Dragon Versus Knight! The Age-Old Fight…

In days of old, when knights were bold…they fought the dragons that plagued the stained glass of cathedral windows. The knights usually won.

I rather like dragons, myself (scaly, slimy, fire-breathing beasts that they are), and wondered how many other EMUs shared my sentiments. In honor of Penny Parker Klosterman’s There Was An Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight launch I thought I’d pose the question. Here are the interesting results:

Maria Gianferrari said, “In dragon vs. knight battles, I’d always be in favor of dragons. And the dragon in Penny’s book is so cute! I especially love his purple horns, and expressive eyebrows.”

Debbi Michiko Florence agrees: “Dragon. I have always had a soft spot for animals (I have my degree in Zoology).”

Jason Gallaher added, “I’ve got to say I’m very pro-Dragon. I think they’re just misunderstood critters. Plus, everyone has got to eat, so we can’t really blame the guy for wanting lunch.”

Mylisa Larsen also: “Dragon. Because the knights often seem to be asking for it in a lot of the tales and there’s just nothing cooler than a dragon. Even when a dragon is of the evil variety, it ends up being more interesting than the knight somehow.”

Tamara Smith said, “All I can think of is Toothless, who I adore, and who has brought my already love and support for dragons rise to the surface. They are like dogs or whales, aren’t they? Such wise souls…Sorry, knight, but my heart is with the mighty dragon.”

Luke Reynolds declared, “I would root for the dragon unless the knight is a kid!”

Laurie Thompson said, “I must confess I would root for the dragon. I’m too much of an animal lover not to.”

And Hayley Barrett added, “My heart is with the dragon for I love them and want one of my very own.”

(I’m with you, Hayley.) On the opposing team:

Luke Reynolds favors knights, and said, “My all time favorite knight: the young protagonist in The Sunflower Sword….”

Donna Janell Bowman added, “I would vote for the knight because dragons do not have opposable thumbs, which are required to hold the credit card that pays for the keyboard, that requires thumbs to hit the space bar, which is important for typing stories about knights and dragons.”

Carole Gerber replied, “I’m rooting for the knight because he’s the victim in this tale. I’m sure he was miserable while stuffed inside that dragon’s belly with all those other critters and things! However, the dragon is by far the cutest I have ever seen. (Though his innards are probably not attractive.)”

And then there were those who waffled (maybe waiting to see whether the dragon or the knight has the greater charm…):

Megan Morrison said, “It depends on the tale. I would rather BE the dragon than the knight, that’s for sure. One of my favorite knight-and-dragon duos is Hiccup and Toothless, from How to Train Your Dragon. I cried when Toothless first touched his head to Hiccup’s hand, and their relationship of trust really began. I loved that Hiccup made him a prosthetic fin that gave him the ability to fly again. I can’t wait until my son is just a little older, so that I can share the story with him.”

And Adam Shaughnessy said, “Trick question! Dragons and knights are both awesome, so they would totally team up and take on all challengers. (I can’t choose—I loved King Arthur stories and the Dragonrides of Pern series as a kid, so I can’t bring myself to take sides.)”

So, dear reader, what do you think? Dragon or knight? Certainly the dragon won this round. Don’t you want to read Penny’s charming book and find out what she thinks?

For personalized signed copies of There Was an Old Dragon, you can order from Texas Star Trading Co. and give your dedication details in the Gift Message box. You can also contact them by email at texasstartradingco@sbcglobal.net or call  (325) 672-9696.

You can find one at YOUR local indie bookstore here: Indiebound

Or, you can order online through Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Books-A-Million, or Powell’s.

Of course, you can also try your luck: Comment on any post this week for a chance to win your very own SIGNED copy of There Was an Old Dragon.