Travel Light

Travel light my child, as the Wanderer travels light, and his love will be with you.

If he could sleep, she thought, sleep through the unhappy months, the heart's hunger, the months of death and cold and not having what you most want, and wake with time gone past and blurred and a new year coming. But perhaps it is too early in the year, she thought after that, and besides, he is not a bear.

It could be verified that no princess was ever asked whether she wanted to be rescued and carried off by a dragon-slayer to a fate (no doubt) worse than death.

Perhaps she did not die,” said Halla, “perhaps her nurse turned into a bear and carried her away into the forest. Perhaps she was brought up by bears and dragons. Perhaps it was better for her in the end than being a king’s child.” “That was never the story,” said Modolf. “Forget the story,” said Halla.

Heroes prided themselves on a thing called generosity. And what was generosity? It was the giving away of something to those that had not earned it, and it was usually done by those that had not earned it.

Men went by ways of old Gods or not of any Gods, but by the violent wills of kings who were their own law.

But Uggi was shocked and told her that lady dragons, who are in any case rare, stay at home and guard the treasure. Now this is an ancient dragon fallacy, since in fact the lady dragons are very much fiercer than any other, especially when they have a nest full of eggs. And, although this is always denied, lady dragons have been known to kill and cat other dragons and, what is worse, to take their treasures.

But it was a beautiful horse, so beautiful, something like a unicorn but more intelligent looking, its great wings arching and quivering, better than a real horse, better than a ship. Riding on that horse you would need nothing, no cloak even. She dropped it on the edge of the marshland. Nothing. You could travel light.

But if dragons have a fault—and they will laughingly admit that this is so—it is a certain graspingness, an inability to compromise.

Those who live in caves, die in caves," said All-Father, "and the love of the Wanderer is to wanderers.

One of the difficulties of mankind is that they have the vice of inventiveness. It would be an easier world for dragons if this were not so, or if it could be kept within bounds, used for the better working of gold, setting of jewels, or such trading activities as bringing treasure from far countries within reach of dragons.

And remember, if a man were to see you, he would immediately try to steal everything you are wearing and carry it away and probably murder you as well.

Occasionally, and for everyone's good, mankind were instructed to offer a fresh and juicy princess to their own particular dragon. It was said that the princesses enjoyed the experience. Certainly the dragons did.

Worse things have been done than that. Yes, much worse. Yet perhaps the death of the very innocent always carries a curse.

He was telling her of the great good that might be done, say, to a nunnery, by this gift of prediction, and perhaps she should become a nun and give not only her cloak but all her other gifts to God. Indeed, if she did not do that, it might appear that her prediction was from Satan, and that would indeed be a serious thing for her.

In this place—one can never see from one end of a street to the other, let alone men’s hearts.

I will comb it with my own claws," said the dragon, "for I see that the child has hair the colour of gold, which is the only right colour for hair.