A rollicking finale finds the duo rescuing Vikings from a ravenous, mountain-size dragon. Hiccup tackles the chore of training the stubborn creature, which leads to some fresh, funny dialogue between the two (Hiccup has the rare ability to speak "Dragonese"). "What are you going to call yours, Hiccup? Sweetums? Sugarlips? Babyface?"). After selecting a tiny, toothless dragon ("I shall call Fireworm," says nemesis Snotface Snotlout. This is the story of becoming a Hero the Hard Way." From his initial challenge-Hiccup and his fellow warriors-in-training must each pluck a dragon from a "Dragon Nursery" where 3,000 young critters are hibernating-the likable lad faces a host of hurdles and beats tremendous odds to emerge triumphant. I was not a natural at the Heroism business. Proves himself worthy of the sobriquet "Hope and Heir to the Tribe of the Hairy Hooligans." The protagonist is also given author credit (as Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III), with Cowell billed as translator "from the Old Norse." Indeed, "Hiccup" contributes an introductory note: "I was not the sort of boy who could train a dragon with a mere lifting of an eyebrow. In this riotous paper-over-board farce, the timid protagonist from Cowell's picture book Hiccup: The Seasick Viking
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