English
TheGreenMonkeysankgentlyintotheearthforalittlewayandthentumbledswiftlythroughspace,landingonarockyfloorwithathumpthatastonishedhim.
Thenhesatup,foundthatnoboneswerebroken,andgazedaroundhim.
Heseemedtobeinabigundergroundcave,whichwasdimlylightedbydozensofbigrounddiscsthatlookedlikemoons.
Theywerenotmoons,however,asWootdiscoveredwhenhehadexaminedtheplacemorecarefully.Theywereeyes.
Theeyeswereintheheadsofenormousbeastswhosebodiestrailedfarbehindthem.
Eachbeastwasbiggerthananelephant,andthreetimesaslong,andtherewereadozenormoreofthecreaturesscatteredhereandthereaboutthecavern.
Ontheirbodieswerebigscales,asroundaspie-plates,whichwerebeautifullytintedinshadesofgreen,purpleandorange.
Ontheendsoftheirlongtailswereclustersofjewels.
Aroundthegreat,moon-likeeyeswerecirclesofdiamondswhichsparkledinthesubduedlightthatglowedfromtheeyes.
Wootsawthatthecreatureshadwidemouthsandrowsofterribleteethand,fromtaleshehadheardofsuchbeings,heknewhehadfallenintoacaverninhabitedbythegreatDragonsthathadbeendrivenfromthesurfaceoftheearthandwereonlyallowedtocomeoutonceinahundredyearstosearchforfood.
OfcoursehehadneverseenDragonsbefore,yettherewasnomistakingthem,fortheywereunlikeanyotherlivingcreatures.
Wootsatuponthefloorwherehehadfallen,staringaround,andtheownersofthebigeyesreturnedhislook,silentlyandmotionless.
FinallyoneoftheDragonswhichwasfarthestawayfromhimasked,inadeep,gravevoice:
“Whatwasthat?”
AndthegreatestDragonofall,whowasjustinfrontoftheGreenMonkey,answeredinastilldeepervoice:
“ItissomefoolishanimalfromOutside.”
“Isitgoodtoeat?”inquiredasmallerDragonbesidethegreatone.“I’mhungry.”
“Hungry!”exclaimedalltheDragons,inareproachfulchorus;andthenthegreatonesaidchidingly:“Tut-tut,myson!You’venoreasontobehungryatthistime.”
“Whynot?”askedthelittleDragon.“Ihaven’teatenanythinginelevenyears.”
“Elevenyearsisnothing,”remarkedanotherDragon,sleepilyopeningandclosinghiseyes;“Ihaven’tfeastedforeighty-sevenyears,andIdarenotgethungryforadozenorsoyearstocome.
Childrenwhoeatbetweenmealsshouldbebrokenofthehabit.”
“AllIhad,elevenyearsago,wasarhinoceros,andthat’snotafullmealatall,”grumbledtheyoungone.“And,beforethat,Ihadwaitedsixty-twoyearstobefed;soit’snowonderI’mhungry.”
“Howoldareyounow?”askedWoot,forgettinghisowndangerouspositioninhisinterestintheconversation.
“Why,I’m—I’m—HowoldamI,Father?”askedthelittleDragon.
“Goodnessgracious!Whatachildtoaskquestions.Doyouwanttokeepmethinkingallthetime?Don’tyouknowthatthinkingisverybadforDragons?”returnedthebigone,impatiently.
“HowoldamI,Father?”persistedthesmallDragon.
“Aboutsixhundredandthirty,Ibelieve.Askyourmother.”
“No;don’t!”saidanoldDragoninthebackground;“haven’tIenoughworries,whatwithbeingwakenedinthemiddleofanap,withoutbeingobligedtokeeptrackofmychildren’sages?”
“You’vebeenfastasleepforoversixtyyears,Mother,”saidthechildDragon.“Howlonganapdoyouwish?”
“Ishouldhavesleptfortyyearslonger.Andthisstrangelittlegreenbeastshouldbepunishedforfallingintoourcavernanddisturbingus.”
“Ididn’tknowyouwerehere,andIdidn’tknowIwasgoingtofallin,”explainedWoot.
“Nevertheless,hereyouare,”saidthegreatDragon,“andyouhavecarelesslywakenedourentiretribe;soitstandstoreasonyoumustbepunished.”
“Inwhatway?”inquiredtheGreenMonkey,tremblingalittle.
