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“Bad news? Oh, festering fungus! What sort of bad news?” Sorrel scratched her stomach

“Put — me — down!” snarled Rat

“If you say so” Sorrel sighed and let Rat hop down to the stony floor of the cave “But he’s still asleep”

“Then I’ her way farther into the cave, where a fire burned blue, keeping the darkness and damp away froon lay asleep, curled up with his head on his paws His long tail with its spiny crest was coiled around the warlow to his scales and cast his shadow on the cave wall Rat scurried up to the dragon, clied his ear

“Firedrake!” she shouted “Firedrake, wake up They’re co!”

Sleepily the dragon raised his head and opened his eyes

“Oh, it’s you, is it, Rat?” he murmured in a rather hoarse voice “Has the sun set already, then?”

“No, but you et up all the same! You have to wake the others!” Rat jumped off Firedrake’s paw and scuttled up and down in front of him “I warned you, I really did — I warned the whole bunch of you, but you wouldn’t listen, oh, no!”

“What’s she talking about?” The dragon cast an inquiring glance at Sorrel, as now sitting by the fire, nibbling a root

“No idea,” said Sorrel,on Well, there’s not much room for sense in a little head like hers”

“Oh, really!” Rat gasped indignantly “Honestly, I ask You, I —”

“Take no notice, Rat!” Firedrake rose, stretched his long neck, and shook himself “She’s in a bad temper because the mist makes her fur damp”

“Pull the other one!” Rat threw Sorrel a venolance “Brownies are always bad-te ray coat was bristling with anger “I have to listen to her silly fur-brained fancies!”

“Warn us of what?” Sorrel threw the nibbled remnants of her root at the wall of the cave “Oh, putrid puffballs! Stop winding us all up like this or I’ll tie a knot in your tail!”

“Quiet, Sorrel!” Firedrake brought his clan angrily on the fire Blue sparks flew into the brownie girl’s fur, where they went out like tiny shooting stars