Legends of fire-breathing Monsters are hundreds, maybe thousands, of years old, perhaps originating in ancient China where dragons are still an essential element in popular culture. The theme is so rich that it seems capable of sustaining any number of makeovers as successive generations of authors recreate it in their own manner. In the present case, the need was to produce tales to entertain and encourage boys at boarding school in England in the 1970s. The scenario manifested a Europe in the Middle Ages that was home to a variety of fire-breathing monsters, most associated with a specific geographical area, and presenting a range of challenges to the competing monarchies.