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From that day on, the dragon stopped roaming the village. Every day, it slithered to the hall to find the offering of milk and sheep. The trail became marked by its path of dark slime.
Nearly seven years passed; the worm grew ever bigger and the people ever poorer. The land around the castle became quite barren.
Then one day, a handsome young knight, in shining armour and riding a charger entered the castle grounds. It was the young Sir John, back from his adventures. That night the great hall was filled with people.
"What has happened to all the trees on the south side of the castle?" asked the young knight, "Has there been war here?" A hush came over the gathering.
Sadly, his father told how the dragon had brought them to ruin. Horrified, John realized that the dragon was the same hideous worm he had thrown into the well all those years ago.
"It was my fault the dragon destroys our land," he declared. "So it is I who must rid Lambton of this evil menace."
The crowd cheered. He began making a plan to defeat dragon. He listened closely to stories of the dragon's remarkable healing powers, and he learned its habits and its needs.
Then, he went to visit a local witch. She said that he alone could kill the worm. He must go to the blacksmith and have a suit of armour made, with razor sharp blades sticking out from its surface. Then he must go to the rock, and summon the dragon with his horn.
The Witches Promise
A worm is an Old English word for Dragon. Durham has two Worm Legends.