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Updated: May 5, 2025
"Will you go back to your hole and swear, on your honour as a Firedrake, to listen quietly?" "On my sacred word of honour," said the beast, casually scorching an eagle that flew by into ashes. The cinders fell, jingling and crackling, round the prince in a little shower. Then the Firedrake dived back, with an awful splash of flame, and the mountain roared round him.
The barometers stood at SET FAIR. The people were much distressed, and came and broke the palace windows as they usually do when things go wrong in Pantouflia. The king consulted the learned men about the Court, who told him that probably a was in the neighbourhood. Now, the Firedrake is a beast, or bird, about the bigness of an elephant. Its body is made of iron, and it is always red-hot.
Here he put on the wishing-cap; wished for a pint of champagne, a hot bath, and his best black velvet and diamond suit. In a moment these were provided; he bathed, dressed, drank a glass of wine, packed up the head and tail of the Firedrake, sat down on the flying carpet, and knocked at the door of the English ambassador as the clocks were striking eight in Gluckstein.
That was the way he used to go on: but now he only talked to the young lady about herself; and she quite left off being shy or frightened, and asked him all about his own country, and about the Firedrake-shooting, and said how fond she was of hunting herself. And the prince said: "Oh, if you wish it, you shall have the horns and tail of a Firedrake to hang up in your hall, to-morrow evening!"
The prince now flew high above him, and cried: "A message from the Remora. He says you are afraid to fight him." "Don't know him," grunted the Firedrake. "He sends you his glove," said Prince Prigio, "as a challenge to mortal combat, till death do you part." Then he dropped his own glove into the fiery lake. "Does he?" yelled the Firedrake.
Whereas, Our eldest son, Prince Prigio, hath of late been guilty of several high crimes and misdemeanours. First: By abandoning the post of danger against the Firedrake, whereby our beloved sons, Prince Alphonso and Prince Enrico, have perished, and been overdone by that monster. Secondly: By attending an unseemly revel in the town of Gluckstein, where he brawled in the streets.
"Now," thought he, "if I can only make these two fight, why the Remora may kill the Firedrake, or take the heat out of him, at least, so that I may have a chance." Then he seized the ivory glass, clapped it to his eye, and looked for the Remora.
Presently they sounded more like groans; and at last the Remora slipped up his legs above the knees, and fastened on his very heart of fire. Then the Firedrake stood groaning like a black bull, knee-deep in snow; and still the Remora climbed and climbed.
It is dreadful!" Now all this time the prince was on the balcony, telling Lady Rosalind all about how he got the Firedrake done for, in the most modest way; for, as he said: "I didn't kill him: and it is really the Remora, poor fellow, who should marry Molly; but he's dead."
"He can't stay here for ever; and without his carpet he can't get away, for the soldiers have orders to seize him as soon as he appears in the street. And in the meantime Benson will be pretending that he killed the Firedrake for he must have got to Falkenstein by now, and they will be for marrying him to the king's niece, and making my butler crown prince to the kingdom of Pantouflia!
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