1. The Fifty First Dragon
By Heywood Broun

2. Vocabulary Words & Definitions

3. Joust
Verb
To fight with lances on horseback

4. Expulsion
Noun
Forcing out someone from a group

5. Dexterity
Noun
Skillfulness with hands or feet; cleverness

6. Timorously
Adverb
Timidly; shyly

7. Restive
Adjective
Nervous; restless

8. Ethics
Noun
Rules of a moral conduct or behavior

9. Indiscriminate Adjective
Unrestrained in choice; haphazard (unplanned/careless)

10. Judicial
Adjective
Showing careful consideration of all sides of a problem before making a decision

11. Ferocity
Noun
Fierceness; aggressive behavior

12. Brandish
Verb
To wave or display in a threatening way

13. Impetuous
Adjective
Acting suddenly, without much thought; rash

14. Malice
Noun
A desire to be purposely hurtful to others

15. Preliminary
Adjective
Happening before; leading up to the main action

16. Discourse
Noun
A long speech, discussion, or writing about a topic

17. Testy
Adjective
Touchy; easily angered or bothered

18. Solicitude
Noun
Concern; inquiring about

19. Literal
Adjective
Real; exact

20. Meager
Adjective
A small amount; scant; scarce supply

21. Author Notes
Heywood Broun
Born
Harvard Graduate
New Yorker

22. Author Notes
Sports reporter, World War I correspondent, literary critic
Believed journalism can point out social wrongs

23. The Fifty-First Dragon
Spontaneous humor balanced with fable-like message about self confidence
Humor stems from:
Anachronism: a thing or person that belongs in an earlier time
Sarcasm: a sneering or cutting remark
Fantasy: wondrous, strange, imaginative images
Cynicism: a scornfully negative remark
Understatement: makes the situation seem less important than it is

24. Anachronism Events existing out of their proper time in history
Examples:
A horse drawn carriage on an interstate highway
A jet airplane in a cowboy movie
Abe Lincoln using a microwave or cell phone
A sword is an anachronism for modern warfare.