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When all seeht up he hill and shook hands with Farmer Giles A few �C the parson, and the blacksmith, and the miller, and one or two other persons of importance �C slapped him on the back That did not please hied to invite the his health and loudly praising hi as the drink lasted they took no notice By the time they had all had one or two (and the faran to feel quite bold; when they had all had two or three (and he hiht hiood friends; and he slapped their backs heartily His hands were large, red, and thick; so he had his revenge

Next day he found that the news had grown in the telling, and he had becoure By the es within twenty miles He had become the Hero of the Countryside Very pleasant he found it Next h free drink to float a boat: that is to say, he nearly had his fill, and caot to hear of it The capital of that realdoues distant from Has of rustics in the provinces But so proiant so injurious seemed worthy of note and of some little courtesy So in due course �C that is, in about three nificent letter It ritten in red upon white parchment, and expressed the royal approbation of &039;our loyal subject and well-beloved Egidius Ahenobarbus Julius Agricola de Haned with a red blot; but the court scribe had added: Ego Augustus Bonifacius Anificus, dux, rex, tyrannus, et basileus Mediterranearue red seal was attached So the docureat pleasure to Giles, and was much adet a seat and a drink by the far to look at it

Better than the testi sent a belt and a long sword To tell the truth the King had never used the sword hi in his armoury time out of mind The arht be the use of it Plain heavy swords of that kind were, out of fashion at court, just then, so the King thought it the very thing for a present to a rustic But Farhted, and his local reputation became enor He never got his prohts; in his heart he gave a fair share of the credit to Garh he never went so far as to s at the dog when he felt inclined, but he winked atfar afield The farh step, and luck smiled on him The autumn and early winter ell All seeons were already getting scarce in the island None had been seen in the ustus Bonifacius for many a year There were, of course, the dubious marches and the uninhabitedway off In those parts once upon a tions of one kind and another, and they had do&039;s knights, and so rave da that way

It was still the custo&039;s Christht was chosen for the duty of hunting He was supposed to set out upon St Nicholas&039; Day and coon&039;s tail not later than the eve of the feast But for many years now the Royal Cook had on&039;s Tail of cake and alar The chosen knight then carried this into the hall on Christ The Mock Dragon&039;s Tail was eaten after dinner on Christmas Day, and everybody said (to please the cook) that it tasted much better than Real Tail

That was the situation when a real dragon turned up again The giant was largely to blao about in thehis scattered relations more than had been his custo to borrow a large copper pot But whether he got the loan of one or not, he would sit and talk in his long-winded lu fashion about the excellent country doay East, and all the wonders of the Wide World He had got it into his head that he was a great and daring traveller

&039;A nice land,&039; he would say, &039;pretty flat, soft to the feet, and plenty to eat for the taking: cows, you know, and sheep all over the place, easy to spot, if you look careflly&039;

&039;But what about the people ?&039; said they

&039;I never saw any,&039; said he &039;There was not a knight to be seen or heard,flies by the river&039;

&039;Why don&039;t you go back and stay there?&039; said they

&039;Oh well, there&039;s no place like hoo back one day when I have a mind And anyway I went there once, which is more than most folk can say Now about that copper pot&039;

&039;And these rich lands,&039; they would hurriedly ask, &039;these delectable regions full of undefended cattle, which way do they lie? And how far off?&039;

&039;Oh,&039; he would answer, &039;away east or sou&039;east But it&039;s a long journey&039; And then he would give such an exaggerated account of the distance that he had walked, and the woods, hills, and plains that he had crossed, that none of the other less long-legged giants ever set out Still, the talk got about

Then the warm summer was followed by a hard winter It was bitter cold in the ot louder Lowland sheep and lone froons pricked up their ears They were hungry, and these ruhts are ons &039;We always thought so&039;

&039;At least they ht the older and wiser worer to be feared&039;

There was one dragon as deeply moved Chrysophylax Dives was his nae, and very rich He was cunning, inquisitive, greedy, well-armoured, but not over bold But at any rate he was not in the least afraid of flies or insects of any sort or size; and he was ry

So one winter&039;s day, about a week before Christs and took off He landed quietly in the ht pluustus Bonifacius rex et basileus He did a deal of da sheep, cattle, and horses