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St. George And The Dragon
The story of a knight, a maiden, and a dragon has all the makings of a fairy tale, but of course the most famous dragon-slaying tale is the legend of St. George.
The story was popular in the Middle East and it was picked up by the Crusaders when they went out to that part of the world. Ever since St. George has been associated with Knights and chivalry. He is patron saint of England where his popularity has revived recently, but he is shared with many other countries and cities around the world. In England, St. George’s day is April 23rd. In Eastern Europe he is usually celebrated on May 6th.
We’ve adapted our version from the Lives of the Saints - but we’ve made a slight change to the ending. In the original, St. George (a Roman soldier) forces the town’s people to convert to Christianity before he kills the dragon. We thought that wasn’t quite the right message for the modern age – but just so that you know. He later went on to become a Bishop and a martyr. Various versions of the story are outlined here. The famous historian Edward Gibbon debunked him as a rouge-trader to the Roman army.
Read by Natasha. Duration 9 minutes.
St. George stands for courage, and chivalry. Chivalry is the code of honour which knights in armor used to follow. They had to swear to be brave, fair, true to their word, and to protect the weak and the poor. Of course not all knights kept the code – but St. George did.
He is the patron saint of England, and the red cross of St. George is on the national flag. In England, his day is the 23rd of April. He is also the patron saint of several other countries, including, Canada, China, Greece, Russia, Portugal, Palestine, Ethiopia, Serbia, and Montenegro. And one country is even named after him – and that’s the Georgia which is situated between Russia and Turkey.
He is often painted as a knight in armour from the Middle Ages, but in fact born long before those times, when the Romans still ruled much of the world.
One thousand seven and hundred years ago, in the time of the Roman Empire, there was – just outside the City of Cyrene in North Africa – a large stagnant, smelly pond. In this pond there lived a dragon. And whenever the dragon breathed on a person or an animal, they died on the spot. At first the dragon breathed on all the sheep that lived in the fields around the city. Then he started to attack the people, and threatened to kill them one and all.
The people of Cyrene had no choice but to come to terms with the dragon. They agreed to give him one person every month, so long as he left the others alone and unharmed for the rest of the time. But how were they to decide which person to sacrifice?
The king decreed that the names of every citizen should be scratched onto pieces of pottery, and kept in a great urn. Each month, one of the names would be drawn out of the urn, and that person would be given to the dragon. In this way men and women, both rich and poor, were chosen to be fed to the evil beast.
Then one day the name of the princess was shaken out of the urn. According to the King’s own law, his daughter must be sacrificed. He called the people together and offered them gold and treasure if only they would agree to spare her from the dragon. The judges who oversaw the lottery said that it must be completely fair, or else the people would no longer accept it. And so, much saddened, the king said to the princess: “My dear, I shall never see your wedding day.”
A week went past, and the day arrived when she must meet her fate. The palace servants dressed her in her wedding gown and placed a crown of flowers on her head. They led her out of the city in a procession, and headed for the lake where they dragon lived.
As they were on their way, a Roman soldier came riding up to the city. His name was George and he was a Christian from Cappadocia in Turkey. George stopped and asked why such a beautiful young woman was looking so sad on her wedding day. A citizen replied:
“Because according to the law she must this day marry the dragon who lives in that lake, and her wedding gift shall be death.”
George immediately replied: “If that really be the case, then let me slay the dragon.”
The citizens warned him that nobody stood a fighting chance against such as ferocious, plague-breathing lizard, but George was determined to save he princess.
The people tied her to a tree by the lake, and left her to meet her fate. George saw the dragon emerge out of the swampy waters, and he charged up on his horse and flung his spear into its shoulder. The dragon let out a piercing shriek. It was wounded by not fatally. While it was writhing in pain, George managed to cut the princess free from her bonds. The dragon was enraged and rounded on his attacker. George retreated and called out to the princes to take off the belt from around her waste and to throw it at the dragon. This she did, and by a miracle, the belt wrapped itself round the dragons neck like a collar. Immediately the dragon became as peaceful as a lamb, and the princess was able to lead it by her belt back to the City.
