The Book of Dragons by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780486174136
Publisher: Dover Publications
Published: 2012-10-06T00:00:00+00:00

The Big Worm

BAHAMAN

ONCE upon a time, in the days when dragons were sometimes called worms, there was a man who had two sons. Now one day the precious fire which they had kept so carefully, feeding it on tender twigs and shoots of trees, went out and only cold black ashes were left.

So the father said to the oldest boy: “See, we have no fire. How can we cook our potatoes without it? We cannot eat them raw, like the animals. Go out, now, and find fire.”

So the boy set out and he walked and walked until he saw smoke. Thinking there must be fire he went towards the smoke, but alas! he saw too late that the smoke came from the mouth of a big worm which was full of fire.

The boy approached the creature and said, “Give me some fan (fire)!”

And the worm said, “There is just enough for me. Why should I give you any?”

But the boy said again, “Give me some fire!”

Then the worm said, “Come closer.”

So the boy went closer to reach the fire, and the worm swallowed him down at one gulp. The boy went down, down, down inside the worm, until he stopped. There he met many people that the worm had swallowed.

The father and his other son waited a long time for the oldest boy to come back with the fire. When he did not come the father said, “I wonder where my son has gone?”

Then the other boy said, “Father, I’m going to look for him.”

So the boy set out, and he walked and he walked a long way until he came to the big worm with the fire in his mouth.

“Give me some fire,” said the boy.

“Come and get it,” said the worm.

“Give me some fire !” demanded the boy again.

“Time to go home,” said the worm. “Come and get fire.”

So the boy went closer to get the fire, and the worm swallowed him whole. The boy went down, down, down inside the worm until he met his brother.

Now the boys’ father waited a long time for his sons to come home, but they did not come. So finally he said: “My two sons have gone, so I might as well go too, and share their fate.”

So the man took down his lance and rubbed it until it glistened. Sharp it was, too, as only fine steel can be sharp. He set out and traveled a long distance until he came to the big worm.

And the man said to the worm, “Give me some fire.”

The worm said: “You’re too much for me. I fear your lance. Come and get the fire.”

So the man went to get the fire and the worm tried to swallow him. But the man cut and hacked with his lance as he went down inside the worm, and he cut the worm right open. And all the people that the worm had swallowed came walking out, and they built a great city there. And the man found his two sons and they lived in the city ever after.

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