The narrative is a metaphorical tale about the evolution of human civilization, told through the lens of a kingdom terrorized by a dragon. The dragon, representing an oppressive force, demands a tribute of ten thousand people every night. The kingdom, unable to fight the dragon, accepts this fate, teaching its children to accept the dragon as a fact of life.
However, the story takes a turn when the kingdom begins to adapt and innovate. Steam engines are invented, a railway is constructed, and the logistics of delivering the tribute are improved. This leads to a shift in the kingdom's perspective, with some arguing for a new attack on the dragon. A material so sharp it could pierce a dragon's scale is invented, and a projectile is proposed.
The king holds an open hearing to discuss the proposal, but the people are skeptical due to their long-held belief in the dragon's invincibility. However, when they learn about the new material and the idea for a projectile, many become intrigued. The king decides to fund the project, and mass rallies are held to raise money.
Despite initial setbacks and delays, the projectile is eventually launched, successfully hitting and killing the dragon. The kingdom is freed from the dragon's tyranny, and the people celebrate their victory. The king reflects on the past and looks forward to a future where they can learn from their mistakes and strive to do better.
1. A dragon terrorized a kingdom, demanding a tribute of ten thousand men and women every evening.
2. The dragon was invincible due to its hard scaly armor and effective claws, jaws, and fire.
3. The kingdom accepted the dragon as a fact of life, even embracing the idea that everyone's final moments would be in its maw.
4. The kingdom began to teach its children that the dragon had its place in the natural order and that the very meaning of being human was to end up in the dragon's stomach.
5. The kingdom hired registrars to keep track of who would be sent to the dragon, and there were people-collectors dispatched to fetch the designated victims.
6. Steam engines were invented and a railway constructed leading to the dragon’s abode.
7. Some dragonologists argued for a new attack on the dragon, proposing a material so sharp it could pierce a dragon’s scale.
8. The dragonologists explained their proposal to anyone who would listen, but the people were skeptical; they had been taught the dragon-tyrant was invincible and the sacrifices it demanded a fact of life.
9. A small child yelled out from the audience: "The dragon is bad!"
10. The king announced: "Let us kill the dragon".
11. The king's deadline could not be met, and the task was hard.
12. A year later, the first prototype missile successfully launched.
13. The construction of the final projectile was set to complete and launch on New Year’s Eve, twelve years after the project’s inauguration.
14. The last day of the year was cold and overcast, but still and clear — good launch conditions.
15. A large clock counted down: ten minutes to go -- the dark slumped profile of the dragon beyond, eating.
16. From the crowd, someone jumped the fence and ran to the platform where the king sat.
17. The young man shouted: "The last train! Stop the last train!"
18. The young man begged the king to issue a recall-order for the last train, due to arrive at the mountain terminal five minutes before time zero.
19. The king looked up at the countdown clock: five seconds remaining.
20. A ball of fire enveloped the launch pad and the missile shot out.
21. The masses, the king, the low and the high, the young and the old… that white flame, shooting into the dark embodied the human spirit, its fear and its hope.
22. The silhouette on the horizon tumbled and fell.
23. Thousands of voices of joy rose from the masses, joined seconds later by a deafening drawn-out thud from the collapsing monster.
24. After all this time, humanity was at last free from the dragon.
25. The joy cry resolved into a jubilating chant: "Long live the king! Long live us all!"
26. The royal entourage, huddling in the downpour, accumulated around their monarch.
27. The right to an open future had been regained, a primordial fear abolished, and many long-held assumptions overturned.
28. The future lies open before us. We shall go and try to do better than we have done in the past, for we have time now… time to get things right, time to grow up, time to learn from our mistakes.
29. Let all the bells in the kingdom ring until midnight, in remembrance of our dead.
30. Then after, we will celebrate and begin the process of building a better world. . . for we have time now.