There's been a bit of a feminist feel to the fairy tales I've written recently. So this is one more on the theme. Hope you enjoy. Also if you think of any good names for the three brothers, please let me know.

Additional note - there's no intended similarity to Jane and the Dragon, the cartoon series on Five, but it's possible I was inspired by it, because it is rather brilliant.

Gwen and the Dragon

There lived a long time ago a rich landowner, who had three sons and a daughter named Gwen. The eldest son was a famous warrior, and the middle son a great scholar but the youngest son was neither brave nor clever, though he had the kindest heart you might ever know.

In youth, the eldest son had wished to learn the sword, and needed a partner. His brothers refused for the middle son was preoccupied with his books and the youngest saw no wisdom in being beaten. But Gwen stood up and said, "I will be your partner, brother, for I am quick and ready to learn."

"Nay, little sister," said the brother, "For you are a woman and I am liable to hurt you."

"I am small and fleet of foot," said Gwen. "You shall not hurt me."

"You shall be clumsy with a sword," said the brother. "And injure me or yourself with clumsiness."

"Not if you teach me," said Gwen. "But I understand. You are frightened that I might hurt you."

But the brother could not bear to be accused of cowardice. He taught Gwen to use the sword and she soon fought almost as well as he.

The middle son was, as I have said, a scholar. One day he was working at his books and Gwen came to him. "What are you learning, brother?" She asked of him.

"I am learning all that is known of the world," said the brother.

"Could you teach me?" said Gwen.

"Nay, little sister," said the brother. "For you are a woman and your mind is slow."

"But you are clever at your books," said Gwen, "And could educate a simple mind such as mine."

"You shall slow me down," said he, "And I have much to read."

"I understand," said Gwen. "You fear your knowledge is not great enough to teach me."

But the brother could not bear to be called ignorant. He taught Gwen all that he knew, and she became almost as knowledgeable as he.

And the youngest brother excelled at nothing, but remained the dunce of the family. Yet Gwen loved him, and when she had learned all that her brothers could teach her, she went to him.

"Let me teach you all about the sword and the knowledge of men," said she.

"Nay, sister," said the brother. "For I am clumsy and foolish and cannot be taught."

"I understand," said Gwen. "You think I am slow and weak because I am a woman."

But the youngest brother could not bear to hurt his sister's feelings, and so submitted to her teaching, and in time he became almost as knowledgeable and accomplished a warrior as she.

In time the rich landowner died. He had three houses – one in the East, one in the West, and one in the North. He divided these among his three sons – and the eldest son seized east, the middle the West, and the youngest was left with the North. And Gwen was left with nowhere. The house in the East was fine and large with beautiful ground, but the eldest brother banished her from the ground, ashamed at how she had matched him at the sword. The house in the West was nearly as fine, but the middle brother said she may only stay as a servant, so she left immediately for the house in the North. This house was cold and draughty and damp, but the younger brother said she might live with him for as long she could bear it. And so she settled and was happy as one could be in a draughty cold house with one's favourite brother.

But as days wore on, Gwen tired of living in the cold draughty house, and though she loved her brother, she decided she must contrive to improve matters.

In those days it was said there was a terrible dragon who terrorised the whole kingdom. Many had tried to kill it, but none had succeeded. The king was aggrieved, and made a proclamation, that whichever man should kill the dragon, with no other man to help him, would win the hand of his beautiful daughter. The dragon was said to be fifty yards long, and with claws as hard as diamond and fiery breath hotter than any furnace. It lived in a massive cave with an enormous horde of treasure at its feet.

Gwen listened to all the stories she heard about the dragon, and found them to be strange and confused. She wondered what her middle brother, the scholar, might have to say, and set out to the West see him.

"Ah, Gwen," he said, when he saw her. "Have you tired of living in that draughty castle with our foolish brother?"

"We live in luxury," Gwen said, not very truthfully. "But I hear of a dragon living in the Northern mountains. Have you heard these stories, brother?"

The middle brother scoffed. "What nonsense!" he said. "Folk tales and stories. I will not believe until I have seen it with my own eyes."

Gwen thought this an arrogant thing to say, for her brother believed in many things he had not seen, so long as they came from books and not from the peasant folk of the kingdom. So she said, "Will you accept a wager? If I find this dragon, I will win your house and estate. But if I fail, you will win my house and estate."

