e a c hb o o k i l l u s t r a t i o nw i t h s u p p o r t i n gt e x t t h e yw e r e s p e c i f i c a l l y v i s u a l i s e df r o m .
Onc euponat i met her ewa sat i nyki ng dom byt hes eac a l l edLea nder l a nd. I twa saha ppyl a nd, r ul edov erbyaha ppy ki ngc a l l edPos t el l oa ndhi squeenc a l l ed Ra i nbow, t heya l s oha dabea ut i f ulda ug ht er c a l l edWi ns ome. Theonl yt hi ngt ha ts poi l t t hei rc ompl et eha ppi nes swa st hef a c tt ha tup i nt hehi l l sbehi ndt het ownl i v ed‌ adr a g on.
Thedr a g onnev erc a medownt ot het owni n f a c ti ft het owns peopl eha df or g ot t ena l l a bouti t , i twoul dha v epr oba bl yf or g ot t en a boutt hem, butpeopl ebei ngwha tt heya r e, t hef a c tt ha tt hedr a g onwa st her es eemedt o beag r ea tc a us eofa nnoy a nc e. Sot heki ng i s s uedadec r ee. Any onewhoc oul dc a pt ur e t hedr a g onwoul dber ewa r dedwi t hahug e ba gofg ol d, a ndt hi snewswa ss pr ea df a ra nd wi de. Ofc our s et hi snewsbr oug htma nyy oung pr i nc esa ndkni g ht sont hei rpr a nc i nghor s es , wi t ht hei rs hi ni nga r mour , a l lofwhom t houg htt ha ti twoul dbeea s yt oc a pt ur et he dr a g on
Butwhent hedr a g ons a wt hem r i di ngup t hehi l l st owa r dshi sc a v ehec a meouta nd r oa r eda ndbr ea t hedl ongt ong uesoff i r ea t t hem, s ot heya l lt ur nedt a i la ndf l ed. Ki ngPos t el l owa sg et t i ngmor ea ndmor e des per a t e. Hes a i dt oQueenRa i nbow‘ we s ha l lha v et oof f ermor et ha ng ol df or c a pt ur i ngt hedr a g on’ . ‘ Butwha tel s ei s t her e? ’r epl i edt heQueen. ‘ Wel lt heonl yot hert hi ngt ha tc oul d enc our a g ea l lt hepr i nc esa ndkni g ht si st he ha ndofourbea ut i f ulpr i nc es sWi ns omei n ma r r i a g e’ . ‘ Oh!No, notourl ov el yda ug ht er ’ g a s pedt heQueen. ‘ Theya l la r ev er y ha nds omey oungmeny ouknow’s a i d Pos t el l o. ‘ Iknow, butoh!I fy oua bs ol ut el y i ns i s t ’ . Soi twa sa r r a ng ed, ahug eba gof g ol da ndt hef a i rha ndoft hebea ut i f ul Pr i nc es sWi ns omei nma r r i a g e.
Ofc our s emor ea ndmor eha nds omey oung pr i nc esc a met ot r yt hei rl uc ka g a i ns tt he dr a g on, butnoneg otpa s tt hos er oa r i ng f l a mest ha tt hedr a g ons hotoutev er yt i me heopenedhi shug ej a ws . Unt i loneda yabeg g a ra r r i v edi nt het own.
‘ Ca ny oudi r ec tmet ot heKi ng spa l a c e? ’he a s k edapa s s i ngpol i c ema n. Thepol i c ema n l a ug hed‘ They ’ l lnotl etabeg g a rl i k ey ou i nt ot hepa l a c e’ . Buthet ol dhi mt hewa y . . . . a nds hor t l ya f t er wa r dst hebeg g a rwa s knoc ki nga tt hepa l a c eg a t es . ‘ Beof fwi t h y ou, wedon’ tha v ebeg g a r sher e’s hout ed t hes ent r y . ‘ ButIwa ntt os eet heKi ng ’s a i d t hebeg g a r . ‘ Noc ha nc e-noc ha nc ea ta l l ’ , a ndt he s ent r yt ur neda wa y . Whi l ehi sba c kwa s t ur nedt hebeg g a rqui et l ys queez edt hr oug h t hepa l a c eg a t esa ndr a nt owa r dst hepa l a c e i t s el f .
