The Diamond D and the Dreadful Dragon...

I found it! This was my most favorite book EVER!!!

I loved it so much when I was a kid, I would make my sister read it to me over and over and over again. (poor sis... but thank you!!!)

We both still sign letters and notes to our Mom... Love, your darling dimpled daughters

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The Diamond D and the Dreadful Dragon

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Dozens of years ago. In a drafty castle. Duke David of Dundeedle did dwell. Duke David was dumpy but dignified. And he had a darling daughter named Dora who was a delight. One day Dora danced through the door in the dear little dress decorated with daffodils. "Doodley-doo, doodley-doo", Dora sang, as she danced. "Oh, hello, dear, dumpy daddy", said Dora to Duke David of Dundeedle.

"Dora, my darling, dimpled daughter", said Duke David. "You are indeed delightful, so I have a dandy present for you." "Do tell," said Dora. "Do describe this doo-dad, daddy". "It is a dazzling Diamond D dangling from a chain!" So,hanging the D around Dora's dimpled neck, Duke David of Dundeedle departed through the door.

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Although Dora and Duke David didn't know it, someone else dwelt in the castle. This someone was Donald, the Dreadful Dragon of Dundeedle. "I am Donald, the Dreadful Dragon of Dundeedle. I live in a dungeon downstairs in Duke David's dwelling. It is a deep dungeon, a dark dungeon - a deep, dark, damp, dank, dreary dungeon. It is a dump!" Donald used dozens of D words - which was the only nice thing you could say about him. Otherwise he was a dud.

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Donald the Dragon dashed from his dungeon, directly to Duke David's dandy daisy patch. "I am dashing from my dungeon to steal the Diamond D that Duke David gave his daughter Dora,"he said. Donald, the doer of dark deeds, drifted into the daisy patch.

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Dora, daughter of duke David, saw the dreadful dragon and dropped a drooping daisy from her dainty dimpled hand. She danced directly up to Donald the Dragon and declared, "Well, look who's here - a dear doggie! Hi there,doggie." Donald disbelieved his droopy ears. "Doggie?" he screamed. "Didyou say doggie?" "Definitely," said Dora. "Well, I do declare!" said Donald. "If Dora, the dignified Duke David's daughter thinks that I, Donald the Dreadful Dragon of Dundeedle, am a doggie, then Dora is dumb!"

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"But you're the dearest doggie I've ever seen," Dora declared. "Do come and dwell in our castle, doggie dear, and I'll give you this Diamond D which my doting daddy draped around my dimpled neck." "Don't doggie me!" Donald roared, darting toward Dora, determined to grab the Diamond D. Suddenly, Duke David dashed into the daisy patch. Diving between darling Dora and Dreadful Donald, the Duke drove Donald around and around the daisy patch. The dismal dragon ducked, dodged, darted and dashed through the ducklings and the daisies until the Duke dumped him into the duck pond.
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"Daddy dear," said Dora, "why did you do that?" "Because that dreadful, dishonest dragon was determined to steal the dazzling Diamond D from around your dainty, dimpled neck," said the Duke. "Dragon?" said Dora. "I'll be darned! He looked like a doggie tome." "You're dumb but you're adorable, Dora," said Duke David, "so here's what we'll do. From this day on this dreadful dragon will dwell in a dog house, dine on dog biscuits, and do doggie tricks to delight my divine daughter Dora - or else!" "Or else what?" Donald demanded. "I'll dump you in the duck pond again!" "Bow-wow," said Donald. "I'm a doggie."

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And so David, Duke of Dundeedle, and his delightful daughter Dora lived happily ever after with Donald the Doggie, who used to be a dreadful dragon.

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Taken from The Sesame Street Story Book, Random House, 1971.