#88
Title: The Reluctant Dragon
Author: Kenneth Grahame
Read
by: Stephen McLaughlin
Genre: Children
Category: Fiction
Rating: B
Originally
Published: 1898
Date: 12/25/16
CDs/Hours: 1/1
Although for
ages five and up, I wanted to “read” another book by author Grahame, having
listened to The Wind in the Willows last year.
This is an endearing story of the son of a shepherd who lives with his
parents by the Downs in England. The son
spends much time reading big books. His
parents are very proud of his ability to read and they treat him as an
equal. They know that book learning can come
in handy. One evening the shepherd
journeys home all atremble. He was
afraid to go “up on them there Downs.”
Seems he knows about a cave that he and the sheep don’t like. Faint noises come from the cave, like snoring
and sighing, he shares with his wife. He
cannot keep away and goes back and sees a scaly thing, half in, half out of the
hole.
The
boy tells his father not to worry about the dragon and that he’ll have a talk
to the beast. The folks are convinced
the son knows about book beasts and the mother agrees to what the son wants to
do. The boy indeed goes the next day and
sees the critter napping peacefully, in fact the animal is purring! Something the boy had never read about in
books.
To
make a short story even shorter, after a conversation with the dragon, the boy
introduces Saint George of swordsman fame to the dragon who doesn’t really want
to fight and concocts an event where the two should duel. If you
aren’t familiar with the outcome, this is a must read or re-read, or listen
to. Oh that all our wars and battles are
fought in this manner!
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