In this narrated excerpt from How to Train Your Dragon (Part 3), Gobber the Belch gathers ten Viking boys on a snowy cliff overlooking a massive dragon nursery where 3,000 young dragons hibernate. He orders each boy to climb the cliff, enter one of four skull‑shaped caves, and silently steal a single sleeping dragon, placing it in a basket. Gobber warns that waking a dragon would be fatal and that failure means exile from the Hairy Hooligan tribe. Hiccup, whose father Stoick the Vast is chief, knows far more about dragons than his peers and feels the danger keenly, but the other boys are excited and boastful, especially Snotlout. The passage juxtaposes the awe‑inspiring, dangerous setting with dark humor, tribal pressure, and Hiccup’s internal conflict between knowledge and peer pressure, setting the stage for the upcoming test of bravery and skill.
Chapters
The 10 boys tipped their heads backward. The cliff loomed dizzily high above them, black and sinister. In summer, you could barely even see the cliff as dragons of all shapes and sizes swarmed over it, snapping and biting and sending up a cacophony of noise that could be heard all over Berk. But in winter, the dragons were hibernating and the cliff fell silent, except for the ominous low rumble of their snores. Hiccup could feel the vibrations through his sandals. Now, said Gobber, do you notice those 4 caves about Halfway up the cliff, roughly in the shape of a skull. The boys nodded. Inside the cave that would be the right eye of the skull is the dragon nursery, where there are, at this very moment, 3,000 young dragons. Having their last few weeks of wintry sleep. Ooh! muttered the boys excitedly. Hiccup swallowed hard. He happened to know considerably more about dragons than anybody else there. Ever since he was a small boy, he'd been fascinated by the creatures. It's. They spent long, hour after hour, dragon watching in secret. Dragon spotters were thought to be geeks and nerds, and hence the need for secrecy. And what Hiccup had learned about dragons told him that walking into a cave with 3,000 dragons in it was an act of madness. No one else seemed too concerned, however. In a few minutes, I want you to take one of those baskets and start climbing the cliff, commanded Gobba the Belch. Once you are at the cave entrance, you are on your own. I am too large to squeeze my way into the tunnels And lead— that lead to the dragon nursery. You will enter the cave quietly, and that means you too, Warty Hog, unless you want to become the first square meal for 3,000 hungry dragons. Hahaha! Gobba laughed heartily at this little joke, then continued, Dragons this size are normally Fairly harmless to man, but in these numbers they will set upon you like piranhas. There'd be nothing left of even a fatso like you, Warty Hog—just a pile of bones and your helmet. Ha ha ha ha! So you will walk quietly through the cave, and each boy will steal. One sleeping dragon. Lift your dragon gently from the rock and place it in your basket. Any questions so far? Nobody had any questions. In the unlikely event that you do wake the dragons, and you would have to be Idiotically stupid to do so! Run like the thunder for the entrance to the cave. Dragons do not like cold weather, and the snow will probably stop them in their tracks. Probably? thought Hiccup. Oh well, that's reassuring. I suggest you You spend a little time choosing your dragon. It is important to get the correct size. This will be the dragon that hunts fish for you and pulls down deer for you. You will catch the dragon that will carry you into battle later on when you are much older and a warrior of the tribe, but nonetheless you want An impressive animal. So a rough guide would be, choose the biggest creature that will fit into your basket. Don't linger for too long in there. Linger? thought Hiccup. In a cave full of 3,000 sleeping dragons? I need not tell you, Gobba continued cheerfully, That if you return to this spot without a dragon, it is hardly worth coming back at all. Anybody who fails this task will be put into immediate exile. The hairy hooligan— the hairy hooligan tribe has no use for failures. Only the strong can belong. Unhappily. Hiccup looked around at the distant horizon. Nothing but snow and sea as far as the eye could see. Exile didn't look too promising either. Right! said Gobber briskly. Each boy take their basket to put their dragon in. And we'll get going! The boys rushed to get their baskets, chattering happily and excitedly. I'm going to get one of those monstrous nightmares, ones with extra extendable claws. They're really scary! boasted Snotlout. Oh, shut up, Snotlout! You can't! said Speedy Fists. Only Hiccup can have a monstrous nightmare. You have to be the Hiccup's father was Stoick the Vast, the fearsome chief of the Hairy Hooligan tribe. Hiccup! sneered Snotlout. If he's as useless at this as he is at bashyball, we'll be lucky if he even gets one of the basic Browns. The basic brown was the most common type of dragon, a serviceable beast but without much glamour. Shut up and get into line, you miserable tadpoles! yelled Gobba the Belch. The boys scrambled into their places, baskets on their backs, and stood to attention. Gobba walked along the line, lighting the torch that each boy held in front of him from the great flare in his hand. In half an hour's time, you will be a Viking warrior with your faithful serpent at your side, or breakfasting with Woden at Valhalla with dragon's teeth in your bottom. Scream, gobber! With horrible enthusiasm. Death or glory! yelled Gobber. Death or glory! Death or glory! Death or glory! yelled 8 boys back at him frantically. Death, thought Hiccup and Fishlegs sadly. Gobber paused dramatically with his horn to his lips. I think this could possibly be the worst moment of my life so far, thought Hiccup to himself as he waited for the blast of the horn. And if they shout much louder, we're going to wake up those dragons before we even start. Pooooooorrrrrr! Gobber blew the horn.
