During the reign of Charlemagne, there lived in the
region of Gascony a very old and wise dragon called
Jilocasin, who was a poet. Every so often, Jilocasin
would abandon his confortable and spacious dwelling and
take a human form to visit the King's court. There he
was a well-known and respected troubadour, and he made
the most of these brief sejourns to sing his verses and
listen to the creations of the other poets. Then he
would return to his home in Gascony, where he could
compose in peace and lead a peaceful life far from the
world.
One day, he was travelling through the forest of
Gascony disguised as a troubadour, when he heard
a desperate cry of help. Without losing a moment
he ran in the direction of the screams and came
across a poor woman who was trying to defend
herself against some bandits. Jilocasin changed
back into a dragon and with two blows he
finished off the ruffians. The woman had fainted
from her injuries, and the dragon lifted her
onto his back and flew speedily back to his
dwelling.
Jilocasin's
servants took care of the lady, whose clothes,
although they were torn and dirty, were those of
a lady of high rank.
On undoing the bundle which the woman clasped to
her breast, they found a baby only few weeks old
slumbering peacefully, oblivious to everything.
Thanks to the care and solicitude of the
servants, the woman soon came to, and Jilocasin
took on his human shape to visit his protegée.
The lady expressed her gratitude and told him
her story. She had been widowed within two years
of marriage, and her family had forced her to
marry her cousin, an unscruppulous man who was
interested only in inheriting the title and
wealth of her deceased husband.
The wedding was celebrated in haste, before the
mourning period prescribed by law had been
observed.
'But
I wass pregnant by my first husband, something which my
cousin did not knows', explained the woman, weeping. 'When
the baby was born, six month after the forced wedding,
my husband tried to seize the baby to prevent him
threatening his inheritance. Fearing for the life of my
son, I ran away, but the villain pursued me with his
henchmen, and he almost succeeded in killing the child.
Fortunately, you saved us, and now my life belongs to
you.'
Touched by the grief and beauty of the woman, Jilocasin
offered her support and shelter in his house.
Time passed, and the dragon-troubadour and the lady
became inseparable. The beautiful fugitive was aware of
Jilocasin's true identity, but she was so taken by his
kindness and amiability that it did not affect her love
for him. Meanwhile, the dragon found in her the
understanding and friendship he always sought. Jilocasin
and the lady would go for a long walks together, and
sometimes the dragon would carry her on his back and
they would visit far-off lands. Together they rode,
loved, and sang the verses which the dragon-poet
composed. They spent three happy years in this way. To
complete her happiness, the woman became pregnant. They
were both looking forward to the birth of their son, but
the lady died in childbirth. Jilocasin was inconsolable.
He had lost an irreplaceable companion, the only woman
who loved him as he was.
Faithful to her memory, the dragon cared for the two
boys without making any distinction between his adoptive
son and his own son. He taught them the highest
principles and, after a while, present them at court to
be armed knights.
The two brothers, who chose to be called the Knights of
the Dragon, were famous for their nobility and honour,
and they finally avenged their mother's memory by
capturing the castle which their villainous uncle had
stolen from them.
