Fierce burning of the sun
Glint'd off the dragon's eye
Smoldered a ferocious hunger
That man nor beast could satisfy.
Tormented by the growing need
He uprooted towns
Killing and consuming much
But the hunger only did rebound.
And so was called the council
To slay the wretched beast
An act of mercy, concluded they,
Ending its endless need for meat.
Seven knights had there been
All wore armor and a sword
Three with rapiers quick and darting
And three with long claymore abhored.
Their leader had Excalibur
King Arthur be his name
For a dragon tear he sought
For pommel of his sword, the same.
And ventured on, so did they
To the lair where the beast lay
It slept, but only so they thought
It slept only at noon, as it ought.
The dragon reared with fire and a roar
And two knights fled in terror
For it was most giant beast
To seek it was their error.
Scales dark as a shadowed forest
Eyes like emeralds unyielding
Arthur was an ant beside
Such power of the sealing.
Arthur trembled, but Excalibur leapt
Into the mouth of the dragon,
Up, up, up, it swept,
And the beast was ruined.
It toppled over, shaking the earth
And gazed at fright'd man
It shed a glimmering emerald tear
And died in a weeping man's hands.
