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The Dragonslayers

 The Dragonslayers
type
TVTItem
 The Dragonslayers
label
The Dragonslayers
 The Dragonslayers
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TheDragonslayers
 The Dragonslayers
comment
The Dragonslayers is both a musical and a children's book (1994) based off it (the latter written by Bruce Coville). It's the typical tale of a princess who needs to get married soon. Her parents are in despair, as she is not interested in anyone.And then the dragon attacks the kingdom. But even with the king offering half the kingdom, and the princess's hand in marriage to the one who kills said dragon, no one is willing to take up the job except Elizar, who is old enough to be the princess's father. Naturally, she's not happy with this. Disguising herself as a boy, she runs off the kill the dragon herself. But the dragon isn't a "normal" dragon, and instead it is the creation of a witch, who wants revenge for something...Along the way, the Princess-disguised-as-a-boy runs into Elizar (who is really the Kingdom's oldest squire), his page, Brian (who has a birthmark that could explain a lot of things), a talking bear, fox and cat and the one who created the dragon in the first place.A CD with the songs from the musical can be bought from the website here.It was eventually revealed that Bruce Coville's other books The Foolish Giant (1978), Goblins in the Castle (1992) and Goblins on the Prowl (2015) took place in the same universe as The Dragonslayers, with Goblins on the Prowl referring to the now Queen Wilhelmina.
 The Dragonslayers
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2023-11-08T00:14:24Z
 The Dragonslayers
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2023-11-08T00:14:24Z
 The Dragonslayers
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Dropped link to CatGirl: Not a Feature - ITEM
 The Dragonslayers
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Dropped link to CatsAreSnarky: Not a Feature - UNKNOWN
 The Dragonslayers
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Dropped link to WarriorPrincess: Not a Feature - UNKNOWN
 The Dragonslayers
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CatsAreSnarky
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WarriorPrincess
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DBTropes
 The Dragonslayers / int_15177ded
type
The Runaway
 The Dragonslayers / int_15177ded
comment
The Runaway: King Mildred and his wife are very worried when they find their daughter's run off, and set out to search for her, along with all their knights and pages. They say they're calling off the Standard Hero Reward because they don't want Willie to be unhappy.
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I Owe You My Life
 The Dragonslayers / int_1e4a1e0e
comment
I Owe You My Life: Throughout the book Willie, Brian, and Elizar each save a Talking Animal (Elizar quite by accident), who subsequently decide that the best use of their time is to help them on their quest, regardless of how... um... helpful they can actually be. (A bear, maybe. A housecat and a fox can only do so much where a dragon is involved.)
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 The Dragonslayers / int_1f14978d
type
Talking Animal
 The Dragonslayers / int_1f14978d
comment
Talking Animal: A female fox, a male bear, and a female cat all accompany the protagonists on their journey, all of which have the ability to speak.
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May–December Romance
 The Dragonslayers / int_234fa9ba
comment
May–December Romance: Averted and played straight. King Mildred offers his fourteen-year-old daughter's hand in marriage to the one who kills the dragon, then sends Elizar, who's old enough to be Princess Wilhelmina's grandfather, to do it; she avoids having to marry him by killing the dragon herself. Then it's played somewhat straighter when it turns out Elizar's long-lost wife, who was much younger than he was, is still alive and well.
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 The Dragonslayers / int_292d57cd
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Crusading Widow
 The Dragonslayers / int_292d57cd
comment
Crusading Widow: Grizelda thinks she's this, seeking revenge on the king for the loss of her husband, who'd been drafted into his armies and never returned, and son, thinking King Mildred had burned her cottage with the child inside. In fact, both are alive and well — Brian was rescued from the burning house (which had been set on fire by enemy soldiers) by King Mildred and his men, but Grizelda didn't know this and abandoned the destroyed house in favor of finding a witch to teach her what she needed. Later, Elizar (whom Grizelda assumed had died in the war) returned to find his home destroyed. Thinking his wife and son were dead, he went wandering and eventually found employment at King Mildred's castle. Eventually, all three are reunited at the end of the book after Grizelda, having recognized Brian as her son, reveals their relationship and how she recognized him... and Elizar is shocked because his son had the same birthmark as hers.
