The Reluctant Dragon (short story)

"The Reluctant Dragon" is an 1898 children's story by Kenneth Grahame (originally published as a chapter in his book Dream Days), which served as the key element to the 1941 feature film with the same name, from Walt Disney Productions. The story has also been set to music as a children's operetta by John Rutter, with words by David Grant. In 1960, it was presented as a live-action episode starring John Raitt as St. George, on the television anthology The Shirley Temple Show. On March 21, 1968, Burr Tillstrom and Kukla, Fran and Ollie starred in a puppet version on NBC. In 1970–1971, it formed part of the anthology television program The Reluctant Dragon and Mr. Toad Show. In 1987, Cosgrove Hall Films adapted it for Thames ITV. In 2008, Tony DiTerlizzi wrote Kenny & the Dragon as a tribute to Grahame's story, including naming the two heroes Kenneth and Grahame.

The story takes place in the Berkshire Downs in Oxfordshire (where the author lived and where, according to legend, St George did fight a dragon). It is Grahame's most famous short story. It is arguably better known than Dream Days itself or the related The Golden Age. It can be seen as a prototype to most modern stories in which the dragon is a sympathetic character rather than a threat.

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