STORIES OF DRAGONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

TIAMAT: BABYLONIAN DRAGON OF CREATION

SOME FOLKS SAY that the serpent in the Garden of Eden is a thinly veiled reference to Tiamat. It's unknowable, of course, but it makes some sense that it might be so - since there are two competing creation stories from the Middle East.

In the creation mythology of ancient Babylon, as told in the Enuma Elish tablets, the world was created by Apsu and Tiamat. Apsu was the male spirit of fresh water and emptiness, and Tiamat was the female spirit of salt water and chaos, embodied in a great serpentine dragon. Between them were the heavens and earth created and all the living things conceived, including the gods.

Some of the god-children were rowdy and unruly, causing a great clamor. Apsu and Tiamat were disturbed by their commotion. Apsu suggested that they should kill some of their rowdy children, but Tiamat indulged her boisterous children and rejected the plan. One of their god-children, Ea, had the power to foresee the future. So Ea could foresee that Apsu intended to kill him and so, to save himself, he rose up and killed Apsu.

This enraged Tiamat who swore to avenge Apsu's death. But Ea could foresee that, too, so he enlisted the aid of Marduk, the most powerful of the gods, to help him defend against Tiamat's fury. Tiamat created a horde of great monsters, dragons, and demons to fight Ea, but in the end the ultimate conflict came down to mortal combat between Tiamat and Marduk.

Marduk rode into the conflict in a chariot pulled by four fierce horses, accompanied by the four winds. He brought with him a bow that shot arrows of lightning. When Tiamat opened her great jaws to swallow Marduk whole, Marduk threw one of the winds down her throat, blasting her mouth wide open. He then shot one of his lightning arrows down her open throat directly into her heart.

Mortally wounded, Tiamat cried great tears as she fell; tears of grief for her fallen Apsu and sorrow for herself, slain at the hands of her own children. Marduk crushed her skull and dismembered Tiamat's body, using part of it to roof up the sky thus forming the Milky Way. Her crying eyes became the source waters for the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. And so it has been ever since.

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YOFUNE-NUSHI

SOME FOLKS SAY that Yofune-Nushi was a dragon; others insist that this is a tale about a sea serpent. Either this is a sea serpent that could come up onto the land, or a dragon with the ability to affect the weather and cause storms to stir the seas. Whichever it was, and it seems a senseless debate, this Japanese legend tells a story of a dreaded creature with a taste for human flesh, especially for young females ...

Yofune-Nushi lived in a cave by the sea along the coast of the Oki Islands, volcanic islands in the southwestern region of the Sea of Japan. From his seaside cave, Yofune-Nushi stirred up storms and made the seas unsafe for fishing boats. For the islanders, this was a great distress since much of their food and livelihoods depended on the sea. An arrangement was made that a young maiden should be sacrificed to Yofune-Nushi every year, on the thirteenth of June. It's not clear if the dragon spoke Japanese, or exactly how this bargain was struck originally, but the legend holds that Yofune-Nushi would fly into a fit of temper, bringing a devastating storm that would sink the entire village's fishing fleet, if the sacrifice was not made on the specified date.

One year, sometime around 1320 A.D., a beautiful young maiden named Tokoyo came to the island. She was searching for her father, a powerful samurai named Oribe of Shima. Oribe of Shima had offended the great warlord, Hojo Takatoki, and had been banished to these distant islands. His eighteen-year-old daughter Tokoyo, weeping for her beloved father, had left their family home in the Shima Province by the sea. Raised beside the sea among the pearl divers of Shima Province, Tokoyo was a skilled swimmer since childhood. She was also brave and fearless. Many weeks she travelled to the Oki Islands and there she searched everywhere among the islands for any sign of her father.

One evening, Tokoyo found a peaceful spot and lay down to sleep. Presently, she was awakened to the sound of sobbing girl. Tokoyo saw a young maiden, about fifteen years old, accompanied by a priest. Both were dressed in white robes. She stepped boldly forward, inquiring why the girl was in such distress. The priest explained that it was his unfortunate duty to cast the young girl into the sea as part of an important sacrificial ceremony to Yorfune-Nushi that Tokoyo had interrupted. Boldly, Tokoyo took the ceremonial robe off the young girl and put it on herself.

"I see there is much sorrow in this part of the world," she declared to the priest. "But no one is as grieved as my poor broken heart. I am the sorrowing daughter of a great samurai. I have been searching for my father, exiled to this place, and have spent all my money without finding any trace of my dearest father. I have nothing left to live for, and I can no longer go on. Let me take this girl's place. My death can save so many people, and perhaps death will extinguish all my sorrows, so I will gladly offer myself in her place. But pray, good priest, all I ask is that you should take this letter which is addressed to my father and try to deliver it to him wherever he may be found." If either the girl or the priest would have protested, no one will ever know for Tokoyo turned and dove off the rocks into the sea below.

