r of the occasion,
got pushed quite on one side in the warmth of her embrace--and Elsie
stepped out of the carriage. There was a great crowd of crows round the
park gates, and every one cheered and shouted 'Speech, speech!'

Elsie got as far as 'Ladies and gentlemen--Crows, I mean,' and then she
could not think of anything more, so she simply added, 'Please, I'm
ready.'

I wish you could have heard those crows cheer.

But Elsie wouldn't have the escort.

'It's very kind,' she said, 'but the dragon only eats crows, and I'm not
a crow, thank goodness--I mean I'm not a crow--and if I've got to be
brave I'd like to _be_ brave, and none of you to get eaten. If only some
one will come with me to show me the way and then run back as hard as he
can when we get near the dragon. _Please!_'

'If only one goes _I_ shall be the one,' said the King. And he and Elsie
went through the great gates side by side. She held the end of his wing,
which was the nearest they could get to hand in hand.

The crowd outside waited in breathless silence. Elsie and the King went
on through the winding paths of the People's Park. And by the winding
paths they came at last to the Dragon. He lay very peacefully on a great
stone slab, his enormous bat-like wings spread out on the grass and his
goldy-green scales glittering in the pretty pink sunset light.

'Go back!' said Elsie.

'No,' said the King.

'If you don't,' said Elsie, '_I_ won't go _on_. Seeing a crow might
rouse him to fury, or give him an appetite, or something. Do--do go!'

So he went, but not far. He hid behind a tree, and from its shelter he
watched.

Elsie drew a long breath. Her heart was thumping under the black frock.
'Suppose,' she thought, 'he takes me for a crow!' But she thought how
yellow her hair was, and decided that the dragon would be certain to
notice that.

'Quick march!' she said to herself, 'remember Joan of Arc,' and walked
right up to the dragon. It never moved, but watched her suspiciously out
of its bright green eyes.

'Dragon dear!' she said in her clear little voice.

'_Eh?_' said the dragon, in tones of extreme astonishment.

'Dragon dear,' she repeated, 'do you like sugar?'

'_Yes_,' said the dragon.

'Well, I've brought you some. You won't hurt me if I bring it to you?'

The dragon violently shook its vast head.

'It's not much,' said Elsie, 'but I saved it at tea-time. Four lumps.
Two for each of my mugs of milk.'

She laid the sugar on