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The Legend of Dragon Hollow PDF Contents Author Bio Author Interview Chapters 1-7 Reader Reviews
Author Bio Hi, I’m Christy Bower. Thanks for your interest in my Dragon Hollow books. I’ve been named Writer of the Year in 2007 and 2010 by American Christian Writers Association. Now I'm writing youth fantasy fiction. Thanks for reading and I'll see you around the dragon's lair.
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Author Interview What sorts of kids will relate best to these books? The Dragon Hollow Trilogy is youth fantasy fiction. The ideal age range is 10-14 years old, but younger if they are strong readers and older if they enjoy dragon stories. The first book, The Legend of Dragon Hollow, I modeled after the style of The Hobbit, one of my favorite books. That is, I took a group of characters and sent them on a journey in which they met interesting characters and get in all kinds of situations they have to get out of before they reach their destiny—to fight the dragon. So, readers, young and old, who enjoy The Hobbit or the Narnia stories would enjoy these books. Dragons are very popular right now, so any young people who are into fantasy and dragons would enjoy these stories.
Are your books more for boys, or girls, or are there elements to appeal to each of them? What are those elements? ~3~
The story is about two boys and a girl so I deliberately wrote them to appeal to both boys and girls. The girl has a strong role in the story and becomes an amazing archer and has other important experiences that girls can relate to and admire. The boys will enjoy the sword fights and dragon fights.
Is there an over-all message in the Dragon Hollow books? Or is there a separate message in each book? Is a goal of the books to make reading fun? Motivating kids to like reading? Or something else? There is not one specific message. Rather, the books convey a variety of moral values without being preachy. Loyalty, honor, courage, and other values are conveyed in different scenes. My first draft of The Legend of Dragon Hollow had a different value portrayed in each chapter, but I don’t know if that remained true in the final version. One of my goals with these books was to instill a desire in kids to use their imaginations. We live in a technology-based society that is grounded in reality and I don’t want to let this generation grow up without exercising their creativity to
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imagine new worlds and new possibilities. It’s an entirely different way of thinking. I also use lots of humor in the books because I want kids to laugh and have fun. None of us laugh enough. And when reading and creativity are associated with fun, kids will have a positive perception of those activities in the future.
Are the characters in the books of any particular race or religion? No. I created a world that is much like Europe of the Middle Ages in my mind, but I invented the place names and civilizations. I didn’t describe the physical appearance of the characters very much because studies show that readers, especially youth, will envision themselves and people they know in the roles of the story. So I generally shy away from too much physical description of character so as not to shatter any illusions. I think it’s healthy for kids to put themselves in a heroic role. We all want to be the hero (or heroine). There is no reference to religion. I do have a sorcerer and magician, but they are very benign in what they are able to do. The evil sorcerer is demonstrated as being “the man behind the curtain” with no real power and
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the magician is seen using herbal remedies and things not very mystical. Mostly he is the wise sage who shows up with vital information.
What sorts of problems do the characters face that young people might relate to their own lives? The girl gets severely burned by a dragon in The Secret of the Sword and she has to deal with how the scars changed her appearance and how others look at her and treat her different than before. Young girls (and older ones, too, for that matter) are too concerned with their appearances. Coming to grips with who you are apart from your physical appearance is something girls can relate to today. In the third book, The Rise of the Dragon King, one of the boys has someone bullying him. He patiently endures by walking away from a fight as much as possible. Eventually, he saves the bully’s life in battle and the two become friends. Bullying is a common problem today and it’s important to see alternate ways to handle it, as well as how to treat someone you don’t like. Would you save the life of someone you don’t like? There are plenty of relevant situations in the books that kids will relate to their own
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lives.
What's your favorite reader reaction to the books so far? I initially only planned to publish one story, but one of the first readers was a 12year-old boy who asked, “Are you going to write more stories? Because I really want to know what happens and I don’t want to make it up in my mind.” That reader response is what prompted me to begin work on the second and third books. That was the most influential comment from a reader, but the most fun comment was from a girl who drew a picture of herself laughing while reading the books. She wrote, “When I read your books, I started giggling and wiggling; it was so funny. I almost laughed to the moon!” I adored her enthusiasm and creativity. I’m considering framing her card.
Imagine your ideal favorite reader. Tell me about him or her. Why does she or he love the books? Let’s call this favorite reader “Sam” (a boy or a girl). Sam is 10-14 and either loves to read or is a reluctant reader who will only
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read if the story is fun and engaging. Sam enjoys the fantasy stories with sword fights, dragons, and knights. Sam can’t stop laughing at the funny things that happen in the stories. And Sam enjoys looking for the funny hidden literary references to things such as The Three Musket Deer, Dirt Brown and the Seven Giants, and Donkey Oatie. That last one might be above Sam’s head, but Donkey Oatie is a funny character, nonetheless.
The Legend of Dragon Hollow is available in print or Kindle versions. Order now:
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Dragon Hollow Trilogy The Legend of Dragon Hollow The Secret of the Sword The Rise of the Dragon King
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Buy on Amazon ~9~
The people and events depicted in this story are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual people and events is purely coincidental. In plain English: I made this up. No animals were hurt in the writing of this story, except for two flies that died on my desk while I was writing it. But I didn’t kill them. I promise.
To Caleb and Nathan: Don’t forget to take your imagination out to play.
The Legend of Dragon Hollow © 2013 by Christy Bower www.ChristyBower.com www.DragonHollowBooks.com ISBN-13: 978-1484975312 ISBN-10: 1484975316 Cover image © iStockphoto.com / -ASIBack cover eyes © iStockphoto.com / Olga Yakovenko
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Table of Contents 1 – The King is Dead 2 – Pete’s Pet, Peeve 3 – The Three Musket Deer 4 – Donkey Oatie 5 – Tanglewood Tales 6 – Wake Up, Sleepyhead 7 – Attack of the Stinky Beetles 8 – Dirt Brown and the Seven Giants 9 – The Hobblin’ Goblin 10 – Lucas the Magician 11 – The Toll Troll 12 – Robin Wood 13 – Peter and the Wolf 14 – The Wizard of Claws 15 – The Nanny Goat Naysayers 16 – Snuff the Magic Dragon 17 – The Magic Kingdom 18 – Pizza at the Round Table 19 – Sir Peter 20 – Fighting the Dragon 21 – Believe in Peeve 22 – A Tale of Two Dragons 23 – Peter’s Protection 24 – Recovery and Discovery 25 – Homeward Bound
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Chapter 1 The King Is Dead “The king is dead. The king is dead,” proclaimed the town crier as he ran up the lane and across the courtyard. “King Cole is dead and the castle is overrun. Flee for your lives.” Peter had been looking out the window of the castle for six hours, watching the enemy army scale the city walls with ladders and batter down the gate. He had been so fascinated by the activity that he forgot all sense of danger. Ka boooooom. The stone structure jolted, knocking Peter off his feet. The cannon fire, which had been farther away, suddenly struck the residential wing. Women began screaming. All at once there was frenzy in the hallway as mothers gathered their infants and children and ran toward the staircase.