In the moonlight, she swam expertly through the clear waters, just as she had learned from childhood. She headed towards a partly submerged cave. Looking inside, she thought she saw a man sitting just inside the mouth of the cave. Thinking that this was the true form of the evil Yofune-Nushi, she pulled a dagger from her belt and swam bravely forward, determined to kill him and put a stop to this annual horror. But as she drew close to the form, dagger drawn, ready to fight, she saw that it was neither man nor dragon. Instead, she found a wooden statue of Hojo Takatoki, the wicked warlord who had banished her father.

At first, Tokoyo was angry and thought to thrust her dagger at the wooden statue, but she realized that would serve no purpose. Then she puzzled over the statue for a while, wondering who had made it, why it was here in this sea-cave, and what to do with her find. Presently, she decided to take it to back to the priest on the cliffs above to ask him these questions. She pulled off her corded belt and tied it around the statue. It was waterlogged and heavy, but she was sure she could bring it back to the shore.

Tokoyo had made her way back outside the cave when Yofune-Nushi came forth from the depths of his home. Sure that this was his annual tribute, Yofune-Nushi charged hungrily towards Tokoyo. But Tokoyo stood firm, gripping her dagger tightly. As the dragon's advance came within a few feet of her, she stepped aside suddenly. The dragon's momentum sent his massive figure hurtling past her. She stabbed fiercely at his head and her blade sank deep into the dragon's right eye.

The dragon bellowed in pain, and turned to retreat back into the darkness of its cave. But Tokoyo blocked his retreat, slashing again and again with her dagger, killing the monstrous creature. She stood looking at the lifeless, bloody form of the dragon and she knew she needed to bring it to show to the priest if she was to stop this dreadful annual ceremony. She tied one end of her sash around the dragon's body and the other to the strange wooden statue that she had found, and slowly, she swam back to the foot of the cliff with these items dragging out behind her.

Although Tokoyo had been in the sea for nearly a half-hour, the priest and the young girl were still on the top of the cliff, staring down into the sea when Toyoko came up out of the water. The girl cried out that it was Tokoyo, not Yofune-Nushi, who had broken the water's surface below them. "Look! She still has my white robe! And it appears that she has a man and a large fish with her. Whatever can this mean?" But the priest did not hear the girl's question for he was scrambling down the rocks to the water's edge to help Tokoyo and her cargo.

The warlord Hojo Takatoki had been suffering with some mysterious malady that the doctors of this time could not diagnose or cure. When he heard the news of Tokoyo's adventure in the dragon's cave, he was sure that his illness had been the result of some evil dragon's curse. In gratitude, Hojo Takatoki ordered the immediate release of Oribe of Shima from his prison cell. Father and daughter were joyously reunited and returned to their home in Shima Province.

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DOBRYNYA AND THE DRAGON

SOME FOLKS SAY that Dobrynya Nikitich was more than merely a mythical hero, that he was an historic warlord and a leader of the army under Sviatoslav the Great, famous warrior prince of the late 10th century. Although the historic people in this folktale are recognizable among the factual histories of the region known today as Russia and the Ukraine, the dragon (and therefore this story) is still considered mythical.

The area's ancient oral stories, called the Byliny, began the tale with Dobrynya's mother warning him not to go to the Sorochinsk Mountains and not to bathe in the Puchai River. Of course, ignoring his mother's words, Dobrynya Nikitich did both of these things.

While Dobrynya was bathing in the Puchai River, the dragon Zmaj Gorynych appeared and challenged him. Zmaj Gorynych was a great, green fire-breathing dragon who had made her nest in a cavern near that part of the Sorochinsk Mountains. Unarmed, Dobrynya was sure that he was doomed. But the story told that Dobrynya swam for the far shore where, miraculously, he found a wizard's cap on the river bank. Snatching up the hat, Dobrynya turned back to Zmaj Gorynych and was about to slice the dragon's head off. In desperation, Zmaj Gorynych pleaded with Dobrynya to allow her to live, vowing never to terrorize the humans of the region again. Dobrynya relented and spared her life, negotiating something of a nonaggression pact between the two of them. The dragon flew off while Dobrynya Nikitich returned to Kiev. There he was acclaimed a hero and made a "bogatyr" or Holy Knight of the Realm.

The dragon Zmaj Gorynych abducted the lovely princess Zabava, niece of Prince Vladimir. When Prince Vladimir heard of Dobrynya Nikitich's earlier encounter with the dragon, he summoned the bogatyr and made him an offer he couldn't refuse -- rescue the Princess Zabava or forfeit his life.

