The green dragon of
Wantley! Terrified urchins backed hastily away from his horrible
jaws, and the Lord of Misrule gave a sudden and visible start.
The dragon himself, scarce waiting for the surprise to subside,
waved his paw for silence, and said, in a hollow, pasteboardy
voice:
"Most noble Lord of Misrule, before your feast commences and the
masks are doff'd, may we not as that which should give good
appetite to all,--with your lordship's permit and that of my
lady's grace,--tell each some wonder-filling tale as suits the
goodly time of Yule? Here be stout maskers can tell us strange
tales of fairies and goblins, or, perchance, of the foreign folk
with whom they have trafficked in Calicute and Affrica, Barbaria,
Perew, and other diverse lands and countries over-sea. And after
they have ended, then will I essay a tale that shall cap them
all, so past belief shall it appear."
The close of the dragon's speech, of course, made them all the
more curious; and the Lady Elizabeth did but speak for all when
she said: "I pray you, good Sir Dragon, let us have your tale
first. We have had enow of Barbaria and Perew. If that yours may
be so wondrous, let us hear it even now, and then may we decide.
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