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Ka boooooom. Peter lurched backwards again, but caught himself without falling. Out the window, Peter could see a section of his building break off and crash down, leaving a gaping hole that exposed someone’s living quarters. “Peter! Peter!” yelled his tutor, Mary. She was out of breath and white as starched linen. “Oh, Peter! I am so sorry. Your parents are dead. You must come with me. I will look after you. We will have time for our grief later, but we must hurry.” Mary grabbed Peter by the arm and headed for the door, but Peter pulled away. “Peter, you must come!” she cried with a shrill, trembling voice. “Just a moment,” Peter yelled over the sound of other panic stricken people. Peter ran across the room to his bed. He put on his coat, reached under his blanket, and put something in his coat pocket. “Peter, NOW!” screamed Mary, with the pitch of her voice escalating. Then, Peter grabbed a book and shoved it in his backpack, cinched it closed, and tossed it over his shoulder. He turned toward the door but was knocked down. Ka boooooom. The acrid smell of gunpowder and smoke filled the air. For a moment, he couldn’t see which direction to go. He sat on the cold, stone floor looking around and realized a portion of his bedroom was gone!
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As the dust and smoke cleared, Peter coughed several times. When he finally stood up, he saw that large chunks of the stone walls had fallen in front of the doorway. He was cut off from Mary. Peter turned back to the other doorway and passed through the adjoining room to the hallway. He would never be able to find Mary, if she even survived the last blast that blocked the door where she had been. People in the hallway were pushing and shoving each other, trying to get out. Peter merged with the mass of people and was soon stumbling down the stairs with everyone else. Peter thought of something and checked his pocket to make sure it was still there. Whew! I wouldn’t want to lose that in the commotion, Peter thought. Ka boooooom. Everyone screamed as the building shuddered again. Some people lost their balance and fell on the stairs and others began climbing over them to get out. Peter knew he needed to get out of this mass of people before he got trampled. Fortunately, being a boy, Peter had climbed, crawled, and explored places that most grownups didn’t know about—and certainly his parents didn’t know he did these things or he might have been in trouble. With his intimate knowledge of the castle structure, Peter exited the chaos on the stairs at the third floor and ran across
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the dining hall. He climbed out the window and dropped onto the roof below. Soldiers from both sides were shooting arrows across the courtyard and a couple of arrows shot through the air near him on the roof. For a moment, he wondered if this escape plan had been a good idea. Then he scampered across the roof to a tree, where he knew from experience that he could just reach the branches to climb down. As Peter dropped to the ground, he wondered where to go next. His first concern had been to get out of the building. He stopped behind the tree trunk while he considered his options. The stable, Peter thought. I want to get to the stable. Papa managed the stable and Mama tended the sheep. For the first time, Peter recalled Mary’s words: “Oh, Peter! I am so sorry. Your parents are dead.” His chest now ached at the thought. Peter ran across the alley to the next building. As he did, he heard his name and stopped to look around. Peter’s face brightened at the sight of his two friends. “Peter! Peter!” cried Sebastian and his sister, Alexandra, as they ran toward him. “Are you okay?” “Yes,” replied Peter. “Are you?” “We’re not hurt,” said Sebastian, “but our parents are dead and we don’t know what to do.” Sebastian glanced at his sister, whose tears were making streaks on her dirty face.
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“Mine, too,” Peter said, trying to ignore Alexandra because seeing her cry made him want to cry, too. “I’m headed for the stable. Come with me and we’ll try to escape on horseback.” “You know, Peter, I bet all the horses have been stolen by now,” said Sebastian. “Maybe most of them, but Papa was the stable manager and I know a few of his secrets.” The kids flinched at the sound of cannon fire. Then Sebastian said, “Peter, the shortest way is through the kennel.” “Not that way,” said Peter, shaking his head for emphasis. “We’ll have to go the long way around if we don’t,” Sebastian countered. “Oh, all right,” sighed Peter. The kids entered the building and went down the hallway, stopping outside the closed door of the kennel. As much as Peter dreaded what was behind that door, he knew it was the best route. Peter closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Sebastian watched his friend. “Peter, you’ve got to get over your fear of poodles.” “I don’t know what King Cole liked about them so much that he had to have dozens of poodles of all shapes, sizes, and colors. They are freakish dogs with poufs of hair on their long floppy ears, their tails, their feet, and around their shoulders.” Peter shuddered at the thought and continued, “And those really big poodles
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seem the most unnatural of all. Not to mention they are white, black, blue, or pink. Who ever heard of a blue dog? Or a pink one?” Alexandra squealed. “But they are so cute! How could you be afraid of them?” “I have good reason to be afraid: one of them bit me when I was little.” Sebastian urged Peter on, saying, “Peter, you and I have done this before. You can do it again. Just follow me.” With that Sebastian threw open the door. Peter’s palms began to sweat. The kennel wasn’t a room full of caged dogs; it was more like a large playroom where the dogs roamed around freely. The kids had to run across the room full of poodles to the doggie door on the other side, where they would crawl through a short tunnel into the secret garden. At least Peter called it the secret garden because it was his secret entrance into the stable but it was really just an outdoor pen for the dogs. Without hesitation, Sebastian ran into the room. Alexandra pushed Peter and he followed, with Alexandra bringing up the rear. Poodles swarmed around the kids. The poodles wanted to play with them, and running seemed like a fun game. But once fifty poodles swarm around you, it’s impossible to run without stepping on them and the kids waded through the sea of fur
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balls. The poodles were yipping with excitement and they kept jumping on the kids’ legs. That’s when it happened. A big black poodle, with long floppy ears and fur balls all over its body, jumped up and hit Peter in the chest, knocking him over. Once he was down, dogs were climbing all over him, licking his face and hands and sniffing him in places he didn’t want to be sniffed. Peter let out such a blood chilling scream, you would have thought he had fallen in a pit of poisonous snakes. Sebastian and Alexandra reached through the pile of poodles and pulled Peter to his feet. He began to brush himself off and felt his pocket. “Oh, no!” cried Peter, looking at the sea of fur still jumping for joy around them. Sebastian and Alexandra knew what had fallen out of Peter’s pocket in the chaos so they dropped to their hands and knees and began pushing through poodles looking for it. Every time they caught a glimpse of it, the poodles jumped around and they would lose sight of it again. Sebastian almost grabbed it, but a poodle kicked it out of reach. Amid the yipping frenzy, Peter stood frozen like a statue. Poodles all around him jumped like a bowl of popping corn. To Peter, it seemed like it took forever, and then Alexandra said, “I’ve got it!” She stood up, shoved it in Peter’s right coat pocket,
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and said, “Let’s go, Peter.” This time, Peter put his hand in his pocket and would not let go. When they got to the doggie door, Sebastian and Alexandra crawled into the tunnel. Peter crawled with one hand still in his pocket. The worst part was that poodles were following them through the tunnel, nipping at Peter’s heels. Then Sebastian and Alexandra pulled Peter out of the tunnel and helped him to his feet. They were in the secret garden. A steady stream of poodles emerged from the tunnel, so Peter led the way now, anxious to get out of there. Peter and Sebastian reached up to the branches of a tree and pulled themselves up. Then each of them took one of Alexandra’s hands and pulled her up. The kids climbed through the branches and dropped out of the tree on the other side of the wall. They had reached the stable. Just outside the entrance of the stable, four enemy soldiers stood around talking. Peter still seemed a little dazed from his ordeal with the poodles, so Sebastian and Alexandra grabbed him and pulled him behind some bales of hay. Sebastian whispered, “I think the enemy soldiers probably took all the horses already. What should we do now?” “They may have taken the horses from the main stable, but I doubt they have found the king’s horses, which are kept more secure.”
