In this narrated excerpt from How to Train Your Dragon (Part 22), the story follows Hiccup and his dragon Toothless as they face the tribe’s initiation trial overseen by Gobber the Belch. Gobber announces a high‑stakes test: the boys must demonstrate mastery over their dragons through obedience commands and a hunting challenge, with the promise of hero status or exile. Hiccup, feeling inadequate, presents the tiny, seemingly unimpressive Toothless while the crowd jeers. Despite the dragon’s size and Hiccup’s nervousness, the pair attempt the obedience exercises, endure rain, and finally launch a chaotic hunting attempt. The narrative interweaves comedic banter, tense moments of judgment from Stoick, and rivalry with Snotlout and his dragon Fireworm. The passage highlights themes of bravery versus failure, tribal expectations, and the underdog’s struggle for acceptance, all delivered in a lively, dramatized reading style.
Chapters
Tribes of the Hairy Hooligans and the Merciless Meatheads, or go into miserable exile forever from the Inner Isles. Let's see which it's going to be, shall we? He grinned nastily at the 20 boys standing before him. I shall begin by inspecting you and your animals. As if you were warriors about to go into battle, I shall introduce you to the watching members of the tribes you hope to enter. Then the test will begin. You will demonstrate how you have asserted yourselves over those wild creatures and tamed them by the sheer force of your heroic personalities. You will start by performing the basic commands of go, stay, and fetch. You will end by ordering your reptile to hunt fish for you, as your forefathers have done before you. Hiccup swallowed nervously. The boy and the dragon who most impresses the judge, and that is me, Gobba bared his teeth grimly. Will receive the extra glory of being called the Hero of Heroes and Most Promising Dragon. The boys and dragons who fail this test will say farewell to their families forever and leave the tribe to go Where we do not care. Gobba paused. Poetry, muttered Fishlegs, just loud enough for Gobba to hear. Gobba glared at him. Heroes or exile! yelled Gobba the Belch. Heroes or exile! yelled 18 boys frantically batting him. Heroes or exile! yelled the watching hooligans and meathead tribes. Please let me be a bit of a hero just this once, Hiccup and Fishlegs each thought to themselves. Nothing too spectacular or anything, just to get through this test. Stand to attention with your dragons on your right arms, you old gob of the belch! Gobba walked down the row of boys for the inspection. Beautiful turnout! Gobba congratulated Thuggery the Meathead on his Nightmare Dragon, Killa, who spread out his shining wings to show off a wingspan of about 4 feet. Gobba stopped abruptly when he got to And what in the name of Woden, demanded Gobber the Belch, blandering a little, is this? It's a toothless dragon daydream, sir, muttered Hiccup. Small but vicious, added Fishlegs. Toothless? Daydreamer? Blasted Gobba! That's the smallest common-or-garden I've ever seen! What do you think I am, an idiot? No, no, no, sir, muttered Fishlegs, really sorry. Just a little on the slow side. Gobba glowered dangerously. A toothless daydreamer, explained Hiccup. Looks exactly like a common or garden, except the characteristic wart on the end of its nose. Silence! said Gobba in a very loud whisper. I shall throw you all out, all the way to the mainland. I hope, he continued, that this dragon hunts better than he looks. You and And your fishy friends here are the worst candidates for initiation I have ever had the displeasure of teaching. But you are the future of the tribe, Hiccup, and if you shame us in front of the meatheads, I personally will never forgive you. Do you understand? Hiccup nodded. Each boy then stepped forward to bow and hold up his dragon for the spectators to applaud. There was huge clapping for Snotface Snotlout and his dragon Fireworm, rivalled only by the mighty cheering for Thuggery the Meathead and his dragon Killer. I give you the last But not least! Gobber the Belch was trying to put a bit of enthusiasm into his yelling. The fearsome, the terrible, the only son of Stoick the Vast, Hiccup the Useless and his dragon Toothful! Hiccup stepped forward and held up Toothless as