How to train your dragon by by Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III; translated from the Old Norse by Cressida Cowell

hear that Horrorcow is partial to carrots. . . . Has the Toothless Wonder gotten up the nerve to attack a vegetable? Carrots are a bit crunchy but perhaps he could manage the odd squished cucumber. . . . You could give it to him through a straw perhaps. ..."
    "HUR, HUR, HUR." Dogsbreath laughed so hard that snot came snorting out of his nose.
    "Careful, Dogsbreath," said Fishlegs politely, "your brains are coming out."
    Dogsbreath bashed him hard and the two boys staggered off, Fireworm making a lunge at Toothless that nearly took his eye out as he went past.
    As soon as they were safely out of earshot, Toothless jumped out of Hiccup's arms and coughed out sheets of flame in a menacing manner.
    "Bullies! Yellowbellies! Come closer and Toothess'll fry you to a frazzle! Toothess'll drag out yer guts and, play'em on a harp! Toothess'll... Toothless'll... Toothless'll... well, you just better not come any closer, that's all... !"
    "Oh, very brave, Toothless," said Hiccup sarcastically. "If you shout louder they might even, hear you."
    89
    Chapter 9 FEAR, VANITY, REVENGE, AND SILLY JOKES
    March turned into April and April turned into May. After Fireworm's remark about the pathetic bunny rabbit, Toothless never pooed in the kitchen again. But Hiccup hadn't made any further progress in training him.
    It was still raining, but it was a warm rain. The wind was blowing, but it was a less furious wind. It was just about possible to stand upright.
    The gulls' eggs were hatching on the rocks and the parent gulls dive-bombed Hiccup and Fishlegs when they came to the Long Beach to practice.
    "KILL, Horrorcow, KILL," said Fishlegs to Horrorcow, who was calmly perched on his shoulder. "You could have that Black-backed Gull for breakfast, he's barely half your size. Honestly, Hiccup, I give up, I don't know how I'm going to pass the hunting section of the test, Horrorcow just doesn't have the killer instinct. She'd never survive in the wild."89
    90
    Hiccup laughed hollowly. "You think YOU'VE got problems? Toothless and I are failing right from the beginning: the basic obedience commands, the retrieval, the compulsory exercises, the hunting -- the lot."
    "It can't be that bad," said Fishlegs.
    "Watch," said Hiccup.
    The boys moved along the beach a bit, out of range of the gulls.
    They started practicing the most basic command of all: "go." The dragon was supposed to stand, bolt upright, on the handler's outstretched arm. The handler would then bark the command as loudly as possible while simultaneously lifting his arm to fling the dragon into the air. The dragon was supposed to soar gracefully into flight when the handler's arm reached its highest point.
    Horrorcow yawned, scratched, and slowly flapped off, grumbling to herself.
    Toothless was even less obedient.
    "GO!" yelled Hiccup.
    Hiccup flung his arm up. Toothless hung on.
    "I said GO!" Hiccup repeated in frustration.
    "W-w-why g-g-go?" shuddered Toothless, gripping even tighter.
    91
    "Just go GO GO GO GO!!!!" screamed Hiccup, flapping his arm up and down frantically, with Toothless hanging on to it for dear life.
    Toothless stayed.
    "Toothless," said Hiccup, as reasonably as he could, "please go. If you don't start going when I tell you to, we are both going be thrown into exile."
    "But I don't w-w-want to go," Toothless pointed out, equally reasonably.
    92
    Fishlegs watched the whole process in appalled amazement. "You really do have problems," he said in an awed voice.
    "Yup," said Hiccup. He finally managed to uncurl Toothless's claws, which had relaxed their grip for a second, and pushed him off. Toothless landed on the sand with a squeal of outrage, and immediately attached himself to Hiccup's leg, getting a good grip on the sandals with his talons, and wrapping his wings around Hiccup's calf.
    "N-n-not going," said Toothless stubbornly.
    "It can't get much worse than this," said Hiccup, "so I'm going to try a new tack."
    He took out the notebook in which he had been jotting down