Before reading this, be sure to read the previous post, “The Dragon and His Grandmother, Part 1.

They went into a field, sat down, and the two pulled long faces. An old woman passed by, and asked them why they were so sad. ‘Alas! what have you to do with it? You cannot help us.’ ‘Who knows?’ she answered. ‘Only confide your trouble in me.’

Then they told her that they had become the servants of the Dragon for seven long years, and how he had given them money as plentifully as blackberries; but as they had signed their names they were his, unless when the seven years had passed they could guess a riddle.

The old woman said, ‘If you would help yourselves, one of you must go into the wood, and there he will come upon a tumble-down building of rocks which looks like a little house. He must go in, and there he will find help.’

The two melancholy ones thought, ‘That won’t save us!’ and they remained where they were. But the third and merry one jumped up and went into the wood till he found the rock hut.

In the hut sat a very old woman, who was the Dragon’s grandmother. She asked him how he came, and what was his business there. He told her all that happened, and because she was pleased with him she took compassion on him, and said she would help him.

She lifted up a large stone which lay over the cellar, saying, ‘Hide yourself there; you can hear all that is spoken in this room. Only sit still and don’t stir. When the Dragon comes, I will ask him what the riddle is, for he tells me everything; then listen carefully what he answers.’

At midnight the Dragon flew in, and asked for his supper. His grandmother laid the table, and brought out food and drink till he was satisfied, and they ate and drank together. Then in the course of the conversation she asked him what he had done in the day, and how many souls he had conquered.

‘I haven’t had much luck to-day,’ he said, ‘but I have a tight hold on three soldiers.’

‘Indeed! three soldiers!’ said she. ‘Who cannot escape you?’

‘They are mine,’ answered the Dragon scornfully, ‘for I shall only give them one riddle which they will never be able to guess.’

‘What sort of a riddle is it?’ she asked.

‘I will tell you this. In the North Sea lies a dead sea-cat—that shall be their roast meat; and the rib of a whale—that shall be their silver spoon; and the hollow foot of a dead horse—that shall be their wineglass.’

When the Dragon had gone to bed, his old grandmother pulled up the stone and let out the soldier.

‘Did you pay attention to everything?’

‘Yes,’ he replied, ‘I know enough, and can help myself splendidly.’

Then he went by another way through the window secretly, and in all haste back to his comrades. He told them how the Dragon had been outwitted by his grandmother, and how he had heard from his own lips the answer to the riddle.

Then they were all delighted and in high spirits, took out their whip, and cracked so much money that it came jumping up from the ground. When the seven years had quite gone, the Fiend came with his book, and, pointing at the signatures, said, ‘I will take you underground with me; you shall have a meal there. If you can tell me what you will get for your roast meat, you shall be free, and shall also keep the whip.’

Then said the first soldier, ‘In the North Sea lies a dead sea-cat; that shall be the roast meat.’

The Dragon was much annoyed, and hummed and hawed a good deal, and asked the second, ‘But what shall be your spoon?’

‘The rib of a whale shall be our silver spoon.’

The Dragon-made a face, and growled again three times, ‘Hum, hum, hum,’ and said to the third, ‘Do you know what your wineglass shall be?’

‘An old horse’s hoof shall be our wineglass.’

Then the Dragon flew away with a loud shriek, and had no more power over them. But the three soldiers took the little whip, whipped as much money as they wanted, and lived happily to their lives end.

Related posts

• The Dragon and His Grandmother, Part 1 (1)

Cover of Reign of Fire

Author: John Hill

They fill the air with fire,
They soar above the tallest tower,
They glisten with emerald-scaled attire
They inspire awe and terror whenever they glower…Dragons!!

Dragons are more than just creatures of myth; they are beings of legend. They are even considered gods in some cultures. Dragons of ancient times garner fear and respect but dragons of modern times entertain and inspire the imagination.

Take a look at some of the more popular dragons of modern times:

Dragons in Movies

Dragonheart: Based on the concept that dragons were being hunted to extinction, this movie has heart. Literally. During this time, one lonely dragon was sought out to save the life of the king’s son. This noble dragon gave this young prince a piece of his dragon heart.

The problem was, with a dragon’s heart beating in his chest, he couldn’t die. This prince turns into one of the worst villains the world had ever known. He is eventually brought down when the dragon sacrifices himself to allow his dragon heart to die.

Dragons, in this film, are seen as noble, valiant creatures with true compassion.