Dobrynya returned to his mother's house. There she gave him a silken whip, saying "Take the old mare and, when she grows weary, draw this silken whip across the horse's flanks." So Dobrynya rode off on the old mare to the Puchai River in the Sorochinsk Mountains to confront the dragon once more.

Once Dobrynya had reached the lair of Zmaj Gornynych, the bogatyr found a brood of many young dragons inside the cavern. He had slaughtered many of the offspring when an angry Zmaj Gornynych confronted him. The battle raged for three days between these two old foes. Every time the old mare would grow weary, Dobrynya would pull the silken whip across the horse's flanks and the horse would be miraculously revitalized to continue the fight. At the end of the third day, Zmaj Gornynych lay dead on the ground in a vast pool of her own blood. But the dragon's blood would not seep into the ground and Dobrynya and his horse found themselves stuck in the muddy pool of blood. Dobrynya plunged his spear into the earth and boldly commanded the earth to absorb the dragon's blood. With that, the blood was swallowed by the earth. Dobrynya rescued the fair princess Zabava and returned to Kiev to a great hero's welcome.

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THE LEGEND OF BOOBERA LAGOON

SOME FOLKS SAY that dragons are fictional composites of everything that scares us. This story from the native Dreamtime legends of Australia considers the idea of what would be scary to a dragon. Here are the traditional elements of dragon lore (dragon terrorizes community, local hero confronts the beast, etc.) but with its own unique twist.

The Boobera Lagoon lies in the eastern Australian state of Queensland. In the depths of Boobera Lagoon lived a great water-dragon the natives called Kurrea (or Garriya). In some accounts, Kurrea is depicted as a Rainbow Serpent; in others he is described as being more like a crocodile or lizard. Aboriginal legends hold that Kurrea came to Boobera Lagoon from the Yetman region, south of Boobera Lagoon, and that he took the daughter of the Bambul tree for his wife.

For many years, Kurrea lived in the depths of the swampy lagoon, feasting on the fish, mussels and waterfowl of the habitat. The men of the region could not swim in the lagoon, nor fish from its banks, nor paddle their canoes into the lagoon to hunt the ducks or swans without Kurrea coming up from the depths to devour them. This was a great problem for the local population that they were prohibited from hunting or gathering food from around the Boobera Lagoon for fear of the great Kurrea, and they cried out for someone to rid them of this dreaded beast.

Dhulalla was a great warrior from the Noona on the Barwon, and the people asked him if he would kill this dangerous dragon before it devoured them all. Bravely, Dhulalla went to the southern bank of the lagoon early one morning with his best spears and clubs, and peered into the black waters for any signs of Kurrea. And soon the dragon did come up to confront Dhulalla.

Dhulalla threw his finest spear as hard as he could, but it bounced off the dragon and the great Kurrea was unharmed. Dhulalla threw another spear and another, he threw his club at the beast and one by one each weapon bounced harmlessly off the beast's strong skin until all Dhulalla's armaments were gone. Then Kurrea charged, its fiery eyes blazing.

The great beast plowed through the land in much the same way as it travelled through the water, creating troughs of earth and water as it went, displacing the earth like waves of water breaking against the bow of a boat, and in this fashion Kurrea was able to cross the land yet still remain in the water. Dhulalla ran for his life. Although Dhulalla was fast, the monster was gaining on him as they raced across the plain.

Ahead, Dhulalla saw the Bambul tree standing at the edge of the plain. He raced as fast as his feet would go towards the tree, with the furious monster chasing intently behind him. Dhulalla leaped onto the Bambul tree and clung tightly to its trunk. Kurrea suddenly saw his mother-in-law and, startled, he stopped abruptly. Then he bellowed, turned sharply and burrowed head-first deep into the earth. The hole he left filled with water. When no ripples remained in the water-hole, Dhulalla let go of the Bambul tree and stood up.

The trenches Kurrea had dug fill with water each year during the wet season. But the great dragon has never bothered the people of the region again, although it is said that he lives there still. The local people, however, still keep the law and no one goes near the lagoon or even along the banks after sundown, lest Kurrea be tempted from the depths once more.

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ILLUYANKA & TARHUN

SOME FOLKS SAY that the Hittite god of storms and the weather was named Tarhun, while other accounts call him Taru, Tarhunt and Teshub. The ancient Hittite people lived in the lands that were part of Ancient Mesopotamia, now present-day Syria in the Middle East. In the folklore of these ancient Hittites, Illuyanka was a ferocious serpent dragon with multiple heads. There are several different versions of the story of Illuyanka, this one dates to approximately 1,000 B.C. This myth was traditionally retold every year on New Year's Day.

