Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome back to Sleepy Stories. I'm your host, Lucy,
Speaker 1: and my friends and I will be reading you a
Speaker 1: sleepy bedtime story every week to relax you and to
Speaker 1: help you to drift off into a RESTful sleep. From
Speaker 1: time to time, we will also read you a relaxing,
Speaker 1: peaceful meditation that will take you somewhere beautiful and calming.
Speaker 1: Once we have read the stories, we will then read
Speaker 1: them a second time, but this time they will be
Speaker 1: ready even slower. This will help you to relax even more.
Speaker 1: Before we begin, I would like you to close your
Speaker 1: eyes and breathe in and out nice and deeply. Take
Speaker 1: a few seconds to inhale, and then hold your breath
Speaker 1: for a few seconds more, and then release and breathe out.
Speaker 1: Do this a few times if you need to. While
Speaker 1: you listen to the music and you listen to my voice,
Speaker 1: give yourself time to let your body relax and your
Speaker 1: mind settle. It's important that we allow time for us
Speaker 1: to feel safe, cozy, and completely at ease. And now
Speaker 1: it's time for this week's story.
Speaker 2: The Dragon's Tale. I wonder if the girls and boys
Speaker 2: who read these stories have heard of the charming and
Speaker 2: romantic town of Eisenoch. I suppose not, for it is
Speaker 2: a curious fact that few English people visit the place,
Speaker 2: though very many Americans go there. Americans are well known
Speaker 2: to have a special interest in old places with historic associations,
Speaker 2: because they have nothing of the sort in America. Moreover,
Speaker 2: many of them are Germans by birth and have heard
Speaker 2: stories of the Wartburg, that beautiful old castle which, from
Speaker 2: the summit of a hill surrounded by woods, overlooks the
Speaker 2: town of Eisenach. The Wartburg is quaintly built, with dear
Speaker 2: little turrets and gables and high towers, a long curving
Speaker 2: wall with dark beams like the peasant cottages, and windows
Speaker 2: looking out into the forest. It belongs at present to
Speaker 2: the Grand Duke of sachsen Weimar Eisenach. Every stone and
Speaker 2: corner of the Wartburg is connected with some old story
Speaker 2: or legend. For instance, there is the hall with the
Speaker 2: raised dais at one end and beautiful pillars surrounding the roof,
Speaker 2: where menacingers of old times used to hold their great
Speaker 2: musical festivals. As we should say nowadays, there was keen
Speaker 2: competition for the prizes that were offered and reward for
Speaker 2: the best music and songs, and the castle are also
Speaker 2: the rooms of Saint Elizabeth, that sweet saint who was
Speaker 2: so good to the poor, and who suffered so terribly
Speaker 2: herself in parting from her husband and children. Then there's
Speaker 2: the lion on the roof, who could tell a fine
Speaker 2: tale if he chose the great banqueting hall, and the
Speaker 2: little chapel. On the top of the tower is a
Speaker 2: beautiful cross that is lit up at night by electric
Speaker 2: light and can be seen from a great distance in
Speaker 2: the country. This is, of course a modern addition. But
Speaker 2: the most interesting room in the castle is that where
Speaker 2: doctor Martha and Luther spend his time translating the Bible.
Speaker 2: Our reward had been offered to anyone who should kill
Speaker 2: this arch heretic, so his friends brought him disguised as
Speaker 2: a knight to the Wartburg, and very few people knew
Speaker 2: of his whereabouts. As you look through the latticed windows
Speaker 2: of that little room, the exquisite blue and purple hills
Speaker 2: of the Thuringen walled stretch away in the distance, and
Speaker 2: no human habitation is to be seen. There. Too, you
Speaker 2: may see the famous spot on the wall where Luther
Speaker 2: threw the inkpot at the devil. To be correct, you
Speaker 2: can see the hole where the ink stain used to be,
Speaker 2: for visitors have cut away every trace of the ink,
Speaker 2: and even portions of the old wooden bedstead. There is
Speaker 2: the writing desk with the translation of the Bible, and
Speaker 2: the remarkable footstool that consisted of the bone of a mammoth.
Speaker 2: Those were the days in which a man risked his
Speaker 2: life for his faith. But they were the days also
Speaker 2: we must remember of witchcraft and magic. One other story
Speaker 2: of the Wartburg I must narrate in order to give
Speaker 2: you some idea of the interest that still surrounds this
Speaker 2: place and influences the children who grow up there. It
Speaker 2: was in the days of the old Emperor Barbarossa Redbeard.
Speaker 2: The sister of the Emperor, whose name was Utah, was
Speaker 2: married to the landgraf Ludwig of Thuringen, and they lived
Speaker 2: at the Wartburg. One day, when Barbarossa came to visit them,
Speaker 2: he observed that the castle had no outer walls round it,
Speaker 2: as was usual in those days. What a pity, he said,
Speaker 2: that such a fine castle should be unprotected by walls
Speaker 2: and ramparts. It ought to be more strongly fortified. Oh,
Speaker 2: said Langraf Ludwig. If that is all the castle needs.
Speaker 2: It can soon have them? How soon, said the emperor mockingly,
Speaker 2: in the space of three days, answered his brother in law.
Speaker 2: That could only be possible with the aid of the devil,
Speaker 2: said Barbarossa, Otherwise it could not be done. Wait and
Speaker 2: see for yourself, said the land Graf. On the third
Speaker 2: day of his visit, Ludwig said to the Emperor, would
Speaker 2: you care to see the walls? They are finished now.
Speaker 2: Barbarossa crossed himself several times and prepared for some fearful
Speaker 2: manifestation of black magic. But what was his surprise to
Speaker 2: see a living wall round the castle of Stout peasants
Speaker 2: and burghers ready armed with weapons in their hands. The
Speaker 2: banners of well known knights and lords waved their penance
Speaker 2: in the wind where battlements should have been. The Emperor
Speaker 2: was much astonished and called out many thanks, brother in law,
Speaker 2: for your lesson stronger walls. I have never seen nor
Speaker 2: better fitted together rough stones. They may some of them be,
Speaker 2: said the Langrath, Yet I can rely on them as
Speaker 2: you see now. As you may imagine, the children who
Speaker 2: grow up in this town must have their heads full
Speaker 2: of these tales, and many poets and artists have been
Speaker 2: inspired by the beauties of Eisenach. The natural surroundings of
Speaker 2: the town are so wonderful that they also provide rich
Speaker 2: material for the imagination. Helmut was a boy who lived
Speaker 2: in Eisenach. He was eight years old and went to
Speaker 2: a day school. He lived outside the town, not far
Speaker 2: from the entrance to the forest. He was a pale,
Speaker 2: fair haired little boy and did not look the tremendous
Speaker 2: hero he fancied himself in his dreams, not even when
Speaker 2: he buckled on helmet, breastplate and sword and marched out
Speaker 2: into the street to take his part in the warfare
Speaker 2: that went on constantly here between the boys of this
Speaker 2: neighborhood and the boys who belonged to another part of
Speaker 2: the town. Now, the Dragon's Gorge is a most marvelous place.
