Chapter 3

Chapter 3 "OW OW OW!" Dribble let out a dragon-size cry and dropped to the ground. Lucas came running over. "What's the matter?" he asked his friend nervously. "It's my foot," Dribble told him. "It's starting to blister." Dribble held up his right foot. Sure enough, there was a huge scaly green blister on the bottom.

"That looks bad," Lucas told Princess Pulverizer. "We can bandage it up," Princess Pulverizer suggested. "That won't do it," Dribble said. "I have to rest. My heel needs to heal." Lucas giggled. "Good one," he complimented the dragon. "But that could take days," Princess Pulverizer said. "You saw what happened with that gingerbread cookie. There's something

evil going on in this town, and we have to stop it." "I can't move another inch," Dribble insisted. "That mace is heavy and I—" "That's it!" Lucas exclaimed excitedly. "What's it?" Dribble and Princess Pulverizer asked at the exact same time. "The mace," Lucas repeated. "Don't you remember what the King of Yabko-kokomo said? The mace can heal the wounds of anyone who fights on the side of what is good and right." Dribble's face brightened. "So all you have to do is wave that thing over my foot and I'll be good as new." "Wait a minute," Princess Pulverizer said. "The king also said that if we try to use the mace's power on someone who is deceitful or evil, its magic will disappear." Dribble's cheeks grew purple with anger. "Are you saying I'm deceitful or evil?" he demanded.

"Well, no," the princess said slowly. "But you aren't always nice. I just don't want to lose the magic in the mace. What if we need it for something important?" "Are you saying my blister isn't important?" Dribble argued. "Of course not," Princess Pulverizer assured him. "No one can be good all the time," Lucas pointed out. "But Dribble is kind most of the time." "I suppose it's worth a try," Princess Pulverizer finally agreed. She picked up the mace. Her knees buckled under its weight. "Whoa, this is heavy." "I told you," Dribble said. "Okay, mace, do your stuff!" Princess Pulverizer said as she waved the golden apple above Dribble's blister. The three friends stared at Dribble's foot, waiting for something to happen. Only nothing did.

A dragon-size purple tear streamed from Dribble's eye. "I don't get it," he said. "I'm a good guy. Or at least I try to be." "You are a good guy," Lucas insisted. "That mace must be broken." "Look!" Princess Pulverizer exclaimed. "Your blister is melting, Dribble!" Dribble looked down. Sure enough, the blister had dissolved. "It's good to know I'm not a rotten dragon, after all," Dribble said. "We knew that already," Lucas told him. "Didn't we?"

"Sure," the princess agreed. "Now let's get moving. I want to find out what's going on around here." But before the dragon could scramble up onto his newly healed foot, the sound of loud, cackling laughter came from down the road. "Here come those washerwomen again," Princess Pulverizer said. "You recognize their laughs?" Lucas asked her. The princess shook her head. "I recognize their smell," she said. "They really need to bathe." "Well, hello," Lily greeted Princess Pulverizer and her pals. "Fancy meeting you here," Millie added. Princess Pulverizer looked at the huge bundles of laundry the washerwomen were dragging. It seemed as though they washed the clothes of everyone in the village. Which meant the washerwomen had to know everyone in the village!