From the author of The Wind in the Willows comes this story of a boy who befriends a lazy, but quite pleasant, dragon that takes up residence nearby. When the townspeople call in St. George, the eminent dragon-slayer, to do battle, it is up to the boy to sort things out and stick up for his newfound friend. It is a hilarious story that will have you cheering for the dragon and his pal. "The Reluctant Dragon" was made into a Walt Disney film in 1941; it has also seen life as a children's operetta. Listen carefully to the language of the literature-loving dragon; he seems rather more intelligent than the townspeople intent on skewering him.