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1 Bad News

All was still in the valley of the dragons Mist had drifted in fro to the y da down the slope, fell head over heels, tuain

"Didn’t I say so?" she , she raised her pointy nose, listened, and headed toward a group of crooked fir trees at the foot of the highest mountain

"I knew before winter," murmured the rat "Oh, yes, I knew before winter, I could s, but they wouldn’t believe me, no, not them! They feel safe here Safe! Huh! Really!"

It was so dark under the fir trees that you could scarcely see the gaping crevice in the mountainside that sed up the ," the rat continued peevishly, "that’s their proble about the world Not the least little thing"

She glanced warily around again, and then disappeared into the crevice in the rock There was a large cave behind it The rat scurried in, but she didn’t get far Sorabbed her tail and lifted her up in the air

"Hi, Rat! What are you doing here?"

The rat snapped at the furry fingers that were holding her tight, but all she caught was a mouthful of brownie hairs, which she furiously spat out

"Sorrel!" she hissed "Let go of me this instant, you brainless mushroom-muncher! I don’t have time for your silly brownie tricks"

"You don’t have time?" Sorrel placed Rat on the flat of her furry paw She was still a young brownie, no bigger than a huht catlike eyes "How coon to protect you fro to do with cats!" hissed Rat angrily She didn’t care for brownies herself, although all the dragons loved theons couldn’t sleep they would listen to the strange little songs the brownies sang, and when they felt sad no one could cheer theued brownie layabouts

"I’ve got bad news, if you want to know Extre anyone except Firedrake Certainly not you!"

"Bad news? Oh, festering fungus! What sort of bad news?" Sorrel scratched her stomach

"Put -- hed and let Rat hop down to the stony floor of the cave "But he’s still asleep"

"Then I’ her way farther into the cave, where a fire burned blue, keeping the darkness and damp away froon lay asleep, curled up with his head on his paws His long tail with its spiny crest was coiled around the warlow to his scales and cast his shadow on the cave wall Rat scurried up to the dragon, clied his ear

"Firedrake!" she shouted "Firedrake, wake up They’re coon raised his head and opened his eyes

"Oh, it’s you, is it, Rat?" he murmured in a rather hoarse voice "Has the sun set already, then?"

"No, but you et up all the same! You have to wake the others!" Rat jumped off Firedrake’s paw and scuttled up and down in front of him "I warned you, I really did -- I warned the whole bunch of you, but you wouldn’t listen, oh, no!"