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“Where are they?” asked Sebastian. Peter, who seemed more himself, peeked around the corner of the haystack. The soldiers were still talking. “Follow me,” whispered Peter as he jerked his head to indicate which direction they were going. The kids snuck to the back of the stable. Peter looked around to see if anyone was watching and he pulled the handle on a trap door in the floor. As Peter folded the hatch back, the golden glow of torch light escaped from below. The kids walked down a ramp into a secret stable beneath the ground. As Peter began to saddle some horses for them, he explained: “For just such occasions as this, if something happened to the horses, the king wanted six horses in hiding so he would never be without a horse if the need became dire. Horses can’t really live underground, so every twelve hours different horses are rotated into the king’s stable. King Cole is dead, so I don’t think he’ll mind if we use his horses. Shall I saddle two horses or three?” The boys looked at Alexandra, who said, “I can manage a horse.” Peter explained that the main gate would be out of the question, so they would have to go out the Horse Gate or the Farmer Gate, depending on how many soldiers they encountered. He adjusted each of their saddles and stirrups because kids have shorter legs than grownups. Alexandra
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looked nervous so Peter asked her, “Are you sure you don’t want to ride with one of us?” “I’m not worried about the horse; I’m worried about getting past all the enemy soldiers in the city.” Sebastian and Alexandra were ready, when they heard: “Who’s down there?” Peter jumped in the saddle, grabbed the reins and whispered, “Just follow me and do whatever I do.” Then he charged forward up the ramp and the others followed, knocking the soldier out of their way. They raced down the length of the stable to the entrance where the soldiers had been. Before the soldiers knew what was happening, the three horses nearly knocked them over. After that, Peter made a hard right turn and they doubled back along the outside of the stable, but halfway down, a group of soldiers spotted them. A couple of soldiers reacted quick enough to shoot arrows at the kids before Peter made a left turn between two rows of buildings. This gave them some shelter, but at the end of the alley, soldiers formed a line ahead of them. Soon a barrage of arrows came their way. Peter yelled, “Keep your heads down. We have to punch through their line or we’ll be trapped.” Alexandra looked over her shoulder and saw a group of soldiers block the alley behind them. There was no way out. Alexandra didn’t look forward soon
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enough to see it coming. The arm of the lamp post knocked her off her horse. Sebastian saw it happen and yelled, “Peter!” Peter looked back and saw Alexandra getting up, but her horse had nearly caught up to Peter, so he wheeled around and forced her horse to change direction. At the sight of the confusion, the soldiers at both ends of the alley began running toward the kids. Alexandra’s horse was now galloping next to Peter and when Peter pulled back, Alexandra’s horse kept charging and broke through the line of soldiers that had been behind the kids. The soldiers scattered in confusion. The soldiers on the other end continued closing in on the kids. Sebastian watched Peter with awe at his horsemanship, skills he must have learned growing up around horses because his father was the stable manager. By now, Peter had grabbed Alexandra’s hand and pulled her up onto his horse. “Let’s go,” he said. In a moment, they crashed through the line of oncoming soldiers and kept going to the end of the alley. Peter hesitated, looking both directions before making a decision. To the left was the Horse Gate, heavily guarded by soldiers on horseback. To the right was the Farmer’s Gate, which seemed to be clear. They turned right, but four of the soldiers on horseback spotted them and
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began to pursue them. Peter and Sebastian zigzagged through the farmer’s market, knocking down some produce stands and apple carts. These obstacles slowed down the four horsemen but other soldiers began shooting guns at the kids. Peter’s heart pounded in his chest. Oh, no. The Farmer’s Gate is closing. This is going to be close, he thought. Two soldiers ran into the narrowing entrance between the two wood and iron gates. Peter and Sebastian knocked the soldiers out of the way and continued to ride hard as they left the city behind. The four horsemen pulled up at the Farmer’s Gate, got off their horses, loaded their muskets, and fired a round at the escaping horses. Then their captain arrived on his horse and said, “They’re just children. Let them go.” The kids kept looking back over their shoulders for a long time, trying to spot their pursuers. When they finally realized they were not being pursued, they slowed down. “Alexandra, are you hurt? How do you feel?” asked Sebastian, showing genuine concern for his sister. “What do you think? I feel like I just got hit by a lamp post.” She didn’t mean to snap at him, but as the fear and adrenalin began to wear off, her right shoulder began to throb and she felt sore all over from the
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fall. As they traveled across the farmland, they stopped occasionally to pull up carrots, onions, or potatoes. Peter insisted they should keep moving, so they filled their saddlebags with vegetables and ate a few while they rode. The farmland turned into rolling hills, and then they reached the creek by the woods, where they set up camp. Peter watered and tended the horses, brushing them down and giving them some carrots. The kids searched through the saddlebags and were grateful to find two blankets, a small skillet, a small water pail, and some eating utensils. While Peter tended the horses, Sebastian and Alexandra built a fire and began roasting some vegetables for dinner. After they washed themselves in the creek— for they were frightfully dirty from the dust, smoke, and gunpowder of the attack on the castle—the kids ate the roasted vegetables until they could eat no more. Then, with their stomachs full, they realized how tired they were. Peter insisted that Sebastian and Alexandra use the blankets because he had brought his coat and it was still summer so it wouldn’t get cold at night. Alexandra cried herself to sleep and Peter felt sorry for her. They had lost their parents, their homes, and their city. They had nothing but two horses, a few sundries,
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and some vegetables. And they didn’t have a plan. However, none of them worried very long before their exhaustion took over and they were sound asleep.
