(Adapted from the book by Robert Munsch)

Text type:

Story

1. In a castle there lived a beautiful princess named Elizabeth. She was going to marry Prince Ronald. Then SOMETHING happened!

2. Stomp! Swish...! Stomp!

Swish...! Smash! A dragon’s tail smashed the castle and its claws crushed it FLAT! With a huff and a puff, flames of fire spewed from its nostrils. Princess Elizabeth’s expensive clothes turned into ashes. The dragon carried Prince Ronald off.

3. Elizabeth searched everywhere for something to wear, but she could only find a paper bag. After putting it on, she followed the dragon’s trail of burnt forests and horses’ bones. Finally, she came to a cave with a large door that had a huge knocker. Elizabeth took hold of the knocker and banged hard on the door.

4. Sticking his nose out of the door, the dragon bellowed, “Well, a princess! I love eating princesses, but I have already eaten a whole castle today. I’m very busy. Come back tomorrow.”

5. Grabbing the knocker again, she banged on the door even louder.

6.“Go away!” the dragon snorted.

7. Elizabeth shouted, “Wait! Is it true you’re the smartest and fiercest dragon in the world? You can burn up ten forests with your fiery breath?”

8.“Oh, yes!” exclaimed the dragon. Then Princess Elizabeth cleverly praised him more and more. To show off his might, the dragon breathed out so much fire that he burnt up 50 forests. Then he took another deep breath and burnt up 100 forests.

9.“Fantastic! Magnificent! Well done!” Elizabeth shouted.

10. The puffed up dragon had so little fire left in him that he could not even cook a meatball!

11.“Can you fly around the world in just ten seconds, Dragon?” she asked.

12.“Why, yes,” said the dragon, and he jumped up and flew all the way around the world in just ten seconds. Elizabeth urged him to fly around again, which he did. When he got back he was too tired to talk. He lay down and went straight to sleep.

13. First, Elizabeth whispered very softly and then she shouted, “Hey, dragon. Wake up!” The dragon was so tired he could neither hear her nor move.

14. Elizabeth walked right over the dragon and opened the door to the cave.

15.“Prince Ronald!” she called happily.

16. Looking at her, Ronald said, “Oh no, Elizabeth, what a mess you are in! You smell likes ashes, your hair is all tangled and you are wearing a dirty old paper bag. Come back when you are dressed like a real princess.”

17.“Ronald,” said Elizabeth, “your clothes are really pretty and your hair is very neat. You look like a real prince, but you are a bum.” They didn’t get married after all.

The End

smash(ed)

crush(ed) it flat

a castle

claws

a tail

a puff = breathe rapidly and with effort

a huff = breathe with a noisy movement of air

spew(ed)

flames of fire

nostrils

clothes turn(ed) into ashes

trails of burnt forests and horses’ bones

a cave

a knocker

grab(bed)

bellow(ed) = to shout in a deep voice

snort(ed) = to make a rough noise by forcing air down the nose

spew(ed)

flames of fire

fiery (as if on fire) breath

puff(ed) up

a meatball

lie(lay) down

tangled hair

whisper(ed)