The middle brother laughed long and hard at her presumption, but he agreed to wager, so sure was he that the dragon was just a story.

So Gwen travelled north again taking her maps with her, and listened to every story, following directions from all folk until she found a cave surrounded by scorched earth and the ashen stumps of trees.

And down at the mouth of the cave she found some large scales, that shone like glass and were tough as metal. So she marked the place on her map and rode down to see the middle brother and show him the scales.

But he was unimpressed. "Pretty work, to be sure," said he, "But these are no animal's scales. Tell our brother that I shall be seizing his house forthwith."

Gwen sighed at her brother's arrogance once more. "These came from the dragon's cave. I have marked the very place on my map," she said. "And you may not seize our house until you are sure that I have failed."

So they rode forth, and found the cave with the scorched earth and the stumps of trees, but the brother laughed to himself, that a woman may be fooled by such things. So he rode into the cave, and as Gwen waited outside, she heard a terrible roar and then nothing more.

And though it saddened her that her brother had met an untimely demise, she comforted herself with the knowledge that his house was now hers. So she went back to her younger brother and told him of how the middle brother had perished, and the younger brother marvelled at how the middle brother could be so foolish. And they went to live in the fine house in the West.

But the house was not so fine and not so comfortable as the house in the East. And Gwen thought of the horde of treasure the dragon supposedly guarded. She knew her eldest brother, the warrior, to be avaricious, and so she travelled to him with another wager in mind.

"Ah, Gwen," the eldest brother said, "Have you tired of your cold house in the North?"

"Oh yes," said she, "But our brother the scholar perished in the dragon's cave, and since then we have lived in his house in the West."

The eldest brother became angry. "What right have you to that house? It should be mine for I am the eldest."

"I won it in a wager," said Gwen, and she explained how their brother had been killed by the dragon he had not believed in.

The eldest brother laughed loudly at the thought that his intelligent brother could perish by being so foolish. And he asked about this dragon and what the stories had said.

"They say," said Gwen, "That it is a fearsome beast fifty yards long, with claws of diamond and fiery breath hot as a furnace. And it guards a pile of gold."

"Remarkable," said the eldest brother. "How rich one would be if one owned all that gold!"

And Gwen said, "Would you accept a wager? If I bring you gold from the dragon's horde, I win your fine house. But if I fail or perish, you win my house in the West and our brother and I return to the North."

The eldest brother laughed more loudly at this, for though he knew his sister to be a remarkable woman, he doubted she could accomplish this. So he accepted, and she rode forth again to the dragon's cave.

Gwen knew she had made a difficult wager, but she took courage, and dismounted her horse, creeping slowly and carefully into the cave. After walking for a few minutes, she found a cavern, and the most enormous mountain of gold ever known, and sitting on top of this guarding its horde jealously, was the most fearsome dragon.

And what a beast it was! Gwen had heard that it was fifty yards long, but it was nearer to eighty, and even in the dim light it shone redder than the most valuable ruby. Its head was big as a horse, its teeth gleamed liked swords in its mouth. Its body was lined with spikes jagged like rocks and sharper than knives. Its legs were as long and broad as oak trees, its claws were big as ploughs and shone like diamonds, its tail was like a river and at the end of it was a club as big as a man. Its wings were like sails, and as they flapped they put the North Wind to shame. And as it breathed, Gwen felt heat stronger than the largest bonfire, and she trembled in fear.

The dragon stirred in its nest, and looked at Gwen, its eyes gleaming bluer than the ocean on a summer's day. And slowly it turned and bent its head, lower and lower, until those ocean eyes met Gwen's and inquired, silently, why she had come.

Gwen knew all her weapons would be useless, and so she took a deep breath, and began to sing.

And her song was of gold and of oceans, of faraway lands and mountains, and all of that dragons dream of in their strange and silent way. Gradually the dragon was lulled and curled up to sleep on its mountain of gold. And Gwen took a jewel-encrusted gold cup and left the cavern unharmed.

When she arrived back at the house in the East, the brother was incredulous at her story. "Why, this dragon cannot be so fearsome a beast as you say, if it was lulled by a simple song. Let me see this cave of yours."