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Chapter 2 Pete’s Pet, Peeve Peter woke before dawn, a little bit cold without a blanket, so he stoked the fire for additional heat. He heard a loud clicking noise: “Gec ko. Gec ko. Gec ko.” He looked around, but couldn’t see where the sound was coming from. His eyes darted back and forth, looking for signs of movement. There was none. “Gec ko. Gec ko. Gec ko.” It was nearby, but where? Peter let out a soft whistle. A lizard about five inches long ran out from underneath Alexandra’s blanket. It stood on its hind legs and cocked its head at Peter. “Sleeping with the girls, are you?” said Peter with a grin. The lizard, actually a gecko, scurried across the camp and jumped in Peter’s coat pocket. It poked its head out and replied,
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“Well, you didn’t think to bring a blanket for us, did you? Burr. You know reptiles like to stay warm.” “Peeve, I didn’t exactly have time to pack. At least I went back to get you out of my bed with the castle crashing down around me.” Peeve jumped out of Peter’s pocket and stood on his hind legs, facing Peter. “For which I am grateful,” said Peeve, bowing at the waist. “But I thought that pack of poodles was going to be the end of me. They nearly trampled me to death so I curled up in a ball to keep them from stepping on my tail. I would be humiliated if my tail came off.” Peter laughed as Peeve acted out the whole thing, curling up in a ball, then strutting around to show off his thick, stumpy tail. And finally tucking his tail between his legs and pretending how humiliated he would be without it. “I was more scared than you were, Peeve. The king calls them show dogs, but they are more like attack dogs. One of those giant poodles knocked me over and they all jumped on me. That’s when I nearly lost you.” Peeve jumped on Peter’s chest and Peter fell backwards as they acted out the whole thing, with Peeve jumping up and down on Peter’s chest like the poodles had done. “Fun and games already, eh?” said Alexandra, watching Pete and his pet,
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Peeve, playing. Peeve ran over to her and stood on his hind feet. “Miss Alexandra, I have not properly thanked you for rescuing me from the pile of poodles, yesterday. I owe you my life, a debt which I intend to repay.” With that, Peeve bowed at the waist. Alexandra grinned at the gecko. “You’re lucky I got my hands on you. The way you were curled up, they were kicking you around like a ball.” Peeve curled up and Alexandra batted him around with her hands. Then he rolled a little too far and bumped into Sebastian, who woke with a start. “Looks like I’m the last one up,” said Sebastian. “Oh, was that you, Peeve? I’ll get you.” Then all the kids started chasing Peeve, trying to catch him. They had played this game a hundred times, but Peeve moved so quickly they could never catch him until he grew tired of the game and let one of them win. Today, Miss Alexandra won. A pale blue glow in the sky grew brighter, but the sun hadn’t come up over the tops of the trees yet. As they baked some potatoes by the fire, they began to discuss their situation. “So, what do we do now?” asked Alexandra. Each of them considered the question for a moment. Sebastian spoke up first, “I think we should just stay here for a few days. Then maybe the soldiers will leave the city and we can go back to see who and
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what is left.” They both looked at Peter for confirmation, but he just stared into the fire. “Peter?” asked Sebastian. “What do you think?” Peter looked at his friends and cleared his throat. “When the castle was under attack, I went back for two things: Peeve and my favorite book.” Peter reached in his backpack and pulled out a hardback book. It had gold lettering on the spine and cover, but the gold was beginning to wear off and the corners of the cover were worn out. “I don’t know how many times I’ve read The Legend of Dragon Hollow,” he said, stroking the cover, “but I believe the story is true and I’m going to find the treasure hidden in the dragon’s lair.” He paused and looked up at his friends. “Come with me. Let’s go find the treasure together.” Sebastian said, “Peter, don’t go chasing after fairy tales. It’s just a story written for children.” Even Alexandra, who was the youngest, knew it was foolish. “You want us to go on a treasure hunt? And fight dragons?” “Look,” said Peter, “our parents are dead. If we go back to the city, we’ll have to live with someone else’s family. I don’t want to do that, do you?” Alexandra and Sebastian looked startled at the thought and shook their heads “no” just slightly. “So, if you don’t want to be a child in a
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stranger’s family, we have to start behaving like grownups and start looking after ourselves.” “And you think looking for caves full of a dragon’s treasure is the way to act like a grown up?” asked Sebastian. “I think grownups need money to take care of themselves, so if we find the treasure, we’ll have enough money to live happily for the rest of our lives,” said Peter, sounding more and more confident. Sebastian would have been convinced at this point if it was just the two boys because hunting for dragons and treasure is every boy’s dream. However, he didn’t like the idea of bringing Alexandra and he didn’t know what else to do with her. He couldn’t just leave her here or send her back alone. “What makes you think this story is true?” asked Alexandra. “There’s a map in the book,” Peter said as he opened the book with its worn cover and tattered pages. Inside was a map with black lines and red markings. The three huddled closer around the book. “When we left the city yesterday, we went through the farmlands and then the rolling hills to this creek right by the edge of the woods,” said Peter, dragging his finger across the map, which showed the same terrain, and tapping his finger at the place where they were now. “If this much is true, I bet the rest of the map is true.” “But Peter, the map doesn’t mean the
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legend of the dragon is true. Have you ever seen a dragon?” asked Sebastian, trying to be logical. “No.” “Have you ever known anyone who has seen a dragon with their own eyes?” asked Sebastian. “No.” “And even if—and that’s a pretty big if— even if we find this dragon, what are we supposed to do? How do you suggest we take all this treasure that the dragon guards? Are we supposed to kill the dragon? How? We’re just kids. It might take a whole army to kill a dragon.” “I don’t know,” admitted Peter. “I haven’t thought that far ahead.” Just then, gunfire flew over their heads —two or three shots. They dove to the ground. Peeve climbed back in Peter’s pocket and Peter shoved his book in his backpack. More shots rang through the air and the two horses bolted and ran. The kids were on the ground, looking in the direction of the gunfire, trying to see where it was coming from, when a voice behind them said, “I’ve got them, sir.”
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Chapter 3 The Three Musket Deer The kids rolled over to look behind them and saw a musket pointed at them from over a log, with the head of a deer peeking over the log at them. Two other deer came up from the other side, with muskets slung over their shoulders. “Good work, Buck a Roo,” said one of them. “They don’t look big enough to be hunters,” said one of the deer. “Hunters always come on horseback,” said another. “Who are you? And why are you here?” asked the third. Sebastian spoke first. “We’re just children, not hunters.” Peter explained, “We’re from Mirabeau, which was attacked yesterday by King Daggerhammer of the Land of Cadence. We lost our parents, our homes, and our city, but we escaped and spent the night here.”
