“Well,” sighed the king the next morning, “I see the dragon has not been slain yet.”

“I’m just as glad, personally,” said the princess, sprinkling the queen. “I would have had to marry that eldest son, and he had warts.”

Now the cobbler’s middle son decided it was his turn to try. The middle son was very strong and was known far and wide for being able to lift up the corner of a church. He felt perfectly sure he could slay the dragon by simply laying into him. But he thought it would be only polite to ask his father’s advice. So he went to his father and said to him, “Well, Father, I’m off to slay the dragon. Have you any advice for me?”

The cobbler told the middle son exactly what he’d told the eldest.

“When and if you come to the dragon’s lair, recite the following poem.

Say it very loudly and firmly, and the dragon will fall, God willing, at your feet.”

“What an odd thing to say,” thought the middle son. “The old man is not as wise as I thought. You have to take these dragons by surprise.” But he kept his opinion to himself and set forth.

When he came in sight of the dragon’s lair, the middle son spurred his horse to a gallop. He thundered into the entrance swinging his sword with all his might.

But the dragon had seen him while he was still a long way off. Being very clever, the dragon had crawled up on top of the door so that when the son came charging