The Weather God slays Illuyanka (shown with Sarruma on far left) from the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, Ankara, Turkey

According to Hittite mythology, the Storm God Tarhun fought with Illuyanka and the great dragon defeated the Storm God. The dragon took the god's eyes and heart and Tarhun became powerless. Despondent, Tarhun lived a simple, quiet life and took the daughter of poor farmer for his wife. Together they raised a son they called Sarruma. When Sarruma grew up, Tarhun arranged that Sarruma should court and marry the daughter of the great dragon, Illuyanka.

Tarhun instructed his son to ask his bride-to-be for the Storm God's eyes and heart from her father, the great Illuyanka, as a wedding gift. These were given to Sarruma who carried the eyes and the heart back to Tarhun. When he received these, Tarhun was restored to his powers as the Weather God and immediately set out to find and confront his adversary, Illuyanka. There was a second great struggle and this time Tarhun vanquished the dragon.

But Sarruma realized that he had been used. When Tarhun defeated Illuyanka, Sarruma begged his father, the Great Storm God, to take his life along with Illuyanka, the great dragon. Tarhun finally relented and killed his own son alongside Illuyanka in a great storm of rain and lightning.

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CHINESE ASTROLOGY: THE DRAGON

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PRINCE CADMUS

SOME FOLKS SAY that the Phoenician Prince Cadmus introduced the alphabet to the Ancient Greeks. Most traditional Greek mythology and folklore say that Prince Cadmus founded the ancient Greek city-state of Thebes. But neither one of these accomplishments (whether true or fabled) was part of his original goal, or so the story goes ...

King Agenor, Cadmus's father, sent his sons to find and rescue his missing daughter, their sister, the beautiful Europa. But Europa had been abducted and carried away by Zeus (a notorious womanizer). Prince Cadmus and his men searched unsuccessfully. Finally, Cadmus consulted the famous Oracle of Delphi for a clue to his sister's whereabouts. The Oracle of Delphi told Cadmus to abandon his search for his sister, for he would never see her again. Instead, the Oracle gave Cadmus a different quest along with some very curious instructions. Just outside the temple, the Oracle of Delphi said, Cadmus would find a white cow. He and his men should follow the cow until she lay down. There, on that spot, Cadmus was to build a great city.

If Cadmus thought these instructions were bizarre, his finding a cow outside the temple would have seemed only too uncanny. In those days, the Oracle's prophecies were considered to be divinely inspired so Cadmus would have taken these weird directions quite seriously, a message from the gods. And so it was that Prince Cadmus and his men followed the cow wherever she would wander over many hills until, at last, the cow lay down to rest in a circle of shady trees.

Prince Cadmus and his men heard the distinct sounds of a babbling spring nearby, and Cadmus sent his men to fetch some water while he made ready to sacrifice the cow to the glory of Athena. His men never returned and presently Cadmus went to see what had delayed them. He found their bloody and mangled bodies beside the spring, victims of the spring's guardian dragon. As Prince Cadmus bent over to inspect the bodies of his fallen comrades, the golden-crested dragon confronted him, its eyes flashing fire, its three rows of razor sharp teeth still dripping with blood.

Cadmus drew his sword, fearful that the dragon would kill and eat him, too. But the guardian dragon was sleepy and sluggish, filled with his recent meal, and Cadmus plunged his sword deep into the creature's jaws. Black blood spewed forth and the dragon bellowed in rage and pain, then died.

Cadmus and Dragon in The Louvre

Although victorious against the dragon, Cadmus was now without men to help him build his new city. The goddess Athena appeared to him and instructed him to remove the dragon's teeth and plant them in the earth. This Cadmus did and men emerged from the ground, sprouting from each spot where Cadmus had sowed the dragon's teeth. Here was a miraculous crop of fully grown warriors in battle attire.

The warriors fell upon each other, fighting viciously, and most were killed. Five of the men survived the conflict and pledged their loyalty and allegiance to Prince Cadmus. These men were called Spartes which means "Sown Men" and they helped to build a great city, called "Cadmeia" in honor of Prince Cadmus, but later came to be known as Thebes.

But the dragon had been sacred to Ares, the God of War, something Athena had failed to mention while instructing Prince Cadmus to take the dragon's teeth. Ares was displeased when he found that Cadmus had slain his dragon that he has set to guard the spring. So Cadmus had to appease an angry god, which would surely be no small feat. But that is the subject of a different story.

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BEOWULF FIGHTS A DRAGON

SOME FOLKS SAY that the meeting between Bilbo Baggins the Hobbit and Smaug the Dragon in J.R.R.Tolkien's book "The Hobbit" (1937) was drawn from the eighth century A.D. epic poem of "Beowulf." Although "Beowulf" was the first epic poem written in English, the story was set in lands that are now part of modern-day Sweden.