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The kids now had a good look at the three deer. They were mule deer, as evidenced by their ears, which were about ten inches long. The largest of the three, with the biggest rack of antlers, seemed to be the leader. He spoke next: “Well, children, what are your names?” “I am Peter and this is Sebastian and Alexandra.” “Who are you, may I ask? And why were you shooting at us?” inquired Sebastian. “I’m Buck a Roo,” said one. “I’m Tim Buck Two,” said another. “And I am The Bambino,” said the third. “We are The Three Musket Deer.” Then in unison they all said, “All for one and one for all,” and the three rattled their antlers together. “As for why we were shooting at you,” continued The Bambino, “we thought you were hunters. You see, we’re tired of being hunted so we armed ourselves with muskets and set out to hunt the hunters— or at least scare the hunters away. We aren’t very good sharpshooters, as you may have noticed.” Tim Buck Two spoke up next: “We’re not just out to protect ourselves. We’re trying to protect all of the deer, and even the other animals from hunters. Protecting others is everyone’s task. Any of us would give our life for another.” “That’s right, said Buck a Roo, “if one of us was in danger, all of us would fight to
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save that one. Or, if all of us were in danger, one of us would willingly sacrifice our life to save the others. All for one . . .” “And one for all,” they all said in unison. Again they rattled their antlers together in a display of camaraderie. At that moment, they heard a crashing sound not very far away. The Three Musket Deer froze as they sensed danger. Their muscles twitched in anticipation of flight. Then, as quick as a wink, they bolted and disappeared into the brush. The kids followed after them to see this commotion they heard. By the time they got there and peeked from behind some bushes, The Three Musket Deer had their muskets pointed at the chaos. Two soldiers were laughing and yelling as they watched a donkey kick and buck in a frenzied fit. The donkey was crashing and banging around, going “hee haw.” Peter had seen this sort of thing before at the stable when donkeys were loaded as pack animals. Occasionally, something would set one off and it would kick and buck and throw quite a fit. When the soldiers saw the muskets pointed at them, they stood still. One soldier wore an army coat and cap. He had a short, gray beard and seemed older than the other one. The younger one wore a linen shirt that was not tucked in. He seemed a bit unkempt, as if he had just woken up. Then
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again, maybe it was his beard that seemed unruly because it poked out in all directions like the bristles on a brush. Soon the donkey settled down and wandered off a little way. “They have guns, sir,” announced Tim Buck Two, with his musket pointed at the men. “They must be hunters. Shall we shoot them?” Buck a Roo asked The Bambino. “Who are you?” demanded The Bambino. “We are deserters,” said the other one. Alexandra broke through the bushes and said, “Oh, I love dessert. Where is it?” Peter and Sebastian broke into the clearing after her. They grabbed her arms to pull her back, but Alexandra winced and pulled away, holding her right shoulder because it still hurt from getting hit by the lamp post. “No,” said the soldier, looking at the girl. His voice softened as he continued, “we were soldiers but we didn’t want to die fighting so we ran away from the battle. They call us deserters because we left.” “What were you doing?” asked The Bambino. “We were just having a bit of fun,” said the younger soldier. “Doing what?” asked The Bambino, with a stern look. The disheveled donkey emerged from the bushes and said, “They were playing pin
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the tail on the donkey—with their bayonets.” “Shall we shoot them, sir?” Buck a Roo asked again. The Bambino walked slowly in a circle around the two soldiers. Then, the young soldier cleared his throat and spoke up. “Are you hurt, Miss?” he said to Alexandra. “I have some medical training. I could take a look, if you like.” Alexandra looked at Peter and Sebastian, who nodded slightly. She stepped forward and said, “I was riding a horse yesterday and . . .” She paused because she was embarrassed to admit her mishap. “And a lamp post struck me in the shoulder and knocked me off the horse.” The deer lowered their weapons as the young soldier felt up and down her arm. “It’s not broken,” he said. Then he pulled her arm away from her body, forward and back, up, down, and sideways. Alexandra winced a few times during the exam and then he said, “You have a severe bruise, but is should feel better in a few days.” Then he jerked her in front of his body, wrapping his left arm around her neck and waving a knife around with his right hand. Sebastian lurched forward, but Peter grabbed him. The deer, caught off guard, didn’t have time to ready their weapons before the young soldier with a wild-eyed look began jabbing his knife at each of them, saying, “Back away. Drop your
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weapons and back away.” Alexandra could feel the man’s scratchy beard against her face. Tim Buck Two said, “Let the girl go. You’re scaring her.” “Scaring her?” said the man. “Well, you’re scaring me. You crazy deer aren’t going to shoot anyone. Who ever heard of deer with guns? Get out of here! Go on. Leave your guns and go. Go play nice reindeer games or whatever you do, but leave your guns and go. I ran away from the battle because I didn’t want to get shot. I’m certainly not going to let a buck-toothed deer shoot me in the back. Now, I’ll give you to the count of ten to get out of my sight. One . . .” “Did you hear him call us crazy?” asked Tim Buck Two. “Two . . .” The Bambino snorted. “Yeah, he’s one to talk. Crazy on eight, I would say.” “Three . . .” “I’m offended. He thinks we’re reindeer,” said Buck a Roo. “Four . . .” “Reindeer games, eh?” said Tim Buck Two. “Five . . .” “My favorite game is sparring,” said The Bambino. “Six . . .” “Sparring is good,” said Buck a Roo. “Seven . . .”
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“Sparring it is, then,” said Tim Buck Two. “Eight . . .” “All for one,” said The Bambino. “And one for all,” said all three deer. Then, they pawed the ground with their front hooves, lowered their rack of antlers and charged the soldiers. The soldier let go of Alexandra and both soldiers turned and began to run away. The Three Musket Deer chased the soldiers and head-butted them in the, well, the butt, of course.
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Chapter 4 Donkey Oatie “Alexandra? Are you all right?” asked Sebastian as he and Peter ran to her side. “Yes, I’m fine. At least I’m not hurt, but I sure was scared,” she replied. When The Three Musket Deer came back, Tim Buck Two said, “Taking a rack in the rump a few times guarantees those two will not be sitting down for a while.” “And they won’t be sitting a horse, that’s for sure,” said Buck a Roo. “Horse?” said The Bambino. “That reminds me . . .” He wandered over to the donkey and they spoke for a minute. Then, they came back to the children and The Bambino said, “I’m sorry our musket fire scared off your horses this morning. However, the donkey has agreed to be your traveling companion because we rescued him from the soldiers.” The donkey brayed and nodded in
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agreement. Then he stepped forward and curled one front leg under his body to kneel part way and said: “Donkey Oatie, at your service.” As he stood up again, he added, “I may not have taken a rack to the rump, but those two did play pin the tail on the donkey with me. I am a little sore.” Peter stroked Donkey Oatie and said, “When we get back to our saddlebags, I’ll brush you and put some saddle ointment on your sores.” “It would be a kindness,” said Donkey Oatie with another slight bow. The Bambino said, “We’ll escort you back to your campsite, but then we must be going. With the army nearby, I’m sure there are other soldiers in the area looking for fresh meat so we must continue our patrol. But it looks like the soldiers left you a couple of blankets and other supplies.” The kids gathered up the supplies on the ground. As they walked back to the campsite, Donkey Oatie told Peter, “You know, I always thought of mule deer as pesky rodents.” “I heard that,” interjected Buck a Roo. “Hee haw,” laughed Donkey Oatie. “What I was going to say was that I always thought of mule deer as pesky rodents, but what they did rescuing me from those cruel men was mighty considerate of them. And, what they did for the young lady was more than humane; it was compassionate and
