And he wished he had the chance . Well , it arrived at last . -LSB- Illustration : Page 15 -RSB- There was a very hot summer ! It began to be hot in March . ' All the rivers were dried up . The grass did not grow . The corn did not grow . The thermometers exploded with heat . The barometers stood at Set Fair . The people were much distressed , and came and broke the palace win-dows -- as they usually do when things go wrong in Pantouflia . The king consulted the learned men about the Court , who told him that probably a FIREDRAKE was in the neighbourhood . Now , the Firedrake is a beast , or bird , about the bigness of an elephant . Its body is made of iron , and it is always red-hot . A more terrible and cruel beast can not be imagined ; for , if you go near it , you are at once broiled by the Firedrake . But the king was not ill-pleased : `` for , '' thought he , `` of course my three sons must go after the brute , the eldest first ; and , as usual , it will kill the first two , and be beaten by the youngest . It is a little hard on Enrico , poor boy ; but anything to get rid of that Prigio ! '' Then the king went to Prigio , and said that his country was in danger , and that he was determined to leave the crown to whichever of them would bring him the horns -LRB- for it has horns -RRB- and tail of the Firedrake . `` It is an awkward brute to tackle , '' the king said , `` but you are the oldest , my lad ; go where glory waits you ! Put on your armour , and be off with you ! '' -LSB- Illustration : Page 17 -RSB- This the king said , hoping that either the Firedrake would roast Prince Prigio alive -LRB- which he could easily do , as I have said ; for he is all over as hot as a red-hot poker -RRB- , or that , if the prince succeeded , at least his country would be freed from the monster .
But the prince , who was lying on the sofa doing sums XXXXX compound division , for fun , said in the politest way : `` Thanks to the education your majesty has given me , I have learned that the Firedrake , like the siren , the fairy , and so forth , is a fabulous animal which does not exist .
about as at for in of on that to with