But when the Hippogriff was let out of the book, a Great Sloth got out too.

Evading all efforts to secure him, the Great Sloth journeyed northward.

He is a very large and striking animal, and by some means, either fear or admiration, he obtained a complete ascendancy over the inhabitants of Briskford.

He induced them to build him a temple of solid gold, and while they were doing this the river bed became choked up and the stream was diverted into another channel far from the town.

Since then the place is fallen into decay.