Louisa Freya, Dragon Slayer: and other tales

By Amy Scott Robinson and Evelt Yanait

Folk tales are stories full of adventure, courage, daring, fighting dragons, trolls, and giants, and overcoming challenges. How many of them have girls as the main heroic characters though?

These twelve folk tales from all over the world have been specially selected as they feature strong, adventurous heroines. Some are funny, some make you think, and some – like the story of Fearless Mary – keep you on the edge of your seat with scares and surprises. Meet Louisa Freya, the brave dragon slayer, funny and clever Sigrun, and honest and humble Scarface as well as other heroines from Serbia, Norway, China, Japan, South Africa, and Indonesia. Amy Scott Robinson's distinctive voice, expertise and experience as a performance storyteller makes this a unique and fascinating collection, aimed at readers aged 7-9 years. At the end of each story, Amy shares a bit about where the story comes from, how she has retold it, and what the tale makes her think about when she is hearing or telling it, including Bible verses. These folk tales deserve to be told as often as the more famous and well-known ones. After all, why should boys defeat all the dragons? Enjoy the adventure!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lion Children's Bks
• Release date: May 20, 2022
• ISBN: 9780745979489

Amy Scott Robinson

Amy Scott Robinson is an author and performance storyteller. She is the author of Louisa Freya, Dragon Slayer and Queen Esther, Nation Saver. After studying English at Christ's College, Cambridge, she trained as a primary school teacher and then founded a business for storytelling in education. Amy began writing scripts and poetry for charities, churches and providers of liturgical resources, before publishing her own works on puppetry and story. She still performs as a storyteller and ventriloquist, and produces works for adults as well as children. She lives in a rectory in Suffolk with the Rector, two children and lots of puppets.

Book preview

Louisa F reya, Dragon Slayer

There was once a sleepy little town on the edge of nowhere in particular, where everybody enjoyed a quiet life. The mayor of the town was very proud of his record for keeping the peace: there were never any riots or fights or ugly scenes. The mayor had one daughter, whose name was Louisa Freya, and whenever she was stubborn or argumentative (which was too often for his liking) he would say to her, Peace, Louisa Freya! Peace and calm and keeping everybody happy, those are the important things!

Unfortunately, one day the peace of the little town was interrupted by the arrival of a huge seven-headed dragon, which moved into the swampy marshland just outside the town gates and started tucking into the residents. The mayor, as you can imagine, was rattled by this, but not for very long. After a brief exchange of messages, he came to an agreement with the dragon: so long as they sent one person from the town to be gobbled up every month, the dragon would not come in and help himself to the rest of them.

Louisa Freya was horrified. She stamped her foot at her father.

You can’t just feed people to the dragon! she said. We should go out there and fight it!

But her father shook his head.

No, my girl, it’s far too strong for our tiny army. Better to let a few people be eaten than allow the whole town to be destroyed. There will still be peace and calm this way, and those are the important things.

Nonsense! was all Louisa Freya could think of to say, for which she was sent to her room.

The mayor put the names of all the town’s citizens into a basket, then drew one name out every month. The first month it was Timmy, the blacksmith’s apprentice, who was sent off to the dragon. Louisa Freya went to her father in tears.

You can’t just let Timmy be eaten! she sobbed. We have to fight the dragon!

Better to let a few people be eaten than allow the whole town to be destroyed, replied the mayor. You’ll understand when you’re older.

Nonsense! said Louisa Freya.

The second month, Anna from the dairy farm had her name pulled out of the basket and was sent out to the dragon. Louisa Freya pleaded with her father.

Anna sits next to me at school! She’s one of my best friends! Please don’t let her be eaten. Please let’s fight the dragon! she begged.

Better to let a few people be eaten than allow the whole town to be destroyed, came the reply. Peace, Louisa Freya, peace and calm!

Nonsense! said Louisa Freya.

In the third month, the mayor put his hand into the basket and pulled out a name. When he read it his face turned the colour of a pale winter dusk for the paper said, Louisa Freya, daughter of the mayor.

Of course Louisa Freya doesn’t have to go to the dragon! said the mayor. She’s my only daughter. I need her here. I’ll pick again.

NONSENSE! shouted Louisa Freya and stamped both her feet. Do you think that Timmy’s father didn’t need him, or that Anna’s father didn’t miss her? That paper says Louisa Freya on it, and I will go to the dragon!

Louisa Freya hurried into her kitchen and took the longest, sharpest knife she could find. She strapped it on with her belt, put her coat on over the top, and set out toward the dragon’s swamp.

When she arrived, the dragon couldn’t be bothered to lift more than two of its seven heads to take a look.

You’re just a slip of a girl, it complained. The last one they sent was a similar size. I was hoping you’d have more meat on you.

Sorry about that, said Louisa Freya. and about this… and she stepped forward as she spoke, pulled the knife from her belt, and sliced off the nearest head. It fell to the floor and started to laugh.

That’s odd, said Louisa Freya. I never knew being beheaded was so funny.

It’s you I’m laughing at, silly girl! said the head on the floor. Did you really think you’d be able to come here and defeat me? A weak little girl-child like you? Not even the strongest knights can manage it!

With that, the neck bent down to the head and picked it up and, just like that, it was attached again, still laughing.

Interesting, said Louisa Freya, and she took a swipe at the second head, which had joined in with the joke.

Stupid! Weakling! Fool! it jeered as it fell, but the neck caught it on the way down and straight away it was attached again.

That’s enough playtime, said the dragon, licking all seven sets of its lips. Lunchtime now.

Nonsense! said Louisa Freya, and she lopped off both of the heads that were coming her way with their mouths open.

She still thinks she can fight us! said one as it bounced off the ground.

It’s almost cute, said the other.

She’s not very clever, is she? remarked the first. Doesn’t learn from experience.

Oh, be quiet! snapped Louisa Freya, and she picked up the head and cut out its tongue.

There, she said. Now at least you can’t insult me while I’m trying to kill you.

The head lay silent and still on the ground. Ah, ha! said Louisa Freya.

You may have discovered our secret, sneered the second head, but we will eat you long before you manage to defeat us.

You’ll have to catch me first, Louisa Freya replied, and she darted off to the side, leaving the lunging head to smash its face on the rock where she’d been standing.

If you had been watching, all you would have seen from then on was a blur. Louisa Freya raced this way and that as the heads chased her. She scrambled over necks and ducked under them; she flew from left to right and from right back to left again with

teeth catching at her coat. When at last she stopped, the necks were woven into a tight plait with all six angry heads snapping in a bunch on the end.

Now, then, said Louisa Freya, hold still. And she hacked through the thick rope of woven necks, taking care to pick up each head as it fell and cut out the tongue. With the last head gone, the knotted dragon slumped to the ground.

Louisa Freya gathered together all seven tongues and put them in her coat pocket. She wiped the knife and stuck it back in her belt. Then she set off for home.

Meanwhile, in the town, the mayor had been putting up posters to advertise for dragon fighters, offering a thousand pound reward and his daughter’s hand in marriage