more dragon-adventuring

"but how do you begin being a Deliverer?" philip asked, sitting up and feeling suddenly very grand and manly....

"there's lots of different ways," said mr. perrin. "your particular way's simple. you just got to kill the dragon."

"a live dragon?"

"live!" said mr. perrin. "why he's all over the place and as green as grass he is. lively as a live kitten. he's got a broken spear sticking out of his side, so someone must have had a try at baggin' him, sometime or another."

"don't you think," said philip, a little overcome by this vivid picture, "that perhaps i'd better look for lucy first, and be a Deliverer afterward?"

"if you're afraid," said mr. perrin.

"i'm not," said philip doubtfully.

"you see," said the carpenter, "what you've got to consider is: are you going to be the hero of this 'er adventure or ain't you? you can't 'ave it both ways. an' if you are, you may's well make up your mind, cause killing a dragon ain't the end of it, not by no means."

"do you mean there are more dragons?"

"not dragons....not dragons exactly. but there...i don't want to lower your heart. if you kills the dragon, then afterward there's six more hard things you've got to do. and then they make you king. take it or leave it. only, if you take it we'd best be starting....."

"suppose i don't want to be a Deliverer." said philip slowly.

"then you'll be a Destroyer," said the carpenter. "there's only these two situations vacant here at present."


"the magic city" by e. nesbit: