to enlist as a soldier, and his brother to wander through foreign countries, seeking for adventures.
On arriving at the capital city, George found that great agitation and terror prevailed, not only in the capital itself, but in the surrounding country, on account of a great dragon which infested the neighbourhood, committing many ravages and killing many persons, and it was feared that the brute would endeavour to effect an entrance into the palace, and thus endanger the precious lives of the king and the royal family.
He also found that such was the fear and consternation of the people, that the bravest among them were afraid to encounter the dragon to destroy it, though the king, as an inducement, had announced that whoever should be fearless enough to kill the dangerous monster and bring one of its many heads to the palace should marry his daughter.
George, however, who was brave and fearless, trained to every manly sport, and possessing a fine fiery horse ready and willing to second his master in any adventure, determined, with the help of God, single-handed to encounter and destroy the dragon. He leaped upon his horse, seized his spear, and went forth to meet the dragon, his face illumined with a holy fire and angry defiance—a worthy knight to meet such an enemy. George waited impatiently for the dragon at the entrance of the bush, where, among
