THE HOUND AND THE DRAGON

THE HOUND AND THE DRAGON

RUNNING AND BARKING, AND WHINING, WAS SHE,

THIS HOUND OF THE DARKSBANE TRAILS.

SHE SAW SOMETHING THAT FRIGHTENED HER,

BUT WHAT COULD IT BE? SHE WAILED AND SHE WAILED.

SHE CAME RUNNING RIGHT STRAIGHT TO ME,

SO SCARED, SHE WAS SHAKING QUITE HARD.

I TRIED TO CALM HER, BUT SHE LOOKED AT ME

WITH SUCH FEAR, THAT I WAS ALARMED.

I ASKED HER TO TAKE ME TO WHERE SHE HAD SEEN

WHATEVER IT WAS THAT HAD MADE HER TO BE

IN THE CONDITION SHE WAS WHEN SHE CAME TO ME,

SHE WAS SO UNCONTROLLABLY SCARED GREEN.

SHE SHIVERED AND SHOOK ALL THE WAY THERE,

BUT CALMED A LITTLE FOR I WAS WITH HER.

WHEN WE ARRIVED SHE BLATANTLY STARED

AT WHATEVER SHE SAW WHEN SHE WAS FIRST THERE.

IT WAS DARK, SO DARK, YET I MADE OUT A FORM

SO FORMIDABLE, SO LARGE, AND SO STRANGE,

IT FRIGHTENED ME TOO, AS SHE HAD BEEN,

BUT I MOVED FURTHER OUT OF RANGE

OF WHATEVER WAS STARING AT US WITH RED EYES,

SO LARGE, AND UNPLEASANTLY KEEN.

IT LOOKED TO BE A HUNDRED FEET LONG,

AND OF A DARK AND MENACING GREEN.

YET THE HOUND AND I STOOD OUR GROUND,

WE STARED AT THIS MONSTER WE HAD FOUND,

IT SNORTED FIRE FROM ITS NOSTRILS

AND SCARED US MUCH MORE THAN BEFORE,

YET WE STILL STOOD OUR GROUND.

THEN IT STARTED TOWARD US WITH AN UNGAINLY GAIT,

IT SEEMED TO ROLL FROM SIDE TO SIDE,

IT MOVED EVER CLOSER UNTIL WE COULD PLAINLY SEE,

THE PUPILS OF ITS GREAT, ROUND, RED EYES.

WE COULD HAVE RUN, BUT WE DECIDED TO SEE

WHAT THE CREATURE WANTED TO DO.

HE ROLLED HIS WAY TO US, AND LOOKED IN OUR EYES,

AND IT WAS THE MAGIC DRAGON, PUFF.

OUR FEAR DRAINED FROM US AS WE LOOKED AT HIM,

AND HIS HEAD SHOOK FROM SIDE TO SIDE,

HE SAID UNTO US," WHY DID YOU FEAR?"

AND HE THEN STARTED TO CRY.

OH, PUFF, DEAR PUFF, WE DID NOT KNOW

THAT YOU WERE HERE FOR US, YOU SEE?

HAD WE KNOWN IT WAS YOU, YOU LOVABLE PUFF,

WE SURELY WOULD HAVE NEVER FEARED.

PUFF STAYED WITH US, NEAR OUR HOME,

FOR HE CHOSE US AS HIS FRIENDS EVER-MORE.

HE FINALLY DIED, AND THE HOUND AND I CRIED,

BUT WE SHALL SING HIS SONG FROM EVERY SHORE.