Digory The Dragon Slayer

settled into the rhythm of the rocking motion and the roar of the wind through his helmet.
    When he found the courage to open his eyes Digory was astonished at how beautiful the forest looked in the moonlight, from a drag-on’s-eye point of view. One day I shall write a song about this , he told himself. Then he remembered there was very little chance he would ever strum a lute again...

DIGORY THE NAVIGATOR

    ‘WHICH WAY, THEN?’ gasped the dragon
    eagerly after they had circled the woods a few times to gain height.
    Now, Digory had absolutely no idea which was the way to Enid’s castle - he had lost King Widget’s map a long time ago. But he did know that it was the last place he intended to lead a hungry dragon to. ‘If we fly for long enough Gnasher will surely need to land and rest and then I’ll have my chance to escape,’ he thought to himself.
    So he yelled, ‘Carry on in this direction to the edge of the woods. Then follow the stream through the valley, cross a forest, over a hilltop, wind along the river and head towards the south.’
    Gnasher seemed happy enough with these instructions so Digory shut his eyes once more to consider his situation.
    Here I am, clinging to the back of a dragon who is expecting to gobble up the only friend 1 have in the world, and probably eat me afterwards, he thought. And 1 don’t know where I’m going, or what I shall do when 1 get there...
    He wondered what his mother, Betsy, would do if she were in his place. In his mind’s eye he saw Betsy astride the dragon’s back. With one hand she took a hammer from her apron pocket, hit the dragon hard upon the head, slaying it with one blow. Then as it fell from the sky, she whistled to an eagle passing overhead, leapt for its claws as it swooped low and then dropped on to a haystack below, somersaulting off and landing with a thud on her feet, with nothing but a corn stalk behind her ear to show for it.
    Gnasher’s roar brought him out of his daydream.
    ‘AH! THAT MUST BE SWEET ENID.’ And, sure enough, there in an orchard below was Enid out for an early morning walk.



THE DRAGON MEETS HIS BREAKFAST

    O NCE more Digory’s dreadful sense of direction had brought him to the one place in the whole world that he didn’t want to be! Thinking quickly he dropped his sword to try to warn his friend that she was in mortal danger. But it spun down crookedly and fell among some trees unnoticed.
    ‘Enid, watch out!’ he shouted with all his might. ‘Run back to the castle and bolt the door.’
    ‘FOOLISH BOY!’ growled the Horrible Gnasher, and he dropped down, swooping in a low circle, and landed at Enid’s feet, tipping Digory off his back and into a muddy ditch.
    Digory heaved himself out and clambered to Enid’s side. She was frozen to the spot. Her hands trembled but her eyes were fiery.
    ‘We’re not afraid of d-dragon’s here,’ she said bravely. ‘Do you know who this knight is?’
    Gnasher’s stomach rumbled like echoing thunder.
    ‘YES, YES,’ he growled impatiently. ‘I KNOW WHO HE IS AND I KNOW WHO HE ISN’T AND I’M IN NO MOOD FOR POLITE CONVERSATION. JUST REMOVE THAT JEWELLERY, IF YOU PLEASE - I AM VERY, VERY HUNGRY!’
    Enid stood straight and tall and shook her hodgepig hair defiantly.

    ‘No, I will not,’ she said, stamping her foot like a huffy princess.
    Digory watched Enid’s bravery shine out of her like the rays of the sun. He knew at once what he must do. Hoping to give his friend a chance of escape Sir Digory the True Knight stood forward.
    ‘Eat me first, dragon,’ he insisted. ‘I know you intend to gobble us both and the princess will taste much sweeter after me.’ It was the only way left to save her.
    ‘Oh Digory, no!’ cried Enid desperately. But the Horrible Gnasher Toast’em Firebreath had heard enough. Never had he come across such a fuss and bother over a spot of breakfast. With a grunt of irritation he opened his jaws and swallowed Digory in one mouthful. And then, before she had time to faint, he ate Enid too.



DIGORY FINDS HIMSELF IN A SLIMY, DARK PLACE

    D IGORY slid down the dragon’s throat and found himself in a slimy, dark, foul smelling place, ankle deep in warm slops that bubbled and hissed. Before he had time to work out what had happened something knocked him over and fell on top of him in the slime.

    ‘Help!’ screamed Enid.
    ‘Gbblluuurbulleugh!’ spluttered Digory. The two friends tried to sit up in the stinking slosh and immediately