Tale Summary
With help from a good magician, an evil witch, and a magic ring, the Youth of the tale is able to kill the dragon and marry the princess. However, the evil witch soon seeks revenge for the wrong the Youth did to her by stealing her magic ring. After being captured by the evil witch, the Youth is eventually rescued by the good magician. Then the Youth and the princess lived happily ever after as King and Queen.
Fairy Tale Title
The Dragon of the North
Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)
Andrew Lang
Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)
Henry Justice Ford
Common Tale Type
Dragon Slayers
Tale Classification
Page Range of Tale
pp. 9-20
Full Citation of Tale
“The Dragon of the North.” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 9-20.
Original Source of the Tale
Tale Notes
A sparsely illustrated edition of a Dragon Slayer tale poses a question at the end pointed at the reader asking what they would do if they were in the Prince’s shoes. In the three illustrations for this tale, the illustrator chose to show the scenes when the Youth encounters the evil characters (i.e. the witch and dragon).
Research and Curation
Dana Trethaway, 2020
Book Title
The Yellow Fairy Book
Book Author/Editor(s)
Andrew Lang
Illustrator(s)
Henry Justice Ford
Publisher
Longmans, Green, and Co.
Date Published
1906
Decade Published
1900-1909
Publisher City
London
New York
Bombay
Publisher Country
United Kingdom
United States
India
Language
English
Rights
Public Domain
Digital Copy
Available at the Internet Archive
Book Notes
Though this book is written in prose with more difficult language than other books of fairy tales in the collection, the Preface says this book is written for children.
More tales like this
"The Eight-headed Serpent.” Japanese fairy tales, Teresa Peirce Williston, Chicago: Rand, McNally & Co, 1904, pp. 35-41.
“The Lambton Worm.” Fairy Gold : A Book of Old English Fairy Tales Chosen by Ernest Rhys, Ernest Rhys, London: J.M. Dent & Co.; New York : E.P. Dutton & co., 1907, pp. 8-12.
Yamata No Orochi. Takejiro, Hasegawa. Translated by Basil Hall Chamberlain, Kobunsha, 1886.
"The Seven-Headed Serpent.” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 60-63.
“The Dragon and the Prince.” The Crimson Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1903, pp. 80-92.
“The Dragon of the North.” The Yellow Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London, New York, Bombay: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906, pp. 9-20.
“The Knights of the Fish.” The Brown Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, New York: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1914, pp. 343-350.