King Beowulf had defeated many monsters but his final confrontation was with a great fire-breathing dragon that was pillaging the countryside. This dragon had slept beneath the ground in a remote cave for hundreds of years without disturbing the farmers and country folks of the region. All that changed one day because of a faithless servant.

The servant had stolen some money from his master and was running away to avoid justice. In his flight, the thief sought refuge in a cave. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness inside the cave, the servant thought he saw a dim glow of fire from the back of the cave. Investigating, the servant discovered a monstrous dragon sleeping soundly on a most unusual bed of gold and jewels. The flickering light of the fire from the beast's nostrils revealed a great treasure of golden coins, of magnificent swords and helmets, of rings set with grand jewels, of goblets and ornate bowls. Thinking to regain his master's favor, the servant picked up a single golden goblet from the dragon's hoard and ran back to his master's castle.

That evening when the dragon awoke, the creature noticed the theft immediately. In a great rage, the beast flew out of the cave, breathing fire on the villages and farms. The dragon wreaked his vengeance night after night, burning and killing in blind hatred and anger.

Although King Beowulf was now an old man, he knew what needed to be done. He had fought monsters before. He ordered his armorer to make his a special metal shield to help protect against the dragon's fiery breath. Beowulf gathered his bravest men together and set out to confront the dreaded beast, forcing the faithless servant to lead them to the remote lair. Beowulf ordered the men to stand back as he entered the dragon's lair alone. He called to the fire-dragon to come and meet him in battle mortal.

And the dragon did come forth to confront Beowulf. The king struck at the wicked lizard with his sword but he could not pierce the tough, scaly skin. The dragon exhaled a blast of fire at Beowulf, engulfing the king in a blaze. The shield held, but Beowulf's face was blackened by the flames. Again and again the king swung his battle sword at the dragon, but still the blade hacked harmlessly at the beast's neck and chest. Watching this vicious battle, the king's men shrank back and were afraid.

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DRAGON TROUBLE AT KRAKOW CASTLE

SOME FOLKS SAY that King Krak did not know he was building his castle atop a dragon's cave. Other versions of this story say that the good king knew but was so enchanted with the lovely green hills and the beautiful Vistula River flowing by that he vowed to build his castle in this beautiful place anyway. Perhaps the king thought that the green speckled egg was just a strange looking rock. Or perhaps he thought it would never hatch.

Whatever he knew or when he knew it, King Krak built his castle on the beautiful Wawel Hill near the Vistula River in southern Poland. Soon, a bustling marketplace sprang up beside the castle wall and around the prospering marketplace grew a thriving town of bright houses. Beyond were farmers growing crops and tending livestock on the rolling hills. Life in the region around Krakow Castle was good and, looking out from his castle, the king was very pleased.

But the egg did hatch! One morning there was a loud C-R-R-A-C-K-K! and out crawled a baby dragon. Life in the region took a turn for the worse. The dragon's fiery breath burned the crops of the fields. The livestock became the dragon's food, as did small children or young maidens foolish enough to wander out alone. The merchants of the marketplace were afraid and closed their shops. The king was distraught and sent his valiant knights out to rid the countryside of this pest. But none prevailed against this dragon.

In despair, King Krak cried out for someone to purge his kingdom of this devastating creature. Finally, a young man named Skuba Dratewka, a shoemaker from a little hut on the edge of the town came to the castle to speak with the king. Under his arm, Skuba carried a sheepskin which he had stitched together to look like a sheep. Inside, under the fleece, he had tightly packed the sheep's body full with sulfur. The king quickly realized the plan and ordered the shoemaker's sheep to be placed in the fields alongside some live sheep near the dragon's cave.

When the dragon came out to rampage and pillage, the evil creature quickly saw the grazing sheep and headed straight for them. Gulp, gulp, gulp and the sheep were swallowed up.

Presently, the dragon began to bellow and writhe. With a swish of his huge tail, the beast raced to the river to drink some of the water to extinguish his growing thirst and soothe the mounting pain in his belly. Skuba Dratewka and King Krak, watching from the castle, looked at each other and nodded. From the riverbank, they could hear the dragon's screams and see the glow of the gushing blazes from its fiery throat. Then a huge explosion could be heard all over the village and there was silence.

The villagers stuck their heads out of their houses to see what had caused the explosion. The news spread quickly, "Hooray! The dragon is dead!"

As the joyous celebration poured out onto the street, King Krak turned to the shoemaker standing by his side and put his hand on the man's shoulder. "What can I give you to thank you for this great deed you have done for all of us?" the king asked him.

