"Oh yes, of course, The Secret Weakness." said the dragon, carefully inspecting the boy through the corner of his eye.

"Yes, The Secret Weakness," continued the boy, pretending not to notice the dragon's confusion. "All dragons are supposed to know about it, at least the smart ones, and so I am certain that a dragon that is as mighty and fearsome and wise as yourself must surely know The Secret."

The dragon was certain now that he was dealing with a very dangerous individual. Therefore, he certainly did not want to seem stupid!

"Of course, if any dragon would know about The Secret Weakness, it would be I, for I am the wisest of all dragons!" scoffed the beast. "Of course I know about The Secret Weakness."

"Good," said the young man, "then you know as well as I that it would be pointless for you to try to eat me, and so I will return now to my mother. Perhaps tomorrow I shall return and we shall talk some more."

"Yes," said the dragon, "perhaps I would enjoy some more of those biscuits. Perhaps indeed." With that, the young man bade farewell to the old dragon and found his way back down the trail and to his mother's house.

And so it began that each day the boy would climb to the dragon's cave. Many days he would bring biscuits, but other days he would bring cakes or candies. Some days he would bring a story to tell. Some days he would bring checkers, which he had taught the dragon to play. Some days the boy would have chores at home, and would not go at all, which the dragon found severely disappointing.

But on the days he did visit, they would talk for hours about this and that, about hopes and dreams. The dragon would tell of his many travels, then beg the boy to tell him the story about how someday the boy would marry a princess and live in a beautiful castle all of his very own. The dragon loved this story because he loved fairy tails most of all. Any time the dragon might look at the boy with a hungry glint in his eye, the young man would casually mention The Secret Weakness of Dragons, which would make the old snake laugh and smile and pretend to know.

Each time The Secret was mentioned of course, the dragon's curiosity burned a little more brightly. He did not want to admit that he did not know, but it was diving him crazy! Could he really have some weakness that he didn't know about? He would stay home some nights going over every scale, making sure they were all in place. He would sit up thinking and thinking and thinking. what could his weakness be? He would sit waiting each morning for the boy to arrive, hoping with each visit that he might glean some clue as to what the weakness could be. The visits went on for many days of many months. Each morning the boy would say to his mother, "Farewell! I am going to frighten off that dreadful beast once and for all!" But each evening the dragon would attack the kingdom as always.