So here it is at last, the end of the story! The audio will be up very soon.
Crookback and Plunkett and the Damsel in Distress, Episode Three
In the centre of the large, damp
and rather chilly space that was Flamaban’s living room, the two wide- eyed
knights saw a large table. On one side, on a very small chair considering his
enormous size, perched Flamaban. On the opposite side sat a beautiful young
lady, who Montmerency and Percival presumed to be Marigold. On the table itself
was a big, flowery teapot, two half empty teacups sat on matching saucers, some
playing cards and a plate of pink cakes. Both Flamaban and Marigold were
smiling and appeared to be in the middle of a jovial conversation and some sort
of card game, unaware of the knights’ presence. Montmerency and Percival looked
at each other, mouths open in surprise. They looked back at the card- playing
pair and Montmerency cleared his throat to speak. ‘Erm... Excuse me?’ he began,
tentatively. ‘Are you Princess Marigold?’ The princess looked up from her tea
with a start.
‘Yes!’ she replied, ‘and who are
you?’
‘I am Montmerency Crookback, brave,
noble knight and rescuer of maidens in dragon- related trouble,’ said
Montmerency.
‘And I am Percival Plunkett, even
braver and nobler than him!’ interrupted Percival, rather over keen to make his
presence and identity known to Marigold, ‘I am here to rescue you!’
‘Well, as you can see, I am not in
any kind of dragon- related trouble and I don’t need rescuing!’ said Marigold,
briskly.
‘But I read in the newspaper that
you had been kidnapped and so I came as fast as I could to aid you, your
Majesty!’ replied the taller, skinnier knight, before Percival could speak
again.
‘It is true that Flamaban plucked
me from my horse yesterday and brought me here to his cave. When we arrived
here, I was very scared, but I soon realised that Flamaban just wanted a friend
to talk to,’ answered Marigold. ‘You see, he’s not the same as his Uncle, the
original Flamaban. He’s really very nice and makes a lovely cup of tea!’
‘Oh... Erm... So you don’t need a
brave, noble and, well, handsome knight like me to take you home on the back of
my horse?’ asked a rather put- out Percival.
‘No!’ said the princess. ‘Flamaban
said he would take me home this evening after we’ve finished this game of Snap.’
‘Why don’t you join us?’
interjected Flamaban, a small wisp of smoke leaving his gnarly mouth as he
spoke.
And so it came to be that two
knights, one tall and one short, a kind and gentle dragon and a beautiful
princess ended up drinking tea, playing snap, talking and laughing until night
fell on that day. Montmerency won outright, discovering surprisingly fast
reflexes during the card game. Flamaban amazed them all with his fire-
breathing prowess, lighting small torches to allow them to see inside the cave
as dusk fell. Percival ate several of Flamaban’s special Snapdragon Cakes,
declaring them quite delicious. And Marigold, who the previous day had feared
for her life as the dragon had flown her high over the kingdom to his lair,
laughed at the two knights as they engaged in their usual banter, watched
Flamaban enjoying himself and sipped her tea, feeling very happy indeed.
Later that evening, if you had been
at the Royal Castle, you would have seen a huge dragon swooping down to land on
the roof and one small princess climb off his back, kiss his nose and skip away
down the stairs. You would have seen her father, King Anthony, cry tears of joy
at her safe return and listen intently to her tale of the kind dragon who was
now her friend and the funny old eccentric knights that she had met, who she
planned to visit the following week. If you had been at the bridge between the
homes of Montmerency and Percival, you would have laughed at the two knights,
returning home by moonlight on slow, sauntering horses, bickering and arguing
over who would have rescued Marigold more successfully, if indeed she had
needed rescuing after all. And if you had been at Flamaban’s cave, you would
have seen him return home, blow out the torches that lit his cave and settle
down into a peaceful happy sleep, knowing that, at last, he had made not just
one friend, but three.
There are many other tales to tell
of Montmerency, Percival, Marigold and Flamaban. Their adventures were only
just beginning. The story of how their friendships grew, how Flamaban’s
reputation in the kingdom changed forever and Dragon Day was named in his
honour, how they vanquished the troll who came to live under the bridge, how
they came face to face with a Banshee in the forest... But we will have to save
those stories for another day, because for our heroes and for us too, it is
time for bed.
Goodnight.
