The proud dragon at the foot of the Royal Castle has been feeling a little sorry for himself of late. The reason is no great secret - he has lost the magic power to breath fire. Or rather he was robbed of it. Some naughty fellows decided to do some illegal dentistry on the poor monster one night, and ever since he's been unable to do what comes naturally to any self-respecting dragon.
However, all is not lost. A gallant pair of technicians are hard at work this week fixing the vandals work, and by Monday the dragon should be breathing fire again.
The dragon is a very much a childrens' favourite in Cracow, and the tale about the monster that once terrorized the city has been known to Polish children since time immemorial.
Many centuries ago, a dastardly dragon appeared in town and he swallowed sheep, cows and Cracovians by the dozen. There seemed to be no end to the problem. A host of knights tried to kill the beast but all failed.
One day, a plucky cobbler came up with a cunning plan. He filled a sheep's carcass with sulphur and in the dead of night, crept up to the dragon's lair and deposited his present. The next morning the dragon guzzled up this seemingly tasty morsel, and promptly blew to smithereens. The noble cobbler was a hero - he took the hand of the Princess of Krakow and naturally, they lived happily ever after.
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