PRINCESS BELLA HAS been snatched from her secret garden by a terrifying monster, leaving behind nothing but a glittering golden ball. Not even the bravest knights in the kingdom can save her from the huge, dark, firebreathing creature with enormous wings, a great swishing tail, and deadly claws. But clumsy Ned, the stable boy, is determined to succeed where the gallant knights have failed. Can he defeat the dragon and get the girl? Or will he let the chance to become a hero slip through his butterfingers? Join our unlikely hero and his animal friends on their daring quest across the plain, through the woods, and into the mountains to find out. . . .From the Hardcover edition.