Reign of Fire: This is one of those movies that does a splendid job of picturing dragons as vicious and hungry creatures. Twenty years after his mother inadvertently awakens a fire-breathing dragon, Fire Chief Quinn must do all he can to save the remaining human population from total eradication by the dragons.

Dragons in Literature

There are no cultures in the world that feature the dragon more prominently than the cultures of Japan and China. In Japanese and Chinese literature, dragons are spirits and gods of ancient times with untold power and supernatural wisdom.

Dragons feature greatly in their religious beliefs and cultural ceremonies and rituals. When written and drawn with an Eastern pen, dragons hold immense magic and fantastical power.

Dragons in Animation

Talented and imaginative, animators from all over the world have dipped their pens into the same ancient inkwell and have conjured for us fearsome creatures and loyal friends.

Disney animators have crafted generations of movies that either feature dragons as the main character, as in their movie Mulan or they have dragons as secondary characters as in Sleeping Beauty where Maleficent transforms into a dragon to keep Philip from Aurora and the Sword in the Stone wherein Madam Mim transforms into a dragon during her wizards duel with Merlin.

Everyone remembers the fire breathing dragon guarding the tower in which Aurora slept. Everyone giggles when they catch a glimpse of the laughable and delightful Mushu.

Overall, Disney has created a new look for the dragon that will last generations to come. Animators have a rare chance at crafting an image of dragons that is truly unique

Popular media is filled with all types of dragons little and large; ferocious dragons whose very breathe can fill you with dread. Since the very beginning, dragons have held man captive with their fiery breath and hair-raising tales; it is likely to be that way till the fire dies away, if it ever will.

About the Author:
Hedgepig Gifts offers dragon gift ideas including dragon figures, dragon collectables & many more dragon gift ideas.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Dragons: Media Magic!

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Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Author: Fran Black

The Dragon has played an important part in myths and religions since pre-historic times. The history of dragons goes back at least six thousand years, and there are dragon tales and legends from every continent except Antarctica.

In almost every culture, and all throughout history, there are stories of these mythical and magical creatures called dragons. Different people have various theories of why so many cultures developed such a long lasting belief in dragons; however, none can actually be proven.

Many believe that dragons were what we now call dinausaurs. It may be that dragon stories partly grew out of people finding dinosaur bones. The thought is that when dragon bones were dug up later, they were given the new classification of dinosaur.

Many evolutionists believe that dinosaurs became extinct millions of years before man walked the planet, while others claims dispute this. It is said that dinosaur fossils, which have been discovered along with human footprints and remains, add proof to the ancient people’s history of dragons. Others feel that people forgot that dragons were ever real, and quickly faded into mythology.

In almost every culture and all throughout history there are stories of these magical creatures called dragons. Later, in Europe these dragons in art forms were thought to be real life animals rather than symbols of evil.

Throughout many cultures, dragons may have appeared different, but they have always retained the same basic core elements. When most people think of dragons they generally think of fire breathing monsters, but originally dragons were usually connected with water. To the ancient Chinese, dragons were not creatures of fire, as so many would think, but rather creatures of water.

The dragon of the Chinese resided in rivers, lakes, pools and rose in great clouds of mist to promote rainfall. In earlier Mideast stories, the dragons are most often associated with water and wisdom. Historians use this conection with water to distinguish dragons from other mythical animals.

While the east feels that the dragon is a divine, mythical creature that brings good fortune, prosperity and bounty, western dragons are viewed differently. They are connected to the element fire, and they fling their colossal tails about, and viciously create destruction.

The contrary views of the east and the west indicate opposing views where humans viewed dragons as a symbols of wisdom and peace, or symbols of chaos and evil. Neither would disagree that dragons were viewed as powerful creatures. This, along with the wide variance in the physical description of dragons, contributes to confusion in the definition of a dragon.

The humans revered the dragons, some clans even calling them gods. Hence, dragons were held in high regard, and their images kept and worn, to win their approval. Originally, it was believed that dragons were the ones who talked directory to the Gods.

It was also thought at this time that earthquakes were caused by battles between dragons and gods. In history, many different cultures began to adopt the idea of gods fighting with dragons to restore order.

The dragon may be ancient, but it remains as influential today as it did four thousand years ago. Today, the popularity of fantasy, and such role-playing games as Dungeons and Dragons, means that dragon figurines are a hot commodity.

Online stores promoting dragon items have popped up including http://www.dragon-gifts.com

About the Author:

Francesca Black has long been a fan of dragons with Dragon Gifts http://www.dragon-gifts.com and http://www.mystical-creatures.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Dragons Through History

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