to answer disneyanimationfan, yes Hiccup did try controlling the tail by hand first but the clip is like 3 seconds long so maybe that's why you don't remember it haha


Entry 74

I guess it's time to start thinking more elaborately. As I suspected, my latest attempt bore no results.

Well, that's not entirely true. We did make it out of the Cove, but it was really difficult to hold the tail steady and still concentrate on where we were going. We ended up crashing in a grassy field, and when I ran back to Toothless, I found something interesting. The grass, for some reason, had completely incapacitated him. He was rolling around in it and purring like mad, and I had to say his name several times before he even realized I was standing there.

But I'm getting sidetracked. I need to figure out an efficient way to control Toothless' tail.

What I really want is to be able to control it while sitting upright and front facing on the saddle. That way I can see everything in front of us, and not be in such an awkward position that's hard to hold on to.

One second… Gobber is yelling for me-

I'm so happy Gobber yelled for me! I think I've just come up with an idea to solve my predicament!

He had me make a run to the town well real quick, and as I was there, fiddling with the bucket, I thought of something. Pulleys. Two way systems that raise and lower objects. Efficient contraptions that are surprisingly simple. What if I applied the same ideas to Toothless' saddle?

I can see it now! A system of rope connecting to the base of the tailfin, that with a small adjustment, can either extend or retract the leather. And the other way, more rope connecting to the top of the tailfin, that can pull it up or down. Yes, I think it just might work!

But how to set up the controls? I'm pretty good at multitasking… I wonder if I could work the pulleys with my feet. When I sit on Toothless, my feet end up pretty close to his shoulders… maybe I could rig the pulleys there.

THAT'S IT! I can build stirrups as the control mounts! Then, with a simple shift in the stirrup, it would move the rope one way or another.

I need to get to work on this right away!

Until next time…

-H


I hope you guys like my idea for how Hiccup finally came up with the saddle system! I think it's plausible ;)