Realms of the Dragons II/A Tall Tale

"A Tall Tale" is a short story by J.L. Collins published in the 2005 anthology Realms of the Dragons II.

"The only thing more stupid than telling your friends you've fed a dragon is bringing them to see it."

Summary
Several kids are talking about how the father of one of them has acquired a dragon for a carnival attraction. Though reluctant at first, he agrees to let the other kids see the dragon; when he finally shows it to them, they see that it's a tiny brass dragon wyrmling. While it sets the hair of the rudest kids on fire, another dragon breaks into the shed: it's a blue dragon of considerable size.

The kids flee into a mill, where they manage to temporarily inconvenience the larger beast, which seems to be hellbent on slaying the wyrmling. However, before it slays them, a larger one arrives- a brass dragon that is apparently the mother of the wyrmling. It chases off the blue, takes the hatchling, and yields a large scale with straps like a shield to one of the children.

Meanwhile, the father runs towards the mill on spotting the commotion, but is stopped by two harpers, who warn him that whatever damage the dragon does, it's on his head now. As the kids emerge from the mill, he learns that they are okay, but his dragon is gone. Luckily, his child explains that he got three coppers for exhibiting the dragon to the children: two for one of them, because he's wyrm-touched.

Index

 * Characters
 * Beccard Rellock • Craster • Kirsk • McDodd • Nollo • Syndar


 * Locations
 * Suzail • Sword Coast • Waterdeep
 * Suzail • Sword Coast • Waterdeep


 * Creatures
 * dragon (blue dragon • brass dragon) horse
 * beholder • cow • sand snake • toad
 * beholder • cow • sand snake • toad


 * Spells
 * dancing lights


 * Organizations
 * Harpers


 * Ethnicities
 * elf • half-elf • human
 * dwarf • drow • gnome • halfling
 * dwarf • drow • gnome • halfling


 * Items
 * axe • copper piece