Dross and Gold

One runs across peculiar stuff in one's storage locker, and for me this truism is probably truer than for most, as Mrs. Peculiar will doubtless attest. Recent highlights include a rather natty old taxidermied pigeon and a pouch full of pheasant feet on strings (fine, grouse feet too, you nitpickers). There are certainly some worthy nuggets buried in the tailings, however:

Yes indeed, it's an unpublished illustrated manuscript by a young and quite talented Moro Rogers, about a tiercel goshawk and his run-in with a dragon:

My favourite passage of text:

"Hmm. Maybe you could bribe the dragon. Or you could challenge the dragon to a flying contest and say if you win he has to let you go."

"Would the dragon agree to that?"

"Probably."

"Would I win?"

"I doubt it. Maybe you should go with the bribe idea. Do you have any possessions a dragon would want?"

"I have a dead crow."

"You're in for it."

I liked Balingard when I first saw it a decade ago and I still like it now; much more gold than dross here, and I'd love to see it reworked. This is exactly why I don't douse my storage unit in gasoline and toss in a match.