“Not goin' to hit you,” said the Boy wearily, dropping on the grass beside the beast: “and don't, for goodness' sake, keep on saying `Don't;' I hear so much of it, and it's monotonous, and makes me tired. I've simply looked in to ask you how you were and all that sort of thing; but if I'm in the way I can easily clear out. I've lots of friends, and no one can say I'm in the habit of shoving myself in where I'm not wanted!” “No, no, don't go off in a huff,” said the dragon, hastily; “fact is,--I'm as happy up here as the day's long; never without an occupation, dear fellow, never without an occupation! And yet, between ourselves, it IS a trifle dull at times.” The Boy bit off a stalk of grass and chewed it. “Going to make a long stay here?” he asked, politely. “Can't hardly say at present,” replied the dragon. “It seems a nice place enough--but I've only been here a short time, and one must look about and reflect and consider before settling down. It's rather a serious thing, settling down. Besides--now I'm going to tell you something! You'd never guess it if you tried ever so!--fact is, I'm such a confoundedly lazy beggar!” “You surprise me,” said the Boy, civilly. “It's the sad truth,” the dragon went on, settling down between his paws and evidently delighted to have found a listener at last: “and I fancy that's really how I came to be here. You see all the other fellows were so active and EARNEST and all that sort of thing--always rampaging, and skirmishing, and scouring the desert sands, and pacing the margin of the sea, and chasing knights all over the place, and devouring damsels, and going on generally--whereas I liked to get my meals regular and then to prop my back against a bit of rock and snooze a bit, and wake up and think of things going on and how they kept going on just the same, you know! So when it happened I got fairly caught.” “When WHAT happened, please?” asked the Boy. “That's just what I don't precisely know,” said the dragon. “I suppose the earth sneezed, or shook itself, or the bottom dropped out of something. Anyhow there was a shake and a roar and a general stramash, and I found myself miles away underground and wedged in as tight as tight. Well, thank goodness, my wants are few, and at any rate I had peace and quietness and wasn't always being asked to come along and DO something. And I've got such an active mind--always occupied, I assure you! But time went on, and there was a certain sameness about the life, and at last I began to think it would be fun to work my way upstairs and see what you other fellows were doing. So I scratched and burrowed, and worked this way and that way and at last I came out through this cave here. And I like the country, and the view, and the people--what I've seen of 'em--and on the whole I feel inclined to settle down here.” “What's your mind always occupied about?” asked the Boy. “That's what I want to know.”