Speaker 2: It is surrounded on all sides by thick forests, and
Speaker 2: you come onto it suddenly when walking in the woods.
Speaker 2: It is a group of huge green rocks like cliffs
Speaker 2: that stand picturesquely piled close together, towering up to the sky.
Speaker 2: There is only a very narrow pathway between them. Helmut
Speaker 2: had often been there with his father and mother, or
Speaker 2: with other boys after heavy rain or thawing snow, it
Speaker 2: became impassable. At the best of times. It was advisable
Speaker 2: for a lady not to put on her Sunday hat,
Speaker 2: especially if it were large and had feathers, for the
Speaker 2: rocks are constantly tripping with water. The great boulders are
Speaker 2: covered with green moss or tiny fur, and in the
Speaker 2: springtime wood sorrel grows on them in great patches, the
Speaker 2: underside of the leaves tinged an exquisite violet or pink color.
Speaker 2: The entrance to the dragon's gorge is through these rocks.
Speaker 2: They narrow and almost meet overhead, obscuring the sky till
Speaker 2: it seems as if one were walking under the sea.
Speaker 2: Two persons cannot walk side by side here. In some parts, indeed,
Speaker 2: one can only just squeeze through the way winds in
Speaker 2: and out in the most curious manner. There are little
Speaker 2: side passages too, that you could hardly get into it all.
Speaker 2: In some places you can hear the water roaring under
Speaker 2: your feet. Then the rocks end abruptly, and you come
Speaker 2: out into the forest again, and hear the birds singing,
Speaker 2: and see the little brook dancing along by the side
Speaker 2: of the way. Altogether, it is the most fascinating, wet
Speaker 2: and delightful walk that you could imagine. Helmut had long
Speaker 2: been planning an expedition to these rocks in company with
Speaker 2: other boyfriends, in order to slay the dragon. He dreamt
Speaker 2: of it day and night until he brought home a
Speaker 2: bad mark for attention in his school report. He told
Speaker 2: his mother about it. She laughed and said he might
Speaker 2: leave the poor old fellow alone. There were plenty of
Speaker 2: dragons to slay at home. Self will, disobedience inattention, and
Speaker 2: so on. She made a momentary impression on the little boy,
Speaker 2: who always wanted to be good, but found it difficult
Speaker 2: at times. Curious to say to carry out his intention,
Speaker 2: he looked thoughtful and answered, of course, mother, I know,
Speaker 2: but this time I want to slay a really and
Speaker 2: truly dragon. May I will you let me go with
Speaker 2: the other boys. It would be such fun. The dragon's
Speaker 2: gorge was not far off, and mother did not think
Speaker 2: that Helmut could do himself any harm except by getting
Speaker 2: wet and dirty, and that he might do as well
Speaker 2: in the garden home. If you put on your old
Speaker 2: suit and your thick boots, I think you may go
Speaker 2: keep with the other boys and promise me not to
Speaker 2: get lost. Oh, I say, won't it be fun? I'll
Speaker 2: run off and tell the other fellows hurrah, and Helmut
Speaker 2: ran off into the street. Soon four heads were to
Speaker 2: be seen close together making plans for the next day.
Speaker 2: We'll start quite early, at six o'clock, they said, and
Speaker 2: take our second breakfast with us. In Germany, eleven o'clock
Speaker 2: lunch is called second breakfast. However, it was seven o'clock
Speaker 2: am before the boys had had their first breakfast and
Speaker 2: met outside the house. How mother and father laughed to
Speaker 2: see the little fellows all dressed in the most warlike costumes,
Speaker 2: like miniature soldiers, armed with guns and swords. Mother was
Speaker 2: a little anxious and hoped they would come to no harm,
Speaker 2: but she liked her boy to be independent and knew
Speaker 2: how happy children are if left to play their pretense
Speaker 2: game alone. She watched the four set off at a
Speaker 2: swinging march down the street. Soon they had recruits, for
Speaker 2: it was a holiday and there were plenty of boys around.
Speaker 2: Helmut was commanding officer. The boys shouldered their guns or
Speaker 2: presented arms as he directed. They passed the pond and
Speaker 2: followed the stream through the woods until they came to
Speaker 2: the dragon's gorge, where the rocks rise up, suddenly high
Speaker 2: and imposing. Looking here, they could only proceed in single file.
Speaker 2: Helmut headed the band, feeling as courageous as in his dreams.
Speaker 2: His head swam with elation. Huge walls towered above them.
Speaker 2: The rocks dropped water on their heads. As yet, they
Speaker 2: had seen or heard nothing of the dragon. As they
Speaker 2: held their breath to listen, they could hear something roaring
Speaker 2: under their feet. Don't you tell me that that is
Speaker 2: only water, said Helmut. A little brook can't make such
Speaker 2: a row as that. That's the dragon. The other boys laughed.
Speaker 2: They were skepticals to the dragon and were only pretending,
Speaker 2: whereas Helmut was in earnest. I'm hungry, said one boy.
Speaker 2: Supposing we find a dry place and have our lunch.
Speaker 2: They came to where the path wound out again into
Speaker 2: the open air, and sat down on some stones which
Speaker 2: could hardly be described as dry. Here they ate bread
Speaker 2: and sausage, oranges and bananas. Give me the orange peel,
Speaker 2: you fellows. Mother hates us to throw it up. It
Speaker 2: makes the place so untidy, So saying Helmut, pushed his
Speaker 2: orange peel right into a crevice of the rock and
Speaker 2: covered it with old leaves, but the other boys laughed
Speaker 2: at him and chucked theirs into the little stream, which
Speaker 2: made Helmut very angry. I won't be your officer anymore
Speaker 2: if you do not do as I say, he said,
Speaker 2: and they began to quarrel. We're not going to fight
Speaker 2: your old dragon. We're going home again to play football.
