How do you train a dragon? Do you teach it how to fly? How to breathe fire? I know someone who could. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III knows how to train a dragon, er, I just think so.
How to Train Your Dragon is a 2003 kid’s novel by Cressida Cowell, slated to be released widescreen in 2010. Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois are the screenwriters and the directors of the film. This animated film stars the voices of Gerard Butler, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel and Christopher Mintz-Plasse.
The tale is about the adventures of an 11-year old son of a Viking chieftain, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. Hiccup along with the Hooligan tribe children must capture a dragon for a rite of passage, and those who will fail will be exiled from the tribe. Dragon hunting has to be experienced by every Hooligan, and is known as “The Dragon Initiation Programme,†a tradition of the Vikings.
When the dragon hunting commenced, Viking youth have to go to the “Wild Dragon Cliffâ€, a dragon’s nest, located at the eastern coast of the Isle of Berk. Kids who need to take this test are his friends: Fishlegs, Tuffnut Jr., Speedfist, Clueless and Hiccup’s enemies; Wartihog, Snotlout and Dogsbreath the Duhbrain. Together they enter the cave with their dragon baskets. Hiccup is really tense but wants to make his father proud. He also wants to make his enemies envy him by having a powerful dragon, a monstrous nightmare.
Hiccup did get a dragon although it is a Basic Brown, a common or garden dragon. One of the boys had woken up some of the dragons and they need to exit the cave. However, Hiccup’s best friend, Fishlegs, escapes without a dragon with him. Hiccup does not want Fishlegs to be expelled off the tribe, so Hiccup bestowed his dragon to him. Hiccup runs back to the cave and get another one and they all manage to run off, each with their own dragon. Although, they manage to do so, they have to jump off the cliff for safety. They returned to the village sound and good. It is at this time that Hiccup notices his sleeping dragon in his basket as incredibly small. Gobber advises the youth to train their dragons by using the ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ book from the Hooligan Library. Much to the dismay of the kids, it is a one-page book. It says there ‘yell at it – the louder the better.’
That is where the adventure starts!