How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell

Author:Cressida Cowell [Cowell, Cressida]
Language: rus
Format: epub, mobi, azw3
Published: 2013-07-02T09:25:38+00:00

107

Everybody was chattering excitedly, and even Snotlout was looking nervous.

The Meathead boys and their dragons seemed to be gigantic, rough-looking customers, far tougher than the Hooligans. One in particular was a great hulking brute of a boy, who looked fifteen at least.

108

Hiccup presumed he was Thuggory, Chief Mogadon the Meathead's son, because a silver-gray Monstrous Nightmare about three feet tal was perched on one of his shoulders. It was looking at Fireworm like a rottweiler thinking evil thoughts.

Fireworm acted unconcerned.

"An aristocrat never growls," purred Fireworm sweetly. "You must be one of those mongrel Nightmares. We pure greenbloods descended from th e great Ripperclaw himself would never dream of doing anything so common."

The silver Nightmare's growling increased in volume.

The crowd was assembling at the touchline. Hiccup tried not to notice Stoick the Vast blasting his way to the front with great cries of, "Out of my way, I'm a CHIEF."

"TEN TO ONE MY SON CATCHES MORE FISH THAN

YOUR SON IN THIS TEST,"

boomed Stoick, giving his old enemy Mogadon the Meathead a good prod in the stomach.

Mogadon the Meathead narrowed his eyes and wondered whether to hit him. Maybe AFTER the Test.

"And which," asked Mogadon the Meathead, "is 109

your son? Is he the tal one who looks like a pig with the skeleton tattoos and the red Monstrous Nightmare?" "Nope,"

said Stoick happily.

"That's my brother Baggybum's son. MY SON is that skinny one over there with the Toothless Daydream." Mogadon the Meathead broke into a big smile. He slapped Stoick, on the back and yel ed, "I TAKE YOUR BET AND DOUBLE IT!"

"DONE!" shouted Stoick, and the two great chieftains shook hands and bumped bel ies on the bet.

Gobber the Belch was in charge of this final stage of the Initiation Test. He was stil looking a bit green from his unpleasant experience in the How Many

Gul s' Eggs Can You Eat in One Minute? competition.

This had not improved his temper.

"ALL RIGHT, YOU 'ORRIBLE LOT!" yel ed Gobber. "This is where we find out if you are the stuff that Heroes are made of. You wil either walk out of this arena ful members of the noble Tribes of Hairy

110

Hooligans and Merciless Meatheads OR go into miserable exile forever from the Inner Isles. Let's see which it's going to be, shal we?"

He grinned nastily at the twenty boys standing before him.

"I shal begin by inspecting you and your animals, as if you were warriors about to go into battle. I shal introduce you to the watching members of the Tribes you hope to enter. Then the Test wil begin. You wil demonstrate how you have asserted yourselves over these wild creatures and tamed them by the sheer force of your Heroic Personalities.

"You wil start by performing the basic commands of 'go,'

'stay,' and 'fetch.' You wil end by ordering your reptile to hunt fish for you, as your forefathers have done before you."

Hiccup swal owed nervously.

"The boy and dragon who most impress the judge, and that is ME," -- Gobber bared his teeth grimly -- "wil receive the extra glory of being cal ed the Hero of Heroes and Most Promising Dragon.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.