[ WP ] Write the origin of a wellknown creature from folklore , assuming that there is no supernatural and that the story will be exaggerated into it 's supernatural form .

Manny Core, like all men in the village enjoyed a good beer and a good prank. When he got drunk, he was often known to switch around everyone's shoes, replace the wine with vinegar ( classic Manny ) and pretend to be a ghost or some other creature. 
 
 One day, word spread about town that the duke would be traveling from his castle to the castle of some other duke whose daughter he wished to marry and whose lands he wished to inherit. The duke would be spending a night in the village as the village was in the middle of nowhere and there was n't really any place else to stop. The village had only one inn which meant that by necessity it was both where the duke was going to stay and where Manny liked to do his drinking. 
 
 A few days before hand, over a nice beverage, Manny decided that pranking the duke would be even more fun than pranking his fellow peasants. Manny decided to go the scary-creature route, but he would go the extra mile this time. Enlisting his friends to help with his plan, Manny started to prepare for the duke. 
 
 When the duke arrived, he went straight to the inn to start drinking. After he had had two or three flagons of ale, Manny's friends, who had strategically placed themselves at the next table over and were drunk enough for `` subtle'' to no longer mean anything, began to talk very loudly so that the duke could hear them. 
 
 `` It sure is a shame about that beast in the woods,'' said one friend who, from his halting delivery, was obviously not an actor. 
 
 `` Yes,'' said a second. `` It ate all of my sheep.'' 
 
 `` If only some noble person would come save us,'' said a third. 
 
 The duke liked to consider himself `` some noble person'' and he was almost drunk enough to take the bumpkins up on their offer. 
 
 `` I hear that maidens dig monster-slayers,'' Manny's second friend added. That did it. The duke was in. 
 
 `` Do n't worry peasants,'' the duke said, slurring his words in a way that I am no good at transcribing. `` I shall save you from your beastie.'' Everyone in the inn turned their eyes to him in a mixture of confusion and admiration. Most of them were n't in on Manny's plan, but they were n't going to question a noble when he was making heroic declarations. 
 
 `` Oh thank you, m'lord,'' said the third friend. `` Finally someone will slay the beast out in the woods.'' 
 
 `` What sort of monster do you have?'' asked the duke. 
 
 The first replied `` It is a red lion with bat wings and a fearsome tail.'' 
 
 `` It shoots poison and eats men whole,'' added the third. 
 
 `` And Manny Core has huge teeth!'' shouted the second. He was promptly elbowed in the rib to shut him up as huge teeth were not part of the plan, nor was giving out Manny's name. To be fair, manny had quite the over bite. 
 
 `` What did you just say?'' asked the duke. `` Manicore?'' 
 
 `` Manticore,'' said the third friend, quickly recovering. `` The beast is called a manticore.'' 
 
 By this point, the duke was getting a little nervous, but all of the villagers were staring at him and one does not simply back down from an heroic declaration. Somewhat reluctantly, he followed the trio out to the clearing where, unbeknownst to him, they had arranged to meet Manny. The small party had not been there for more than ten seconds before Manny bellowed out the biggest `` rawr'' he could and shambled out of the under growth. 
 
 Manny had draped himself in a great animal hide lined with fresh fleece. A pair of wings made of linen and sticks were strapped to his back and a rolled up carpet dragged from his bottom. He even had a small sheep bladder filled with the lye his wife used to make soap that he was squirting out ahead of himself. To sober eyes in the full light of day, Manny would have looked ridiculous, but as it was very dark and the duke was very drunk, he was terrified. The duke ran as fast as he could back to the inn where he barricaded himself in his room and left promptly the next morning. 
 
 Despite having run away away like a little girl, the duke still told everyone at the other duke's court how he had slain the dreaded `` manticore,'' a huge lion with a man's face, giant wings, a dragon's tail and terrible poison. In the years to come, it would become a favorite story of his to tell at parties, becoming grander and grander each time. 
 
 Back at the village ( which the duke went several days out of his way to avoid on his return trip with his new bride ) Manny and his friends did n't give the incident much thought, preferring instead to devote their time to drinking and planning their next round of hi-jinks.
