"J.R.R. Tolkien - Farmer Giles of Ham" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tolkien J.R.R)

Others had already asked the same question. Indeed,
messengers were now reaching the King from the villages
most afflicted by Chrysophylax, and they said to him as
loudly and as often as they dared: `Lord, what of your
knights?'
But the knights did nothing; their knowledge of the
dragon was still quite unofficial. So the King brought the
matter to their notice, fully and formally, asking for
necessary action at their early convenience. He was greatly
displeased when he found that their convenience would
not be early at all, and was indeed daily postponed..
Yet the excuses of the knights were undoubtedly sound.
First of all, the Royal Cook had already made the Dragon's

Tail for that Christmas, being a man who believed in
getting things done in good time. It would not do at all to
offend him by bringing in a real tail at the last minute.- He
was a very valuable servant.
`Never mind the Tail! Cut his head off and put an end
to him!' cried the messengers from the villages most
nearly affected.
But Christmas had arrived, and most unfortunately a
grand tournament had been arranged for St John's Day:
knights of many realms had been invited and were coming
to compete for a valuable prize. It was obviously un-
reasonable to spoil the chances of the Midland Knights
by sending their best men off on a dragon-hunt before
the tournament was over.
After that came the New Year Holiday.
But each night the dragon had moved; and each move
had brought him nearer to Ham. On the night of Neew
Year's Day people could see a blaze in the distance. The
dragon had settled in a wood about ten miles away, and
it was burning merrily. He was a hot dragon when he felt
in the mood.
After that people began to look at Farmer Giles and
whisper behind his back. It made him very uncomfortable;
but he pretended not to notice it. The nest day the dragon
came several miles nearer. Then Farmer Giles himself
began to talk loudly of the scandal of the King's knights.
`I should like to know what they do to earn their keep,' said
he.

`So should we!' said everyone in Ham.

But the miller added: `Some men still get knighthood by
sheer merit, I am told. After all, our good Ngidius here is
already a knight in a manner of speaking.- Did not the
King send him a red letter and a sword?'