Brunhilde and the Slightly Embarrassed Dragon

Brunhilde was a dragon. A medium-sized green dragon with bronze claws. She had been flying over the village of Halden when she had noticed a sheep. Sheep were her favourite. She had swooped, missed, landed badly, and got her tail caught between two posts of the village fence.

She had been there for two hours.

She had tried pulling. The fence pulled back.

She had tried roaring. The cows had come over to look but had not helped.

She had tried, finally, just sitting and waiting, in the hope that her tail would unstick itself.

Her tail did not.

Around lunchtime, the village bell rang. The village had a system: when a dragon arrived, the bell rang, and the local knight came out to defeat the dragon.

Sir Marrek came riding up at a brisk pace, sword drawn.

He stopped.

He looked at Brunhilde. He looked at the fence. He looked at Brunhilde's tail in the fence.

He sheathed his sword.

"You alright?" he said.

"No," said Brunhilde, who was honest by temperament. "I am stuck."

"How long?"

"Two hours."

Sir Marrek dismounted. He walked over and crouched down next to the fence. He examined the situation, the way someone who has dealt with stuck things many times does.

"Right," he said. "Let's get you out."