3 h 28 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 3 h 28 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
A dragon troubles the Yorkshire countryside, but chivalry itself may have trouble keeping a straight face.
In The Dragon of Wantley, Owen Wister turns an old English ballad into a short comic romance. A monstrous beast troubles the countryside, and local people must deal with it. Knights, villagers and love share the scene with a dragon whose enormous appetite gives fear a comic edge.
This is old England viewed with a sly wink. Wister borrows castles, quests and fair ladies, then finds the fun in their heroic trappings. The pleasure lies in watching a merry folk tale play with the grand manners of romance, without asking you to take its exaggerations too seriously.
What you’ll discover
- Chivalry with a wink Enjoy knights and quests in a tale that finds laughter beneath their grand appearances.
- A beast with appetite Meet a monstrous dragon whose hunger makes it a lively figure of fear and comedy.
- An old legend at play Explore a Yorkshire folk tale reshaped into a light romance full of playful exaggeration.
- Love among the laughter Find romance alongside villagers, knights and the decidedly awkward problem of a very large beast.
- Another side of Wister Discover the author of The Virginian enjoying old English legend and mock-medieval fun.
Who will love it
You will love this book if you enjoy farce, a narrator who talks straight to you, clever heroines, blustering fathers, and a Christmas story with a rogue or two.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A baron's wine cellar is raided by night
- Elaine learns the secret and makes her plan
- The holy monks of Oyster-le-Main are not holy
- Father Anselm talks the family out of the legend
- A young knight arrives and a girl finds a key
- A Christmas Eve trap closes in the cellar
- Cleverness beats force in Wantley
- Pretence is everywhere and honesty is rare
- A narrator who never stops talking
Who’s who
- Sir Godfrey DisseisinThe hot-tempered Baron of Wantley, who loves his daughter and his wine cellar nearly equally and wants the Dragon gone.
- ElaineSir Godfrey's quick and stubborn eighteen-year-old daughter, who wants to face the Dragon and is soon planning more than anyone knows.
- Geoffrey of PoictiersA young knight, brave and hasty, who has spent three years hunting dragons and wants to slay the one at Wantley.
- Sir Francis AlmoignGrand Marshal of the Guild of Go-as-you-Please, a cool rogue who wants to keep his profitable disguise safe.
- HubertA young minstrel of the Guild, fond of wine and song, who likes Geoffrey but remains loyal to his chief.
- Mrs. MistletoeThe family governess and housekeeper, a sobbing, kindly woman who wants everyone safe and cannot keep a secret.
- PophamThe old butler of Wantley, who trembles when the Baron roars and wants only to guard the wine and keep his place.
- The Rev. HucbaldThe family chaplain, a smooth talker who makes small talk about Christmas and wants a quiet life with a sip of something good.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer, once the book texts are online.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, once the book texts are online.
- Audiobook
- Read by Lucas Linden, complete. It opens once the recording is online.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 14 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout. The eBook and the audiobook open when the book texts go online.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then 0,14 USD a day in your first year on the yearly plan and 0,27 USD a day after, or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
Il Drago di Wantley
by Owen Wister · 1892
A thirsty dragon steals Sir Godfrey's prized wine, and his daughter Elaine plans a Christmas Eve trap.
Easy read2–5 hours to readItaliano
Excellent
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then 0,14 USD a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
- Read or listen
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
In short
Who would drink a baron's best Burgundy in the dead of night, while his whole household hides under the beds? In The Dragon of Wantley, a fire-breathing monster has plagued the English countryside for thirteen years.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A baron's wine cellar is raided by night
The story opens in the cellar of Wantley Manor, where Sir Godfrey keeps the wine he loves more than almost anything. The governess, Mrs. Mistletoe, writes the labels, because the Baron cannot read and would rather nobody noticed.
Wantley is run on a ladder of blame. The butler kicks the footmen, the housemaids box the ears of the page boy Whelpdale, and Whelpdale punches the scullion. The scullion, at the bottom, can only pull the tails of two tame ravens.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
You looked at
Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1892
- Language
- Italiano
- Level
- Easy read
Cite this edition
Wister, Owen. The Dragon of Wantley. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-dragon-of-wantley.
Wister, O. (2026). The dragon of Wantley. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-dragon-of-wantley (Original work published 1892)
Wister, Owen. The Dragon of Wantley. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-dragon-of-wantley.
@book{wister2026dragon,
author = {Wister, Owen},
title = {The Dragon of Wantley},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-dragon-of-wantley},
note = {First published 1892}
}
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about Il Drago di Wantley
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is The Dragon of Wantley about?
It is a comic tale set in medieval England. A dragon is raiding Sir Godfrey's wine cellar, and his daughter Elaine, a young knight named Geoffrey and a band of false monks are all caught up in a Christmas Eve scheme.
Is The Dragon of Wantley a true story?
No. It is a comic fiction by Owen Wister, first published in 1892. It plays with an old English folk tale about a dragon of Wantley, and it is set in the days of King John.
Who is the Dragon of Wantley in the book?
The book itself tells you in the middle chapters. The monster is the center of a trick played by a secret band that calls itself the Guild of Go-as-you-Please, led by Sir Francis Almoign.
The author
Owen Wister
1860–1938 · American Western novelist
Owen Wister was an American novelist, Philadelphia-born and a friend of Theodore Roosevelt, whose The Virginian effectively founded the modern Western — its laconic cowboy hero and Wyoming setting became the template for an entire genre.
More by Owen Wister
Vedi tutti i suoi libriMore like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
