a sure footing in society. The Boy was happy
because there had been a fight, and in spite of it all his two friends
were on the best of terms. And all the others were happy because there
had been a fight, and--well, they didn't require any other reasons for
their happiness. The dragon exerted himself to say the right thing to
everybody, and proved the life and soul of the evening; while the Saint
and the Boy, as they looked on, felt that they were only assisting at a
feast of which the honour and the glory were entirely the dragon's. But
they didn't mind that, being good fellows, and the dragon was not in the
least proud or forgetful. On the contrary, every ten minutes or so he
leant over towards the Boy and said impressively: "Look here! you will
see me home afterwards, won't you?" And the Boy always nodded, though he
had promised his mother not to be out late.

At last the banquet was over, the guests had dropped away with many
good-nights and congratulations and invitations, and the dragon, who had
seen the last of them off the premises, emerged into the street followed
by the Boy, wiped his brow, sighed, sat down in the road and gazed at
the stars. "Jolly night it's been!" he murmured. "Jolly stars! Jolly
little place this! Think I shall just stop here. Don't feel like
climbing up any beastly hill. Boy's promised to see me home. Boy had
better do it then! No responsibility on my part. Responsibility
all Boy's!" And his chin sank on his broad chest and he slumbered
peacefully.

"Oh, get up, dragon," cried the Boy, piteously. "You know my mother's
sitting up, and I 'm so tired, and you made me promise to see you home,
and I never knew what it meant or I wouldn't have done it!" And the Boy
sat down in the road by the side of the sleeping dragon, and cried.

The door behind them opened, a stream of light illumined the road, and
St. George, who had come out for a stroll in the cool night-air, caught
sight of the two figures sitting there--the great motionless dragon and
the tearful little Boy.

"What's the matter, Boy?" he inquired kindly, stepping to his side.

"Oh, it's this great lumbering pig of a dragon!" sobbed the Boy. "First
he makes me promise to see him home, and then he says I'd better do it,
and goes to sleep! Might as well try to see a haystack home! And I'm so
tired, and mother's--" here he broke down again.

"Now don't take on," said St. George. "I'll stand by you, and we'll both
see him home. Wake u