He was a knight, armed from head to heel, mounted upon a strange-looking beast, whose form I could not understand.

The words which I heard him sing were like these: Heart be stout, And eye be true; Good blade out! And ill shall rue.
Courage, horse! Thou lackst no skill; Well thy force Hath matched my will.
For the foe With fiery breath, At a blow, It still in death.
Gently, horse! Tread fearlessly; 'Tis his corse That burdens thee.
The sun's eye Is fierce at noon; Thou and I Will rest full soon.
And new strength New work will meet; Till, at length, Long rest is sweet.
And now horse and rider had arrived near enough for me to see, fastened by the long neck to the hinder part of the saddle, and trailing its hideous length on the ground behind, the body of a great dragon.

It was no wonder that, with such a drag at his heels, the horse could make but slow progress, notwithstanding his evident dismay.

The horrid, serpent-like head, with its black tongue, forked with red, hanging out of its jaws, dangled against the horse's side.

Its neck was covered with long blue hair, its sides with scales of green and gold.