When the people saw the princess and George leading the dragon back to their walls, they became angry and afraid, until St. George drew out his sword and slew the dragon, And then the people knew that from then on they could live safe and unharmed.
The names of the saints live on in celebrations such as St. Valentine's and St. Patrick's Day. We tell some of the myths, legends, and facts behind this special days.
I from Spain and I read this story for my classs of english. I don’t speak very well english
i enjoyed the story and story nory is the best website ever!!!
[...] NOTES1. Legend has it that Saint George slayed a dragon to save a princess. (Listen to story here.) 2. The red cross on Cameron's shield and tunic is the St George's Cross, which is also [...]
i think this is stupied what do u think bertie?
very good for bedtime storys if busy try it quite good story as well
this webesite was exterely helpful but
there wasn’t any pictures of obese monkeys
this was horrible
no one use this
ICARLY ROCKS!
VERY EXTREMELY HELPFUL WITH MY HOMEWORK … HI LATIFAH /// THANKS …
Hello
Yes this is true it tells us how St George was able to slay a fire eating dragon.
Thanks for listening
Bye Bye
N *
this is a great story because it gaves you idea about the story
ok but it soo helped me wiv ma hmwk
very populur in Russia
this was very helpfull with my homework .
It was very helpful with my homework
i never read this and i am 14
it is a realy good story who ever thinks its boring or rubish think again.
thanku
this is a verry good story but i dont like the wedding gift
dragon is so small.
i think it was a cool story and it was cool just listening to it than reading it myself… Go Frog storys!!!!!! + it was free
this website was very helpful for my homework and the story was intresting thanku
good reading
its good , ,
everyone can relate
who’s hugh fraser?
isnot
THE DRAGON is scary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
who was the princess’s prince?
i love this story my mom read it to me the other day and i loved it i was happy it is on storynory this way i can lissen to it when ever i want
I love this story
quite adventurous! great!
auuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
aaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuuuuuu
Taurok iiis hear
George and the Dragon
This is a story about good overcoming evil and sin with the help of God. A story about protecting children and others who are weak. It tells us that we should make sure that everyone in the world has enough clean water and the other things they need to live well.
We have dragons to overcome inside of us. Dragons such as greed, selfishness, anger, hatred, and not caring about others.
We have to work together to overcome dragons in the world such as injustice, poverty and war.
Fresco in Saint George’s Church, Al Khader village near Bethlehem
The traditional story as told in The Golden Legend
At a town called Silene in Libya (Or near Beirut according to the Lebanese) a dragon made its nest in a spring. From this spring the people of the town got all their water. When there was food nearby the dragon would move away from the spring to eat. While it was eating the people could get water from the spring. Every day they fed the dragon so that they could get water. They fed it with two sheep a day. When they ran short of sheep they started to feed it with a child each day. They drew lots to decide which child would be eaten next.
One day the king’s daughter was chosen. The king was horrified. At first the king refused to let his daughter go. He begged the people to draw lots again. The people said no. They did not see why their children should be eaten, but not the princess. They said they would kill the king unless he agreed. The king gave in.
The next day the princess was taken to the spring. Saint George got there when the dragon was just about to eat the princess. The dragon was angry and attacked Saint George. But Saint George held up the Christian cross and the dragon stopped his attack. Then Saint George used his lance to pin the dragon to the ground. Saint George asked the princess to take off the girdle or belt she had around the waist of her dress. He told her to tie it around the dragons neck, making a collar and lead. When this was done the dragon became very timid and tame.
Saint George led the dragon into Silene. Saint George told all the people that it was the Christian God who had made the fierce dragon become so timid. The people all became Christians. Then Saint George killed the dragon.
Origins of the Story
The earliest written version of the story is from The Golden Legend in 1265, over 900 years after Saint George was killed. However in Eastern Churches there are images of Saint George overcoming a Dragon from up to 300 years earlier. But these are often thought of as having a purely allegorical meaning. The maiden protected by Saint George representing the church and innocence. Saint George defeating sin and the devil.
The Golden Legend is a Crusader document. The story of the Dragon in Silene may be a Crusader invention to explain the images they saw, but misunderstood, in eastern churches. But perhaps there is more to it than that. Maybe Saint George or others in the early church did stop a cult that involved child sacrifice as a way of appeasing pagan gods to get rain, and agricultural fertility. Both the Koran and the Bible tell the story of Abraham being instructed by God not to sacrifice his son but a lamb instead. It is interesting that in the George and the Dragon story ‘sacrificing’ sheep is replaced by ‘sacrificing’ children before the Saint comes to the rescue. Had a community desperate from prolonged droughts, and wanting to make a greater sacrifice to their gods switched from sacrificing sheep to sacrificing children before Saint George and the Church put a stop to the practice?
these story is for beacthes if you read is that you are a tinkiwinki
Woooww I like a Lottt XD amss… Bye
Wowww I like a lott ammsss… Bye
i don’t like this is story is very aburriment
this story is very very very bad I don’t like anything uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu for this story uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
I LOVE this story
helooooooooooooo
theese is veri popular and i don´t know why
becose is orrible is a bad for my ears
i bery bery bery… bad and too de BICH to tell the story
bien
I like a lot this story
I have looked on soooo many websites and they say near enough the same thing so thanks u just helped me wiv my english homework:)
[...] favourite stories were St George and the Dragon, Puss in Boots and Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Click on these stories and you can listen to [...]
I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
This so helped me at school
why couldn’t the dragon be made good and saved?
Yes i really liked the story cause the princess got saved whoo
I LIIT IT
i’ve heard this story before but don’t remember this way!!!
i heard this story at school and so i really liked it so i saw this came up so i thought i like it and i do.
But i had to do this cause my homework
I didn’t know the story of St.George and had to write a script for scouts to perform on st georges day, this was wonderful :) thankyou :)
what was the princess name ?
it is awesome thank you………………..
i dont think its very good
thank u far the story…………….
it had no facts at all and i was hoping for some it was ok .
i dont think that was v.good atall you never put wot happened after because there was things that happened after and nnow i cant get my homework in . sorry if that sounds rude what you p ut so far is quite good
yay i hate this story becaz i didnt be bother reading it lol:D
goooooooooooooood ._.
yoy this story is b o r i n g
that story is so cool i was like yoy man look at this story yoy
Hi
This story is really interasting,but is it true?
Whoever finds out please comment
Thanks
Bye
. George is on the national flag. In England, his day is the 23rd of April. He is also the patron saint of several other countries, including, Canada, China, Greece, Russia, Portugal, Palestine, Ethiopia, Serbia, and Montenegro. And one country is even named after him – and that’s the Georgia which is situated between Russia and Turkey.
He is often painted as a knight in armour from the Middle Ages, but in fact born long before those times, when the Romans still ruled much of the world.
One thousand seven and hundred years ago, in the time of the Roman Empire, there was – just outside the City of Cyrene in North Africa – a large stagnant, smelly pond. In this pond there lived a dragon. And whenever the dragon breathed on a person or an animal, they died on the spot. At first the dragon breathed on all the sheep that lived in the fields around the city. Then he started to attack the people, and threatened to kill them one and all.
The people of Cyrene had no choice but to come to terms with the dragon. They agreed to give him one person every month, so long as he left the others alone and unharmed for the rest of the time. But how were they to decide which person to sacrifice?
The king decreed that the names of every citizen should be scratched onto pieces of pottery, and kept in a great urn. Each month, one of the names would be drawn out of the urn, and that person would be given to the dragon. In this way men and women, both rich and poor, were chosen to be fed to the evil beast.
Then one day the name of the princess was shaken out of the urn. According to the King’s own law, his daughter must be sacrificed. He called the people together and offered them gold and treasure if only they would agree to spare her from the dragon. The judges who oversaw the lottery said that it must be completely fair, or else the people would no longer accept it. And so, much saddened, the king said to the princess: “My dear, I shall never see your wedding day.”
A week went past, and the day arrived when she must meet her fate. The palace servants dressed her in her wedding gown and placed a crown of flowers on her head. They led her out of the city in a procession, and headed for the lake where they dragon lived.
