The Magician's Boy Read Online Free Page A

he saw the tip of an enormous tail disappearing ahead of him. Then he began to hear voices calling. Frightened voices.
    â€œHelp!” cried the first voice.
    â€œHelp, help!” cried the second.
    â€œSave us!” called the third.
    Suddenly the Boy was out in a grassy clearing. A wide strip of the grass was burned black, still smoking, and blackened leaves hung from the lower branches of the trees on the other side.
    It was a very big clearing, the size of a football field.
    The signpost stumped out after the Boy and stood next to him, looking round.
    The frightened shouts grew louder, and then out of the trees on the left side of the clearing three figures came running. The Boy recognized them; they were the peopledressed like the puppets from his play. There was the fat round figure of Father Christmas, the Doctor in his dark coat, and the Turkish Knight with his bright baggy pants flapping.
    â€œHelp!” they cried as they ran. “Save us!”
    And after them came the Dragon.
    He was a huge, handsome Dragon, bright green all over, with red eyes and golden claws. Smoke and flame flew out of his nostrils when he opened his great red jaws to roar.
    â€œWow!” said the signpost.
    The Turkish Knight turned bravely to fight the Dragon, waving his curved sword.But the Dragon swung his long scaly neck sideways, and the side of his bony green head knocked the Turkish Knight off his feet and up into the air.
    â€œWaaaaah!”
cried the Turkish Knight, and he flew through the air and into the branches of a big oak tree, where he stuck, upside down.
    The Dragon galloped over to the tree and started trying to climb it.
    The Boy was watching wide-eyed. “Saint George
must
be here now!” he said.
    â€œOh yes,” said the signpost. “He certainly is.”
    â€œSaint George!” called the poor upside-down Turkish Knight. “Help!”
    â€œSaint George!” called the Doctor, dodging in and out of the trees.
    The Dragon was too big to climb the tree. He snarled up at the Turkish Knight, showing his enormous white teeth.
    â€œSaint George!” called the Boy. “Where are you, Saint George?”
    He looked all round him, at the smoking grass and the blackened leaves.
    Then very slowly, one by one, out into the clearing, from behind every tree and bush, came all the people he had met in the Landof Story. The Old Woman was there, with all her children around her, and the Pied Piper, carrying his pipe.
    Little Zoe waved to the Boy. Red Riding Hood was there, with the wolf slinking sulkily behind her. Jack came out onto the sooty grass, and the big head of the Giant popped up behind a tree and looked down at the Boy. Pinocchio moved out stiffly, his nose a normal size now. And around them all the four and twenty blackbirds swooped and fluttered, singing.
    And every single person and creature was looking at the Boy.
    The Boy stared at them all. What were they doing? The Dragon would eat them!
    â€œSaint George!” he shouted urgently.
    Out of the crowd of people, Father Christmas walked forward toward the Boy, and everyone turned to watch. The old man was carrying a white tunic with a big red cross on it, and a sword, and a small round shield.

    He stopped in front of the Boy, and put the tunic over the Boy’s astonished head.
    Then he put the sword into the Boy’s right hand, and the shield into his left.
    The signpost said softly:
    â€œOnly a child can find the way To bring Saint George back to the play.”
    The Boy said, “But I’m not Saint George!” “You are now,” the signpost said.

Everyone in the clearing shouted and cheered. “Saint George!” they cried. “Hurray for Saint George!”
    The Boy looked down at his tunic. It was certainly the right uniform for Saint George. He took a deep breath, and he thrust his sword up into the air and waved it.
    Everyone cheered even louder.
    â€œDragon!” shouted the Boy.