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Parental Abandonment
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comment
Parental Abandonment: Sort of. Elizar and Grizelda were married, but Elizar was forcibly drafted into King Mildred's army, leaving his wife and son alone. Later, after the war was over but while enemy soldiers were still roaming the area, Grizelda came home from working in the fields and found her house on fire and her son gone, and believed that King Mildred was responsible for all of her losses, setting her on her quest for revenge.
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Tomboy and Girly Girl
 The Dragonslayers / int_2d364c81
comment
Tomboy and Girly Girl: The fox and the cat, respectively, in an animal example.
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 The Dragonslayers / int_44fc28e8
type
Honor Before Reason
 The Dragonslayers / int_44fc28e8
comment
Honor Before Reason: Willie has this issue. She refuses to kill a giant spider while its back is turned. Later, after she slays the dragon, her parents say they're calling off the Standard Hero Reward because they love Willie too much to make her unhappy and will offer anything else. Willie still insists they give her the award of their daughter's hand so that no one can use it to marry her. Then she reveals herself, making her parents relieved that they're not condemning her to an unhappy Arranged Marriage.
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 The Dragonslayers / int_4668be6f
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Distinguishing Mark
 The Dragonslayers / int_4668be6f
comment
Distinguishing Mark: Brian has a dragon-shaped birthmark.
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 The Dragonslayers / int_5394c54b
type
Beary Friendly
 The Dragonslayers / int_5394c54b
comment
Beary Friendly: The bear that Willie rescues and joins her in thanks turns out to be quite nice.
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 The Dragonslayers / int_60c90bd5
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Orphan's Ordeal
 The Dragonslayers / int_60c90bd5
comment
Orphan's Ordeal: Brian loses both his parents as a child, and is saved and taken back to King Mildred's castle, where he works as a page but is treated poorly by the other pages because he does such a good job that it unintentionally makes them look bad.
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 The Dragonslayers / int_617f0563
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Heel–Face Turn
 The Dragonslayers / int_617f0563
comment
Heel–Face Turn: The witch Grizelda, once everyone finds out what happened.
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 The Dragonslayers / int_6a1cbf28
type
Rebellious Princess
 The Dragonslayers / int_6a1cbf28
comment
Rebellious Princess: Princess Wilhelmina, who dislikes being treated as "girly" and finally sneaks out to deal with the dragon herself.
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 The Dragonslayers / int_7241785e
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You Can't Fight Fate
 The Dragonslayers / int_7241785e
comment
You Can't Fight Fate: The Exact Wording of the curse Grizelda used to create her Fear Dragon. Its purpose was to give the King the pain of losing a child Grizelda herself has had to suffer through. Well, the creation of the Dragon is what put Willie in the position of choosing between taking care of things herself or else marrying an old man. She chooses to leave and the King now has the suffering of parental worry. However, seeing as the whole affair of Grizelda's family was a giant miscommunication, the pain is not as permanent as Grizelda intended to begin with, and both are happily reunited with their children.
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 The Dragonslayers / int_7e676cdf
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Engagement Challenge
 The Dragonslayers / int_7e676cdf
comment
Engagement Challenge: King Mildred promises that whoever can slay the dragon may marry his daughter. The only person who will go is the ancient squire Elizar, whom Princess Wilhelmina calls old enough to be her grandfather. Disgusted, she pulls a Sweet Polly Oliver and sets off to slay the dragon herself; doing so wins her the right to choose her own husband when she's ready.
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 The Dragonslayers / int_8338de89
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"I Want" Song
 The Dragonslayers / int_8338de89
comment
"I Want" Song: At least three in the musical. "Why Can't a Girl?" (Willie's Song) "Revenge" (Grizelda's song) "Father's Lament" (King Mildred) "One of the Boys" (Brian)
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 The Dragonslayers / int_863fa679
type
What Happened to the Mouse?
 The Dragonslayers / int_863fa679
comment
What Happened to the Mouse?: About halfway through the book, the witch Phrenella flies off to deal with the Dragonslayers. That's the last anyone ever sees of her.