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courageous.” Buck a Roo quickened his pace to come alongside Peter and Donkey Oatie. “And those were mighty kind words.” “Well, as I always say: Seek to right the injustices of others and you will gain honor,” said Donkey Oatie. “That is a fine piece of wisdom,” said Buck a Roo. “I know. My mother always told me I was such a smart ass,” said Donkey Oatie, lifting his head at being highly esteemed. Peter and Buck a Roo laughed. “What?” asked Donkey Oatie, unaware of anything funny. “Oh, nothing,” said Buck a Roo. “No, what was it?” pressed Donkey Oatie. “Never mind,” said Buck a Roo. “Ugh,” went Donkey Oatie, shaking his head. “Mule deer are so stubborn!” “Well, you’re one to talk. Ever heard the expression: ‘stubborn as a mule’?” asked Tim Buck Two, now joining the conversation. Everyone laughed, for they all had been listening to this conversation. “Stubborn as a mule? Yeah? So what?” asked Donkey Oatie. Now everyone really laughed. Tim Buck Two explained: “Donkey? Mule? Get it? You’re only a half-breed apart.” “Oh, well donkeys are far superior to mules, so I didn’t see the connection,” said
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Donkey Oatie, who ended the conversation by trotting on ahead of the others because he now saw the camp. The Bambino walked up to Peter, Sebastian, and Alexandra. “What are your plans? Where are you going?” “Umm,” Peter hesitated. “We had been discussing that when you started shooting at us.” “Oh,” said The Bambino, chuckling. “Sorry about that.” “Peter wants to go looking for Dragon Hollow,” blurted out Alexandra. “Alex—,” Peter started. “But we don’t even know if The Legend of Dragon Hollow is true,” she added. “I see,” said The Bambino. “Well, there is a dragon. I can tell you that much.” “You’ve seen it?” asked Sebastian. “Yes. In the winter, when Lucky Lake freezes, the dragon will come to The Great River to drink water,” replied The Bambino. “Ooooh. What is it like?” asked Alexandra, wide eyed with excitement. Peter thought she showed an unusual amount of interest in dragons for a girl. “Well,” he said, pausing to think. “The dragon has a broad, flattened head with a short snout and a mouth that wraps around from ear to ear, full of glistening white teeth. His body is covered in scales, tougher than a soldier’s armor. He has a row of spikes that runs down his spine all the way to the tip of his tail, which has a set
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of six spikes at the very end, sharp as nails. He swings his tail around like a weapon. Let’s see, what else? He has four short legs with webbed feet and two enormous wings like a bat, except that at the midpoint of each wing, there is a hand or claw that he can use to grab his prey. That pretty much covers it, except that smoke and sometimes flames come out of his nostrils.” Peter stared at The Bambino. They all did. When The Bambino saw their expressions, he said, “What? What is it?” “Look,” said Peter, opening his book. The sketch in the book was exactly like The Bambino’s description. “That’s him,” said The Bambino. Alexandra still looked stunned. “He’s real?” “I guess we’re going on a dragon hunt after all,” said Sebastian.” “Peter,” said The Bambino, “if you’re going after the dragon, make sure you talk to the magician first. Don’t worry, you’ll find him or, more likely, he’ll find you. But I have chatted far too long. With the army nearby, I’m sure there are other soldiers in the area so we must continue our patrol. It’s been a pleasure to meet you all. Please be careful.” Alexandra threw her arms around The Bambino’s neck and cried, “Oh, thank you.” He looked startled and then a soft expression came over his face at her spontaneous gesture. They all said their
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goodbyes to The Three Musket Deer. As the deer leapt over some brush, the kids could hear them say, “All for one and one for all.” Peter, Sebastian, and Alexandra were excited by all the talk, so they gathered up their belongings and loaded the saddle bags on Donkey Oatie, who then said, “Follow me. I know the way.” This really only meant he saw the trail and could follow the trail as well as any of them. So they set out into the lightly wooded forest that the map called Tanglewood.
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Chapter 5 Tanglewood Tales Anyone who has ever set out on a journey knows the anticipation of wondering what’s around the next bend or over the next hill. Anyone who has been on a long journey also knows the thrill wears off at some point and the journey becomes wearisome so it seems like drudgery to keep going. For now, the five traveling companions—Peter, Sebastian, Alexandra, Peeve, and Donkey Oatie—were full of energy and enthusiasm for the journey ahead of them. The trail was surrounded by alder and maple trees, with little underbrush. For a couple of hours it was an easy walk in the woods and then there was a gradual increase in the amount of underbrush and the trees grew denser. Sebastian noticed the maple trees were now replaced by vine maples. Vine maples
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don’t have a tree trunk. Instead, the branches emerge from the ground and sprawl in every direction. The trail became overgrown and it was less obvious which way to go. Donkey Oatie and the children began to climb through twisted branches of the vine maples all around them. They used their bodies to push through the brush. “I think we’re lost,” said Peter. “Peeve, you’re small enough to avoid getting tangled up in these vines. Run ahead. See if you can find the trail again.” Peeve scurried across the ground and disappeared. Alexandra said, “Oh, my foot is stuck in a vine.” Sebastian went back to help her but he didn’t reach her before he said, “Ouch, my arm is caught in this tangled mess.” “I guess we know why the map called this Tanglewood,” said Peter, going back to help his two friends. “I hope Peeve can find a way out of this mess for us.” “Now my hand is caught, too,” said Alexandra. “It’s like the vines are reaching out to grab us.” Peter was two steps away from them when a vine reached out and wrapped itself around his wrist. Another vine seemed to grow out of the ground and twist around one leg and then the other leg. “What in the world?” Peter said. “Did you see that?” asked Sebastian. “The vines are alive. They grow and move at
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will.” “Uh oh. This is not good,” said Alexandra, who was now thoroughly twisted in vines. “Sebastian, Alexandra, be still. Maybe if we stop moving the vines will relax and let go of us,” said Peter, trying to think of a way out of this mess. All was quiet for a moment, but the vines grew tighter around them. “It’s beginning to dig into my skin,” said Sebastian. “My foot is starting to go numb,” said Alexandra. She was scared and began to cry. “We’re lost and we’re trapped out here and there is no one left at home to wonder where we are. No one will ever find us. We’re going to die out here and no one even knows where we are.” Then she started bawling. They had nearly forgotten about Donkey Oatie when all of a sudden they heard him kick up a ruckus. Vines were trying to entangle him, but he was kicking and bucking like they had seen him do when the two soldiers were hurting him. He was dancing around in a circle, lurching from his front legs to his back legs like a rocking horse, except he kicked up his back legs wildly every time. All the while, he was loudly braying: “Hee haw. Hee haw. Hee haw.” The vines withdrew from around Donkey Oatie. Peter said, “Good job, Donkey Oatie.
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Come over here and do that.” Donkey Oatie kicked and bucked his way near to the children. At first nothing happened, but then the vines released the children and withdrew into the ground. They were free for the moment. Peter said, “Thanks, Donkey Oatie. Now see if you can clear a path ahead of us.” Donkey Oatie was like a twister plowing a trail of destruction. Peter, Sebastian, and Alexandra followed him. Peeve clung to the trunk of a tree ahead of them and said, “This way. Follow me.” Peeve scurried from tree to tree, indicating which way to go. Donkey Oatie kept kicking up a fuss, while trying to see which direction Peeve was headed. Before long, they were no longer surrounded by vine maples but were back into a lightly wooded area. “Okay, I think you can settle down now Donkey Oatie,” said Peter. They kept following Peeve and, in a matter of minutes, he brought them back to the trail. The trail more or less wandered alongside a creek. As the afternoon temperature climbed, the sound of the water gurgling over the rocks made it seem cooler. Occasionally, they drank from the creek and by mid-afternoon they took off their shoes and played in the water, splashing each other to cool off a bit. Peeve always made a point of avoiding the water. Reptiles prefer to be hot and dry, so he waited on a nearby tree trunk.
