On Strength

"Grandfather, tell me a story about how to be strong,"  asked  little Titus.  

Without missing a beat,  the old man swooped the boy into his arms and began his story.
"There was once a man who was beset by a dragon on the road-"
"Why was he-" Titus struggled to remember the new word.
"Beset. It means to be troubled by"
"I am beset by your new words."  said the boy.
"Do you want the story or not?"  said Grandpa, raising his eyebrow.  That surely shut the little child up.
He cleared his throat and in his clearest voice he repeated.
"There was a man beset by a mighty dragon. Dragons are a nasty bunch. They breathe fire and spew nonsense everywhere. They're also terriby haughty.
This one in particular thought the man was in his  way."
"Aren't dragons big?"
"Massive!"
"So couldn't she just walk around?"
"This one in particular just didn't want to."
"Instead, the dragon bellowed, 'Who dares cross paths with Zera the Great!?' All the while spouting mighty plumes of fire." 
"The man, so small compared to the dragon, replied 'I am Leopold...the average.' He had to yell this as the dragons ears were so high in the sky, as high as a mountain to the little man.
"My business is..."
Grandpa paused to think of something reasonable.
"Was it treasure? Was it something magic?"
"Groceries," said Grandpa, with his stomach rumbling.  The stomach always wins, he thought to himself.
"Groceries?" asked Titus.
"Indeed! Groceries. The man lifted up his little brown sack of vegetables and bones and salt to the dragon.  'I am going to make soup' he said quite proudly."
"Soup sounds nice." said Titus.
"The dragon did not think so. 'Begone from my path,' said the dragon, disgusted. 'You are but a gnat beneath my feet. I shall not be disgraced by the likes of you'"
"The ground rumbled beneath the man as the dragon lowered his head to show a smile of razor sharp teeth. There was a terrible heat as smoke began pouring out of the dragon's mouth."
"'But What about my soup?' yelled Leopold the average."
"The dragon replied, with a sinister grin ' Then you shall die for your soup.'"
"The dragon roared, revealing a large toothy maw full of long serrated teeth. But just then, as the dragon opened his mouth, he saw a shiny white light at the the other end. Standing with arms akimbo, the man  Leopold was swallowed whole."
"The dragon smiled, contented, for he stood unconquered and unchallenged. He was Zera the Great!"
"But the man did nothing wrong-" interrupted an angry little Titus.
"And so nothing wrong happened to him. " replied his Grandpa.
"Huh?"

"Leopold did not fret about the dragon or its large stomach. In fact it was quite warm and spacious, he would have moved in if he hadn't had soup to make. He waited a while for the dragon to grow bored and fall asleep once again. Once the night fell and the fires grew low and cold and the dragon was surely napping, Leopold began to walk. For past the fire, and those thousand teeth was a long tunnel, which twisted and turned but Leopold was absolutely certain he'd find a way out. "
"How did he know, Grandpa"
"How does any of your food know where to go?" said the old man grimly. "Anyways...while the dragon dreamed and waited for his next victim, Leopold escaped, smelling, not exactly nice. But he sure had a nice view of the stars.  He went home and with his groceries, he made a lovely  hearty soup. And what a delicious soup it was too."
"That was a funny story ,Grandpa. " said Titus. "Thank you." he tried to hop off his Grandpa's lap. But the old man caught him and put him on the chair.
"No no, I'm not done yet." said the old man. "It's my turn to ask you for something."
"But I'm just a kid." pouted Titus.
"Now now, it's only a question."
The boy pouted even more. "Fine."
"Wonderful." said the boy's grandfather. "It's just a simple question.  Who do you think was the strong one here: the dragon or the man?" 

"The dragon, of course," said the boy. "So can I go now?" 

"Nope." said Grandpa, giving the boy a little candy. "Tell me how you think the dragon is stronger."
"The dragon is much much bigger. He's as tall as a mountain! AND he breathes fire. There's nothing scarier. "
"I said stronger, not scarier."  said  the old man.
"Well the dragon, of course." said the boy. "He ate the man.  The man had to hide and wait and run. I don't think that's very strong or brave.
The grandfather simply shook his head. "But the dragon stopped for him."