| Name | The Tale Of Custard The Dragon |
| Type | Summary |
| Class | 10 |
| Board | CBSE Board |
| Author | Ogden Nash |
Short Summary – The Tale Of Custard The Dragon
American poet Frederic Ogden Nash is renowned for his light verse. He was well known for writing hilarious poetry. The poem “The Tale of Custard the Dragon” was written by him in the manner of a ballad, which is a song that conveys a narrative. Ballads tell stories of bravery or heroism. An entertaining ballad like this one ends with a parody.
The poem starts off by introducing Belinda, its central figure. Belinda had a black cat, a grey mouse, a yellow dog, a small dragon, and a red wagon as her four pets in a tiny white house. The little black kitten’s title was Ink, the mouse’s title was Blink, and the dog’s title was Mustard. However, Belinda called the dragon Custard since he was a coward. The custard dragon was covered in scales, had large, sharp fangs, and spikes on top of him. He had a nose like a chimney and a mouth like a fireplace. He also has daggers on each of his toes.
Belinda thought she was as courageous as a barrel of bears. The lions might be chased down the stairs by Ink and Blink. Mustard had the bravery of a roaring tiger. Custard, however, consistently played the role of the weaker party. Belinda had a nasty habit of making Custard giggle. Other animals mockingly referred to him as Percival, a knight of King Arthur’s court who was on the hunt for the Holy Grail. Sitting in the red wagon (vehicle), Belinda and the other animals used to make fun of the dragon for being a coward.
Belinda and Blink laughed heartily whenever Custard desired a secure cage for him. Ink and Mustard also inquired as to his age and noted that he was frightened of everything in addition to the foregoing.
One day, a terrible noise woke up Belinda and her pets. At the same time, they were all afraid. Ink and Belinda both raised an eyebrow as they saw a pirate mounting the window. The pirate was holding knives between his teeth and two weapons. One of his legs was made of wood, and he had a black beard. Belinda cried out for help as soon as she saw the Pirate. Mustard grew frightened and escaped, creating a noise. Blink and Ink rushed to their hiding places and joined them. Two shots were fired by the pirate at Custard, but they had no effect on him at all. Only Custard confronted the pirate in combat before eating him in one bite.
Custard was embraced by Belinda while Mustard licked him. Ink and Blink delightedly danced around the dragon as it ate the pirate. All of them thanked the Custard for saving them. However, they ultimately realised that they had been making fun of the dragon because he was so frightened. They all then began to claim that they are braver than him and, as a result, could have handled the situation far better. Even after this brave act, Custard continued to act shyly. He continued to beg for a secure cage.
About The Author
Ogden Nash wrote a poem for children called The Tale of Custard the Dragon. Lynn M. Munsinger’s drawings for a picture book translation of the 1936 poem were released in 1995. The poem is thought to be “perhaps his most well-known poetry for children.”
Conclusion
Here, the poet was attempting to convey the idea that even under the most challenging circumstances, a shy person might rise as a true hero.