragon’s’ nose resting on his shoe. Before he could move or do anything else there was a sudden spurt of smoke from the ‘Dragon's’ body which then burst into flames.
"Whoops," said the Butler and rushed forward. King Simon followed and quickly led away the still bewildered Dragon slayer away. The Blacksmith staggered out of the burning shed.
"That was close, but when he hit the head, the fire fell over," he explained.
"As long as you are safe, it is probably for the best. Quick throw the head on the fire and then get yourself home," said the Butler.
Back in the Palace Sir Roger was sitting in the throne room. He was still shaking. He had not even managed to put his sword away. The royal couple were congratulating him. He took off his glasses and wiped his forehead. "I don’t think I am cut out for this sort of thing. I don’t think I will make a career out of it."
"Very wise," said Simon.
While they were talking, the Butler quickly replaced Sir Roger’s own glasses.
Sir Roger put on his glasses and looked at his sword. "Oh, it has got dragon’s blood on it. Funny how it looks like purple paint isn’t it?"
"Allow me to clean it off for you," said the Butler and wiped the sword clean. "Now, Sir Roger, the Newspaper photographer is waiting for you."
Sir Roger allowed himself to be led away.