Speaker 2: That will be a far better fun, said the boys
Speaker 2: who had joined as recruits, and they went off home
Speaker 2: till only Helmut's chums were left. They were glad enough
Speaker 2: to get rid of the other boys. We have more
Speaker 2: chance of seeing the dragon without those stupid fellows, they said.
Speaker 2: They finished their lunch, shouldered their guns again, and enter
Speaker 2: the second gorge, which is even more picturesque and narrow
Speaker 2: than the first. Suddenly Helmut a spied something round and
Speaker 2: slimy and long, lying on the path before him, like
Speaker 2: a blind worm, but much thicker than blind worms generally are.
Speaker 2: He became fearfully excited. Come along, you, fellows, hurry up,
Speaker 2: he said, I do believe it's the dragon's tail. They
Speaker 2: came up close behind him and looked over his shoulders.
Speaker 2: The gorge was so narrow here that they could not
Speaker 2: pass one another. Good gracious, they said, whatever shall we
Speaker 2: do now? They all felt frightened at the idea of
Speaker 2: a real dragon, but they stood to their guns like men,
Speaker 2: all but the youngest, Adolph, who wanted to run away home,
Speaker 2: but the others would not let him. Helmut catch hold
Speaker 2: of it quick now, whispered Werner and Wolf the other
Speaker 2: two boys. Helmut stretched out his hand courageously. Perhaps it
Speaker 2: was only a huge blind worm after all. But as
Speaker 2: he tried to catch it, the thing slipped swiftly away.
Speaker 2: They all followed it, running as fast as they could
Speaker 2: through the narrow gorge, bumping themselves against the walls, scratching
Speaker 2: themselves and tearing their clothes. But all the time Helmut
Speaker 2: never let that tail. If it was a tail out
Speaker 2: of his sight. If we had some salt to put
Speaker 2: on it, said he, we might catch it like a
Speaker 2: dicky bird. It would be a fine thing to present
Speaker 2: to a museum, said Wolf. Well, that thing led them
Speaker 2: a fine dance. It would stop short, and then when
Speaker 2: they thought they had got it, it started off again,
Speaker 2: until they were all puffing and blowing. We've got to
Speaker 2: catch it somehow, said Helmut, who thought that chase fine sport.
Speaker 2: At that moment the gorge opened out again into the woods,
Speaker 2: and the tail gave them the slip, for it disappeared
Speaker 2: in a crevice of the rock, where there was no
Speaker 2: room for a boy to follow it. It was a
Speaker 2: blind worm, you see, said Werner. Presently, however, they heard
Speaker 2: a noise as of thunder, and looking down the path,
Speaker 2: they saw head glaring at them out of the rocks,
Speaker 2: undeniably a dragon's head, with a huge jaw, red tongue,
Speaker 2: and rows of jagged teeth. The boys stared aghast. They
Speaker 2: were in for an adventure this time, and no mistake.
Speaker 2: Slowly the dragon raised himself out of the rocks, so
Speaker 2: that they saw his whole scaly length, like a huge crocodile.
Speaker 2: Then he began to move along the path away from them.
Speaker 2: He moved quite slowly now, so there was no difficulty
Speaker 2: in keeping up with him, but his tail was so
Speaker 2: slimy and slippery that they could not keep hold of it. Moreover,
Speaker 2: it wriggled dreadfully whenever they tried to seize it. But
Speaker 2: Helmut had inherited the cool courage of the Wartburg Nights,
Speaker 2: and he was not going to be overcome by difficulties
Speaker 2: with a wild Indian whoop, he sprang on the dragon's back,
Speaker 2: and all the other boys followed his exams, except little Adolph,
Speaker 2: who was timid and began to set up a howl
Speaker 2: for his mother. I'm sorry to say.
Speaker 1: No.
Speaker 2: Sooner were the boys on his back than the dragon
Speaker 2: set off at a fine trot up and down the
Speaker 2: dragon's gorge. They had to hold on tight and to
Speaker 2: duck whenever the rock projected overhead, or when they went
Speaker 2: sharply round a corner. Hurrah, cried Helmut, waving a flag.
Speaker 2: This is better than a motor ride, isn't he a
Speaker 2: jolly old fellow? At this remark, the jolly old fellow
Speaker 2: stopped dead and began to snort out fire and smoke
Speaker 2: that made the boy's coffin choke. Now stop that, will you,
Speaker 2: said Helmut, imperatively, or we shall have to slay you.
Speaker 2: After all, that's what we came out for, you know.
Speaker 2: He pointed his gun at the head of the dragon
Speaker 2: as he spoke, like a real hero. The dragon began
Speaker 2: to tremble, and though they could only see his profile,
Speaker 2: they thought he turned pale. Where's that other little boy?
Speaker 2: He asked in a hollow voice. If you will give
Speaker 2: him to me for dinner, I will spare you all.
Speaker 2: Helmut laughed scornfully. Thanks, old fellow, he said, you're very kind.
Speaker 2: I'm sure Adolph would be much obliged to you. I
Speaker 2: expect he's run home to his mother long ago. He's
Speaker 2: a bit of a funk. We shan't take him with
Speaker 2: us another time. He looked so sweet and juicy and tender,
Speaker 2: said the dragon, sighing. I never get a child for
Speaker 2: dinner nowadays, Oh is me? He sniffed. You are an
Speaker 2: old cannibal, said the boys, horrified and mistaking the meaning
Speaker 2: of the word cannibal. Hurry up now and give us
Speaker 2: another ride. It's a first rate fund this. The dragon
Speaker 2: groaned and seemed disinclined to stir, but the boys kicked
Speaker 2: him with their heels, and there was nothing for it
Speaker 2: but to gee up. After he had been up and
Speaker 2: down several times and the boy's clothes were nearly torn
Speaker 2: to pieces, he suddenly turned into a great crevice in
Speaker 2: the rocks that led down into a dark passage, and
Speaker 2: the boys felt really frightened for the first time. Daylight
Speaker 2: has a wonderfully bracing effect on the nerves. In a moment, however,
Speaker 2: a few rays of sunshine penetrated the black, dark wackness,
Speaker 2: and they saw that they were in a small cave.
Speaker 2: The next thing they experienced was that the dragon shook
Speaker 2: himself violently, and the small boys fell off his back
Speaker 2: like apples from a tree on the wet and sloppy floor.
