The Kingdom without a Dragon Chapter 4.

Chapter Four.

Trouble with a Hero.

          Next day a small problem did occur. In the afternoon Simon was in the throne room dealing with the day's business when the Butler came in and announced "A Petition, Your Majesty."

A group of Minisculia citizens followed the Butler into the room. They were carrying a large roll of paper. The leader of the group bowed low and presented the roll to the king. He opened it and read "To his Royal Highness King Simon of Minisculia. We the undersigned respectfully request that the king take action to protect his loyal subjects from the Dragon which at this moment is ravaging our fair country." Underneath were a large number of signatures.

"But, but......." Simon was rather taken aback. "Have any of you actually seen this Dragon?"

"Not as such," said the leader of the group. "But there must be one. We read about it in the papers."

Simon looked wildly to the Butler for help.

The Butler stepped forward. "King Simon thanks you for your petition and assures you that everything in his power will be done to protect the citizens of our beloved country from the Dragon. Even now steps are being taken to see that any damage done by the Dragon is being repaired with the utmost speed."

King Simon’s eyebrows almost disappeared into his hair.

The leader of the group bowed and said, "We are grateful to his Majesty for his kind words and wish him every success."

"Thank you. Before you go I do have one question to ask of you," said Simon.

"I am yours to command," replied the man.

"When are you coming to sweep the kitchen chimney?"

"Ah, well now Your Majesty. I have got you down for a fortnight on Tuesday." The leader of the group was indeed the Chimney sweep.

"Well, I hope so. Now just go away and leave it to me."

The group backed out of the room and the Butler closed the doors behind them.

"Well?" asked Simon when they were safely out of earshot. "What do we do now? And how could you tell such a great big fib?"

The butler smiled. "What fib?"

"The one about repairing the damage done by the Dragon," asked King Simon

"That was no fib. I looked out of the window and the gardener is replanting the rose bushes that Cedric dug up yesterday," said the butler.

"Oh!" replied the King.

"As to what to do, we issue a Proclamation." finished the Butler.

"Saying what?” asked Simon.

"Oh, the usual, you know. ‘Whosoever riddeth the kingdom of the Dragon shall receive half of the kingdom as reward.’ That one," said the Butler.

"Hang on, the place is small enough as it is without giving half of it away," protested Simon.

"We won’t have to, "said the Butler. "One. No right minded person is going to fight a Dragon for such a small reward and Two. We do not want to actually get rid of the Dragon anyway."

Simon gave a great big sigh. This was getting very complicated. "You had better go ahead and issue the Proclamation then."

The next month was very busy. The King and Queen were out almost every night enjoying themselves. Quite a few would be heroes came, but as the Butler said none of them were willing to fight a Dragon for such a small reward. The locals went back to their boats and since there were no more fires and no more disappearances, they were not unhappy, Indeed, the only sign of the Dragon was the smoke from somewhere in the palace. The chimney sweep had not yet managed to sweep the kitchen chimney.

However, at the end of the month it happened. A hero came who was not in his right mind and did not care about the size of the reward. In fact he offered to do the job for no reward at all. He just wanted to fight a Dragon to impress his girlfriend.

"It is not a very big one!" said King Simon to the would-be hero, Sir Roger de Masham.

"All the better then Sire," he said. "I am a bit nervous about the whole thing. It may be better to start off with something small." He pushed his glasses up his nose and smiled at the King.

"Yes, I suppose so. The Butler will show you to your room. You look as if you have had a long and weary journey."

"Thank-you Sire. Yes, it was a long journey. I had terrible trouble finding the place. I kept falling asleep in the coach and driving straight through."

The Butler came in.

"Ah, show Sir Roger to a guest room. He has come to kill the Dragon for us," ordered Simon. "Then come back here, I wish to talk to you."

The Butler bowed and led Sir Roger from the room.

Simon sat tapping his fingers on the arm of the throne until the Butler returned.

"Well," said the Butler. "This is a bit of a problem, but do not concern yourself you majesty, I will think of something."

"You had better." Simon was almost frantic with worry. "The queen would never speak to either of us again if that.... idiot..... killed Cedric."

"I do not think it will come to that," soothed the Butler.

"Well, whatever you do, I don’t want to know about it," said Simon. "Just find a way to get rid of that clown upstairs without him hurting Cedric."

The butler bowed himself out of the room. He was beginning to wish he had never thought of the idea in the first place.