As they were on their way, a Roman soldier came riding up to the city. His name was George and he was a Christian from Cappadocia in Turkey. George stopped and asked why such a beautiful young woman was looking so sad on her wedding day. A citizen replied:
“Because according to the law she must this day marry the dragon who lives in that lake, and her wedding gift shall be death.”
George immediately replied: “If that really be the case, then let me slay the dragon.”
The citizens warned him that nobody stood a fighting chance against such as ferocious, plague-breathing lizard, but George was determined to save he princess.
The people tied her to a tree by the lake, and left her to meet her fate. George saw the dragon emerge out of the swampy waters, and he charged up on his horse and flung his spear into its shoulder. The dragon let out a piercing shriek. It was wounded by not fatally. While it was writhing in pain, George managed to cut the princess free from her bonds. The dragon was enraged and rounded on his attacker. George retreated and called out to the princes to take off the belt from around her waste and to throw it at the dragon. This she did, and by a miracle, the belt wrapped itself round the dragons neck like a collar. Immediately the dragon became as peaceful as a lamb, and the princess was able to lead it by her belt back to the City.
When the people saw the princess and George leading the dragon back to their walls, they became angry and afraid, until St. George drew out his sword and slew the dragon, And then the people knew that from then on they could live safe and unharmed
realy good and easy ‘-’ :D
I think the story has lots of detail and is very good to find information for school work and projects.
this story RULES so thx 2 @ll the m@kers of this @nd yer THX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think that the story is very good, so thankyou.
I like this story because i think that it has a lot of information in it to make younger kids understand the story better. I also like the idea of the lady reading out the story because some kids that don’t really enjoy reading, will certiantly enjoy this!
Thanks for reading my comment!! =D
I really enjoy george and the dragon also it was perfect theme for me!
Very Nice @nd Thanks.
I loved the story!!! so much fun im really into saints right now so ill have fun reading this to my class in NYC! have a great day everybody :D
the story was amazing
VERY NICE @ THANK U.
VERY NICE
Thank you for the story.The story is wondeful so thank you so much for the story.
This is a really good story because it tells me alot of information about the story. :}
This is a really good story because it tells me alot of information about the story
this is a really good story not
i hate it
is a good history
great fantstic fab
boring
it was intresting
i liked it but it was a little short
i like the story but it was to short.but anyway thanks natasha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
=D
you help children grow up good so they can watch us on icarly.com and on t.v.
cool i have to write this story for my homework sooooooooooo borieningggggggggggg i hate u scholl
can i kiss you? can i kiss you?
boring
i love the story.
I’m not cathloic but i love the story anyway.
David
It’s palestine not israel
and if u were offended because it’s called palestine it doesn’t mean that u can call it watever u want .
COOL HELPED ME WITH MY HOMEWORK I THINK ITS A GREAT STORY
I read your story and some points are correct. This is not a fairtale. St George was from a noble rich family and was educated. He was a soldier in the roman army and thats how the roman soldiers used to dress. (not the Knights). Yes the story is connected with the princess but St George is a martyr, he died for Jesus. So he’s spirit is alive even today. Pray to Him and He will help you.
[...] St. George and the Dragon on Story Nory [...]
Dear Bertie~, I felt that story is little bit similar as “Bertie and the Dragon”
I would love many protagonists than antagonists.
(P.S. Can’t wait to hear “Bertie the Saga”) Good luck ~
Yeh-Jun, yes there’s a group on facebook
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2291953591
Do Natasha/Bertie/Sophie have Facebook? o:
As a Christian, I still appreciated the change in ending. We should never teach that one should be forced into one way of thinking as a condition for a good deed. We invite people to Salvation, not force them.
Good story, good adaptation. Nothing wrong or political about mentioning Palestine. I’ll definitely share it, and the rest of the site, with kids I know.
this story is a coligrated means beautyfull story so ill like to hear a story about dick king smith he whrote 100 books there,s a film called babe the sheep pig
Mary, the point about some versions of St. George is that he FORCED the city to convert to Christianity – and that is clearly not the right message for a site that is for people of all cultures. If it was straight history, we would have stuck with the story, but as legends are told and retold for every age, we felt it was ok to make the change.