“GivemetimeandI’llthinkofaway.You’reinnohurry,areyou?”askedthegreatDragon.
“No,indeed,”criedWoot.“Takeyourtime.I’dmuchratheryou’dallgotosleepagain,andpunishmewhenyouwakeupinahundredyearsorso.”
“Letmeeathim!”pleadedthelittlestDragon.
“Heistoosmall,”saidthefather.“ToeatthisoneGreenMonkeywouldonlyservetomakeyouhungryformore,andtherearenomore.”
“Quitthischatterandletmegettosleep,”protestedanotherDragon,yawninginafearfulmanner,forwhenheopenedhismouthasheetofflameleapedforthfromitandmadeWootjumpbacktogetoutofitsway.
InhisjumphebumpedagainstthenoseofaDragonbehindhim,whichopeneditsmouthtogrowlandshotanothersheetofflameathim.
Theflamewasbright,butnotveryhot,yetWootscreamedwithterrorandsprangforwardwithagreatbound.
ThistimehelandedonthepawofthegreatChiefDragon,whoangrilyraisedhisotherfrontpawandstrucktheGreenMonkeyafierceblow.
WootwentsailingthroughtheairandfellsprawlingupontherockyfloorfarbeyondtheplacewheretheDragonTribewasgrouped.
Allthegreatbeastswerenowthoroughlywakenedandaroused,andtheyblamedthemonkeyfordisturbingtheirquiet.
ThelittlestDragondartedafterWootandtheothersturnedtheirunwieldybodiesinhisdirectionandfollowed,flashingfromtheireyesandmouthsflameswhichlighteduptheentirecavern.
Wootalmostgavehimselfupforlost,atthatmoment,buthescrambledtohisfeetanddashedawaytothefarthestendofthecave,theDragonsfollowingmoreleisurelybecausetheyweretooclumsytomovefast.
Perhapstheythoughttherewasnoneedofhaste,asthemonkeycouldnotescapefromthecave.
But,awayupattheendoftheplace,thecavernfloorwasheapedwithtumbledrocks,soWoot,withanagilitybornoffear,climbedfromrocktorockuntilhefoundhimselfcrouchedagainstthecavernroof.
Therehewaited,forhecouldgonofarther,whileonoverthetumbledrocksslowlycrepttheDragons—thelittlestonecomingfirstbecausehewashungryaswellasangry.
ThebeastshadalmostreachedhimwhenWoot,rememberinghislaceapron—nowsadlytornandsoiled—recoveredhiswitsandshouted:“Open!”
Atthecryaholeappearedintheroofofthecavern,justoverhishead,andthroughitthesunlightstreamedfullupontheGreenMonkey.
TheDragonspaused,astonishedatthemagicandblinkingatthesunlight,andthisgaveWoottimetoclimbthroughtheopening.
Assoonashereachedthesurfaceoftheearththeholeclosedagain,andtheboymonkeyrealized,withathrillofjoy,thathehadseenthelastofthedangerousDragonfamily
Hesatupontheground,stillpantinghardfromhisexertions,whenthebushesbeforehimpartedandhisformerenemy,theJaguar,appeared.
“Don’trun,”saidthewoodlandbeast,asWootsprangup;“youareperfectlysafe,sofarasIamconcerned,forsinceyousomysteriouslydisappearedIhavehadmybreakfast.
Iamnowonmywayhometosleeptherestoftheday.”
“Oh,indeed!”returnedtheGreenMonkey,inatonebothsorryandstartled.“Whichofmyfriendsdidyoumanagetoeat?”
“Noneofthem,”returnedtheJaguar,withaslygrin,“Ihadadishofmagicscrambledeggs-ontoast—anditwasn’tabadfeast,atall.
Thereisn’troominmeforevenyou,andIdon’tregretitbecauseIjudge,fromyourgreencolor,thatyouarenotripe,andwouldmakeanindifferentmeal.
Wejaguarshavetobecarefulofourdigestions.Farewell,FriendMonkey.
FollowthepathImadethroughthebushesandyouwillfindyourfriends.”
WiththistheJaguarmarchedonhiswayandWoottookhisadviceandfollowedthetrailhehadmadeuntilhecametotheplacewherethelittleBrownBear,andtheTinOwl,andtheCanarywereconferringtogetherandwonderingwhathadbecomeoftheircomrade,theGreenMonkey.
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