Speaker 2: They picked themselves up again in a second, and there
Speaker 2: they saw the dragon before them, panting after his extersions
Speaker 2: and filling the cavern with a poisonous smelling smoke. Helmut
Speaker 2: and Wolf and Werner stood near the cracks, which did
Speaker 2: the duty of windows, and held their pistols pointed at him. Luckily,
Speaker 2: he was too stupid to know that they were only
Speaker 2: toy guns, and when they fired them off crack crack,
Speaker 2: they soon discovered that he was in a terrible fright.
Speaker 2: What have I done to you, young sirs, he gasped out,
Speaker 2: What have I done to you that you should want
Speaker 2: to shoot me? Yet? Shoot me? Yes, destroy me if
Speaker 2: you will, and end my miserable existence. He began to
Speaker 2: groan until the cavern reverberated with his cries. What's the matter,
Speaker 2: old chappy, said Helmut, who observing the weakness of the
Speaker 2: enemy had regained his courage. I am an anachronism, said
Speaker 2: the dragon. Don't you know what that is? Well? I
Speaker 2: am one born out of my age. I am a
Speaker 2: survival of anything but the fittest. You are the masters, now,
Speaker 2: you miserable, floppy looking race of mankind. You can shoot me.
Speaker 2: You can blow me up with dynamite. You can poison me,
Speaker 2: you can stuff me. Oh oh, you can put me
Speaker 2: into a cage in the zoological gardens. You have flying
Speaker 2: dragons in the sky who could drop on me suddenly
Speaker 2: and crush me. You have the power. We great creatures
Speaker 2: of bygone ages, have only been able to creep into
Speaker 2: the rocks and caves to hide from your superior cleverness
Speaker 2: and your willy machinations. We must perish while you go
Speaker 2: on like the brook forever, so saying, he began to
Speaker 2: shed great tears that dropped on the floor splash, plash,
Speaker 2: like the water from the rocks. The boys felt embarrassed.
Speaker 2: This was not their idea of manly conduct, and considerably
Speaker 2: lowered their opinions of dragons in general. Do not betray me,
Speaker 2: young sirs, went on the dragon in a pathetic and
Speaker 2: weepy voice. I have managed so far to lie here,
Speaker 2: concealed though multitudes. If people have passed this way and
Speaker 2: never perceived me, I tell you what, said Helmut, touched
Speaker 2: by the dragon's evident terror. Let's make friends with him. Boys,
Speaker 2: he's given us a nice ride for nothing. We will
Speaker 2: present him with the flag of truce. Turning to the dragon,
Speaker 2: he said, allow us to give you a banana, an
Speaker 2: a roll in token of our friendship and esteem. Oh,
Speaker 2: said the dragon, brightening up. I like bananas. People often
Speaker 2: throw the skins away here. I prefer them to orange peals.
Speaker 2: I live on such things. You must know, the cast
Speaker 2: off refuse of humanity, he said, becoming tragic again. They
Speaker 2: presented him with the banana, and he ate it, skin
Speaker 2: and all. It seemed to give him an appetite. He
Speaker 2: appeared to recover his spirits, and the boys thought it
Speaker 2: would be better to look for the way out. The
Speaker 2: cavern seemed quite smooth and round, except for the cracks
Speaker 2: through which the daylight came. They could not discover the
Speaker 2: passage by which they had entered. The dragon's eyes were
Speaker 2: beginning to look bloodthirsty, remembrances of his former strength shot
Speaker 2: across his dulled brains. He could crush aneath these little boys,
Speaker 2: after all, and nobody would be the wiser. Little boys
Speaker 2: tasted better than bananas even Meanwhile, Wolf and Werner had
Speaker 2: stuck their flags through the holes in the rocks so
Speaker 2: that they were visible from the outside. Little Adolf had
Speaker 2: gone straight home and had told awful tales of the
Speaker 2: games the others were up to, and he conducted the
Speaker 2: four mothers to the dragon's gorge, where they wandered up
Speaker 2: and down looking for their boys. Adolph observed the flags
Speaker 2: sticking up on the rocks and drew attention to them.
Speaker 2: The dragon's gorge resounded with the cries of Helmut, Wolf Werner.
Speaker 2: The dragon heard the voices as well. His evil intentions
Speaker 2: died away. The chronic fear of discovery came upon him again.
Speaker 2: He grew paler and paler. Clouds of smoke came from
Speaker 2: his nostrils until he became invisible. At the same moment, Helmut,
Speaker 2: groping against the wall that lay in shadow, found the
Speaker 2: opening of the passage through which they had come Through this,
Speaker 2: the three boys now crawled, hardly daring to breathe for
Speaker 2: fear of exciting the dragon. Again. Soon a gleam of
Speaker 2: light at the other end told of their deliverance. Their
Speaker 2: tender mothers fell on their necks and scolded them at
Speaker 2: the same time. Truly, never did boys look dirtier or
Speaker 2: more disreputable. We feel positively ashamed to go home with you,
Speaker 2: their mother said to them. Well, for once, I was
Speaker 2: jolly glad you did come. Mother, said Helmut, that treacherous
Speaker 2: old dragon wanted to turn on us. After all, he
Speaker 2: might have devoured us if he had not turned up
Speaker 2: in the nick of time. Not that I believe that
Speaker 2: he really would have done anything of the sort. He
Speaker 2: was a coward, you know, And when when we leveled
Speaker 2: our guns at him, he was awfully frightened. Still, he
Speaker 2: might have found out that our guns were not properly loaded,
Speaker 2: and then it would have been unpleasant. Mother smiled. She
Speaker 2: did not seem to take this story quite so seriously
Speaker 2: as Helmut wished. We had a gorgeous ride on his back. Mother, dear,
Speaker 2: would you like to see him? You have only to
Speaker 2: lie down flat and squeeze yourself through that crack in
Speaker 2: the rocks till you come to his cave. No, thank you,
Speaker 2: said mother. I think I can do without seeing your dragon. Oh,
Speaker 2: we have forgotten our flags, called out Wolf and Werner.
Speaker 2: Wait a minute for us, and they climbed up over
Speaker 2: the rocks and rescued the flags. He's still in there,
Speaker 2: they whispered to Helmut in a mysterious whisper. Mother said
Speaker 2: Helmut that evening, when she came to wish him good night.
Speaker 2: Do you know if you stand up to a dragon
Speaker 2: like a man and are not afraid of him, he
Speaker 2: is not so difficult to vanquish? After all? I'm glad
Speaker 2: you think so, said mother. Volo cumdeo. There is a
Speaker 2: Latin proverb for you. It means that with God's help,
Speaker 2: willpower is the chief thing necessary. This even dragons know.