Now t heKi ngj us tha ppenedt obewa l ki ngi nt he pa l a c eg a r densa nds eei nghi m, t hebeg g a rr us hedup t ohi m, ‘ Si r e’hes a i d, ‘ YourMa j es t y , i fIc a pt ur et he dr a g onIbegl ea v et or et ur nt ot hepa l a c ef ort he ba gofg ol da ndt heha ndoft hebea ut i f ulPr i nc es s Wi ns omei nma r r i a g e’ . TheKi ngwentr edi nt he f a c e. ‘ Why , y ou! ’hes pl ut t er ed; ‘ abeg g a r ! ’ , t heKi ng wentev enr edder , ‘ y ou’ v enoc ha nc eofc a pt ur i ngt he dr a g ona ndev enl es sc ha nc eofma r r y i ngmy da ug ht er ’ . ‘ WhenI ’ v ec a pt ur edt hedr a g onSi r e, I s ha l lbeba c k’ , s a i dt hebeg g a rqui et l ya ndwi t ha deepbow hewentba c kt hr oug ht heg a t esa ndout oft hepa l a c e. Thebeg g a rt henwentt ot hes hopt ha ts ol dg a r den ma c hi ner ya nds a i dt ot hema nt her e. ‘ Ha v ey oua wheel ba r r ow t ha ty oudon’ twa nt ? ’ , ‘ I v eg ott ha t r us t yoneov ert her e’ , r epl i edt hema n, ‘ y ouc a nha v e t ha t ’ Sot hebeg g a rt ookt hewheel ba r r ow a ndwentt o t hes hopt ha ts ol dl eng t hsofr ope. ‘ Ca ny oul etme ha v eas hor tl eng t hofr ope? ’hea s k edt hema n t her e. ‘ Ha v ey ounomoney ? ’s a i dt hema n. ‘ NoI m s or r y , Iha v en’ t .‘ I ’ v ea nol dpi ec eov ert her e, y ou c a nha v et ha tf ornot hi ng ’ . Hewa saki ndma na nd wa sf eel i ngv er ys or r yf ort hebeg g a ri nhi st a t t yol d c l ot hes .
Sot hebeg g a rputt hec oi lofr opei nt ot he wheel ba r r ow a ndwheel edi ta wa y . Nexthe wentt ot hes weets hop. ‘ Doy ous el lt of f ee a ppl es ’hea s k edt hema ni nt hes hop. ‘ Oh y es ’ , r epl i edt hema n, ‘ Ima k et hem my s el f ’ a ndhes howedt hebeg g a rs omet of f ee a ppl esa boutt hes i z eofar ea la ppl e. Ver yni c e’s a i dt hebeg g a r , ‘ butc a ny ou ‘ ma k et hem a sbi ga saf oot ba l l ? ’ ‘ Asbi ga sa f oot ba l l ? ’l a ug hedt hes weet s hopma n, ‘ I s uppos eIc oul d, I ’ v enev ert r i edt oma k e t hem a sbi ga st ha t ’ . ‘ Wel lc a ny ouma k eme onea sbi ga st ha t ? ’ ‘ Goont hen, I l lma k e onea sbi ga saf oot ba l l , i twi l lbef unt o k eonea sbi ga st ha t ’ . ‘ Whenc a ny ou ma ma k ei t ’a s k edt hebeg g a r . ‘ I l lma k ei t t oni g hta ndt heni twi l lber ea dyby t omor r ow mor ni ng ’ . ‘ Tha nky ouv er ymuc h’ s a i dt hebeg g a r , ‘ I l lpi c ki tupi nt hemor ni ng ’ . ‘ Whydoy ouwa ntonea sbi ga st ha t ? ’ a s k edt hes weet s hopma na st hebeg g a r t ur nedt og o. ‘ Ah!Ic a n’ tt el ly out ha t ’r epl i edt hebeg g a r‘ butIc a na s s ur ey oui twi l l ma k ey ours weet s hopv er yf a mous ’ . ‘ I nt ha t c a s e, I ’ l lma k ei ty ouf ornot hi ng ’ , c huc kl ed t hema n. ‘ Tha nky oua g a i n’s a i dt hebeg g a r v er ypol i t el ya ndhema dehi swa youtof t hes hop.