Skuba thought for a moment, and then asked the king for the dragon's hide. Surprised, the king immediately granted his request. He also ordered that the shoemaker's house and shop should be moved to a much better location in the marketplace, right beside the castle gate. Skuba, the shoemaker, took the dragon's hide and made shoes and boots from every scrap. The strong hide that had turned back the lances of the king's brave knights now made sturdy boots and shoes for the working people of the kingdom. These boots brought great fame and wealth to Skuba Dratewka, the shoemaker and dragon-slayer.

In some tellings of this legend, the shoemaker was named Krak, he married the princess as a reward for slaying the dragon and then ascended to the throne after the death of the existing king. However you prefer this legend, it is still a wildly popular tale in Poland. If you ever have the opportunity to visit Krakow, the old capital of Poland, stop by and see the dragon's cave and statue that still stand today to commemorate this ancient folktale.

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THE MONK AND THE MONKEY

SOME FOLKS SAY that Marco Polo is the most famous traveler to traverse the Silk Road, the ancient trade route between China and Turkey. But most folks in the region remember Hsuan-zang, the Buddhist monk who made a famous pilgrimage from China to India along parts of the Silk Road in the seventh century AD.

The wind blew hard as Hsuan-zang labored up the steep mountain path. But the monk had no thoughts of turning back for he was on a sacred pilgrimage. Traveling with Hsuan-zang was his faithful white horse and one very mischievous monkey. Monkey Hanuman was quick and clever, but was known to be rude to everyone, even the Jade Emperor.

Years before, the Jade Emperor had locked up Monkey Hanuman for his impudence. But the gods had asked the Emperor to let Monkey out to accompany the monk on his pilgrimage. Monkey Hanuman had been frisking about since they set out, so happy to be free again, and his enthusiasm had helped keep his master's spirits lighter on this arduous trek.

This cold morning, the travelers came upon a rushing river, racing down the steep slope they had just climbed. As Hsuan-zang was looking around for a place to cross the roaring waters, a huge dragon came up out of the river and headed towards them. The monk stared in numb amazement, but quick-witted Monkey hastily pushed his master back from the river's edge. Monkey Hanuman scampered back to save the white horse but was too late. The dragon swallowed the dumbfounded horse in a single gulp.

The travelers were mourning this serious loss when the Golden Guardian Spirit spoke to them from above the high clouds, saying "Don't be upset for your cause is blessed and I am here to help you."

The monk immediately fell on his knees and bowed low before the spirit, but Monkey Hanuman was angry and shook his fist at the sky. "You say you are here to help? You haven't been much help so far! But if you want to help, stay here and watch over this good monk while I retrieve his horse from that wicked river dragon." And with that, Monkey tightened his belt, picked up a stout club and marched resolutely down to the river's edge.

"Give me back my horse!" Monkey Hanuman called to the River Dragon.

The dragon was digesting his breakfast and was displeased to be disturbed. He came to the water's surface and demanded in a booming voice, "Who are you and why do you make so much noise?"

"Give me back my horse!" Monkey Hanuman shouted again and swung his club hard at the dragon's head. The dragon slashed at the monkey with his long, fearsome claws. Monkey darted aside and bashed at the dragon with his club. The dragon snapped his terrible teeth at Monkey. Monkey swung again and again. The awful fight was long and fierce. Finally, exhausted and annoyed, the dragon retreated below the waters and would not come back despite Monkey's shouts.

So Monkey Hanuman returned to Hsuan-zang on the river bank with the sad news that he had failed to retrieve the horse. The monk was despondent but the Golden Guardian Spirit spoke to Monkey, "Have you not boasted many times that you could defeat dragons? So what is the problem now?"

Monkey Hanuman marched back down to the river's edge and the Golden Guardian Spirit stirred up the waters into a mighty swirling pool. The river dragon came up and demanded of Monkey Hanuman, "Who are you and why do you disturb the waters of the river?"

"Give me back my horse!" Monkey Hanuman shouted again, dancing around and swinging his club. Again the dragon and the monkey fought an awful fight. The dragon slashed at Monkey with his ferocious claws and Monkey slid away to avoid each hacking blow.

The dragon bit at Monkey Hanuman with his sharp teeth and growled, "How do you expect me to give you back the horse that I have already eaten?"

But Monkey Hanuman replied, "I will beat you with this club until you figure out a way, you miserable thief, to GIVE ... BACK ... MY ... HORSE!" but the dragon, weary of the battle and seeing little chance of catching and eating the monkey, changed himself into a small green snake and slithered away in the tall grass by the river. The monkey beat the grass with his club, but could not find the snake.

Returning to Hsuan-zang and the Golden Guardian Spirit on the river bank, Monkey Hanuman asked the Golden Guardian Spirit, "Where is my master's horse now?"

