HE WALKED up the street to the local inn, where theknights spent most of their time eating and drinking. He wentinto the inn and looked for the captain of the King's Guard.The captain was seated at the first table, a huge platter ofbeef and a tankard of ale in front of him. He was a fat manwith a red face and a wart on the left side of his nose. Hekept eating while William talked to him.

"Captain," he said, "I need a brave and courageous knightor three for a brave and courageous deed."

"All of my knights are brave and courageous," said thecaptain, without looking up from the table.

"The king needs a dragon," said William, "medium-sizedand with colored lights. So, will you kindly supply me withsomeone brave and courageous enough to go after one? Thecaptain choked on his ale and looked up suddenly.

"A dragon?" he said. "You want me to send one of my menafter a dragon?"

"That is correct. One, or two, or three, or as many as youfeel would be necessary." The captain scratched his head.

"Well, I don't know," he said finally. "Most of my men areout of practice when it comes to dragons... ."

The inn was suddenly very quiet. At the mention of theword "dragon" all the clattering of platters and tankards anddice had stopped. All the laughter and the sounds oftable-pounding and chair-scraping had stopped. William felteveryone staring at him.

"Are you trying to tell me that your men would be afraidto go after a dragon?" he asked.

"Afraid!" snorted the captain through his mustaches (whichwere quite large, and blew up almost as high as his ears when