Lords and Ladies, gather 'round
Colette the Bard has come to town,
Towing and extraordinary tale.
I've journeyed forth from fair Caid,
That my story you may heed.
At my frightening words, try not to pale.

I tell you I have met a devil, ridden on its back,
Smelled its breath and felt its frozen scales.
I've seen its jagged razor teeth and met its eyes of black,
And still survived to share with you my tale.

As a bard my heart I trust,
And give in to my wanderlust,
And go wherever my feet choose to fly.
Seek adventure, that I must
And always have vociferously
Shunned a hearth and home, a quiet life.

Never in my wildest dream would I have thought my ways
Would lead me into peril such as this.
Never would I dream that I would fall into its blaze,
Fall victim to a dragon's fiery kiss.

Traveling through the mountains yon,
I discovered at the break of dawn
A heavenly music floating through the air.
Fearing it would soon be gone,
I traced the music o'r and on
And fell upon a sleeping dragon's lair.

It's sleeping hum entranced me so, and common sense did flee.
I sat amidst its silver and its gold.
The moment that I did so, it awoke and circled me
In its claws, its claws so terrible and cold.

"Womanling, how can you dare
To come inside a dragon's lair?
Don't you know we feast upon your type?"
I closed my eyes, to cries did give,
And wondered at what punitive
Atrocity might soon end my life?

The dragon seemed bewildered as I wailed my Woe Is Me.
I felt its evil claws relax and fall.
"Very well, I'll let you live, if here my wife you'll be,
And never again go outside these halls."

I gathered up my bravery,
Consented to this slavery,
Was dressed in silk and diamonds all white.
We said our vows, and my voice shook,
And 'round my waist his claws did hook.
He drew me in, his grip growing tight.

"Will you not now kiss your groom? For I have spared your life."
I shuddered, kissed his snout, tried not to cry.
"My dear," said he, "so happy you have made me, I could fly."
Threw me on his back, and took off through the night.

As we flew out o'r the sea,
My courage I then gathered me,
Released the spike that up 'til now I held.
For free or dead I'd rather be
Than forced a wife in tyranny,
And as I fell in darkness, the beast yelled,

"Should I ever find you 'gain, your death, it will be mine.
This vow that you have broken now is done.
I will not be generous, we meet a second time.
Every challenge taken, I have won."

So lords and ladies, there's my story,
Not of conquest, not of glory,
But to say that dragons still exist.
Be leery of the mountains far,
Or better yet, stay near your hearth,
If your life you are determined to live.

As for me, I travel still, my lesson not to heed,
Hiding away from my wayward groom.
Now my story's at an end, there's nothing left to say,
For on this page I have run out of room.