World's Oldest Living Dragon by Kate McMullan Page A

never forget how good fortune smiled upon me here at Dragon Slayers’ Academy,” he said.
    Mordred’s violet eyes shone. “Yes, dear dragon, and were you thinking, perhaps… of some reward? A small gift to the school? Or a large one! We could name a new addition after you. The Grizzlegore Wing. How do you like the sound of that?”
    Grizzlegore smiled a fangless smile. “Perhaps I could leave DSA a little something in my will,” he said.
    â€œI was hoping for sooner,” said Mordred. “But you are very old. So who knows? Thank you, dragon.”
    Then Grizzlegore hopped onto the wagon. “I’m a little too tuckered out to fly,” he said.
    Before Don Donn climbed up into the driver’s seat, he whispered to Wiglaf, “Tell the old lads to change back into their clothes. I will return for them, and Grizzlegore will never be any the wiser.”
    â€œFarewell, my dear Donn!” called Lady Lobelia, waving a sky blue hankie.
    â€œ Adiós, Señorita Lobelia,” said Don Donn. He blew her a kiss. “I’ll be back to see you soon!”
    Then Don Donn and the dragon drove off up Huntsman’s Path.
    â€œCome back and visit!” Don Donn and Grizzlegore called back to the students.
    â€œWe will!” cried Janice.
    â€œFarewell, Grizzlegore!” Wiglaf and the others called after them.
    Everyone waved until the wagon had vanished from sight. Then everyone headed for the DSA castle.
    â€œWe did it, Wiggie,” Erica said as they went.
    â€œThanks to the geezers.” Janice wrapped her arm around Sir Poodleduff.
    Wiglaf looked up at DSA. It was filled with cobwebs and creeping, crawling bugs. The teachers were oddballs. And it was a daily challenge to swallow the food that Frypot cooked. Still, Wiglaf was very happy to be walking into the cold, dark, crumbling castle that was his school.
    â€œWe did,” Wiglaf replied to his friends and to the old knights. “We all saved DSA from the dragon.”

Rhyme of the Ancient Dragon Verses I-XXIV
    In 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 spiky tail.
    Â 
    Grizzlegore had yellow eyes,
His heart was cold and small,
His fangs were of tremendous size,
He lived to fight and brawl.
    Â 
    Ten hundred knights did feel the heat
Of Grizzlegore-y flame.
Ten hundred knights knocked off their feet,
And home they never came.
    Then spaketh up Sir Percy:
“This dragon we must stop!
Let’s show this beast no mercy.
Let’s whack and stab and chop!”
    Â 
    Sir 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!”
    Â 
    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.”
    The dragon rose inside his cave.
He lowered his massive head.
The knights were bold and very brave,
Yet from the cave they fled.
    Â 
    Sir Percy spake: “We need a plan!”
Sir Gob the Good spake, “Right.”
And so the knights all, to a man,
Made plans all through the night.
    Â 
    And when the sun rose in the sky,
They had a plan so brave.
They lifted lance and sword on high,
And set off for the cave.
    Â 
    Outside the cave they lay in wait,
Their lances firm in hand.
The dragon slept till after eight,
The knights, they kept their stand.
    They waited and they waited, but
No dragon did appear.
At last spake up Sir Gob: “Tut, tut!
There’s something wrong, I fear.”
    Â 
    And so the knights crept two by two,
Into the dragon’s lair.
They