Danger! Wizard at Work! Read Online Free Page A

Whirl and Flame.”
    “Aw, Coach!” whined Stickley. “Do I have to?”
    “Stop stalling,” said Coach Blazer. “Run over to old Straw Guts and show us.”
    “That scarecrow is a practice knight!” Wiglaf whispered to Angus and Erica. “Just like our practice dragon back at DSA.”
    “Turn your back on Straw Guts, Stickley,” Coach was saying. “He’s stalking. What do you do?”
    “Run!” cried Stickley. He galloped across the castle yard.
    “A big fat F for Stickley,” Coach muttered, making a mark on his clipboard. “One of you new slackers try it. Zoomer?”
    Angus trotted over and turned his back on the practice dragon slayer.
    “Straw Guts is sneaking up on you,” said Coach. “He’s getting close. Now whirl around and give him a blast. Got it?”
    Angus nodded. He spun toward the practice dragon slayer, and shot a huge ball of fire from his mouth. Old Straw Guts’s head burst into flame.
    “Oh, tail rot!” cried Coach Blazer. He blew his whistle. “Douser, get on it!”
    Douser bounced over to old Straw Guts and belched out a spray of water. The practice dragon slayer had lost most of his head, but otherwise wasn’t damaged.
    Coach turned to Angus. “It’s a practice dragon slayer, you doofus!” he said. “You’re supposed to use your practice flame! Don’t you know anything?”
    “Guess not,” muttered Angus.
    Coach Blazer looked suspicious. Next, he called on Wiglaf to do the Sword Whip.
    “The sword what?” said Wiglaf.
    “Oh, come on. Every dragon knows the sword whip by the time he leaves nursery school, Blinky.” Coach made a note on his clipboard. “Sissy, show him how it’s done.”
    “Who, me?” said Sissy. “Well, okay, guys, here I go.”
    She stepped up to old Straw Guts, spun around, and with a single, well-placed thrash of her tail, knocked the sword neatly out of the practice dragon slayer’s hand.
    Wiglaf was impressed.
    After class ended, the three new dragons hoped to sneak off and try to summon Zelnoc again. But the hallways were mobbed, and every classroom was full.
    “That was wicked cool, Zoomer,” Taxi told Angus as they headed for Professor Scales’s class, All About Dragon Slayers. “Using your real flame in class!”
    When they reached the classroom, Angus said, “Let’s get seats in the back row. Then maybe we won’t get called on.”
    “But I like to sit in the front,” said Erica. “I like to get called on.”
    “Not at this DSA you don’t.” Angus guided Erica to the back of the room.
    Sissy, Stickley, Taxi, and Douser hurried to get seats near Angus. He was something of a hero now, after setting fire to old Straw Guts.
    Most of the dragon students were still milling about when a tall, thin, pea-green dragon, who was more neck than body, walked through the door. He carried a briefcase.
    “Seats, slackers,” Professor Scales said. “Pass your homework papers up to me.”
    The dragon students shuffled papers in their notebooks. But no one found any homework.
    “Slacking off again?” Professor Scales shook his head. Then he dug in his briefcase and pulled out a stack of papers. “I graded yesterday’s test. You all failed. No surprise. Pay attention today and maybe some of you will pass the next test. That would make history, but it could happen. Okay. First question: Why do dragon slayers hunt dragons? Douser?”
    “Uhhhh,” said Douser. He scrunched up his face as if thinking very hard.
    “Anyone?”
    No claws went up.

    Wiglaf glanced at Erica. He knew it was hard for her to keep from raising her claw.
    “Dragon slayers slay dragons to take their gold and eat it,” said Professor Scales.
    Wiglaf, Angus, and Erica looked at one another, puzzled.
    “Next question,” said the professor. “What do dragon slayers wear in pouches around their necks?”
    “Pouches around their necks?” whispered Angus. “What’s he talking about?”
    “Dragon slayers collect dragon teeth for good luck,” Professor Scales answered