Chapter 9

Chapter 9 "Wait—what?" Dribble asked. "I'm going to save us?" "You sure are," Princess Pulverizer assured him. Dribble grinned his approval. "I like helping people," he said happily. "Just tell me what I have to do!" "UGGGHHHH!" Just then, the ogre let out a loud groan. He rolled onto his side. "He's waking up," Lucas sobbed. "He's going to be so mad. He'll lock us in here and throw away the key." "Quick!" Princess Pulverizer ordered Lucas. "Climb onto Dribble's back." "Why should I do that?" Lucas asked her.

"Yes, why should he do that?" Dribble asked. "Because you're going to fly us right out this window," Princess Pulverizer told the dragon. "That's my plan." "F-f-fly?" Lucas asked nervously. "Like in the air?" "Don't worry, Lucas," Dribble said.

"Why? Because you're such a great flyer?" Princess Pulverizer wondered excitedly. "No," Dribble said. "Because I can't fly. I still have my baby wings. My adult wings haven't grown in yet. Baby wings aren't big or strong enough to fly." Princess Pulverizer frowned. "You're not a full-grown dragon?" she asked. "But you're huge." "Not for a dragon," Dribble told her. "Grown-up dragons are humongous. I'm sorry," he apologized. He looked longingly back out the window. And let out another giant burp. "Boy, does my stomach hurt. I should never have had that third grilled cheese sandwich this morning." Dribble's burp was so powerful, it blew some of the ogre's treasures off the top of the mountain. Princess Pulverizer watched from her spot near the window as a shiny soup pot, carving knife, and teakettle tumbled over the ogre's

giant body, out the door, and right down the stairs. "That's it!" Princess Pulverizer shouted excitedly. "What's it?" Dribble and Lucas asked at the same time. "I've got a new plan," she told them. "A better plan." "Yay!" Dribble shouted. Lucas stopped crying immediately. "HEAD HURT!" At just that moment, the ogre began to stir again. "OWIE!" "He's waking up!" Lucas cried out. Burp. Dribble let out a belch. It wasn't a big burp by dragon standards. But it was strong enough to blow a frying pan off the top of the garbage mountain. The pan fell and bonked the ogre on the head. "NIGHTY NIGHT," the ogre groaned as he passed out again.

"He's not going to stay that way for long," Dribble told Princess Pulverizer. "If you've got a plan, now's a good time to put it into motion." "Okay," Princess Pulverizer told the dragon. "But first, you probably should have a little snack." Dribble looked at the princess like she was crazy. "You want me to eat now?" "I don't think this is a good time for food," Lucas said. "It's the perfect time," Princess Pulverizer insisted. She held up the bowl of old gruel. "Come on, Dribble. Just a little spoonful." "I'm not hungry," Dribble protested. "And besides, that stuff smells disgusting." Princess Pulverizer frowned. This was not going the way she had hoped.

"Please, Dribble, open wide," the princess urged as she held the spoonful of vile stuff up to his mouth. "Here comes the chariot, bringing food to your tummy. Take a bite. Yummy yum yummy..." Before Dribble even realized what was happening, Princess Pulverizer shoved a heaping spoonful of gooey gruel into his mouth. "What is that stuff?" Dribble asked, gagging. "It's the stuff that's going to save us," Princess Pulverizer told him, shoving another heaping spoonful into Dribble's mouth. "Over the teeth and over the gums—look out, stomach, here it comes."