The Legend of the Wawel Dragon (Smok Wawelski)

Every child in Poland knows the legend of the Wawel Dragon. He lived in a cave under Wawel Castle in Kraków. He terrorized the city for years. No knight could kill him. Then a poor shoemaker named Skuba outsmarted him with a clever trick.

Once upon a time, in the city of Kraków, a terrifying dragon lived in a deep cave at the foot of Wawel Hill. Every day he emerged from his lair. He breathed fire. He devoured sheep, cattle, and eventually young maidens. The bravest knights came from across the land. They carried swords and lances. All of them failed. The dragon burned them to ashes.

King Krakus promised half his kingdom to anyone who could slay the beast. Still no one succeeded. The dragon continued his rampage. The city was desperate.

A poor shoemaker named Skuba had no sword. He had no armor. He had no army. But he had a brain. He thought about the dragon's weakness. The dragon ate everything. The dragon breathed fire. What would happen if the dragon ate something that exploded?

Skuba took a dead sheep. He stuffed its belly with sulfur and pitch. He sewed it closed. He placed the sheep near the dragon's cave just before dawn. Then he hid behind a rock and waited.

The dragon woke up hungry. He smelled the sheep. He swallowed it whole. The sulfur and pitch burned inside his stomach. The dragon became desperately thirsty. He ran to the Vistula River and drank. He drank more and more. His swollen belly could not take it. He exploded.

King Krakus kept his promise. Skuba married the king's daughter. They lived happily. The dragon's cave remains under Wawel Castle to this day. You can visit it. The dragon is gone, but he is not forgotten. A modern metal statue of the dragon stands at the cave entrance. It breathes real fire every few minutes. Children love it.

What does the legend teach?

Bravery comes in many forms. You do not need a sword to be a hero. The smallest person with the cleverest idea can defeat the largest enemy. And Kraków is a very old city with very old secrets.