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The Reluctant Dragon
Nowyou’vegotculture,youhave,Icouldtellitonyouatonce,andIshouldjustlikeyourcandidopinionaboutsomelittlethingsIthrewofflightly,whenIwasdownthere.I’mawfullypleasedtohavemetyou,andI’mhopingtheotherneighbourswillbeequallyagreeable.Therewasaveryniceoldgentlemanuphereonlylastnight,buthedidn’tseemtowanttointrude.”
“Thatwasmyfather,”saidtheboy,“andheISaniceoldgentleman,andI’llintroduceyousomedayifyoulike.”
“Can’tyoutwocomeuphereanddineorsomethingto-morrow?”askedthedragoneagerly.“Only,ofcourse,ifyou’vegotnothingbettertodo,”headdedpolitely.
“Thanksawfully,”saidtheBoy,“butwedon’tgooutanywherewithoutmymother,and,totellyouthetruth,I’mafraidshemightn’tquiteapproveofyou.Youseethere’snogettingoverthehardfactthatyou’readragon,isthere?Andwhenyoutalkofsettlingdown,andtheneighbours,andsoon,Ican’thelpfeelingthatyoudon’tquiterealizeyourposition.You’reanenemyofthehumanrace,yousee!”
“Haven’tgotanenemyintheworld,”saidthedragon,cheerfully.“Toolazytomake’em,tobeginwith.AndifIDOreadotherfellowsmypoetry,I’malwaysreadytolistentotheirs!”
“Oh,dear!”criedtheboy,“Iwishyou’dtryandgraspthesituationproperly.Whentheotherpeoplefindyouout,they’llcomeafteryouwithspearsandswordsandallsortsofthings.
