The Story of Fiveton       Mark Roddy - Seattle University    
Please do not make more than one copy or modify without permission.
(206)296-5765     mroddy@seattleu.edu

Beginning of Day 9

That afternoon in Fiveton was dreary, downright dark, damp and dreary.   The clouds had come up the valley as they often did from the sea and it looked very much as though rain would be there soon.    The children were done with school and were on their way home.   They were still excited about First Growth Festival week and about Sprout Day but they were hoping that the rain, if it came, would not last long so that they would not have to spend the whole vacation indoors.

The children had reached the market square in the castle, the place where they usually went their separate ways toward their homes.   Emmeline was talking about her family's plans to go down to the seashore.   They planned to take twelve days for the whole journey - it took four days walking each way to get there - so that Emmeline would have to miss a few days of school.  

She was asking Talic if he knew anyone who might want to take her job, collecting the coins for the Dragon Defense Fund, for a few days while she was gone.   Talic was about to answer when the gamekeeper came hurrying along the street exclaiming, "Make way!   Make way!   Look out!   I've got to get to the king and queen right away!   Oh dear, oh dear.   What will happen..."  

"What's the matter?" asked the children.   "What's going to happen?"  

The gamekeeper stopped and mopped at his brow.  

"I don't know what will happen.   I really don't.   How was I supposed to know?   Nobody knew.   Dragon code of customs.... so odd....   I really must tell the queen and king.   They'll know what to do."  
"Wait.   Tell us.   Maybe we can help," said the children.  

"Well, you'll jolly well have to won't you?"  
"What?"  

"Look, do you know the dragon's name?   Does anyone know that dragon's name?"  

The children looked at one another.   "No.   We've just been calling him, 'The Dragon.'"  
"Exactly!" said the gamekeeper.   "So have I.   So has everyone.   No one stopped to think.   It's an old, old custom, part of the dragon code.   If a dragon, before it has a name, chooses to live in a kingdom the people of that kingdom have to win it a name or the dragon must move on to another kingdom."

"Oh no!" said the children.   "Do you mean the dragon will leave us?   How do we win a name for the dragon?   What do we need to do?"

Quite a crowd had gathered around by this time.   All eyes turned to the gamekeeper.   Everyone wanted to know what would happen with "their" dragon.  

"It's a demonstration of intelligence and skill," replied the gamekeeper.   "And it takes place on Sprout Day, at the end of First Growth Festival.   I suppose I should tell you ... since some of you will be involved," he said looking directly at Melinda.   Melinda's eyes widened.  

"What do you mean?" she asked.  

  "Well, I've been reading about it.   It seems that it's always test of intelligence and skill, as I said, but it's different every time."  
"Well, what is it this time?" asked a large man in the crowd.  

"I'm getting to that," replied the gamekeeper.  

"This time it's a mathematics test.   There are 10 problems.   They come in a deck of ten cards.   Each card has a math problem written on it.   The king will draw a card from the deck and someone has to work out the answer in 60 seconds or less.   If they do we get one letter of the dragon's name."  
"What if they get it wrong?" asked Emmeline.  

"If they get it wrong we get an X instead of a proper letter."   (In those days X's were never used as letters.)   "Then the king draws the next card, we see if we get that one right, and so on.   If we get all five letters of the dragon's name before we get five X's we can give the dragon his new name.   If we get five X's before we get the five letters the dragon has to fly off and try another kingdom."  

"And who will do the math problems?" asked Melinda.  

"Well, there, at least, I think we've run into a bit of luck.   This year it's the third grade class, your third grade class, Melinda, that will be doing the problems.   I know your class and you in particular, are pretty good at these sorts of things."  

Melinda turned a little pale but she stood up straight and took on a fierce look of determination.   "We'll do it, sir!   We'll win that dragon a name.   But we've got to practice.   We have only a week to get into tip top shape for the test."  

"Yes," replied the gamekeeper.   "I found these.   Perhaps they will help.   I hope so."   He drew from a pocket in his robes a sheet of ten practice problems, handed it to Melinda, and hurried off saying "I've got to go and tell the king and queen.   Spread the news!"  

The children just looked at one another.   They were not sure what to think.   They looked at Melinda and the other third graders there in the crowd.  

End of Day 9