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The kids didn’t notice, at first, a tall man standing on the creek bank above them. “Oh,” exclaimed Alexandra when she saw the black boots at her eye level, for they were down in the creek bed and he was up on top. Everyone abruptly stopped playing. “What are you doing out here in the woods?” said the man wearing a long black robe with a hood that shadowed his face from full view. There was a long silence because the children weren’t sure how to answer this stranger. Peter looked at the man’s pointy hood and wondered about something. The Bambino had told them to talk to the magician before they faced the dragon, so Peter asked, “Sir, I see your robe with the pointy hood. By chance, are you a magician?” The man laughed with a deep, hollow laugh. He said, “Well, yes. A sorcerer is a type of magician.” “Then I guess I can tell you the truth,” said Peter. “We are going to Dragon Hollow to find the treasure in the dragon’s lair.” “Is that so?” said the man. “Yes, sir, we were told to talk to the magician before we face the dragon, so I’m glad we found you—or you found us.” Peter, Sebastian, Alexandra, and even Donkey Oatie fixed their attention on the sorcerer, eager to learn what he would tell them about their quest. After all, The
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Bambino recommended that they talk to the magician and it seemed like a stroke of good fortune they found him so soon. “Great danger awaits anyone who goes after the dragon, for you cannot take the dragon’s treasure without killing the dragon,” said the sorcerer. “Many men, even entire armies, have tried to kill the dragon, but they have all failed and many have lost their lives trying. Only a dragon can kill a dragon. Have you brought a dragon with you?” asked the sorcerer. “No.” “Of course not, there is only one dragon in the land,” said the sorcerer. Peter looked disappointed. “What should we do then?” “Go home,” said the man abruptly. Then he turned and walked away, ending all discussion. Donkey Oatie said, “It’s just like my mother used to say: it’s better to listen to a sage than to eat one.” Then he went “Hee haw” because he was pleased with his play on words, for a sage is a wise person and also a plant that can be eaten. They were all silent while they put their shoes back on. Then they stood up, wondering what to do next. “You guys can go home, if you want to, but I’m going on,” said Peter. Sebastian and Alexandra looked at each other. “We’re going, too.” “You heard the man. Great danger
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awaits us and it’s virtually impossible to kill the dragon. I’m not sure what waits ahead, but I have nothing to go home to, so I’m going on,” continued Peter. “I think it’s a relief that we don’t have to kill the dragon,” said Alexandra. “Whatever happens, let’s face it together,” said Sebastian. With that they scurried up the creek bank and resumed their journey. Peeve scampered up the trail behind them and climbed up Peter’s leg and into his pocket. A few minutes later, the hooded man stepped out into the trail in front of them. “So, you’ve decided against my advice. I warned you this course of action would be dangerous.” He reached into a pouch at his side and then waved his arm in the air over the children. A sparkly dust fell on them and they began to sneeze. Then everything began to get dark as if night was suddenly falling.
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Chapter 6 Wake Up, Sleepyhead The next morning, Sebastian woke to find his hands were tied behind his back and his feet were tied together. He jostled and turned and finally managed to roll over so he could face the others. They were all still sound asleep. He looked around. They were in some sort of cottage with a thatched roof and it smelled like there must be a fireplace he couldn’t see. Sebastian called out, “Peter, wake up. Alexandra, wake up. Donkey Oatie? Anyone?” No one heard him. They were in a deep sleep. Just then, Peeve ran out from behind Peter. “Peeve, what’s going on?” Peeve answered, “The hooded man drugged you so you all fell into a deep sleep. After you were asleep, he tied up your hands and feet. Then some men carried you to this cottage in the woods.”
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“I thought he was giving us a friendly warning about the dangers ahead, not threatening us with danger himself.” “He may not have been who you thought he was,” said Peeve. “Anyway, I spent the night chewing on the ropes around Peter’s hands. When he wakes up, I think he may be able to break through. I’m going to go back and chew a little bit more.” Sebastian said, “I’ll keep trying to wake him up. We need to try to get out of here before the magician comes back—if he’s even planning on coming back. Maybe he intends to leave us here.” Peeve scurried off to chew on Peter’s ropes some more. Sebastian called out again, “Peter, wake up! Alexandra, can you hear me? Wake up!” They gave no response. Every few minutes Sebastian called out again. Finally, he saw Peter move. “Peter, wake up. We’ve got to get out of here.” Peter groaned, as if he was trying to wake up but he was still in the groggy state between being asleep and being fully awake. Peter must have realized he was tied up, because Sebastian saw him jerk and then say, “What’s going on?” Sebastian heaved a sigh of relief that his friend was awake. “Peter, that hooded man drugged us and once we were asleep, he tied us up and brought us to this cottage. Peter, we’ve got to get out of here. Peeve has been chewing on the ropes on your hands. Can you break your hands free?”
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Peter squirmed around and flopped over on his stomach. He pulled and pulled. Then he rolled over on his side to face Sebastian. “I can tell the ropes are frayed, maybe I can if I keep trying.” In a few moments, Peter added: “Ouch. It’s hurting my wrists, but I’ve got an idea.” He squirmed around some more, pushing himself around on the floor until he was able to lean up against the wall. From this position he was able to tuck his knees up against his chest. He pushed against the wall so he could lift his bottom off the floor and he pulled his tied hands forward under his bottom. Then he let himself down again and lifted his feet so he could slide his hands forward under his feet. Now his hands were in front of him instead of behind him. Now Peter could see his hands. He was able to twist and turn his hands until he finally got out of the ropes. Then he untied his feet. He rubbed his wrists for a moment and then he untied Sebastian. Sebastian went to untie Alexandra, who was still asleep. Peter checked the door of the room. “We’re locked in.” Then he went over to the window. It was chest high, but they could climb out the window. He turned around to say so to the others and saw Donkey Oatie sleeping. “Uh, I think we can climb out the window, but I’m not sure about Donkey Oatie.” Sebastian said, “Well, if we can get out
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the window, we should be able to go around through the front door and open this door, right? “Good idea,” said Peter. “Come over here and give me a lift.” Sebastian knelt down on his hands and knees under the window and Peter stood on Sebastian’s back. Peter was able to climb through the window. He ran around to the front of the cottage. Sebastian gently shook Alexandra. “Alex, wake up. Can you hear me? Wake up.” She stretched and let out a big yawn. “Is it morning already?” she said, with another yawn. Sebastian said, “Alex, that hooded man sprinkled sleeping drugs on us and once we were asleep, he tied us up and some men carried us to this cottage. Peter climbed out the window and is going to unlock the door for us. Help me wake up Donkey Oatie.” Alexandra was still trying to wake up when Peter whispered through the window, “Pssst. There are two men watching the front door. You’ll have to climb out the window and we need to be quiet about it. I’m sure those men intend to keep us from escaping.” Sebastian was shaking Donkey Oatie to wake him up. He whispered to Peter, “What about Donkey Oatie?” Donkey Oatie snorted and sneezed. His eyes popped open and he stood up suddenly
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and then he staggered around. “Whoa, the room is spinning,” he said. Sebastian put his arm around his neck to steady the animal and said, “Take it easy, you were drugged last night. We all were drugged so we would go into a deep sleep. It should wear off soon.” Peter poked his head through the window. He looked at Donkey Oatie. “It will be close, but I think we can get him through the window. If you push and I pull, I think we’ll get him out.” Donkey Oatie was still dazed and confused, but Sebastian and Alexandra led him over to the window. “Donkey Oatie, stand up on your hind legs and put your front legs through the window.” “Okie dokey,” said Donkey Oatie. He jumped up but he lost his balance and fell over on his side. “I’m okay,” he said. “I can do this. At least I could do this if the room would stop spinning.” He jumped up again and misjudged the distance so he came down short of the window. Sebastian and Alexandra nudged him closer to the window and said, “Try again.” Donkey Oatie stared at the window for a moment and reared up one more time. This time his front hooves landed in the window sill. “Good job,” said Alexandra. She and Sebastian stood on each side of Donkey Oatie and steadied him. They pushed his legs out the window and tucked his head
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down so his head was out the window now. Then Sebastian knelt down underneath Donkey Oatie’s hind quarters and used his shoulder to push up on Donkey Oatie. This was enough to shove Donkey Oatie’s shoulders and body through the opening, but his hind quarters were still in the bedroom. He was half way through the window. Donkey Oatie’s back legs started kicking and Sebastian and Alexandra had to duck out of the way to avoid being kicked in the head. “Stop! Kicking isn’t helping!” yelled Sebastian. “Oh, sorry.” They stood on each side of him and began pushing his behind, but it didn’t budge. Donkey Oatie seemed to be stuck. Sebastian and Alexandra backed up to the donkey and pushed with their shoulders to get more leverage. Peter pulled on Donkey Oatie’s front legs. Alexandra got the giggles as she looked at Donkey Oatie’s rear end stuck in the window. Sebastian said, “This is not funny, Alex” and then he burst out laughing, too. The sight of the rear end of a donkey stuck in the window was just too funny not to laugh. Just then, an arrow shot past Peter’s head. “Whoa!” he yelled, ducking away. He looked to his left and saw six archers lighting fireballs on the end of their arrows.
