The Dragon by KC HO

Once upon a time, long ago and far away,
Beyond the hills and beyond the sea,
In the dark caverns of the Iron Mountain,
There lived a fearsome dragon named…. Mary Lee.

Her mother had longed for a pretty girl
Because she was sick of oafish brothers –
But when Mary Lee hatched she said,
‘I’m hungry!’ and promptly ate her mother.

Finishing Mommy, she set upon her Dad.
While her siblings beat a hasty retreat.
But soon she found more toothsome fare –
And that was the taste of human meat.

Spreading her leathery wings she roamed,
Bringing devastation upon city and town.
Terrified villagers ran, but to no avail –
She swooped and snatched them off the ground.

Chomp! Chomp! She swallowed them with relish.
The tough dry meat of the elders she would scorn;
Far better was the flesh of youths and maidens –
Best of all was the dainty meat of the newly-born.

In panic the king sent fighters and heroes,
Demanding they return with her head.
But against such threats the dragon did not fear -
For she can assume human form instead.

So when a hero entered her cave, he would see,
Instead of a fearsome dragon with bloody crests,
A fair maiden, young and nubile -
With ruby lips and swelling breasts.

‘I’m the dragon’s slave!’ She would weep.
‘Are you the hero who will set me free?’
‘Yes!” the hero would reply with a manly strut -
‘The man who kills the dragon will be me!’

‘I’ll tell you the dragon’s secret.’ She would whisper
‘And thus you shall perform your mighty feat.
‘But not now, for the dragon’s gone -
‘So come inside and rest your weary feet.’

Luscious fruits she would bring to him,
Along with fine wine, to addle his head;
And singing to him softly with her harp,
She would entice him to her flowery bed.

As the hero lay in a stupor, sated and spent,
She would gently caress his sweaty brows;
But reverting to form with terrifying speed -
She would bite off his head with gleeful howls.

Years passed, and the people had fled
The cities were now empty halls and galleries.
For the heroes sent to cut off her head
Had all been converted into instant calories.

But one day came the most stalwart hero of all
His eyes were bright and his arms were strong.
A mighty sword did he bear, and dagger too
His gait was steady and his stride was long.

This new hero came walking up the hill
And a merry tune did this brave man hum.
But when the dragon saw him from her cave
Her one and only thought was ‘yum!’

Turning into a lovely maiden she greeted him,
And eagerly did she lure him to his fate.
For to tell the truth, she was very hungry –
The picking had been rather slim of late.

‘My hero!’ She murmured in his ears.
Of course her lies were smooth and glib.
But suddenly she cried out in pain –
The hero had stabbed her between the ribs.

With a hideous screech, she reverted to form,
Her disguise having fallen apart;
But claws and teeth were no avail now -
She had been stabbed right through the heart.

‘What went wrong? Was I not beautiful?’
In her death throes did the dragon say.
‘You sure were pretty,’ the hero replied -
‘But you see, this hero is …. gay.’