In my home country of Poland, there is a popular legend about a dragon that lived in a cave along the Vistula River. According to this legend, the Wawel Dragon frequently attacked nearby villages near the Vistula and could only be appeased by bringing a young girl once a month for him to eat. The king said this could not continue forever and offered his daughter's hand to whoever destroyed the dragon. Many brave knights were unable to defeat the dragon and fell to his mercy.
One day, a young apprentice told the king he would be the one to rid the village of this monster. He stuffed a lamb with sulfur and left it outside the cave for the dragon to eat. After eating the lamb, the dragon had a fiery burn in his stomach that would not evade him. He raced to the Vistula River and drank some water but the burn continued. He kept on drinking and drinking until he drank half of the river and finally exploded. The king kept his word and the young apprentice married the king's daughter.
Wawel is actually a castle in Krakow near the Vistula. The legend is told to many young children but remains known to people of all ages. The city of Krakow erected a fire-breathing statue of the dragon on castle grounds and it (along with the castle) remains a popular tourist attraction.
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