The Golden Guardian Spirit was perplexed. "I did not know you had a master. I have never known Monkey Hanuman to obey anyone."

"This is a sacred pilgrimage and I have been sent by the gods to help this good monk along his way. It is my duty to serve him on this journey. Now our undertaking is in danger of failing because of this cursed dragon. Tell me what you know of this dragon," Monkey retorted.

"The dragon is new in these parts. There never used to be a dragon in this river until recently. It is said that he was put here by Kuan Yin." The Golden Guardian Spirit's words troubled Monkey Hanuman. If Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy, had placed this dragon here, great powers were involved indeed.

"Could you please ask Kuan Yin to come here and speak to us about this dragon?" Monkey Hanuman asked the Golden Guardian Spirit. Then, remembering that spirits have a different sense of time, Monkey imagined that he and Hsuan-zang could be frozen or starved or both before the Golden Guardian Spirit returned, and added, "I would appreciate it if you could bring her right away."

With a sudden rustling of wind, the Golden Guardian Spirit was gone. Hsuan-zang and Monkey Hanuman sat down side by side on the river bank. A few minutes later, there was a flash of bright light and Kuan Yin appeared before the two travelers.

Monkey was in a foul temper and started to shout, "What is the meaning of this? You should be helping us and instead you put this dreadful beast in our path. Now we have no horse and no one knows what we are going to do."

Kuan Yin smiled slightly and turned to the rushing water, calling called out, "Come out, Third Son of the Great Dragon King, for I would speak with you!" and the dragon came out of the waters and bowed to Kuan Yin. Softly, she asked the dragon, "Is it true? Have you eaten the horse of this holy pilgrim?"

The dragon looked a bit sullen and said, "It's true that I was hungry earlier this morning and I did eat a horse that stood beside the river's edge. Then this monkey came and fought me because of it. But no one said anything about a holy pilgrim."

Kuan Yin nodded and asked, "Did you ask his name?"

"NO!" cried the monkey, jumping up and down.

"Yes, I did ask," the dragon answered Kuan Yin, looking only briefly at the chattering monkey. "I asked who was here and got no answer. This noisy monkey just kept complaining about the horse and trying to hit me with a club."

Then Kuan Yin turned to Hsuan-zang and said, "I have placed this dragon here to help you on your journey. You have crossed the desert and climbed this high mountain, but your passage is far from over. No ordinary horse would be able to make the perilous crossing that you must now undertake." She turned to the dragon and removed a jewel from under his chin. She placed her hands on either side of his great head and blew gently into the dragon's nostrils. The dragon transformed from head to toe into a horse that looked just like the one that had stood on the river bank earlier that day. "And now," Kuan Yin spoke to the dragon, "if you behave yourself and serve this good man well, and if you stop eating what doesn't belong to you, I will promise you shall become an enlightened creature at this journey's end." (In the Buddhist faith, everyone wants to become an enlightened creature.)

So the dragon-horse bowed low to Kuan Yin and vowed that he would do all that he was told. Kuan Yin admonished Monkey Hanuman that he was on a serious pilgrimage and should not be carousing and picking fights all around the countryside. She turned to Hsuan-zang and bade him good fortune on his journey. Then she vanished in a flash of light, just as she had come.

The goddess was correct that there were many more perils and adventures for Hsuan-zang and his monkey companion. But those tales are the subjects of other stories. This one, I believe, is at its end.

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GEORGE AND THE DRAGON

SOME FOLKS SAY that St. George the Dragon-slayer, the patron saint of England, is a third century adventurer named George of Cappadocia. Others insist that history has muddled two different men whose only connection is a shared name, and that their confrontations with dragons were two totally separate events.

The city of Cappadocia lay in Eastern Turkey. Some versions of this story depict George of Cappadocia as a Roman soldier and a member of the Imperial Guard who left or was expelled from the Roman Army during the years of the persecution of Christians. George was a Christian and wore the sign of the Cross on his shield and belt buckle. Whether once a Roman soldier or not, George was an adventurer, a traveler, and a soldier of fortune who rode throughout the Middle East. One day, he came upon a city named Silene in the region of present day Libya west of Egypt.

The city of Silene had been beset by a dragon. The beast had come out of the bleak hills outside the city and taken up residence in a large lake. At first, the dragon feasted on the sheep, cattle and goats that grazed on the hills around the city. But as the herds and flocks dwindled, the creature also began eating the shepherds, goat tenders and wanderers. In time, there was no more livestock for the dragon to eat and the creature started coming up to the gates of the city in search of its food.

In fear and panic, the city elders devised a horrifying plan to appease the dragon. The names of all the children in the city were placed into a terrible lottery. Each morning, a name was drawn and the luckless child was taken out of the city and left beside the dragon's lake. In this way, the city elders conspired to feed the dragon and keep the evil creature away from the city.