And so they rode north to the cave with the scorched earth and stumps of trees. Gwen crept in, and her brother followed her, his sword drawn. And when they reach the cavern, she heard him tremble in terror as the dragon stirred and looked at them with its ocean eyes. Again she sang of gold and faraway lands, and again the dragon began to sleep and so she beseeched her brother to leave with her.

But the brother's avarice got the better of him. He started to gather all the gold that he could, and Gwen, seeing the folly of this, left swiftily.

And the dragon heard the lullaby no more, just the clanking of all its treasure being gathered by the foolish elder brother. And it awoke in a rage, and swallowed the eldest brother whole.

Gwen was saddened that her elder brother had perished, but she did not understand what folly had possessed him. So she comforted herself that his house was now hers, and she and the younger brother went to live in the fine house in the East.

And Gwen was nearly content, knowing that she had won the house fairly, and was living comfortably at last. But her contentment was not complete for her kind-hearted brother was sick and none could cure him.

"Oh brother," she said to him, "What is it that ails you? For we have all that our hearts desired."

"Nay, dear sister," said the brother. "For I love the daughter of the king, but none may marry her except he that kills the dragon, and that I cannot do."

And despite her great wealth, Gwen was sad and wished most of all that she could make her brother happy – he who had shown her kindness when the other two had laughed at her.

So she pondered for many nights and days how he might kill the dragon, although his swordsmanship and knowledge still did not match hers. And finally she had an idea, and went to visit a goldsmith who lived in the town. She had him fashion for her an armour of the purest, most glimmering gold. And then she told her brother to put on his armour, for they were going to kill the dragon.

The brother was sore afraid, but listened to Gwen's plan. It sounded utter folly, but he would have done anything for the beautiful princess, so he gathered all his courage and rode out with her, he in grey armour and her in gold. When they arrived at the royal palace, Gwen beseeched her brother to seek audience with the king, and tell him that he was going to slaughter the dragon.

The youngest brother was laughed out of court, but the princess's heart was sad, for his profession of love had been the truest she had heard and she hoped against hope that he would not perish at the dragon's claws, teeth or flame. But she watched him leave out of her window, and saw the gold knight riding beside him, she thought the strange figure was shining so brightly in the morning sun that it might be an angel, and she took heart for her beloved.

So the brother and Gwen moved on until they reached the North, and by this time, they had many people following them, intrigued at the scrawny youth in armour and his golden companion. The stories grew so strange that even the king himself rode up to join this peculiar parade.

Gwen rode up to the cave's mouth, resplendent in the gold armour, and all the crowd watched, greatly afraid for the strange knight. Soon enough the dragon emerged, drawn by the scent of gold and bewitched by its dazzling glitter in the sunlight. The crowd gasped at the sight of the beast, which in the light of day was glorious as a host of Heaven and fearsome as a devil loose from Hell. And Gwen rode, her horse galloping as fast as it could, and the dragon flapped its wings and flew after the golden figure, hypnotised by how she shone, believing it saw the most valuable treasure. The youngest brother set in behind, wielding a lance and going as fast as he could, lest he lose his love, his sister or his life. And Gwen rode around in circles, dizzying the hypnotised dragon, and her brother held firm to his mettle and rode into the fray, striking the lance into the dragon's heart.

The dragon let loose an almighty shriek, and the majestic beast tumbled through the air on the ground, crushing all the trees in its wake, and fell stone dead, its mighty body motionless. All about cheered, overjoyed to be free of its reign of terror. And the king stepped forward, and said, "Who is the man that has killed this beast?"

The youngest brother stepped forward, exhausted but beaming, the sweat of victory on his brow.

"You have fought nobly," said the king. "But you cannot marry my daughter. For I said that no man may assist you in this endeavour."

And the brother hung his head, but Gwen stepped forward, still resplendent in her armour of gold. When she removed her helmet, all the crowd gasped, for none suspected the knight who had ridden so valiantly could have been a woman. She bowed to the king.

"Your majesty," she said. "My brother loves your daughter more than life itself, and no man helped him win her."

And the king saw that this was true, and declared that the brother may have the hand of his daughter. And all the crowd cheered.

When the princess learned of the young man's victory, she was pleased to marry him, and found him the kindest and gentlest man she had known. When the king died, they were crowned king and queen, and, legend has it, their kingdom is protected by the Golden Knight to this day.

The End