THE MINSTREL AND THE DRAGON PUP
The minstrel’s songs came easily, because he had something to love.—Rosemary Sutcliff
Songs are not coming easily, and it is a hungry time for the lonely minstrel. Then one spring morning, he finds a beautiful rose-mottled egg, just beginning to hatch, and he plays a little song to coax out—a dragon!
The minstrel names him Lucky. They travel the road together, Lucky trotting ahead on a little leather lead. Having never been taught to fight knights on white horses, the little dragon’s temper is ‘sweet as an apple.’ He loves best to be tickled under the chin with the broken peacock feather on the minstrel’s hat.
‘Together they saw three springs turn to blue-hazed summer and around through autumn and shivering winter to spring again. And the minstrel made the best songs that ever he had made; and together they were very happy.’ [p 13]
Their happiness is threatened when a wicked showman steals Lucky under cover of darkness. The distraught minstrel takes to the open road to find his dragon-pup.
‘But soon the single lane branched into three, and there was nothing to tell him which branch to follow. And while he stood there wondering, a late butterfly hovered past in the sunshine and danced on down the left-hand lane. The minstrel followed it, there being nothing else to tell him which way to go. But butterflies are not very reliable, and it was the wrong lane.’ [p 22-23]
The minstrel searches for months, always behind rumors of an unhappy little dragon. His songs become sadder and his suppers smaller, until the day he comes to a many-towered castle. Hoping to have a meal in exchange for a song, the minstrel passes through the royal menagerie. And there, crouching in the corner of a unicorn’s cage, is Lucky!
The beast-master recognizes their ties of affection, but he can’t let a stranger take a dragon that belongs to the king! And there’s no use bothering the troubled king. The little prince has fallen into a deep sleep, and no one has been able to wake him.
‘And suddenly he thought of the beautiful egg on the seashore, and the little tune, simple as a lullaby, but for waking up to, not going to sleep to, that he had played to help it hatch. That had been Lucky’s tune ever since, and he had never played it for anyone else. But now...’ [p 32]
The power of love and music wakens the prince from his unnatural slumber, and the joyful king promises the minstrel a title and castle of his own. But the minstrel doesn’t wish to be lord of a castle, nor does he wish for a chest of gold as heavy as he is, nor for a carriage drawn by four bay horses. All he wants is Lucky.
The surprised king gives him Lucky, and makes a proclamation of his royal protection. And the minstrel and Lucky once more walk the open road together.
‘The minstrel’s head was full of fine new songs to sing, better than ever he had sung before, and Lucky had his friend again, and they were both very happy.’ [p 45]
I had been very interested to learn that one of our favorite novelists—Rosemary Sutcliff—was also the author of several picture books for children; and though I was disappointed by Chess Dream in a Garden, I was eager to read The Minstrel and the Dragon Pup. {I found it very reminiscent of Jane Gray’s novel Adam of the Road, in which a young minstrel searches for his stolen dog.}
Sutcliff’s enchanting tale is illustrated by the muted jewel-tones of Emma Chichester Clark.
• illustration by Emma Chichester Clark for The Dragon and the Minstrel Pup by Rosemary Sutcliff •
October 4, 2013