How to speak Dragonese by Cressida Cowell Page B
Authors: Cressida Cowell
Tags: Fiction, General, Humorous stories, Children's Books, Action & Adventure, Juvenile Fiction, Action & Adventure - General, Fantasy & Magic, Ages 9-12 Fiction, Children: Grades 4-6, Dragons, Vikings
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Camicazi. "How did you do it?"
Hiccup pointed to his shirt. "Look a little closer," he said.
The Vikings craned forward. Hiccup's shirt seemed to have changed color. Indeed, when they looked closer still, it seemed not to be a shirt at all. It was made up of millions and millions of tiny winged
206
creatures, all practically invisible to the naked eye and all clinging to Hiccup's clothing underneath. This was what had caused Hiccup to fly.
The numberless armies of Ziggerastica. The little nanodragon himself flew out from his position of command on Hiccup's chest to bow to the Vikings.
"This terrible, terrible plan," announced Ziggerastica joyfully, "has worked beautifully. I, Ziggcrastica the Mighty, have made it do this! How wonderful I am! How Glorious is my Empire! How numerous and powerful are my peoples!"
"We were lucky too," grinned Hiccup.
"I am almost sorry to leave you, O-Boy-With-No-Muscles-At-All," said Ziggerastica sorrowfully. "But we are quits now. I have saved your life in exchange for you saving mine and you are still a stinking HUMAN after all..." "Thanks," said Hiccup.
"But this has been a great day for the little creatures of the world...'
Ziggerastica gave a single command and the nanodragons instantly rose in a gray mass, like a small thundercloud, and disappeared into the sky.
[Image: Hiccup.]
207
As they rose, they sang a song that the Romans would have been wise to listen to ... but they were too busy panicking.
[Image: Birds.]
A WARNING TO EMPERORS
Watch out
O Romans with your Empires and your Stinking Breath
Watch out for the smaller things of this world
For we are going to get you...one day
You live your lives up in the skies
Building your aqueducts and your coliseums
And you never think of US
Ticking away in the grassed
But we see you
And if you bend your car you just might hear
The steady beat of countless feet that come to cat
The wall that curls a hundred miles across a continent.
That temple built with the tears of millions of slaves
And turn to dust in our months
So watch out
O Caesars with Fat Bottoms and Hard Hearts
Watch out
208
"Goodbye, O-Boy-with-Arms-Like-Pieces-of-String..."sang Ziggerastica, "and may the winds that blow you be strong..."
And with that, he was gone.
"Why did you let him go?" shrieked Fishlegs. "I hate to mention this but we're not free yet, we're still stuck in an arena surrounded by Sharkworms!"
"The Sharkworms seem more interested in the audience," said Hiccup. "That's why I got Ziggerastica's armies to eat through the metal netting and to spend all night chomping through the dam. It was all part of my plan, you see -- now the dam has cracked, we can simply sail out..."
Hiccup gestured to the open doors of the auditorium. The water was pouring out of them in a great river.
"Brilliant," said Camicazi. "I've got to admit, that's brilliant... for a boy, of course."
Hiccup was already at the tiller and he pointed the ship toward the open doors of the stadium.
The Valhalla Express nosed its way toward the entrance.
"We're going to make it!" yelled Fishlegs. "We're nearly there!"
209
The Valhalla Express was halfway through the door...
... but Alvin had spotted them trying to escape and given the order to send the portcullis rattling down. It cut The Valhalla Express in two. Fishlegs and Camicazi and Hiccup were thrown into the water on the wrong side of the bars. The sea was breath-quenchingly cold.
"AAAARGH!" shrieked Fishlegs, almost rearing out of the water, he was so terrified of the Sharkworms.
"Climb the portcullis," ordered Hiccup.
The three young Vikings swam to the portcullis and climbed it, Hiccup towing Fishlegs, and with Toothless flapping behind them. Two meters or so up, they clung, dripping and terrified, like four little spiders.