high as he could to make him look A bit bigger. There was a slightly appalled silence. People had never seen— People had seen dragons this small before, of course, normally scampering about after field mice in the wild, but not as the noble hunting dragon competition in initiation. Size isn't everything! boomed Stoick as loudly that you could have heard him several beaches away, and then he banged his great hands together to start the applause. Everyone was terrified of Stoick's famous temper, so they joined in with polite wild cheering. Toothless Toothless was still in a mood, but he was delighted to be the centre of attention, and he puffed out his chest and bowed solemnly to left and right. A few of the meatheads snickered. I've changed my mind, thought Hiccup, closing his eyes. This is the worst moment of my life so far. Okay, Toothless, he whispered into the little dragon's ear. This is our big chance! Catch lots of fish here and I will tell you more jokes than you have ever heard in your life, which will make that big red Fireworm dragon really cross! Toothworth took a sideways glance at Fireworm. She was sharpening her nails on Snotlout's helmet with the smug certainty of a dragon. Who knows she's about to win the prize for the most promising dragon. P-p-p-pa-pa! The test began! Toothless didn't do too badly in the early obedience exercises, though he clearly thought it was extremely dull. It was now raining quite hard, and Toothless hated the rain. He wanted to go home and relax in front of a nice warm fire. Fireworm and Killer were going and fetching as soon as Snotlout and Thuggery commanded, and they were diving and breathing out fire as they did so, just to show off. Fireworm did some fancy aerobatic somersaults that had the crowd screaming and scampering their feet. And screaming and stamping their feet. Start your hunting! yelled Gobber the Belch. Every dragon except Toothless flew out to sea. Toothless flapped at Hiccup's shoulder. Toothless got a tummy ache, he complained. Hiccup tried not to see his father looking surprised on the sidelines. He tried not to notice the crowd whispering to each other. That Stoick's son over there! No, not the tall one with the skeleton tattoos who looks like a pig. The small skinny one who can't even control his minuscule dragon! Don't forget Toothless, said Hiccup through gritted teeth. The fish! I'm going to tell you all the jokes I've— I've never heard. Remember? Tell me now! said Toothless. Help came from an unexpected quarter. Snotlout broke off from yelling, Kill! Fireworm! Kill! to lean over and sneer at Hiccup. What are you doing, Hiccup? You're not talking to that newt with wings, are you? Talking to dragons is against the rules and forbidden by order of Stoick the Vast, your wimpy father! Newt? With wings? repeated Toothless. Newt? With wings? You're not a newt with wings, are you, Toothless? said Ecco. You're the best hunter in the world, aren't you? Too right I am! said Toothless grumpily. You show that snotlout— base snotlout and his snobby dragon what a real hunting dragon can do! said Hiccup urgently. Okay then, said Toothless. Hiccup heaved a sigh of relief as Toothless took off in a shambolic fashion in the general direction of the sea. This is too good to be true, Hiccup said to himself 10 minutes later, as Toothless returned from a second trip, clearly too bored for words but dropping a couple of herring at Hiccup's feet. In about half an hour, I, Hiccup, will become a fully paid member of the Hairy Hooligan Tribe. It was too good to be true. Fireworm was just flying back to Snotlout with her 20th fish, her green cat eyes snapping with triumph, when Toothless called out, Sluppy slob! Fireworm stopped in mid-air. Her head whipped around, her eyes narrowing. What did you say? hissed Fire Whip. No, no, said Hiccup. No, Toothless, no, don't do it! Sn-n-n-nuppery snub! jeered Toothless. Is that the best you can do? It's p-p-pathetic, hopeless, useless! You nana nightmares think you are so cruel, but you're sloppy as scallops. You hissed Fireworm, her ears dangerously back as she crept forward through the air like a leopard about to spring. You are a little liar. And you said Toothless calmly. I rub rub rub rub rub rub it heated. S-s-seabrain winkling— Stop! Fireworm went.
