World's Oldest Living Dragon Read Online Free

now.”
    â€œBy the time I was in school,” Sir Lancelot went on, “the dragon had retired. Nobody had to learn the Grizzlegore poem.”
    â€œThe Grizzlegore poem!” cried Sir Poodleduff. “Why didn’t you say so?”
    â€œOf course we know it!” cried Sir Roger. “From start to finish.”
    â€œTell us how the rhyme is a secret weakness, sirs,” said Janice.
    â€œWhen we were lads,” said Sir Poodleduff, “Grizzlegore was the most gold-grabbing, damsel-chasing, peasant-eating, knight-whacking, school-flaming dragon in all the land. And he could smell gold a mile away.”
    Sir Lancelot turned to Erica. “Let me tell you about the time I slew the great Boar of Camelot.”
    â€œPlease, sir,” said Erica. “We need to find out about Grizzlegore.”
    Sir Lancelot looked miffed.
    â€œIf Grizzlegore flew to a school,” Sir Roger said, “the headmaster had to give him every bit of gold or the school was toast. Unless…”
    â€œUnless what?” said Erica.
    â€œUnless pupils at the school knew the rhyme,” said Sir Poodleduff. “The whole rhyme.”
    â€œAnd the dance steps,” added Sir Roger, giggling.
    â€œGrizzlegore is coming to our school on April Fools’ Day,” Wiglaf told the old knights.
    Erica added, “And our headmaster is too greedy to pay him.”
    â€œSo Grizzlegore will burn down our school,” said Angus. “Unless we can stop him.”
    â€œAnd if we know the rhyme, we can stop him,” said Erica. “Can you teach it to us? Please?”
    â€œDo dragons have tails?” cried Sir Roger.
    â€œDo knights have steeds?” cried Sir Poodleduff.
    â€œOf course we can!” they cried together.

Chapter 4
    I’ll start off,” said Sir Poodleduff.
    â€œI’ll learn it as you say it,” said Erica. “I’m very good at memorizing poems.”
    Wiglaf crossed his fingers. He hoped that these aged knights knew the poem better than Sir Mort did.
    Sir Poodleduff began:
    â€œIn days of old, when knights were bold,
And damsels knew the score,
A dragon kept a hoard of gold;
His name was Grizzlegore.
    Â 
    Grizzlegore lived in a cave
Outside the town of Gwail,
And he was known to flame and rave.
He had a…”
    Sir Poodleduff frowned. “What was it he had, Roger?”
    â€œ He had a spiky tail! ” exclaimed Sir Roger, pounding his cane on the hard stone floor. “I’ll take it from here.
    Grizzlegore had yellow eyes,
His heart was cold and small,
His fangs were of tremendous size,
He lived to fight and brawl.”
    Sir Lancelot yawned. Then he got up and went over to the tapestry corner.
    Sir Roger recited on:
    â€œTen hundred knights did feel the heat
Of Grizzlegore-y flame.
Ten hundred knights knocked off their feet,
And home they never came.”
    The other aged knights in Ye Olde Home gathered around Sir Roger and Sir Poodleduff. Their dry old lips moved as they, too, recited the verses they had all learned as lads.
    â€œThen spaketh up Sir Percy:
‘This dragon we must stop!
Let’s show this beast no mercy.
Let’s whack and stab and chop!’”
    Wiglaf’s stomach lurched. He hoped this was not going to turn into a very bloody poem.
    Sir Poodleduff took up the verse.
    â€œSir Drake, he raised his lance up high:
‘For Grizzlegore—a quest!
Let’s seek the cave wherein he dwells,
And stab him in the breast!’
    Sir Mikey and Sir Galahood,
Sir Tristam and Sir West,
Sir Dinadan, Sir Gob the Good,
They all joined in the quest.
    Â 
    Then spaketh up Sir Galahood,
‘We’ll quest for Grizzlegore!
We’ll find him and we’ll whack him good!
That Grizz shall gore no more.’”
    Sir Poodleduff stopped and smiled. “How do you like it?” he asked.
    â€œâ€™Tis a fine poem,” said Wiglaf, glad that it had not gotten bloody after