Through the slippery bars they had a tantalizing view of the freedom of the open ocean, hopelessly out of reach. All around them were the shrieks of the crowd, and clouds and clouds
Hiccup pointed to his shirt. "Look a little closer," he said.
The Vikings craned forward. Hiccup's shirt seemed to have changed color. Indeed, when they looked closer still, it seemed not to be a shirt at all. It was made up of millions and millions of tiny winged
206
creatures, all practically invisible to the naked eye and all clinging to Hiccup's clothing underneath. This was what had caused Hiccup to fly.
The numberless armies of Ziggerastica. The little nanodragon himself flew out from his position of command on Hiccup's chest to bow to the Vikings.
"This terrible, terrible plan," announced Ziggerastica joyfully, "has worked beautifully. I, Ziggcrastica the Mighty, have made it do this! How wonderful I am! How Glorious is my Empire! How numerous and powerful are my peoples!"
"We were lucky too," grinned Hiccup.
"I am almost sorry to leave you, O-Boy-With-No-Muscles-At-All," said Ziggerastica sorrowfully. "But we are quits now. I have saved your life in exchange for you saving mine and you are still a stinking HUMAN after all..." "Thanks," said Hiccup.
"But this has been a great day for the little creatures of the world...'
Ziggerastica gave a single command and the nanodragons instantly rose in a gray mass, like a small thundercloud, and disappeared into the sky.
[Image: Hiccup.]
207
As they rose, they sang a song that the Romans would have been wise to listen to ... but they were too busy panicking.
[Image: Birds.]
A WARNING TO EMPERORS
Watch out
O Romans with your Empires and your Stinking Breath
Watch out for the smaller things of this world
For we are going to get you...one day
You live your lives up in the skies
Building your aqueducts and your coliseums
And you never think of US
Ticking away in the grassed
But we see you
And if you bend your car you just might hear
The steady beat of countless feet that come to cat
The wall that curls a hundred miles across a continent.
That temple built with the tears of millions of slaves
And turn to dust in our months
So watch out
O Caesars with Fat Bottoms and Hard Hearts
Watch out
208
"Goodbye, O-Boy-with-Arms-Like-Pieces-of-String..."sang Ziggerastica, "and may the winds that blow you be strong..."
And with that, he was gone.
"Why did you let him go?" shrieked Fishlegs. "I hate to mention this but we're not free yet, we're still stuck in an arena surrounded by Sharkworms!"
"The Sharkworms seem more interested in the audience," said Hiccup. "That's why I got Ziggerastica's armies to eat through the metal netting and to spend all night chomping through the dam. It was all part of my plan, you see -- now the dam has cracked, we can simply sail out..."
Hiccup gestured to the open doors of the auditorium. The water was pouring out of them in a great river.
"Brilliant," said Camicazi. "I've got to admit, that's brilliant... for a boy, of course."
Hiccup was already at the tiller and he pointed the ship toward the open doors of the stadium.
The Valhalla Express nosed its way toward the entrance.
"We're going to make it!" yelled Fishlegs. "We're nearly there!"
209
The Valhalla Express was halfway through the door...
... but Alvin had spotted them trying to escape and given the order to send the portcullis rattling down. It cut The Valhalla Express in two. Fishlegs and Camicazi and Hiccup were thrown into the water on the wrong side of the bars. The sea was breath-quenchingly cold.
"AAAARGH!" shrieked Fishlegs, almost rearing out of the water, he was so terrified of the Sharkworms.
"Climb the portcullis," ordered Hiccup.
The three young Vikings swam to the portcullis and climbed it, Hiccup towing Fishlegs, and with Toothless flapping behind them. Two meters or so up, they clung, dripping and terrified, like four little spiders.
Through the slippery bars they had a tantalizing view of the freedom of the open ocean, hopelessly out of reach. All around them were the shrieks of the crowd, and clouds and clouds
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