He vomits flames." "He poisons the air with his breath." "He has the head of a dragon, the claws of a lion, and the tail of a fish." And a woman of Anis, who was regarded as intelligent and of sound judgment and from whom the dragon had taken three hens, deposed as follows: "He is formed like a man.

The proof is that I thought he was my husband, and I said to him, 'Come to bed, you old fool.'" Others said: "He is formed like a cloud." "He looks like a mountain." And a little child came and said: "I saw the dragon taking off his head in the barn so that he might give a kiss to my sister Minnie." And the Elders also asked the inhabitants: "How big is the dragon ?" And it was answered: "As big as an ox." "Like the big merchant ships of the Bretons." "He is the height of a man." "He is higher than the fig-tree under which you are sitting." "He is as large as a dog." Questioned finally on his colour, the inhabitants said: "Red." "Green." "Blue." "Yellow." "His head is bright green, his wings are brilliant orange tinged with pink, his limbs are silver grey, his hind-quarters and his tail are striped with brown and pink bands, his belly bright yellow spotted with black." "His colour?
He has no colour." "He is the colour of a dragon." After hearing this evidence the Elders remained uncertain as to what should be done.

Some advised to watch for him, to surprise him and overthrow him by a multitude of arrows.

Others, thinking it vain to oppose so powerful a monster by force, counselled that he should be appeased by offerings.
"Pay him tribute," said one of them who passed for a wise man.

"We can render him propitious to us by giving him agreeable presents, fruits, wine, lambs, a young virgin." Others held for poisoning the fountains where he was accustomed to drink or for smoking him out of his cavern.
But none of these counsels prevailed.