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The Reluctant Dragon
Georgewithdifficultypulledhishorseroundintoposition.
“EndofRoundOne!”thoughttheBoy.“Howwelltheymanagedit!ButIhopetheSaintwon’tgetexcited.Icantrustthedragonallright.Whataregularplay-actorthefellowis!”
St.Georgehadatlastprevailedonhishorsetostandsteady,andwaslookingroundhimashewipedhisbrow.CatchingsightoftheBoy,hesmiledandnodded,andheldupthreefingersforaninstant.
“Itseemstobeallplannedout,”saidtheBoytohimself.“RoundThreeistobethefinishingone,evidently.Wishitcouldhavelastedabitlonger.Whatever’sthatoldfoolofadragonuptonow?”
Thedragonwasemployingtheintervalingivingaramping-performanceforthebenefitofthecrowd.Ramping,itshouldbeexplained,consistsinrunningroundandroundinawidecircle,andsendingwavesandripplesofmovementalongthewholelengthofyourspine,fromyourpointedearsrightdowntothespikeattheendofyourlongtail.Whenyouarecoveredwithbluescales,theeffectisparticularlypleasing;andtheBoyrecollectedthedragon’srecentlyexpressedwishtobecomeasocialsuccess.
St.Georgenowgathereduphisreinsandbegantomoveforward,droppingthepointofhisspearandsettlinghimselffirmlyinthesaddle.
“Time!”yelledeverybodyexcitedly;andthedragon,leavingoffhisramping,satuponend,andbegantoleapfromonesidetotheotherwithhugeungainlybounds,whoopinglikeaRedIndian.