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They shot them into the thatched roof of the cottage. Peter whispered loudly, “Sebastian, I think we have a problem, here!” Peter backed away from the window and into the bushes to avoid being shot, if possible. But as he watched, the archers ran into the woods after lighting the cottage on fire. The dry straw on the roof caught fire and quickly spread. Sebastian and Alexandra soon knew what Peter meant, for the room was filling with smoke. Sebastian yelled, “Peter, you’ve got to help us get Donkey Oatie out of the window or we will all die in here.” Alexandra said, “Come on Donkey Oatie, suck it up. You can do it if you suck up your stomach.” Donkey Oatie snorted and Sebastian and Alexandra pushed again. It seemed like he budged an inch or two. They pushed again. “Oh, me and my big ass,” said Donkey Oatie. “I have got to cut back on my carbs.” By now, embers were falling from the ceiling into the bedroom. Sebastian and Alexandra began to cough. Peter said, “All right, everyone on the count of three: One . . . Two . . . Three.” Peter pulled and Sebastian and Alexandra pushed and it was like the cork coming out of a bottle. All of a sudden Donkey Oatie was on the other side of the window. He kicked around a few times, glad to be free.
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Sebastian pushed the two saddle bags out the window and knelt down on his hands and knees in front of the window. Alexandra climbed on his back and pulled herself through the window. Peter helped her down on the other side. A chunk of the thatched roof fell into the middle of the room. The fire was getting dangerous now and Sebastian could barely breathe. He grabbed the window sill and jumped up so he was holding all his weight on his arms in the window. He pulled one leg up to the ledge and straddled the window. Then he pulled his other leg through and jumped out on the other side. They made it. “Is everyone all right?” asked Peter. Sebastian brushed the ashes off of himself to make sure he wasn’t on fire and they all nodded. They looked back at the cottage, which was engulfed in flames. The boys loaded the saddle bags on Donkey Oatie and Peter said, “Okay, then. Let’s go.”
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Chapter 7 Attack of the Stinky Beetles The next day, in the late afternoon, they walked single file on the trail. Donkey Oatie was in the lead, followed by three young people. Alexandra was at the end of the line with Sebastian in front of her. “Sebastian, are you the one making a stink?” “No,” said Sebastian, looking ahead of him at Peter’s backside.” I thought it was Peter.” Peter said, “It’s not me. I thought it must be Donkey Oatie.” Donkey Oatie sniffed and snuffed and said, “I don’t think it’s me, but one can never be sure.” “Well, something sure stinks,” said Sebastian. “And it’s getting worse,” said Alexandra, wrinkling up her nose. Peter said, “It’s getting late in the day and I had hoped to make camp soon, but I
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certainly don’t want to spend the night in a place that smells this foul.” The others agreed. A few minutes later, Alexandra said, “Phew. It’s getting so bad I keep holding my breath.” It seemed as if the stench grew fouler with every step they took. Peter, Sebastian, and Alexandra held their heads down, breathing into the crook of their arm to filter the air through their sleeves. They didn’t see the bushes move and didn’t notice something began to follow them. The trail broke into a small clearing. “Which way do we go?” asked Donkey Oatie. While they were looking for the trail, the bushes began to move. Then, the bushes began to rustle violently as if someone was shaking them. “What’s happening?” asked Alexandra as she moved to the center of the clearing. Everyone else did the same and as they gathered together, six beetles larger than horses emerged from the bushes. “Whoa!” exclaimed Sebastian when he saw the giant beetles. In addition to their enormous size, the beetles had broad, flat bodies that were an iridescent green, gray, and brown. They had three pairs of legs attached to their thorax or upper body. Sebastian liked to study bugs, so he knew all of the technical terms for their anatomy. However, what concerned Sebastian at the moment was their heads. They had big
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bulging eyes with antennae on their heads and large biting mouths that seemed ready to chew him up. “Phew!” exclaimed Alexandra. “These are the biggest stink bugs I’ve ever seen.” The stinky beetles made a clicking sound that grew faster and louder. For the first time, Peter wished he had some sort of weapon. The beetles walked in a circle around them at first. Then the clicking sound stopped and the beetles turned their bodies away from the kids. Each beetle lifted its hardened wings so that all together it appeared like a wall or shield in a circle around the kids. By lifting its wings, each beetle exposed its abdomen, from which the six stinky beetles sprayed the kids with a fine mist that made them feel wet and sort of sick to their stomachs. Peter, Sebastian, and Alexandra said “phew eee” at the horrid stench. Then the beetles shot three short blasts of green goo at them. The sticky globs of green goo dripped from their clothes, their hands, their faces, and their hair. “Ick,” said Sebastian, trying to shake the slime off his hands. Donkey Oatie had a glob of green goo on his face so he couldn’t breathe. Without hands to wipe his face, he sneezed, which blew the glob of green goo off his nose and it landed on Peter, who frowned at Donkey Oatie. “Excuse me,” said Donkey Oatie in all sincerity, but he couldn’t help but laugh,
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“Hee haw, hee haw.” The kids couldn’t help laughing for a moment, too, but then they began to cough and gag because of the sickening smell that was all over their bodies. “I think I’m going to be sick,” said Alexandra. They began to lose consciousness, so what happened next was almost like a dream and they couldn’t be certain it was really happening, but a giant man picked up Donkey Oatie, Peter, Sebastian, and Alexandra and tossed them in a burlap bag. The story continues in . . .
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If you’ve read this far, you know you want it. The Legend of Dragon Hollow is available in print or Kindle versions. Order now:
Buy on Amazon Here’s what people like you are saying: “This book provides a new, lighthearted twist on the idea of having to kill a dragon.” - KM “When I read your books, I started giggling and wiggling; it was so funny. I almost laughed to the moon!” – AE “My favorite part of this book is the humorous dialogue and silly songs.” CM “. . . enjoyable and exciting . . .” – DA
If you've read one of my books, I hope you'll take time to write a two sentence review. It's not to boost my ego, but to help readers like you make their purchase decisions.
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