The Magician's Boy Read Online Free Page B
Author: Susan Cooper
âI challenge you to fight!â
The Dragon was busily thumping his tail against the oak tree, trying to shake the Turkish Knight out of it. He looked up and saw the Boy, and gave a great angry roar. Fire shot out of his nostrils and burned some more grass.
âGo home, peanut!â roared the Dragon. âDonât bother me!â
He turned back to the Turkish Knight, and puffed a cloud of smoke up at him. The Turkish Knight squealed, and began to cough.
The Boy wasnât about to be called a peanut, especially now that he was Saint George. He moved quietly toward the Dragon, reached past one of the great golden claws, and jabbed the tip of his sword into the Dragonâs toe.
âOw!â said the Dragon, and the Boy jumped back very fast before the big claw could grab at him.
âFight, Dragon!â he shouted bravely.
âRRRROOOOOOAAAAAWWWW!â roared the Dragon, and all the blackbirds flew up into the sky in alarm. Everyone in the watching crowd moved one step backward,but they also began to cheer and shout.
âCome on, Saint George!â shouted Jack.
âYay, Saint George!â yelled the Old Womanâs children.
âBoo to the Dragon!â called Red Riding Hood.
The Dragon snarled, and scuffed at the ground with one huge front claw. He put his head down and rushed full tilt at the Boy, roaring as he came.
The Boy held up his shield and jumped sideways, just as the great red jaws were about to swallow him up. The Dragonâs head hit the shield and sent the Boy rolling headover heels across the clearing. His shield clanged like a bell as it bounced away over the ground, and his sword went flying. But he managed to snatch up the sword before the Dragon could turn to charge again.
The Dragon huffed out a ball of fire, and the Boy dodged. He felt the flames singe the hair above his ear.
âRRRROOOOOOAAAAAWWWW!â roared the Dragon again, and he brought his enormous green tail swinging round from behind to knock the Boy off his feet.
âJump, Saint George!â called Pinocchio.
Just in time, the Boy jumped up into theair, and the tail swished by underneath him. It was swishing so fast that it made the Dragon swing round in a circle, staggering to keep his balance.
âBoo, mean old Dragon!â shouted the Old Womanâs children. âBOO!â
The Dragon snarled and blew smoke at them.
The Boy stood tall, facing the Dragon. He had no shield now, but he held his sword firmly in front of him. âCome on, Dragon!â he yelled. âCome and fight!â
The Dragonâs eyes were gleaming like red stars. He stood there green and furious,making a hissing sound like a huge angry cat.
And then he charged.
He thundered across the clearing toward the Boy, roaring, and the ground shook, and the people of the Land of Story gazed in horror as he came. The sunlight flashed from the Dragonâs golden claws and the long white teeth in his dreadful gaping mouth.
The Boy stood there watching, waiting. He wanted to run. He was going to be killed!
But he knew he had to be Saint George. So as the enormous green Dragon came rushing toward him, with the flashing gold claws on either side, and the terrible openjaws above, he didnât move. He stood there still and firm, with his sword held straight out in front of him.
And the Dragon ran right onto the sword, and it went into his chest, right up to the hilt. The Boy let go just in time, and dodged aside. The Dragon staggered to a halt, and let out a great shriek. Everyone in the clearing cheered and shouted and jumped up and down.
The Boy darted forward and pulled out his sword and held it up high. Everyone cheered again.
Just for a moment, something puzzled the Boy. He couldnât see any blood on the Dragonâs chest, and his sword seemed to have gone in and come out very easily, as if it had been stuck into a sofa, or a stuffed toy.
But the Boy didnât have any more time to think,
The Dragon was busily thumping his tail against the oak tree, trying to shake the Turkish Knight out of it. He looked up and saw the Boy, and gave a great angry roar. Fire shot out of his nostrils and burned some more grass.
âGo home, peanut!â roared the Dragon. âDonât bother me!â
He turned back to the Turkish Knight, and puffed a cloud of smoke up at him. The Turkish Knight squealed, and began to cough.
The Boy wasnât about to be called a peanut, especially now that he was Saint George. He moved quietly toward the Dragon, reached past one of the great golden claws, and jabbed the tip of his sword into the Dragonâs toe.
âOw!â said the Dragon, and the Boy jumped back very fast before the big claw could grab at him.
âFight, Dragon!â he shouted bravely.
âRRRROOOOOOAAAAAWWWW!â roared the Dragon, and all the blackbirds flew up into the sky in alarm. Everyone in the watching crowd moved one step backward,but they also began to cheer and shout.
âCome on, Saint George!â shouted Jack.
âYay, Saint George!â yelled the Old Womanâs children.
âBoo to the Dragon!â called Red Riding Hood.
The Dragon snarled, and scuffed at the ground with one huge front claw. He put his head down and rushed full tilt at the Boy, roaring as he came.
The Boy held up his shield and jumped sideways, just as the great red jaws were about to swallow him up. The Dragonâs head hit the shield and sent the Boy rolling headover heels across the clearing. His shield clanged like a bell as it bounced away over the ground, and his sword went flying. But he managed to snatch up the sword before the Dragon could turn to charge again.
The Dragon huffed out a ball of fire, and the Boy dodged. He felt the flames singe the hair above his ear.
âRRRROOOOOOAAAAAWWWW!â roared the Dragon again, and he brought his enormous green tail swinging round from behind to knock the Boy off his feet.
âJump, Saint George!â called Pinocchio.
Just in time, the Boy jumped up into theair, and the tail swished by underneath him. It was swishing so fast that it made the Dragon swing round in a circle, staggering to keep his balance.
âBoo, mean old Dragon!â shouted the Old Womanâs children. âBOO!â
The Dragon snarled and blew smoke at them.
The Boy stood tall, facing the Dragon. He had no shield now, but he held his sword firmly in front of him. âCome on, Dragon!â he yelled. âCome and fight!â
The Dragonâs eyes were gleaming like red stars. He stood there green and furious,making a hissing sound like a huge angry cat.
And then he charged.
He thundered across the clearing toward the Boy, roaring, and the ground shook, and the people of the Land of Story gazed in horror as he came. The sunlight flashed from the Dragonâs golden claws and the long white teeth in his dreadful gaping mouth.
The Boy stood there watching, waiting. He wanted to run. He was going to be killed!
But he knew he had to be Saint George. So as the enormous green Dragon came rushing toward him, with the flashing gold claws on either side, and the terrible openjaws above, he didnât move. He stood there still and firm, with his sword held straight out in front of him.
And the Dragon ran right onto the sword, and it went into his chest, right up to the hilt. The Boy let go just in time, and dodged aside. The Dragon staggered to a halt, and let out a great shriek. Everyone in the clearing cheered and shouted and jumped up and down.
The Boy darted forward and pulled out his sword and held it up high. Everyone cheered again.
Just for a moment, something puzzled the Boy. He couldnât see any blood on the Dragonâs chest, and his sword seemed to have gone in and come out very easily, as if it had been stuck into a sofa, or a stuffed toy.
But the Boy didnât have any more time to think,
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