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 The Dragonslayers / int_9bfa1697
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Eye of Newt
 The Dragonslayers / int_9bfa1697
comment
Eye of Newt: The first chapter includes a large list of items to create the dragon, and the witch Phrenella is surprised that the trope namer isn't one of them. That's when Grizelda pulls out a live newt and says she's actually using the whole thing.
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My God, What Have I Done?
 The Dragonslayers / int_a1b141f4
comment
My God, What Have I Done?: This is Grizelda's reaction when she realizes that Brian, the boy she just cursed so he won't be able to kill her dragon, is her long-lost son.
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Sweet Polly Oliver
 The Dragonslayers / int_a8217606
comment
Sweet Polly Oliver: Princess Wilhelmina, who disguises herself as a boy named Bill when she sneaks out of the castle to find the dragon.
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 The Dragonslayers / int_b1dde8fd
type
Loophole Abuse
 The Dragonslayers / int_b1dde8fd
comment
Loophole Abuse: The one who slays the dragon will win Princess Wilhemina's hand. Willie ends up doing it disguised as a boy so she won't be betrothed to a random knight or hero. Her parents allow it when she reveals herself because they were worried about her running away.
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Standard Hero Reward
 The Dragonslayers / int_b97c1d0b
comment
Standard Hero Reward: King Mildred promises half the kingdom and his daughter's hand in marriage to whoever kills the dragon. When she kills it herself, it means she can choose her own husband.
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Fiery Redhead
 The Dragonslayers / int_bb0c0a4d
comment
Fiery Redhead: Princess Wilhelmina, who's very stubborn and hot-tempered.
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 The Dragonslayers / int_c83a589c
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Luke, I Am Your Father
 The Dragonslayers / int_c83a589c
comment
Luke, I Am Your Father: After her dragon is killed, Grizelda swoops in and informs Brian that she's his mother. When she points out the birthmark on his shoulder, which is how she knew, Elizar recognizes it as the one his son had. That's when they both realize who the other is.
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Roaring Rampage of Revenge
 The Dragonslayers / int_ceec4df5
comment
Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Grizelda's reason for unleashing the dragon — it's to punish King Mildred, whom she blames for the loss of her husband and son, and she wants him to feel the pain of losing a child as she did.
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 The Dragonslayers / int_d88e125e
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Our Dragons Are Different
 The Dragonslayers / int_d88e125e
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Our Dragons Are Different: The dragon in this story is a magical construct, who can only be killed if you learn its true name. It's Fear.
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 The Dragonslayers / int_dd3d1f69
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Wicked Witch
 The Dragonslayers / int_dd3d1f69
comment
Wicked Witch: Lead villain Grizelda, her associate Phrenella and Grizelda's teacher are all evil witches. Grizelda no longer qualifies after being reunited with her family at the end.
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 The Dragonslayers / int_dd45df38
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Unfortunate Names
 The Dragonslayers / int_dd45df38
comment
Unfortunate Names: King Mildred, who tries to make up for it with his daughter's name. Princess Wilhelmina (aka Willie, for her willfullness).
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Meaningful Rename
 The Dragonslayers / int_e6a901a3
comment
Meaningful Rename: When she became a witch, the peasant woman Maureen renamed herself Grizelda to fit her new image.
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 The Dragonslayers / int_ef3bf14b
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Child Marriage Veto
 The Dragonslayers / int_ef3bf14b
comment
Child Marriage Veto: When King Mildred promises that whoever can slay the dragon may marry his daughter, he winds up sending Elizar, who's old enough to be Willie's grandfather. Willie privately refuses to even consider marrying him (good thing too, seeing as it turns out his supposedly dead wife is still alive), and sets out to kill the dragon herself and thus earn the right to choose her own husband.
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I Call It "Vera"
 The Dragonslayers / int_faf5732b
comment
I Call It "Vera": Brian names his sword Dragonwhacker.
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Heroes Want Redheads
 The Dragonslayers / int_fd53ff9f
comment
Heroes Want Redheads The end result, as Brian marries Willie.
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The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

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