The dragon council
met at night,
all gathered round
the firelight.
Whenever the fire
began to die,
one or another
dragon would sigh-
then stirred by the dragon’s
breath of flame,
the dying embers
leapt high again.
Now the biggest dragon
was always king,
for size among dragons
is an important thing.
And this was the reason
they met that night–
to discuss little Gilly,
and his sad plight.
For Gilly was the littlest
dragon of all–
he was barely
five feet tall.
The council talked low
in the flickering light
and decided Gilly’s fate
on that cold winter’s night.
They’d send him away,
on a quest, he must go;
they’d give him a chance
his courage to show.
Gilly must search through the land,
through forest and town–
he must not stop
till a prince, he has found.
And then he must do
what a dragon should do,
and fight with the prince
in a battle, most true.
Gilly must fulfill their demands,
if return he dare,
he must take from this prince
a lock of his hair.
“And furthermore,”
the council decreed,
“as a badge of his courage,
a scar he would need.”
So, in the grey of the dawn
as the stars went to sleep,
Gilly set out
a battle to seek.
He thought to himself,
as he went on his way,
that this was the saddest
of all his days.
For what prince would there be,
who would not laugh at the sport
of slaying a dragon
of the littlest sort?
But on he travelled,
wide and far,
in search of a prince
and a battle scar.
Now on that same morn,
in a land, faraway,
the littlest prince
set out on his way..
For the previous night,
the king had decreed
his youngest son Milton
was lacking indeed!
He was gentle and kind–
–loved to laugh,
dance and sing–
not what was wanted
in a ruler and king.
But, of all his sons.
well, the king loved
Milton the best--
he would make him King,
instead of the rest.
So, the following morn
the king sent Milton away—
in search of a dragon,
to fight, and to slay.
As proof of adventure
and the battle he sought,
Milton must bring back a claw
from the dragon he fought.
“And then,” said the King,
with a terrible frown,
“We’ll see if Milton
is fit for the crown.”
I’m doomed,” sighed Milton
as he set on his way,
“I’ll never find a dragon,
I, Milton, can slay.”
But onward he trudged
with his sword at his side
and a feeling of doom,
like lead deep inside.
So, the littlest dragon
and the littlest prince,
began their journeys,
of failure convinced.
As you might have guessed,
as this story’s been told
about dragons and princes
from the days of old …
Milton and Gilly
were destined to fight
and by fighting,
end, both of their plights.
It all took place
as Milton sat thinking
and at a pond nearby,
Gilly was drinking.
If Gilly hadn’t hiccupped,
in his little dragon way,
what might have happened,
no one can say.
But when Milton heard
that dragon sound,
he leapt to his feet,
looking round and round.
There through the trees,
off to his right,
there was a dragon,
just right for a fight!
But, when Gilly saw Milton
come through the trees,
he remembered his manners,
saying, “Excuse me please!
If I’d known you were there,
well what can I say?
I’d have covered my mouth
in the mannerly way!”
“That’s really all right,
I quite understand,”
said a bewildered Milton,
with a sword in his hand.
“Now if you’ll excuse me,
I must do a terrible thing,
for I must prove to my father
I’m fit to be king.”
“For my father has sent me
away and demanded,
I search out a dragon
to fight singlehanded.
To further fulfill
my father’s laws,
I must take from that dragon
one of his claws.
Thus, I will show
my courage and might,
by slaying a dragon
in a perilous fight!”
Then Milton stepped forward,
raising his sword–
“No wait!” cried Gilly,
“one moment my Lord.
Of your duty to kill me,
I’m quite assured,
but there’s half of the story
yet to be heard.”
“I, too, have been sent
from my family and kin,
in search of a prince
and a battle to win.
Not only a lock
of his hair, will I need,
but also a scar,
the council decreed.
Now, as you’re the first
prince that I’ve found,
of my duty to kill you,
I’m regretfully bound.
But as we’re both gentlemen
—in a manner of speech—
I’m sure there’s a solution
we jointly can reach.
For when it comes to princes
and kingdoms and kings,
compared to wisdom,
strength and size are trivial things.
So, there’s my story
from beginning to end,
and it’s my advice
that our plans we amend.”
Now Milton thought to himself
when Gilly was through,
these were the things
in his heart, he held true.
So, the two sat thinking
a day and a night,
They thought and they thought,
with all of their might–
Until of a sudden,
on the following eve,
Milton shared with Gilly
a plan he’d conceived.
“Now I know it’s unpleasant
and not quite fair,
but in exchange for a claw
I’ll give you a lock of my hair.
The claw will fulfill
what my father decreed,
and it’s removal will give you
the scar that you need.
I know that removing a claw
can’t compare
with the trivial matter
of cutting some hair--
so, if you want to sit
and think some more,
reject my plan
and I shan't be sore.”
But the more Gilly thought
the more he knew,
that Milton’s plan
was what they must do.
As Gilly lay that night
with the stars overhead,
he realized Milton
had much more to dread.
For, though losing a claw
was painful indeed,
Milton’s, removing it,
was a much braver deed.
The following day,
when it all was done,
they agreed it was a victory
they both had won.
By working together
and avoiding a fight,
they ended up solving
both of their plights.
When they said their goodbyes
and turned to part,
each carried a lesson
deep in his heart.
Now as Gilly trudged on,
back to the clan,
he set to work
on a wonderful plan.
He’d show the others
what he held in his heart—
that of greatness, size and strength
were only a part.
His way was not easy
and times often rough—
changing the mind of a dragon
is dreadfully tough!
But, some years later
on a fine day in Spring,
the littlest dragon
was duly crowned King!
What happened to Milton
we don’t really know–
we lost track of him
ages ago.
But one day Gilly
heard a curious thing
about a land far away
and its newly-crowned king.
For the king had decreed,
when he came to the throne,
“Throughout the land
let it be known,
dragons and princes
shall live in peace–
all fighting between them
will hereby cease.”
Gilly thought to himself
when he heard of the law,
that he’d amply been paid
for the loss of his claw.
