Bear and Pig at the Blacksmith Shop

(an original story written by myself, Bill Anderson, 2008ish)

-Bear and Pig at the Blacksmith Shop-

      For over forty years, there had not been a dragon near 

the kingdom, and news of a dragon in the vicinity caused quite a

panic all over the land. When Bear and Pig heard that the beast

might be just three days away they both headed to the blacksmith

shop to forge weapons for defending themselves.

      That morning Bear fashioned his piece of steel into 

the head of a battle axe and ground the blade to a sharp edge.

By evening he had also made a shield and was beginning to shape

a broad sword. As he prepared to leave he noticed that Pig was

still pounding and shaping his first piece of steel. Bear

teased Pig saying, “Pig, you will be lucky at this pace to have

a single weapon to defend yourself with.” He chuckled as he

headed out the door and started on the walk for home.

      Pig listened closely as he worked.  “Ah, there’s that 

ring,” Pig expressed aloud as he slowly, rhythmically hammered

on his steel. He set his chunk of steel down and he too went

home.

      The next morning they met at the shop again, and both 

went straight to work. Bear finished up his broad sword, and

Pig began hammering his piece of steel into shape. Midday they

took a break for lunch.

      “So, how is your sword coming along?” Bear asked with 

a grin.

      “Oh, it is coming along beautifully,” Pig happily 

exclaimed, “and has such a good temper to it now.”

      Tilting his head back and with a laughing sigh, Bear 

said “I should hope so! You have been pounding on that thing

for two days now.”

      These comments didn’t bother Pig at all; he knew from 

experience that such hammering removes the impurities in the

steel, making it extremely durable and strong.

      Later that afternoon, Bear and Pig were interrupted by 

a clamor in the town square. News had come in that the dragon

was just to the south of the hills and could reach the town by

the following afternoon. Bear and Pig went hastily back to

work. Pig finished the sharpening of his fine blade and began

pounding out a shield. Bear had finished a long sword by the

end of the day; then they both went home for some rest.

      When they returned the next day, Bear and Pig both 

found it difficult to concentrate on their work. Every noise in

the frantic town would cause them alarm. Pig had just finished

his shield when he heard a commotion again in the square. The

dragon was coming, and those who wanted to fight were heading to

the south hill to intercept the beast.

      Bear picked up his battle axe, shield, and swords and 

then went back into the shop to get his recently finished mace.

He saw Pig still polishing his sword and exclaimed, “You silly

pig, you spend so much time trying to make things so perfect,

and you end up with just one toothpick of a sword to fight a

dragon!!”

      On their way to the meeting place, Bear and Pig heard 

a disturbing growl and turned to see the dragon just yards away.

Bear stepped towards it and swung his long sword violently.

His sword had little effect against the impervious scales of the

beast, bending as he thrust it at the dragon with all of his

strength. The dragon knocked him back with his tail, and Bear

said to Pig, “See my little friend; if I had only one weapon, I

could not still fight.” He picked up his battle axe and

maneuvered into position. Seeing the perfect opportunity, Bear

made a long arching swipe at the neck of the dragon with his

powerful battle axe. As his blade caught the throat of the

beast, Bear felt himself being lifted from the ground and was

then pinned against a tree by the dragon’s mighty grasp. Seeing

no damage to the throat of the dragon, Bear braced himself for

the inevitable. Just then, he heard an echoing howl and saw Pig

with his sword firmly planted in the dragon’s chest. The

dragon’s head fell quickly and slammed to the ground.

      Pig helped Bear to wriggle free from beneath the limp 

and lifeless limb of the beast. Bear thanked Pig and said,

“That is one fine sword you have made my friend.” Reaching to

retrieve the blade from the dragon’s chest, Bear noticed that it

had pierced right through the center of one of the beast’s

thickest scales.

       As news of this incredible event spread far and wide, 

there came an endless stream of visitors from everywhere in the

land. They came to the kingdom to see the sword that could

pierce the scale of a dragon, and to meet its maker.