The Lazy Dragon

Once upon a time, a dragon lived in a swamp. He was quite content there, having lived in other places over the years. Even the fiercest dragon eventually grows tired of the whole knight-princess dynamic. It took him a while to figure it out, but one day, the dragon learned that knights, being a vain bunch, prefer to stay out of swamps so they don't get mud on their shiny armor. So off to the swamp he went, and found a nice bog to wallow in. At long last, the dragon had peace and quiet.

One evening, a strange new creature turned up in the bog. The top looked like a princess, but the bottom looked like a fish. The dragon, a bit startled, decided to err on the side of politeness and greet the stranger.

"Hello there, madam. It seems you are new to these parts. Welcome to my bog. I'm a dragon, and what might you be?"

"Why, I'm a mermaid. Haven't you seen one of us before? Or have you never been to the ocean?"

"I was friends with a sea serpent for a while and visited him a few times. But it was always close to shore, and I never went out very deep."

"I'm sorry to hear that. From what I know about sea serpents, it seems you'd like it there."

"Perhaps so, but I am tired from many journeys and battles. I have everything I need here, so why leave? Speaking of that, what brings you here? Did you swim up a river?"

"Oh no, a sea witch granted my wish to see the world. It's with this magic clam shell. If I ever want to go somewhere new, I simply describe the place while rubbing the shell, and poof, I'm there."

"Interesting. What did you say to end up here?"

"I said I wanted to meet a gentle dragon in a swamp."

"Gentle?! Perhaps now, but I can be dangerous whenever I want. Just watch."

And so the dragon let out a mighty roar and incinerated a small grove of trees with his fiery breath.

"Oh, most impressive, but you must admit that in general, you are so lazy that you're practically harmless."

"Much as it wounds my pride, I have no counterargument. Come, I'll hold you in one of my paws and take you on a short flight. Surely that will be a new experience for you while also proving I'm not so lazy after all."

The dragon carefully grasped the mermaid, spread his wings, and took off. They soared higher and higher until they could see for many miles in every direction. The mermaid had never seen such sights and the dragon's mood was greatly improved by doing a favor.

They returned to the bog whereupon the mermaid thanked the dragon profusely. 

"You've been so kind, and it pains me to inform you that I must be going. Mermaids need to be in salt water regularly."

"Feel free to visit again whenever. I won't be straying far from here."

The mermaid rubbed the shell while describing her underwater home. Little by little, she turned transparent and vanished.   

Every so often, the mermaid would return to chat with the dragon. One evening, a knight stumbled upon the bog. 

"Ah ha, found one!", exclaimed the knight. "Prepare to meet your doom, dragon."

While the dragon was lazy, he certainly did not mind setting knights ablaze, especially impertinent ones. As he was about to roast the knight, the mermaid yelled for the dragon to stop. 

"Now is a perfect chance to improve all our lots", explained the mermaid. "Look good sir knight. There are plenty of loose dragon scales around the bog. Pick up a few and take them home. Tell a great story about how you bravely faced and slew a dragon. Then you will be rewarded with honors and riches. If insist on fighting to the death in the traditional manner, it may not end well for you. And dragon, by letting the knight return to tell his story, no other hunter will come to slay you." 

"Hmm, a very reasonable proposal, mermaid. Very well, the knight may gather as many of my loose scales as he can carry. The important thing is that I keep my peaceful life here in the bog." With that, the dragon closed his eyes and sank into a pleasant slumber. 

The knight gathered enough dragon scales to fill a large sack and then went back the way he came. After he left, the mermaid woke the dragon so they could continue their conversation. 

"It was a great favor you did for me, mermaid, yet please tell me why."

"Oh, it's simple. Can't you see for yourself? If you had killed the knight, another would surely have come along. You'd never have another moment of peace. Worse still, all that fire and death would spoil my visits. It's much better this way."

"I can't help but agree, though it pains me somewhat that I have been vanquished, so to say, by a mermaid." 

"That is the price for being lazy", said the mermaid while gently patting the dragon's snout.