The Feast of Saint George

tinyurl.com/feast-george

My local SCA barony held a Feast of Saint George, with dragon contest entries of every sort (from cookies to a giant sculpture built out of carpet rollers sprayed green). During dinner, my wife and I ended up sitting at one end of head table, looking at the giant dragon sitting at the other end… and I tried to figure out how THAT story fit the legend… then the words started running through my head like fire, and I sputtered to her, “Pen! Paper!”… scribbled through the third course, and begged leave of the herald to recite the result during the fourth course, standing next to the dragon, goblet in hand. It was well received.

There once was a bold British Knight
Who went hunting a Dragon to fight;
     But when it smelled Dragon
     His horse began laggin’…
And then ran away out of fright.

The Knight was left standing alone,
To face the fierce Wurm on his own;
     This warrior so brave
     Followed smoke to a cave
Where the Dragon lay deep in the stone.

“Bold Knight,” said the well-hidden Beast,
“Your visit shows courage, at least,
     But wisdom is lacking
     In Knights who go hacking
At mountains, instead of at feast.

“Go home, and carve pork-pies instead,
And chickens, and cheeses, and bread; *
     Come back with a share —
     Folks’ll be free from care,
For no Dragon hunts when well fed!”

The Knight walked all day down the road,
Then rode back with a wagon-full load
     Of savory feast
     To feed to the Beast;
And as for the Dragon — it GROWED!

It ate ’till its stomach was swelling
To fill all its cavernous dwelling;
     And, true to its word,
     The Dragon preferred
To dine home instead of go killing.

So now we may lift up our flagon
In salute to the Knight (and his wagon),
     And wash down our feed
     With good whiskey and mead,
And — give a BIG share to the Dragon!

(* These were among the foods served at that dinner.)

© 1991 by C. M. Joserlin, “Raven”

[The Suno AI has composed and performed a tune for this song.]