Why You Should Read 'The Reluctant Dragon'
A very short and often sweet reimagining of a familiar legend
While the history of Saint George himself is scant, the legend of George and his encounter with the dragon has been reimagined for centuries. Indeed, the legend has become archetypal of a brave knights, damsels in distress, and more. And The Reluctant Dragon is an appropriately short re-telling of this familiar mythology, sweetly told with a high sense of fidelity to the rules of childhood logic.
Taking life and stories as they come, children can accept that an ominous looking cave should be the home of a dragon; and that a knight is required to battle such a dragon.
“Now dragon, dragon;’ said the Boy, imploringly, ‘don’t be perverse and wrongheaded. You’ve got to fight him some time or other, you know, ’cos he’s St George and you’re the dragon. Better get it over, and then we can go on with the sonnets.”
And it is within those humorous confines of societal expectations that Kenneth Grahame shines. Grahame again proves himself to be a gifted storyteller, and here his work is again wonderfully illustrated by Winnie-the-Pooh artist E.H. Shepard. If for no other reason, fans of The Wind in the Willows have full license to delight in their reunion.
