In Chapter 11 of the children's adventure book How To Be a Pirate, the Viking crew discovers a battered wooden chest marked “Property of Grimbeard the Ghastly. Do not open.” Snotlout proudly presents the find while his dragon Fireworm swells with pride, and the crowd cheers. Hiccup, wary of past mishaps, urges caution, recalling a previous incident where a cursed coffin caused injury and terror. Stoick, the chief, dismisses the warnings and insists on opening the chest immediately, driven by curiosity and a desire to prove himself. The group debates who should open it—Gobber suggests using his axe, Baggybum backs Snotlout, while Hiccup, Fishlegs, and Toothless repeatedly warn against it. Tension builds as Snotlout reaches for the lid, despite repeated admonitions that opening the box will bring regret. The scene ends on a cliff‑hanger, leaving the outcome of the chest’s opening unknown.
Chapters
Chapter 11. Of course it was Snotlout who had found the treasure. There he stood, chest stuck out, nostrils flaring, a big fat smile on his smug face. Fireworm, his dragon, had blown up to nearly twice her size with pride. He was surrounded by a crowd of Vikings who were giving him the hooligan hurrah. Snotlout! Snortlout! Snortlout! Hug! Hug! Hug! Snortlout grinned even more wildly when he saw Hiccup trudging up. Trying to look inconspicuous— difficult when you are attended by a friend carrying a gigantic limpet. Look what I found, Hiccup, drawled Snortlout. Snortlout had found a large wooden chest, very battered and scuffed and thoroughly gnawed by skullyans. It had the words Property of Grimbeard the Ghastly. Do not open written on it in large golden letters. Hiccup sighed. No chance it's not being the treasure then? Righto then, said Stoick, rubbing his hands together in a businesslike fashion. Let's open it. Hiccup forgot about shutting up and keeping a low profile. Father, he whispered urgently, we can't open it here. Look, it says do not open on the front. Remember what happened last time? Nonsense! bellowed Stoick, who had never been more disappointed by his son. Why hadn't he found the treasure? What was his odd-looking friend doing carrying that ridiculously large shell? Now Baggybum was going to start suggesting that Snotlout was the rightful heir to the tribe, and then Stoick would have to shut him up by fighting him, and it was all Hiccup's fault. Of course we open it now! What's the point of looking for treasure if you don't open the box when you find it? Please, pleaded Hiccup. You don't think a cunning old pirate like Grimbeard the Ghastly is going to leave a box lying around without there being some sort of trick to it? It'll be booby-trapped! Look at what happened when Alvin opened the coffin in the first place. It chopped off his hand! And then when we opened it later, everyone nearly died of fright! Stork finally lost his temper with his son. Who is in charge here anyway? he roared. I am the chief of the Hairy Hooligans, not you, you small boy! Those were coincidences, not booby traps! And I am not going to lug a heavy box like this one all the way home only to find it full of stones. Stoick's eyes were already bright with a strange gritty light that Hiccup had never seen before. Good point, chief, said Gobber the Belch. May I? Gobber swung his axe way over his head and brought it down on the chains wrapped around the box, snapping them in two. Snotlout should open it, as he found it, said Baggybum the Beerbelly. Stoick sighed. Okay then, he said. Snotlout proudly stepped forward. This was his big moment. He shot a nasty look at Hiccup. Not a good idea, not a good idea, not a good idea, said Hiccup and Fishlegs to themselves as Snotlout reached out muscly arms towards the Not a good idea. No, no, not a good idea. Not a good idea, said Toothless, closing his eyes as Snotlout slowly lifted up the lid. Property of Grimbeard the Ghastly. Do not, I repeat, do not open this box. If you do, you will regret it.