Speaker 2: Thus a little boy can conquer even greater dragons than
Speaker 2: the monsters vast of ages past. Hum said Helmut musingly, Mother, dear,
Speaker 2: I was a real hero today. I think you would
Speaker 2: have been proud of me. But I must confess between
Speaker 2: ours that the old dragon was a bit of a fool.
Speaker 2: The Dragon's Tale. I wonder if the girls and boys
Speaker 2: who read these stories have heard of the charming and
Speaker 2: romantic town of Eisenoch. I suppose not, for it is
Speaker 2: a curious fact that few English people visit the place,
Speaker 2: though very many Americans go there. Americans are well known
Speaker 2: to have a special interest in old places with historical associations,
Speaker 2: because they have nothing of the sort in America. Moreover,
Speaker 2: many of them are Germans by birth and have heard
Speaker 2: stories of the Wartburg, that beautiful old castle which, from
Speaker 2: the summit of a hill surrounded by woods, overlooks the
Speaker 2: town of Eisenoch. The Wartburg is quaintly built, with dear
Speaker 2: little turrets and gables and high towers, a long curving
Speaker 2: wall with dark beams like the peasant cottages, and windows
Speaker 2: looking out into the forest. It belongs at present to
Speaker 2: the Grand Duke of sachsen Weimar Eisenach. Every stone and
Speaker 2: corner of the Wartburg is connected with some old story
Speaker 2: or legend. For instance, there is the hall with the
Speaker 2: raised dais at one end and beautiful pillars surrounding the roof,
Speaker 2: where menacingers of old times used to hold their great
Speaker 2: musical festivals. As we should say nowadays, there was keen
Speaker 2: competition for the prizes that were offered and reward for
Speaker 2: the best music and songs. And the castle are also
Speaker 2: the rooms of Saint Elizabeth that sweet saint who was
Speaker 2: so good to the poor, and who suffered so terribly
Speaker 2: herself in parting from her husband and children. Then there
Speaker 2: is the lion on the roof, who could tell a
Speaker 2: fine tale if he chose. The great banqueting hall and
Speaker 2: the little chapel. On the top of the tower is
Speaker 2: a beautiful cross that is lit up at night by
Speaker 2: electric light and can be seen from a great distance
Speaker 2: in the country round. This is, of course a modern addition.
Speaker 2: But the most interesting room in the castle is that
Speaker 2: where doctor Martha and Luther spend his time translating the Bible.
Speaker 2: Our reward had been offered to any one who should
Speaker 2: kill this arch heretic, so his friends brought up disguised
Speaker 2: as a knight to the Wartburg, and very few people
Speaker 2: knew of his whereabouts. As you look through the latticed
Speaker 2: windows of that little room, the exquisite blue and purple
Speaker 2: hills of the Thuringen walled stretch away in the distance,
Speaker 2: and no human habitation is to be seen. There. Too,
Speaker 2: you may see the famous spot on the wall where
Speaker 2: Luther through the inkpot at the devil. To be correct,
Speaker 2: you can see the hole where the ink stain used
Speaker 2: to be, for visitors have cut away every trace of
Speaker 2: the ink, and even portions of the old wooden bedstead.
Speaker 2: There is the writing desk with the translation of the Bible,
Speaker 2: and the remarkable footstool that consisted of the bone of
Speaker 2: a mammoth. Those were the days in which a man
Speaker 2: risks his life for his faith. But they were the
Speaker 2: days also we must remember of witchcraft and magic. One
Speaker 2: other story of the Wartburg. I must snare it in
Speaker 2: order to give you some idea of the interest that
Speaker 2: still surrounds this place and influences the children who grow
Speaker 2: up there. It was in the days of the old
Speaker 2: Emperor Barbarossa Redbeard. The sister of the Emperor, whose name
Speaker 2: was Utah, was married to the Landgraf Ludwig of Thuringen,
Speaker 2: and they lived at the Wartburg. One day, when Barbarossa
Speaker 2: came to visit them, he observed that the castle had
Speaker 2: no outer walls round it, as was usual in those days.
Speaker 2: What a pity, he said, that such a fine castle
Speaker 2: should be unprotected by walls and ramparts. It ought to
Speaker 2: be more strongly fortified, Oh, said Langgrafluodudwick. If that is
Speaker 2: all the castle needs, it can soon have them, how soon,
Speaker 2: said the emperor mockingly, in the space of three days,
Speaker 2: answered his brother in law. That could only be possible
Speaker 2: with the aid of the devil, said Barbarossa, Otherwise it
Speaker 2: could not be done. Wait and see for yourself, said
Speaker 2: the Landgraf. On the third day of his visit, Ludwig
Speaker 2: said to the Emperor, what do you care to see
Speaker 2: the walls? They are finished now. Barbarossa crossed himself several
Speaker 2: times and prepared for some fearful manifestation of black magic.
Speaker 2: But what was his surprise to see a living wall
Speaker 2: round the castle of Stout peasants and burghers ready armed
Speaker 2: with weapons in their hands. The banners of well known
Speaker 2: knights and lords waved their penn in the wind where
Speaker 2: battlements should have been. The Emperor was much astonished and
Speaker 2: called out, many thanks, brother in law, for your lesson
Speaker 2: stronger walls. I have never seen nor better fitted together
Speaker 2: rough stones. They may some of them be, said the Langrath,
Speaker 2: Yet I can rely on them as you see now,
Speaker 2: as you may imagine. The children who grow up in
Speaker 2: this town must have their heads full of these tales,
Speaker 2: and many poets and artists have been inspired by the
Speaker 2: beauties of Eisenach. The natural surroundings of the town are
Speaker 2: so wonderful that they also provide rich material for the imagination.
Speaker 2: Helmut was a boy who lived in Eisenach. He was
Speaker 2: eight years old and went to a day school. He
Speaker 2: lived outside the town, not far from the entrance to
Speaker 2: the forest. He was a pale, fair haired little boy
Speaker 2: and did not look the tremendous hero he fancied himself
Speaker 2: in his dreams, not even when he buckled on helmet
Speaker 2: breastplate and swared and marched out into the street to
Speaker 2: take his part in the warfare that went on constantly
Speaker 2: here between the boys of this neighborhood and the boys
Speaker 2: who belonged to another part of the town. Now, the
Speaker 2: Dragon's Gorge is a most marvelous place. It is surrounded
Speaker 2: on all sides by thick forests, and you come onto
Speaker 2: it suddenly when walking in the woods. It is a
Speaker 2: group of huge green rocks like cliffs that stand picturesquely
Speaker 2: piled close together, towering up to the sky. There is
Speaker 2: only a very narrow pathway between them. Helmuut had often
Speaker 2: been there with his father and mother, or with other
Speaker 2: boys after heavy rain or thawing snow, it became impassable.
