Digory The Dragon Slayer

is the story of Digory and so it is the story of what Digory did. Remember, he wasn’t a great hero at the beginning, just an ordinary sort of every day, stream-poking chap like you or me. Sometimes we do a good thing, sometimes a bad thing, and sometimes people mistake us for heroes and expect us to fight dragons.
    Anyway, Digory decided he would rather paddle in the sea than slay the Horrible Gnasher Toast’em Firebreath and I wonder what you would have done?
    Meanwhile, Barley didn’t know or care where she was going but she knew she needed a scratch. So, spotting a useful bramble with plenty of thorns she stopped. Digory, puzzling over the map as he rode, fell off headfirst into the bush.
    ‘I don’t understand,’ he said, rubbing his dented helmet. ‘We should have reached the sea by now.’
    ‘Aha! Gadzooks!’ cried a voice in alarm. ‘A talking bush! Be silent at once. Don’t put a spell on me, enchanted spirit.’
    Digory peered through the brambles and saw a young man about his own age wearing a tall, crumpled hat and a ragged black cloak.

    ‘Help!’ said Digory. ‘I’m not a spirit. I’m stuck.’
    ‘How do I know that you’re not a magic spirit, hiding in a bush?’ asked the ragged man suspiciously.
    Digory thought about this. In fact he wasn’t quite sure how he got to be in a bush to start with.
    ‘Well, if I was a magic spirit I could get myself out,’ he replied. ‘So give me a hand.’ And he stuck his gauntlet through the brambles.
    The ragged man pulled Digory out.
    ‘I’m a wizard myself, actually,’ he announced, straightening his hat. ‘Burdock at your service.’
    Digory had never met a wizard before but something about Burdock didn’t seem quite right.
    ‘I thought wizards were supposed to be all-powerful, not scared of talking bushes?’ he said.
    ‘I wasn’t scared,’ Burdock said with a scowl. ‘Anyway, I’ll prove to you that I’m a wizard. What will you give me if I tell your fortune?’
    Now, although Digory didn’t quite believe that Burdock was a wizard he was very interested to hear his fortune. There were many things he would like to know. Would he ever find the sea? Would the dragon be gone from the Kingdom of King Widget one day? Would he ever see Enid again?
    ‘I don’t have much,’ said Digory, ‘but if you can tell my fortune I’ll give you anything I have.’
    Barley snorted loudly.
    ‘Except my horse, that is,’ Digory added just in time, wondering whether Barley might be able to read his lips after all.
    Burdock swung his tattered cloak about him like great raven’s wings and shut his eyes. Then slowly he stretched out his arm and pointed a finger at Digory.
    Digory suddenly changed his mind but it was too late.
    ‘I shall begin.’ Burdock said in a deep slow voice. And he began:

‘Through the countryside you roam,
Many leagues away from home.
Twice were struck by noble sword,
Yet no wound have you endured.
Now you hunt for dragon’s lair,
And what fate awaits you there.’

    Digory listened in amazement. How did Burdock know King Paunch had struck Digory on both shoulders without a wound? How did he know he was far from home? How did he know 7 about Gnasher? Only a wizard could see into the past like this, for certain. ‘But what about the future?’ Digory asked. Wizard Burdock shut his eyes and pulled his cloak above his head. Slowly he spoke again:

‘In your name my eyes do see,
There the magic letter ‘g’.
So fear not what lies ahead,
Banish all your darkest dread.
I bear music, I hear laughter,
You’ll live happily ever after.’

    ‘Is that it?’ said Digory.
    ‘Yup,’ said Burdock. ‘That’s usually enough for most people.’
    ‘No mention of the sea then?’ Digory enquired.
    ‘Nope,’ said Burdock.
    Digory looked very disappointed, so Burdock shut his eyes again and stretched out his pointing finger.
    ‘Ah, yes,’ he continued in his fortune-telling voice.
    ‘There is something sloshy in your future not the sea exactly, maybe a pond or a puddle... it’s very slimy and it’s very dark...’ He paused and frowned. ‘I’m afraid I can’t see any more. Everything’s grown dim.’
    ‘A slimy, dark puddle!’ Digory cried in dismay. ‘That’s not very exciting. Who ever heard of a knight having an adventure in a slimy, dark puddle?’ ‘Well, you wanted to know,’ said Burdock sounding rather hurt. ‘Now, what will you give me in return for my fortune-telling?’ He began to rifle through