One day, the name of the King's own daughter was drawn. The king pleaded for the young girl's life, offering his gold and jewels if anyone would take her place. But it was of no use. No one would agree. And so it was that the princess herself, dressed as a beautiful bride, was taken out of the city and tied to a rock beside the dragon's lake.

Here George found the princess, sobbing helplessly, waiting for the dragon to come and devour her. He drew his mighty sword, Ascalon, to cut the ropes that bound her. Even as George rushed to rescue her, the trembling princess told him to pass on by or the dragon would kill him, too. George refused to go, declaring boldly, "In the name of Jesus Christ, I will save you!"

George rode down to the water's edge and awaited the coming of the dreaded beast. When the dragon emerged, George charged forward with his sword aloft. He struck at the creature and the dragon immediately stopped fighting. George cut the princess free from the rock and commanded her to tie her silken belt around the dragon's neck. Together, George leading his faithful horse and the princess leading the wounded dragon returned to the gates of Silene.

The people were frightened and amazed to see this peculiar procession approaching the city. Standing before the gates of the city, George declared in a booming voice that the mighty power of Jesus Christ had delivered them from this evil dragon. If the inhabitants of the town would convert to Christianity and agree to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, George continued, he would kill the dragon that had terrorized their city for so long. It was said that 15,000 men were baptized that day and the king built a Christian church on the very spot where the dragon was slain.

But the town of Silene has since been lost to history as has the site of the church the king built. Perhaps George was not quite as successful at ridding the region of dragons as the historic legends and stories suggest.

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LAMBDON'S DRAGON

SOME FOLKS SAY that dragons are four-legged creatures with sharp claws and big bat wings. But Lambdon's dragon was a wicked worm.

In the olden days of dragons, a young boy lived in the Northumberland region of Northern England. This lazy lad enjoyed fishing in the river. One day, he had caught several fine fish for his supper and one very unpleasant looking worm. On his way home in the afternoon, Lambdon was admiring his catch and tossed the inedible serpent creature down the village well. He continued on home and thought no more about it.

The years passed, as they always do. The serpent-dragon grew in the bottom of the village well. Lambdon grew, too, and to everyone's delight, he grew out of his indolent ways. Lambdon grew into a fine young man and, as all fine young men did in those days, he went to fight in the Crusades. All the while, the monster continued to grow in the bottom of the well.

One day, the fiend emerged from the well and slithered back to the river. There it grew larger and larger and became the terror of the countryside, feasting on any luckless creatures that crossed its path. The dragon ravaged through the village and finally made its way to Lambdon Hall. With the instructions from the chief steward, the household was prepared. The largest feed trough was set in the castle yard and filled to the brim with milk. The dragon drank every drop of the milk and slithered away satisfied, only to return the next day. The trough was filled every day and, if the serpent was not satiated with enough milk, the creature would tear trees from the ground and go rampaging through the region, devouring any living being it encountered, creating mayhem and spreading fear among the residents.

In this way, the castle was visited daily by the dragon and the countryside continued to suffer for many years until Lambdon returned from the Crusades. With sudden horror, he recognized that the devastation throughout the countryside was caused by the ugly worm he had caught in the river and cast into the well many years before. Courageously, Lambdon vowed that he would rid the castle of this ghastly guest and restore peace to his homeland.

But Lambdon had a plan. He went straight away to the armorer and arranged for a new suit of armor. This new suit of armor was studded all about with blades and spikes sticking out like a hedgehog's coat. And it was in this new suit of armor that Lambdon strode out to face the dragon, his sword gleaming in the early morning sun.

The dragon was furious that there was no milk and turned his full wrath upon the knight who confronted him in the castle yard. Lambdon struck at the monster's head with his sword, but the wily and wicked worm wound his tail around the knight's legs, then around his chest, intent on squeezing the life out of the valiant warrior.

The serpent dragon squeezed and squeezed, wrapping its long coils tighter and tighter around the knight. But the harder the dragon constricted around Lambdon, the more the spikes began to tear into the monster's flesh. The spikes sank deeper and deeper and the blood gushed forth. In pain and anger, the dragon bellowed its rage and coiled tighter around Lambdon until ultimately it had torn itself to pieces on the blades and spikes in the armor. As the dying dragon's grasp weakened, Lambdon chopped off the creature's head with one strong blow from his sword. All the servants in the castle ran out into the yard and began snatching up the pieces of the dreaded dragon that had terrorized them for so many years. With Lambdon leading the way, the bits and pieces of the dragon's flesh were carried down to the rushing river and tossed into the strongest part of the current, where they were swept away forever.

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