The End of the Beginning by Avi Page B

inquired Edward.
    "I don't know," she replied. "I've never been that way myself. But I have been every other way and I can assure you,
they
all lead to particular places."
    Edward took a sip of tea. "Then that certainly sounds like the way we should go."
    By the time they finished their snack, it had stopped raining, and the two friends were anxious to start. They thanked the salamander for her hospitality.

    "No bother at all," she said. "But, boys, promise me one thing. If you know you are going to be lost again, do let me know ahead of time. Then I'll have a proper supper prepared for you."
    "Madam," said Avon, "believe me, the next time we don't know where we are, we shall come right here."

CHAPTER SIX
In Which Dragons Are Mentioned

    "Edward," said Avon, "do you think we'll meet up with a dragon one of these days? Our travels won't be much of an adventure if we don't."
    "I must warn you," said Edward, "nowadays dragons are rather shy. They disguise themselves to look like other creatures. You'll see when we meet one. They deny it every time. As a rule, though, I would say that good dragons disguise themselves as nice creatures, and bad dragons as nasty ones."
    "It's a good thing you told me that," said Avon. "I've been looking for dragons. Now I'll look for something else, since I do indeed want to see one."
    Edward nodded. "My father used to say, 'Edward, it's better to look for nothing and find something than to look for something and find nothing.'"
    "I'll keep a sharp lookout," said Avon.
    "A look
in
might be useful, too," said Edward.
    Avon suddenly stopped. "Look!" he cried. 'That may be a dragon!"
    Curled up by a leaf was a young, sleeping mouse.
    "He certainly doesn't look like a dragon, does he?" asked Avon.
    "That means he probably is one," said Edward.
    The two friends crept cautiously toward the mouse.
    "What a wonderful disguise!" exclaimed Avon. "I never would have guessed he was a dragon."
    The mouse began to stir.
    "Now, be careful," warned Edward. "We don't know yet if he's a good dragon or a bad one."
    The mouse opened his eyes and saw Avon and Edward looking at him. "I beg your pardon," he said.
    "We didn't mean to wake you," said Avon. "We're on our adventures, and we wanted to see a dragon."
    "A dragon?" said the mouse shyly. "I'm afraid you won't find one here."
    Edward nudged Avon. Avon nodded.
    "You can't fool us," said Edward. "You're a dragon."
    The mouse looked himself over.
    "We won't tell anyone your secret," Avon said gently.
    "I do hate to disappoint you, sirs," said the mouse, "but really, I am not a dragon."
    "You have a tail, don't you?" asked Edward.
    The mouse had to admit that.
    "There," said Avon triumphantly. "Dragons have tails."
    "And four feet," said Edward. "You do have four feet."
    "Same as dragons," put in Avon.
    "And a nose, a mouth, and two eyes!" cried Edward. "All just like a dragon. No sir, Mister Dragon, you can fool some creatures, but you can't fool Avon and Edward."
    "Do you know," whispered the astonished mouse, "my father never told me I was a dragon."
    "Ask your mother," suggested Edward.
    "You'll have to excuse me," said the mouse, who was by then quite excited. "This is all very sudden to me. I need to go home and tell my friends who I am." And off he ran.

    "Oh dear," said Avon as the mouse scampered away. "We forgot to find out if he was a good or a bad dragon."
    "He was young," said Edward, "so he probably hasn't made up his mind."
    "I do hope he decides to become a good dragon," said Avon. "The world needs more good dragons."
    "It would certainly be a comfort," said Edward.

CHAPTER SEVEN
In Which a Battle Is Fought

    Edward and Avon came to a fork in their branch.
    "It seems to me," said Edward, "that you won't have had a proper series of adventures unless you've gone through thick and thin."
    "Thick and thin what?" asked Avon.
    "Branches," replied Edward. "We've been on a thick branch; it's time we tried a thin one."
    So, very carefully, the two creatures