Free How to Twist a Dragon's Tale (Hiccup) by Cressida Cowell Page A

Hero."
    There was a gasp of amazement from the watching Viking Tribes, and cries of "WOW! Humungous the Hero! Where has HE been for the last fifteen years?"
    [Image: Men.]
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    And "Humungous the Hero -- was he the one who went on the Quest to tame the Rude-Rippers? Ooh, look at his moustache, I wonder if I should wear mine like that..."
    Hiccup held up his hand for silence. "Humungous here has been on Lava-Lout Island, and he tells me there are THOUSANDS of these Exterminator Eggs, isn't that right, Humungous?"
    Hiccup handed the Stone back to Humungous.
    "That's right, guys," agreed Humungous the Hero.
    "HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS ... Trust me, there's no point in trying to fight these Creatures, Word of an Ex-Hero."
    That was enough for the Viking Tribes.
    If Humungous the Hero, the bravest, coolest man in the Archipelago, who had slain the Rude-Rippers, who had fought the Slobberings, who had done a thousand daring Quests in his day, if HE thought they should flee, then it was clearly Fleeing-Time.
    They leaped to their feet and thundered out of the Circle, Meatheads, Bashem-Oiks, Ugli-Thugs, and all.
    "HANG ON A SECOND!" yelled Hiccup. "I'M STILL HOLDING THE STONE! THIS ISN'T THE ONLY WAY, MY FATHER IS RIGHT
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    ABOUT NOT SURRENDERING ... WE COULD RETURN THE FIRE-STONE TO THE VOLCANO AND SEE WHETHER THAT STOPS IT FROM EXPLODING..."
    But nobody was listening anymore. Panic had set in, and now they were stampeding out of the Circle, down toward the Harbor, in a desperate hurry to get to their ships and out of the area.
    "Errrr ... what do we do now then, Chief?" asked Gobber the Belch.
    Stoick was looking like a thundercloud.
    "BETRAYED! BY MY OWN SON!" fumed Stoick the Vast.
    Hiccup flinched.
    Stoick removed the Stone from Hiccup's hands and drew himself up to his most impressive height.
    "HICCUP HERE IS RUNNING AWAY," shouted Stoick.
    "No, Father," said poor Hiccup, "that ISN'T what I'm saying, please, will you just LISTEN, I think we should--"
    "SILENCE!" roared Stoick. "YOU HAVE HAD YOUR SAY, HICCUP, AND NOW IT IS I WHO AM HOLDING THE STONE!"
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    Hiccup was silent.
    Stoick struggled to contain his anger, and then continued speaking, with great Chiefly dignity "My son is deserting, and you have my permission to follow him. But I am going nowhere. I shall stay right here, and fight to the bitter end. 'Never Surrender' is the Horrendous motto."
    The Hooligans looked at each other.
    "And we shall fight with you!" yelled Snotlout.
    And Hiccup looked on in total misery, as his father patted a smirking Snotlout on the back, and told him he was glad to see someone who had the spirit of the Horrendous Haddocks in him.
    "NEVER SURRENDER!" yelled the happy Hooligans.
    They all joined in a rousing musical chorus of "These bogs are OUR bogs ... these bogs are YOUR bogs ...," sung in male voices of such beauty, that they would have set the gods a-weeping on their thunderclouds.
    "Oh brother," moaned Hiccup, his shoulders drooping.
    "What are you doing still here, Hiccup?" asked his father sternly. "I thought that you were leaving."
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    Stoick pointed sternly toward the exit of the amphitheater.
    When they came out, Fishlegs was waiting for them, with his Running-Away Suitcase on his back.
    "So?" he said eagerly. "Everybody seems to be seeing sense at last, and getting out of here."
    "All except for us Hooligans," said Hiccup gloomily. "Apparently we Never Surrender."
    "Quite right, too," said Camicazi, appearing out of nowhere, swinging her sword. "I'm ashamed of us Bog-Burglars, running away like bunny rabbits at the first sign of a little danger. So, what's the plan, then, Hiccup? What does Team Hiccup do now, then, eh?"
    "We can't leave without the other Hooligans," said Hiccup. "And they're clearly going to stay here whatever happens ... in which case, we have to try and stop the Volcano from exploding ourselves."
    Fishlegs's mouth dropped open. "I don't believe I'm hearing this," he said. "Stop a Volcano from exploding? How