What’s wrong with converting people to Christianity? If one believes Christ is the Truth, then one is a fool not to share that with the world.
A classic i love it!! amazing!!
never forget it!!!
i loved the story a lot and st george is the city
of england 500 people
live here so im a
coligrated for
that so thank you
for the storyxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I think it is a very sad story but i still love sitting in the classroom and listening to my teacher read the book to the whole class. After my teacher has finished reading the story we play hot-seat. I always love being st George and answering lots of different questions!!!!
[...] the feast of St George today, Patron Saint of England, so the children listened to his STORY HERE. I’ll put this website in my sidebar when I update soon as there are a lot of stories and the [...]
He is proper bave man. I bet loads of people stood up to him espially me and everyone . lol
He is proper bave man. I bet loads of people stood up to him espially me and everyone oh no i am crying. lol
I am a teacher of English as a foreign language and I have to say that my students believe this is a very beautiful story and very well told and easy to understand.
a mi compi yolanda le parece muy bien la historia estubo un dia en tero riendo
con lo de san gorge
natasha was a good story teller and spoke very clearly we all enjoyed GEORGE AND THE DRAGON
i like this website.
this story is so not true but gr8 job natasha!!
(St. Jordi’s) St. George’s Day is also the National Day of Catalonia (North-East Spain) and over here we celebrate it giving roses and books to our loved ones, as it it the Day of the Rose and the Book. The book in memory of the legend of St. Jordi and the Rose for the Dragon’s blood that made rose trees grow from the stained ground.
im 1 years old
i luv this lol
story makers story makers we love story makers
Storynory rules :)
yeh yeh man good story
i love you dragons rarrggh
love u
I love this story. really cool. great job natasha.
hi i am jimbob i liked the story alot
i am a dragon
Hi Reny
We tried tried to follow and old source for St. George and the Dragon. Some stories are told in different ways. How did your version go?
thats not the true story!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you soooooooooo changed it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :[
Hi Chelsea,
It is a shame they killed the dragon – there are so few of them around these days – but that happens to lots of animals that we are afraid of. People kill sharks, tigers, and crocodiles- and they are becoming endangered species.
Thanks for listening and for your comment !
I was sorry they had to kill the dragon!
I love the story but will i get a copy of it
Post to
Douglas Walters
P.O.BOX CT 4726
ACCRA-CANTONMENTS
00233
WEST AFRICA
GHANA.
IF YOU WANT TO REPLY SEND TO MY MAIL.
I loved this story but it has a completely different ending to what i remember.
good
My children like so much and alwyas wants to listen keep it up Natasha
loveit
we are doiung a Take One POicture scheme at school and the one i heard had a Orange tree in it and a hermit.
wow!How cool.i like
wow!How cool.
Hi, i´m Hannah. I REALLY LOVE DRAGONS, BECAUSE THEY REMIND ME OF “ME”!
David
I’m sorry that you are offended – but I really do think that the text has absolutely no political content.
Thank you for recommending us – and I do hope you still like us !
Palestine? What is that? It’s Israel. I have used your sight for a long time and recommended it to many in the US. Stay out of political matters. I was offended.
how cool
Hi natasya. your voice and your way to tell the story is very interesting. i wonder if i could see your face. Why don’t you give some questions after the story?.
keep on your great work. all the best.
i really liked the story.
I think it was great i will defently be using it in my school reaport.
good
l love this story !
i like it !
That was great and we are also doing that at school for st georges day I really liked that story bye xxx
That was great gor the subject we are also doing aat school thank-you bye xxx
That was a different ending to what I had heard. I always thought that there was an orange tree. Although I did enjoy the story.
We thought it was a fantastic story and we liked the words that were used.
We thought it was a little sad because people were given to the dragon.
We thought that George was brave because he carefully slayed the dragon.
its still taking too long
I liked the story, but it is a bit short
i´m from spain and it was really cool, but a bit too short
absorbing interesting awesome story thanks you there . and great, excellent pronunciation.
WOW! I have always loved a good fairy tale once and a wail thanks Natasha! GO FROGS!!