|
Footprints in the snow have been unfailing provokers of sentiment ever since snow was first a white wonder in this drab-coloured world of ours introduces us not in a tale but in a narration. When I first read these lines I asked myself “is this a fairy tale?” because the beginning is not the usual one; but after a certain time I saw the actual beginning of the fairy tale Long ago – might have been hundreds of years ago – in a cottage halfway between this village and yonder shoulder with his wife and their little son. And so, the story of a reluctant dragon begins.
Among the notes that I’ve made during the reading of this fairy tale was the dimension of the dragon He was as big as four cart-horses, and all covered with shiny scales – deep-blue scales at the top of him, shading off to a tender sort o’green below […] He had his chin on his paws, and I should say he was meditating about things. This meditation of his is not representative for a dragon as he is a symbol of immense power; he is considered to be either a bad creature or a good one depending on each culture. The supposition that he is a dragon with destructive intentions is immediately given away when the two of them – the dragon and the boy – start talking. This shows that humans can talk even with the so-called evil creatures which in fact, are not really that evil (as is this case).
Also, the description of his cave is also interesting as to the right and left, the bare and billowy leagues of Downs; in front, the vale, with its clustered homesteads, its threads of white roads running through orchards and well-tilled acreage, and, far away, a hint of grey old cities on the horizon.
Poetry seems to be very important for this dragon as results from the dialogue between him and the boy What’s your mind always occupied about? asked the boy. That’s what I want to know. The dragon coloured slightly and looked away. Presently he said bashfully: Did you ever – just for fun – try to make up poetry – verses, you know? Even though he is seen as an enemy for human race he doesn’t have enemies at all as he is too lazy to make them. This dragon is a totally different one as he is peaceful and harmless. I can’t say the same thing for the boy though because his behavior discomforted me; he was eager to get a fight; it was he who wanted a fight to take place and not the dragon It’s been a jolly fight, St. George! he said with a sigh. Can’t you let it last a bit longer? or The boy was happy because there had been a fight, and in spite of it all his two friends were on the best of terms. And all the others were happy because there had been a fight, and – well, they didn’t require any other reasons for their happiness. Why this desire of humans (children) to fight?
The boy proved to be a worth listening person as St. George listened to him and agreed with him. He was the key both to peace and fight between the dragon and the villagers; he was treated as a human and not as a child (probably because children want to be considered adults before time).
I enjoyed reading this story because finally St. George did not kill the dragon and he lived peacefully among them. Bad sides and good sides are in each person; we just have to know how to behave with the less good people.
|
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
