Atlasthedecidedhewouldtrytofindhiswaybacktotheshore。Herealizednoianwouldneverhavesailedawayahim。Ahatsomehoworotherhewouldbeabletomakepeopleuand>
&ookalongdrinkandthen（Iknowthissoundsshog，butitisn'tifyouthienearlyallthedeaddragon。Hewashalf-waythroughitbeforeherealizedwhathewasdoing;for，yousee，thoughhismindwasthemiace，histastesandhisdigestionish。Ahingadragonlikessowellasfreshdragon。Thatiswhyyousoseldomfihanoniy。
&uroclimboutofthevalley。Hebegantheclimbandassoonashejumpedhefoundthathewasflyiefottenabouthiswingsanditrisetohim—thefirstpleasantsurprisehehadhadftime。Herosehighintotheairandsawiain-topsspreadoutbehhiminthemoonlight。Hecouldseethebaylikeasilverslabareaderlyingatanpfirestwinklinginthewoodsbesidethebeaagreatheighthelaunchedhimselfdowntowardtheminasingleglide。
LucyingverysoundlyforshehadsatuptillthereturnofthesearchpartyinhopeofgoodEustace。Ithadbeenledbydhadebadweary。Theirnewswasdisquieting。Theyhadfoundacebuthadseenadeaddragoniriedtomakethebestofitandeveryoneassuredeveryoherewereonsabout，andthatonewhichwasdeadataboutthreeo'clockthatafternoon（hentheyhadseenit）wouldhardlyhavebeenkillingpeopleaveryfewhoursbefore。
ðelittlebratanddiedofhim:he'dpoisonanything，”saidRhihesaidthisunderhisbreatha。
ButlateriLucywaswakely，andfoundthewholepaogetherandtalkinginwhispers。
“Whatisit?”saidLucy。
&allshowgreatcy，”wassaying。“Adragonhasjustflowopsahebeach。Yes，Iamafraiditisbetweenusandtheship。Andarrowsaredragons。Andthey'renotatallafraidoffire。”
“WithyourMajesty'sleave—”beganReepicheep。
“No，Reepicheep，”saidtheKingveryfirmly，“youarenottoattemptasiwithit。AndunlessyoupromisetoobeymeinthismatterI'llhaveyoutiedup。Wemustjustkeepclosewatd，assoonasitislight，godowntothebeadgiveitbattle。Iwilllead。KingEdmundwillbehtandtheLordDriniaherearenemewillbelightinacoupleofhours。Inanhour'stimeletamealbeservedoutandwhatisleftofthewihily。”
&willgoaway，”saidLucy。
“It'llbeworseifitdoes，”saidEdmuhenweshan'tkis。Ifthere'saintheroomIliketobeabletoseeit。”
&ofthenightwadreadful，ahemealcame，thoughtheykoeat，manyfoundthattheyhadverypoorappetites。Andendlesshoursseemedtopassbeforethedarkhinnedandbirdsbeganghereahewotdwetterthanithadbeenallnightandsaid，“Nowforit，friends。”
&up，alln，ahemselvesintoasolidmasswithLuthemiddleandReepihershoulder。Itwashewaitingaboutandeveryofonderofeveryoordinarytimes。Amomeheyweremarg。Itgrewlighterastheycametotheedgeofthewood。Ahesalizard，oraflexiblecrocodile，oraserpentwithlegs，hugeandhorribleandhumpy，laythedragon。
Butwhenitsawthem，insteadupandblowingfireahedragoed—youostsayitwaddled—batotheshallowsofthebay。
“What'sitwaggihatfor?”saidEdmund。
“Andnowit'snodding，”said。
“Andthere'ssomethingitseyes，”saidDrinian。
“Oh，'tyousee，”saidLucy。“It&#。Thosearetears。”
“Ishouldn'ttrusttothat，Ma'am，”saidDrinian。“That'swhatcrocodilesdo，toputyouuard。”
“Itwaggeditsheadwhenyousaidthat，”remarkedEdmund。“JustasifitmeantNo。Loesagain。”
“Doyouthiandswhatwe&#?”askedLucy。
Thedragosheadviolently。
ReepicheepslippedoffLucy'sshoulderahefront。
“Dragon，”camehisshrillvoiyouuandspeech?”
Thedragonnodded。
“youspeak?”
Itshookitshead。
“Then，”saidReepicheep，“itisidletoaskyouyourbusiifyouwillswearfriendshipwithusraiseyourleftfaboveyourhead。”
Itdidso，butclumsilybecausethatlegwassoreahegolde“Ohlook，”saidLucy，“there'ssomethingwrongwithitsleg。Thep—that'sprobablywhatitwasgabout。Perhapsitcametoustobecuredlikeihelion。”
“Becareful，Lucy，”said。“It'saverycleverdragonbutitmaybealiar。”
Lucyhad，however，alreadyrunforward，followedbyReepicheep，asfastashisshscouldcarryhim，andthenofcoursetheboysandDrioo。
“Showmeyourpoorpaw，”saidLucy，“Imightbeabletocureit。”
&hat-had-beeitssladlyenough，rememberinghowLucy'scordialhadcuredhimofsea-siessbeforehebecameadragon。Butheoihemagicfluidreducedtheswellihepaiotdissolvethegold。
Everyonehadowatchthetreatment，andsuddenlyexclaimed，“Look!”Hewasstari。