A dragon threatened a reign, it hate all the livestock and destroyed the harvest. The people of the reign demanded the king’s help. The king summoned his advisers.
<<Your Majesty, if you want to chase away the dragon you should sent your best warrior to get some objects>> they told him.
<<Which objects?>> the king asked.
<<The lock of a lion’s mane, the fingernail of a bear and the fang of a wolf>> answered the advisers.
<<What are these objects for?>> asked the king doubtful, he didn’t understand how the lock of a lion’s mane, the fingernail of a bear and the fang of a wolf could be useful against the dragon.
<<The dragon can be killed only by someone’s brave, strong and loyal, this one has to kill the beasts to get the objects>> answered the advisers.
The king didn’t make other questions and trusting his advisers, he called his most valorous knight and entrusted him the mission.
The young knight left at the dawn, he headed to the wild prairies where a fierce lion lived. He found it lying down on the grass. The lion stood up slowly when it saw the knight approaching, it was magnificent.
The young armored warrior tightened his grip on the sword and started to come closer. The lion looked him approaching without fearless. He lifted up the sword with trembling hands, ready to hit the animal but he stopped, he fell on in knees.
<<I am not brave enough>> murmured the knight with his head down.
<<Admitting your own fear requires courage>> said the lion with a powerful voice, the young warrior raised his head surprise.
<<I know why you are here, take what you need>> it claimed, it took a step forward and lowered its hairy head.
The knight cut with the sword a lock from its mane and put it away.
<<Thank you>> he said, the lion nodded then the knight resumed his journey.
He rode to the river, its gurgling was strong and its water was fresh and clean. The knight arrived and saw it. Near to the riverside, a massive bear was fishing. This reminded him that he also needed to eat to get the energy necessary to fight. With a dagger, he carved a pointed stick and started fishing, after some attempts he could fished two fishes.
While he was taking them near to the bonfire he had prepared before, he heard a loud groan. The massive bear had not be able to fish anything, he saw him hit the water with a paw with frustration.
The young armored warrior looked at the fishes in his hands, it wouldn’t be equal fighting with someone starving and weak. So the knight decided to give one of the fishes to the animal, he approached the bear. It sited and looked him approaching and putting a fish in front of it.
<<It’s strong not only who has muscles but above all who has heart>> said the bear <<Take what you came here for>> he stretched a paw over the fish.
The knight pulled out the dagger again and with it cut one of the bear’s nail. He saw him taking the fish.
<<Thank you>> he said and put away the fingernail with the lion mane’s lock.
<<No, I thank you>> replied the bear and started to eat.
The knight did the same with his fish and after resting a bit, he resumed his journey.
He rode to a forest, he rode until night came and camped. A thick coat of cold and soft snow covered the floor and the trees. The knight slept, enveloped in a cover near the bonfire.
The next morning, he found some footprints on the snow, wolf’s footprints. He unsheathed the sword and started following them, they led him to a round glade where in the center there was the wolf waiting for him. It had a royal look.
The knight approached cautiously, the animal was splendid, and he had two deep eyes, which seemed to be able to see inside of him.
<<Tell me knight, are you loyal?>> the wolf asked, looking at him intensely.
<<I am loyal to what is right>> answered the knight << and to myself>> he added.
The wolf nodded.
<<Take what you need to be loyal to your pack>> claimed the wolf and it opened its jaws. The knight hesitated for a moment then sheathed the sword and with a decisive gesture tore away a fang, the wolf didn’t move.
<<Thank you>> said the knight, the wolf didn’t answer, it looked at him then run away.
Now the young knight had all the objects and, fortunately, he had gotten them without hurting no one.
So, he headed back to the reign where he gave them to the king and his advisers who were surprised.
<<You have found all the objects, now you can kill the dragon>> the advisers said.
<<My knight, you have the qualities required, go and you will receive a reward >> the king said.
The knight left again with his loyal steed and reached the cave where the dragon hid.
The cave was deep and his steps echoed in it. For the King and the advisers he had the courage, the strength and the loyalty necessary to defeat the dragon and to stop the evil he was making to the reign.
The knight reached the end of the cave, the dragon was standing on an enormous rock, it opened its wide wings and moved its thorny tail when it saw him.
<<I am here to kill you>> said the knight with a voice more trembling than he had wanted.
<<I know>> replied the dragon <<As I know that you are doubtful about your mission>> it added. The knight winced, he thought about how the creature could know about his doubts.
<<I see in your mind and I can tell you that you have all the qualities to defeat the evil that afflict your people: the courage, the strength, the loyalty and the cleverness>> claimed the dragon, its voice echoed in the cave and in the young knight’s mind.
<<You know who actually is responsible>> said again the dragon, it lowered its squamous face to level of the young warrior <<I’m not the cause of your people’s pain>>.
<<No, it’s the King>> the knight said, he stood in front of the dragon with his creaking armor.
The King was selfish, he was allowing the nobles to take all the achievements of the agriculture and the breeding. He was making the people starving and he was lying to them, framing the dragon for it.
<<Now go knight and fulfill your mission>> the dragon touched with a claw the knight’s armor in three: on the forehead, on the arm and on the heart.
The young brave, smart, loyal and strong knight lifted his head proudly, he made a bow to the dragon that nodded. Then, he lefts the cave to come back to the reign and to defeat the real evil that was afflicting it.