Chapter 5

Chapter 5 "Did you hear that?" Lucas whispered. "He's going to cook us and eat us with lettuce and tomatoes." "I heard him," Princess Pulverizer replied. "We've got to get out of here," Lucas Princess Pulverizer looked up. The griffin was perched on a ledge near the mouth of the cave. His sharp eagle eyes would surely spot them trying to sneak out. And with his lionlike strength, there would be no defeating him when he did. Especially since they no longer had their swords. whimpered.

"I have no idea how to get past him," the princess admitted. "What do you mean you have no idea?" Lucas asked her. "You always have an idea." "Why am I the one who has to come up with an idea?" Princess Pulverizer demanded. "You come up with one." "Well... um... we could...," Lucas stammered. "Not so easy, is it?" Princess Pulverizer asked him. Lucas shook his head and let out a little cry. "We can't keep arguing," Princess Pulverizer told him. "We have to stick together if we're going to get out of here and rescue those animals." "There sure were a lot of cows, sheep, and goats in that pasture. Why does the troll need so many? Unless..." Lucas gulped and started to shake. "Unless what?" Princess Pulverizer demanded. "Unless there's a whole army of trolls out there who drink a lot of milk. Or a mob of angry

griffins who like cheese," Lucas said. "It's just the two of us here. We can't get past a whole army." He started to cry again. Princess Pulverizer didn't blame him. She felt like crying herself. Princess Pulverizer was not the type of person to give up. But here they were, just she and Lucas. With no weapons to— THUMP. THUMP. THUMP. THUMP. Suddenly the ground began to shake. Princess Pulverizer gasped. Lucas was right! "It sounds like a whole army!" she exclaimed. "SQUAWROARK!" The griffin let out a loud cry. Even he sounded fearful. Surprisingly, Lucas wasn't afraid. "I know those footsteps," he said happily. "That's Dribble. He's come to save us." THUMP. THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.

The dragon's footsteps grew closer. Then they stopped short. "Hi there," Princess Pulverizer heard Dribble say. He didn't sound very far away. But who was he talking to? "I was wondering," Dribble continued. "Have you seen a young knight-in-training and a princess who wants to be a knight-in-training?" "Nope." That reply came from the troll. Princess Pulverizer would recognize his eerie voice anywhere. Princess Pulverizer gave a slight sigh of relief. Dribble must have stopped the troll before he could reach his garden. That was good news. Because if Dribble could just keep the troll talking for a while, it might give her enough time to think of a plan. "There's nobody here except my griffin and me," the troll told Dribble. "We—" Lucas started to cry out to his friend. But Princess Pulverizer clapped her hand over his mouth and pointed up to where the griffin was perched.

"If the troll hears you, he'll sic the griffin on us before Dribble can do a thing!" Princess Pulverizer whispered into Lucas's ear. Lucas took one look at the griffin's sharp claws and sealed his mouth shut. "Are you sure?" Dribble asked. "Sure, I'm sure," the troll said. "I haven't seen anyone." "Are you lying?" Dribble asked him. "Why would I do that?" the troll asked him. "I'm telling you. No princess. No knight. Just the griffin and me." "YOU ARE LYING!" Dribble bellowed. "They're around here somewhere and I'm going to find them." "I have better things to do than argue with you," the troll said. "I have vegetables to pick." Princess Pulverizer listened as the troll's footsteps grew farther and farther away. "Hey! I'm not done talking to you yet!" Dribble shouted after him. "Where are my

friends?" But the troll didn't answer. And a moment later, Dribble thump- thumped away, too. Princess Pulverizer and Lucas huddled together, whispering. "Well, I gotta say, that troll is pretty brave," Princess Pulverizer admitted. "Most folks are scared of dragons." "Maybe he's brave because he's got a whole army at his command," Lucas suggested. "Don't start that again," Princess Pulverizer warned him. "We don't know that he has an army." "We don't know that he doesn't have one, either," Lucas countered. Princess Pulverizer frowned. He had her there. The princess didn't want to talk about armies anymore. "Let's change the subject," she said. "Talk about anything else." "How about Dribble?" Lucas suggested. "He sure is smart. I don't know how he figured out the troll was lying."