Speaker 2: At the best of times. It was advisable for a
Speaker 2: lady not to put on her sunday hat, especially if
Speaker 2: it were large and had feathers, for the rocks are
Speaker 2: constantly tripping with water. The great boulders are covered with
Speaker 2: green moss or tiny ferns, and in the springtime wood
Speaker 2: sorrel grows on them in great patches, the underside of
Speaker 2: the leaves tinged an exquisite violet or pink color. The
Speaker 2: entrance to the dragon's gorge is through these rocks. They
Speaker 2: narrow and almost meet overhead, obscuring the sky till it
Speaker 2: seems as if one were walking under the sea. Two
Speaker 2: persons cannot walk side by side here In some parts, indeed,
Speaker 2: one can only just squeeze through. The way winds in
Speaker 2: and out in the most curious manner. There are little
Speaker 2: side passages too, that you could hardly get into it all.
Speaker 2: In some places you can hear the water roaring under
Speaker 2: your feet. Then the rocks end abruptly, and you come
Speaker 2: out into the forest again, and hear the birds singing,
Speaker 2: and see the little brook dancing along by the side
Speaker 2: of the way. Altogether, it is the most fascinating, wet
Speaker 2: and delightful walk that you could imagine. Helmut had long
Speaker 2: been planning an expedition to these rocks in company with
Speaker 2: other boyfriends, in order to slay the dragon. He dreamt
Speaker 2: of it day and night until he brought home a
Speaker 2: bad mark for attention in his school report. He told
Speaker 2: his mother about it. She laughed and said he might
Speaker 2: leave the poor old fellow alone. There were plenty of
Speaker 2: dragons to slay at home. Self will, disobedience inattention, and
Speaker 2: so on. She made a momentary impression on the little boy,
Speaker 2: who always wanted to be good, but found it difficult
Speaker 2: at times. Curious to say to carry out his intention,
Speaker 2: he looked thoughtful and answered, of course, mother, I know,
Speaker 2: but this time I want to slay a really and
Speaker 2: truly dragon. May I will you let me go with
Speaker 2: the other boys. It would be such fun the dragon's
Speaker 2: gore which was not far off, and mother did not
Speaker 2: think that Helmut could do himself any harm except by
Speaker 2: getting wet and dirty, and that he might do as
Speaker 2: well in the garden home. If you put on your
Speaker 2: old suit and your thick boots, I think you may
Speaker 2: go keep with the other boys, and promise me not
Speaker 2: to get lost. Oh, I say, won't it be fun?
Speaker 2: I'll run off and tell the other fellows hurrah, and
Speaker 2: Helmut ran off into the street. Soon four heads were
Speaker 2: to be seen close together making plans for the next day.
Speaker 2: We'll start quite early, at six o'clock, they said, and
Speaker 2: take our second breakfast with us. In Germany, eleven o'clock
Speaker 2: lunch is called second breakfast. However, it was seven o'clock
Speaker 2: a m before the boys had had their first breakfast
Speaker 2: and met outside the house. How mother and father laughed
Speaker 2: to see the little fellows all dressed in the most
Speaker 2: warlike costumes, like miniature soldiers, armed with guns and swords.
Speaker 2: Mother was a little anxious and hoped they would come
Speaker 2: to no harm, but she liked her boy to be
Speaker 2: independent and knew how happy children are if left to
Speaker 2: play their pretense games alone. She watched the four set
Speaker 2: off at a swinging march down the street. Soon they
Speaker 2: had recruits, for it was a holiday and there were
Speaker 2: plenty of boys around. Helmut was commanding officer. The boys
Speaker 2: shouldered their guns or presented arms as he directed. They
Speaker 2: passed the pond and followed the stream through the woods
Speaker 2: until they came to the dragon's gorge, where the rocks
Speaker 2: rise up, suddenly high and imposing. Looking here, they could
Speaker 2: only proceed in single file. Helmut headed the band, feeling
Speaker 2: as courageous as in his dreams. His head swam with elation.
Speaker 2: Huge walls towered above them, the rocks dropped water on
Speaker 2: their heads. As yet, they had seen or heard nothing
Speaker 2: of the dragon. Yet as they held their breath to listen,
Speaker 2: they could hear something roaring under their feet. Don't you
Speaker 2: tell me that that is only water, said Helmut. A
Speaker 2: little brook can't make such a row as that. That's
Speaker 2: the dragon. The other boys laughed. They were skepticals to
Speaker 2: the dragon and were only pretending, whereas Helmut was in earnest.
Speaker 2: I'm hungry, said one boy. Supposing we find a dry
Speaker 2: place and have our lunch. They came to where the
Speaker 2: path wound out again into the open air, and sat
Speaker 2: down on some stones which could hardly be described as dry.
Speaker 2: Here they ate bread and sausage, oranges and bananas. Give
Speaker 2: me the orange peel, you fellows. Mother hates us to
Speaker 2: throw it about. It makes the place so untidy, So
Speaker 2: saying Helmut, pushed his orange peel right into a crevice
Speaker 2: of the rock and covered it with old leaves, but
Speaker 2: the other boys laughed at him and chucked theirs into
Speaker 2: the little stream, which made Helmut very angry. I won't
Speaker 2: be your officer anymore if you do not do as
Speaker 2: I say, he said, and they began to quarrel. We're
Speaker 2: not going to fight your old dragon. We're going home
Speaker 2: again to play football. That will be a far better fun,
Speaker 2: said the boys who had joined as recruits, and they
Speaker 2: went off home till only Helmut's chums were left. They
Speaker 2: were glad enough to get rid of the other boys.
Speaker 2: We have more chance of seeing the dragon without those
Speaker 2: stupid fellows, they said. They finished their lunch, shouldered their
Speaker 2: guns again, and enter the second gorge, which is even
Speaker 2: more picturesque and narrow than the first. Suddenly Helmut a
Speaker 2: spied something round and slimy and long, lying on the
Speaker 2: path before him, like a blind worm, but much thicker
Speaker 2: than blind worms generally are. He became fearfully excited. Come along, you, fellows,
Speaker 2: hurry up, he said, I do believe it's the dragon's tail.
