_In which we see that it is harder to conquer one’s own ambitions
than it is to slay a dragon._
The Knights of St. John were both priests and knights. Their badge
was a white cross which they wore upon their mantles, over their
shining arms. The head knight was called the Grand Master.
In a marsh lived a terrible dragon. Its head was larger than a
horse’s head. It had a huge mouth, very sharp teeth and enormous
eyes. It ate the sheep and cattle when they came for water.
Sometimes shepherd boys were missing and even men were devoured by
the dragon.
Many of the knights had gone out against this monster, but its body
was covered with such thick scales that swords and arrows could not
hurt it, and not one of the men came back alive. At last the Grand
Master ordered that no one else should go.
There was one young knight who wanted very much to try to kill the
dragon. He had once hunted for the monster, but when he saw it, had
come back without striking a blow. Although the dragon had lashed
its tail so fiercely that he could not get near it, he had noticed
that the scales did not cover the under part of the body.
Now he had a plan. He did not tell it to the Grand Master. He only
asked that he might go to his father’s home. There he made a dragon
which looked exactly like the real dragon. He made the under part
hollow, and filled it with food. He trained two fierce dogs to fly
at this part of the dragon to get the food. When the animals were
sufficiently trained, he went back to fight the dragon.
He knew he ought not to disobey the Grand Master, and that he
had no right to fight the dragon, but he could not resist the
temptation to have the people say: “Behold the Dragon Slayer,” and
so he took the two dogs and went forth to battle.
There was a terrific struggle, the horse became frightened and the
knight had to jump off. The dragon knocked him down with his fierce
tail. Then the dogs fastened themselves upon the dragon. The
knight got on his feet again, and while the dogs were fighting the
dragon, the knight stuck his sword into the dragon’s body. It gave
a great groan and fell on its side dead.
The people shouted with joy as they went to tell the Grand Master.
When the Grand Master saw the young knight, he looked grave and
said: “Thou art brave, but a knight who wears the cross should
learn a greater thing. He should not love his own way, but should
be humble and obedient. Be gone from my sight!”
The crowd was surprised at this and cried out against the unjust
sentence. The knight bowed his head in shame, for he knew that
he had not obeyed the Grand Master. Sadly he took off his mantle
and walked away. Then the Grand Master called him back and said:
“Now, thou art worthy, thou hast overcome a worse enemy than the
dragon--thyself!”