The Fifty-First Dragon

By Ed Handkins

Greater is He that is in you, than He that is in the world. I John 4:4b

Haywood Broun told a story about Gawaine the Bold Heart.  He was training to be a Knight.  There was one problem.  Gawaine was a coward.  Gawaine had the physical skills necessary to be a Knight.  He had no confidence in his own abilities.

The Headmaster did not want to flunk Gawaine out of KnightSchool.  Instead, he urged Gawaine to major in killing dragons.  Gawaine fought paper dragons, and then went on to fight wooden dragons.  His skills continued to increase.

The time came for Gawaine the Bold Heart to get his diploma and face a real dragon.  Gawaine was afraid.  The Headmaster gave Gawaine a magic word that would protect him from dragons.

“If you say ‘Rumplesnitz’ before you fight a dragon,” said the Headmaster to Gawaine, “then no dragon can hut you.”

This gave Gawaine great confidence.  Gawaine killed fifty dragons.  After he had killed his fiftieth dragon, the Headmaster told Gawaine that “Rumplesnitz” was not a magic word at all.  The Headmaster had made up the word just to give Gawaine confidence.  The knowledge that he could have been crushed “like and eggshell,” by any of the fifty dragons, completely unnerved Gawaine.

When Gawaine went to face his fifty-first dragon he never returned.  They found only a few charred metals that he had won.  Though Gawaine had the necessary skills his fear destroyed him.

Every person has their own personal dragon to face.  It would be nice to know that we had a magic word that would keep these dragons from hurting us.  There are no magic words but we do not need to face our dragons alone.  The one who made us is the One who wants to be with us.

Prayer: “God, please give me the strength I need to face the dragons in my life today.  Give me the courage and the confidence to find hope in every situation I face.”