The Dragon (short story)


"The Dragon" is a short story by American writer Ray Bradbury, originally published in 1955 in the magazine Esquire. A limited edition of the story was published by Footsteps Press in 1988.
It appears in A Medicine for Melancholy, R is for Rocket, Classic Stories 1, and Bradbury Stories.

Plot

The story concerns two knights who have a mission to slay a dragon. They describe the dragon as huge, fire-breathing, and horrific, having only one eye. They charge the dragon but fail, presumably dying in the attempt.
The "dragon" is then revealed to be a steam train, and its single eye is the train's headlight. The operators discuss the encounter but continue on without attempting to find the knights.