of a great dragon, that is a hundred fathom of length, as men say,
for I have not seen her. And they of the isles call her Lady of
the Land. And she lieth in an old castle, in a cave, and sheweth
twice or thrice in the year, and she doth no harm to no man, but if
men do her harm. And she was thus changed and transformed, from a
fair damosel, into likeness of a dragon, by a goddess that was
clept Diana. And men say, that she shall so endure in that form of
a dragon, unto [the] time that a knight come, that is so hardy,
that dare come to her and kiss her on the mouth; and then shall she
turn again to her own kind, and be a woman again, but after that
she shall not live long.

And it is not long sithen, that a knight of Rhodes, that was hardy
and doughty in arms, said that he would kiss her. And when he was
upon his courser, and went to the castle, and entered into the
cave, the dragon lift up her head against him. And when the knight
saw her in that form so hideous and so horrible he fled away. And
the dragon bare the knight upon a rock, maugre his head; and from
that rock, she cast him into the sea. And so was lost both horse
and man.

And also a young man, that wist not of the dragon, went out of a
ship, and went through the isle till that he came to the castle,
and came into the cave, and went so long, till that he found a
chamber; and there he saw a damosel that combed her head and looked
in a mirror; and she had much treasure about her. And he trowed
that she had been a common woman, that dwelled there to receive men
to folly. And he abode, till the damosel saw the shadow of him in
the mirror. And she turned her toward him, and asked him what he
would? And he said, he would be her leman or paramour. And she