Speaker 2: They came up close behind him and looked over his shoulders.
Speaker 2: The gorge was so narrow here that they could not
Speaker 2: pass one another. Good gracious, they said, whatever shall we
Speaker 2: do now? They all felt frightened at the idea of
Speaker 2: a real dragon, but they stood to their guns like men,
Speaker 2: all but the youngest, Adolph, who wanted to run away home,
Speaker 2: but the others would not let him. Helmut catch hold
Speaker 2: of it quick now, whispered Werner and Wolf the other
Speaker 2: two boys. Helmut stretched out his hand courageously. Perhaps it
Speaker 2: was only a huge blind worm after all. But as
Speaker 2: he tried to catch it, the thing slipped swiftly away.
Speaker 2: They all followed it, running as fast as they could
Speaker 2: through the narrow gorge, bumping themselves against the walls, scratching
Speaker 2: themselves and tearing their clothes. But all the time Helmut
Speaker 2: never let that tail. If it was a tail out
Speaker 2: of his sight. If we had some salt to put
Speaker 2: on it, said he, we might catch it like a
Speaker 2: dicky bird. It would be a fine thing to present
Speaker 2: to a museum, said Wolf. Well, that thing led them
Speaker 2: a fine dance. It would stop short, and then when
Speaker 2: they thought they had got it, it started off again,
Speaker 2: until they were all puffing and blowing. We've got to
Speaker 2: catch it somehow, said Helmut, who thought that chase fine sport.
Speaker 2: At that moment the gorge opened out again into the woods,
Speaker 2: and the tail gave them the slip, for it disappeared
Speaker 2: in a crevice of the rock, where there was no
Speaker 2: room for a boy to follow it. It was a
Speaker 2: blind worm, you see, said Werner. Presently, however, they heard
Speaker 2: a noise as of thunder, and looking down the path,
Speaker 2: they saw head glaring at them out of the rocks,
Speaker 2: undeniably a dragon's head, with a huge jaw, red tongue,
Speaker 2: and rows of jagged teeth. The boys stared aghast. They
Speaker 2: were in for an adventure this time, and no mistake.
Speaker 2: Slowly the dragon raised himself out of the rocks, so
Speaker 2: that they saw his whole scaly length, like a huge crocodile.
Speaker 2: Then he began to move along the path away from them.
Speaker 2: He moved quite slowly now, so there was no difficulty
Speaker 2: in keeping up with him, but his tail was so
Speaker 2: slimy and slippery that they could not keep hold of it. Moreover,
Speaker 2: it wriggled dreadfully whenever they tried to seize it. But
Speaker 2: Helmut had inherited the cool courage of the Wartburg Nights,
Speaker 2: and he was not going to be overcome by difficulties
Speaker 2: with the wild Indian. Whoop, he sprang on the dragon's back,
Speaker 2: and all the other boys followed his example, except little Adolf,
Speaker 2: who was timid and began to set up a howl
Speaker 2: for his mother. I'm sorry to say.
Speaker 1: No.
Speaker 2: Sooner were the boys on his back than the dragons
Speaker 2: set off at a fine trot up and down the
Speaker 2: dragon's gorge. They had to hold on tight and to
Speaker 2: duck whenever the rock rejected overhead, or when they went
Speaker 2: sharply round a corner. Hurrah, cried Helmut, waving a flag.
Speaker 2: This is better than a motor ride, isn't he a
Speaker 2: jolly old fellow? At this remark, the jolly old fellow
Speaker 2: stopped dead and began to snort out fire and smoke
Speaker 2: that made the boy's coffin choke. Now stop that, will you,
Speaker 2: said Helmut imperatively, or we shall have to slay you.
Speaker 2: After all, that's what we came out for, you know.
Speaker 2: He pointed his gun at the head of the dragon
Speaker 2: as he spoke, like a real hero. The dragon began
Speaker 2: to tremble, and though they could only see his profile,
Speaker 2: they thought he turned pale. Where's that other little boy?
Speaker 2: He asked in a hollow voice. If you will give
Speaker 2: him to me for dinner, I will spare you all.
Speaker 2: Helmut laughed scornfully. Thanks, old fellow, he said, you're very kind.
Speaker 2: I'm sure Adolph would be much obliged to you. I
Speaker 2: expect he's run home to his mother long ago. He's
Speaker 2: a bit of a funk. We shan't take him with
Speaker 2: us another time. He looked so sweet and juicy and tender,
Speaker 2: said the dragon, sighing. I never get a child for
Speaker 2: dinner nowadays. Woe is me, he sniffed. You are an
Speaker 2: old cannibal, said the boys, horrified and mistaking the meaning
Speaker 2: of the word cannibal. Hurry up now and give us
Speaker 2: another ride. It's a first rate fun. This. The dragon
Speaker 2: groaned and seemed disinclined to stir, but the boys kicked
Speaker 2: him with their heels, and there was nothing for it
Speaker 2: but to gee up. After he had been up and
Speaker 2: down several times and the boy's clothes were nearly torn
Speaker 2: to pieces, he suddenly turned into a great crevice in
Speaker 2: the rocks that led down into a dark passage, and
Speaker 2: the boys felt really frightened for the first time. Daylight
Speaker 2: has a wonderfully bracing effect on the nerves. In a moment, however,
Speaker 2: a few rays of sunshine penetrated the black darkness, and
Speaker 2: they saw that they were in a small cave. The
Speaker 2: next thing they experienced was that the dragon shook himself violently,
Speaker 2: and the small boys fell off his back like apples
Speaker 2: from a tree on the wet and sloppy floor. They
Speaker 2: picked themselves up again in a second, and there they
Speaker 2: saw the dragon and before them, panting after his extersons
Speaker 2: and filling the cavern with a poisonous smelling smoke. Helmut
Speaker 2: and Wolf and Werner stood near the cracks, which did
Speaker 2: the duty of windows, and held their pistols pointed at him. Luckily,
Speaker 2: he was too stupid to know that they were only
Speaker 2: toy guns, and when they fired them off crack crack,
Speaker 2: they soon discovered that he was in a terrible fright.
Speaker 2: What have I done to you, young sirs, he gasped out,
Speaker 2: What have I done to you that you should want
Speaker 2: to shoot me? Yet? Shoot me? Yes, destroy me if
Speaker 2: you will, and end my miserable existence. He began to
Speaker 2: groan until the cavern reverberated with his cries. What's the matter,
Speaker 2: old chappy, said Helmer, who observing the weakness of the
Speaker 2: enemy had regained his courage. I am an anachronism, said
Speaker 2: the dragon. Don't you know what that is? Well? I
Speaker 2: am one born out of my age. I am a
Speaker 2: survival of anything but the fittest. You are the masters, now,
Speaker 2: you miserable, floppy looking race of mankind. You can shoot me.
Speaker 2: You can blow me up with dynamite. You can poison me,
Speaker 2: you can stuff me. Oh oh, you can put me
Speaker 2: into a cage in the zoological gardens. You have flying
Speaker 2: dragons in the sky who could drop on me suddenly
Speaker 2: and crush me. You have the power. We great creatures
Speaker 2: of bygone ages, have only been able to creep into
Speaker 2: the rocks and caves to hide from your superior cleverness
Speaker 2: and your willy machinations. We must perish while you go
Speaker 2: on like the brook forever, so saying, he began to
Speaker 2: shed great tears that dropped on the floor splashplash, like
Speaker 2: the water from the rocks. The boys felt embarrassed. This
Speaker 2: was not their idea of manly conduct, and considerably lowered
Speaker 2: their opinions of dragons in general. Do not betray me,
Speaker 2: young sirs, went on the dragon in a pathetic and
Speaker 2: weepy voice. I have managed so far to lie here,
Speaker 2: concealed though multitudes. If people have passed this way and
Speaker 2: never perceived me, I tell you what, said Helmut, touched
Speaker 2: by the dragon's evident terror. Let's make friends with him. Boys,
Speaker 2: he's given us a nice ride for nothing. We will
Speaker 2: present him with the flag of truce. Turning to the dragon,
Speaker 2: he said, allow us to give you a banana and
Speaker 2: a roll in token of our friendship and esteem. Oh,
Speaker 2: said the dragon, brightening up. I like bananas. People often
Speaker 2: throw the skins away here. I prefer them to orange peals.
Speaker 2: I live on such things. You must know, the cast
Speaker 2: off refuse of humanity, he said, becoming tragic again. They
Speaker 2: presented him with the banana, and he ate it, skin
Speaker 2: and all. It seemed to give him an appetite. He
Speaker 2: appeared to recover his spirits, and the boys thought it
Speaker 2: would be better to look for the way out. The
Speaker 2: cavern seemed quite smooth and round, except for the cracks
Speaker 2: through which the daylight came. They could not discover the
Speaker 2: passage by which they had entered. The dragon's eyes were
Speaker 2: beginning to look bloodthirsty, remembrances of his former strength shot
Speaker 2: across his dulled brains. He could crush and eat these
Speaker 2: little boys, after all, and nobody would be the wiser.
Speaker 2: Little boys tasted better than bananas even Meanwhile, Wolf and
Speaker 2: Werner had stuck their flags through the holes in the
Speaker 2: rocks so that they were visible from the outside. Now
Speaker 2: little Adolf had gone straight home and had told awful
Speaker 2: tales of the games the others were up to, and
Speaker 2: he conducted the four mothers to the dragon's gorge, where
Speaker 2: they wandered up and down looking for their boys. Adolf
Speaker 2: observed the flags sticking up on the rocks and drew
Speaker 2: attention to them. The dragons george resounded with the cries
Speaker 2: of Helmut, Wolf Werner. The dragon heard the voices as well.
Speaker 2: His evil intentions died away. The chronic fear of discovery
Speaker 2: came upon him again. He grew paler and paler. Clouds
Speaker 2: of smoke came from his nostrils until he became invisible.
Speaker 2: At the same moment, Helmut, groping against the wall that
Speaker 2: lay in shadow, found the opening of the passage through
Speaker 2: which they had come Through this, the three boys now crawled,
Speaker 2: hardly daring to breathe for fear of exciting the dragon again.
Speaker 2: Soon a gleam of light at the other end told
Speaker 2: of their deliverance. Their tender mothers fell on their necks
Speaker 2: and scolded them at the same time. Truly, how ever,
Speaker 2: did boys look dirtier or more disreputable? We feel positively
Speaker 2: ashamed to go home with you, their mother said to them. Well,
Speaker 2: for once, I was jolly glad you did come. Mother,
Speaker 2: said Helmut. That treacherous old dragon wanted to turn on us.
Speaker 2: After all, he might have devoured us if he had
Speaker 2: not turned up in the nick of time. Not that
Speaker 2: I believe that he really would have done anything of
Speaker 2: the sort. He was a coward, you know, and when
Speaker 2: we leveled our guns at him, he was awfully frightened. Still,
Speaker 2: he might have found out that our guns were not
Speaker 2: properly loaded, and then it would have been unpleasant. Mother smiled.
Speaker 2: She did not seem to take this story quite so
Speaker 2: seriously as Helmut wished. We had a gorgeous ride on
Speaker 2: his back. Mother, dear, would you like to see him?
Speaker 2: You have only to lie down flat and squeeze yourself
Speaker 2: through that crack in the rocks till you come to
Speaker 2: his cave. No, thank you, said mother. I think I
Speaker 2: can do without seeing your dragon. Oh, we have forgotten
Speaker 2: our flags, called out Wolf and Werner. Wait a minute
Speaker 2: for us, and they climbed up over the rocks and
Speaker 2: rescued the flags. He's still in there, they whispered to
Speaker 2: Helmut in a mysterious whisper. Mother said Helmut that evening,
Speaker 2: when she came to wish him good night. Do you
Speaker 2: know if you stand up to a dragon like a
Speaker 2: man and are not afraid of him, he is not
Speaker 2: so difficult to vanquish? After all? I'm glad you think so,
Speaker 2: said Mother Volo. Come down, there is a Latin proverb
Speaker 2: for you. It means that with God's help, willpower is
Speaker 2: the chief thing necessary. This even dragons know. Thus a
Speaker 2: little boy can conquer even greater dragons than the monsters
Speaker 2: vast of ages past. Hum said Helmut musingly, Mother dear,
Speaker 2: I was a real hero today. I think you would
Speaker 2: have been proud of me. But I must confess between
Speaker 2: ourselves that the old dragon was a bit of a fool.
Speaker 1: Build at auld build builded Bud