Saint George On A Mission To Wales

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Sabtu, 02 April 2016

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George, Merlin and Jack were on a mission for King Freddie in Wales. One of his castles was reported to have suffered severe damage from subsidence. Although on Merlin's advice, Freddie had appointed the former patron saint, Cuthbert, as minister for subsidence, he had little confidence in him, and had sent the prime minister and incumbent patron saint to ensure the matter received proper attention.

They set out early from George's castle in Gloucestershire, accompanied by a pair of Welsh dragons, to catch the first ferry across the River Severn at Aust. As usual, George was worried about being sea sick but it was one of the Welsh dragons who leaned over the side of the boat and parted company with his breakfast. Otherwise, the voyage was uneventful and the party soon set foot in Monmouthshire.

'Is this county English or Welsh?' asked George. 'Good question,' replied Merlin, 'it alternates every hundred years. Just now it's Welsh.'
'Look how happy the dragons are! They know they're home!'
'Yes, but watch out for the sick one; he may need more cake to calm him down.'
'Right, Jack can keep an eye on him.'
'Should I help him to re-ignite?' asked Jack.
'No, better let him take his time,' said George, who knew the effects of mal de mer could be long-lasting.
They made their way slowly along the banks of a river from Chepstow to Monmouth. 'Can you tell me the name of this river?' asked George.
'Wye' replied Merlin.
'I just thought you might know.'
'Yes, it's the River Wye,' repeated Merlin.
'Why would they call a river that?'
'It must have been named by a child,' concluded the wisest man in England.

The party skirted around Monmouth to prevent the dragons alarming the people, and headed across country in the direction of the damaged castle. The going was tough because the terrain was mountainous. The dragons wanted to fly but George feared losing his pets in their native habitat. The villagers were friendly but the farther they went the harder it was to understand what people were saying. 'They're speaking Welsh,' said Merlin. 'One of my ancestors was Welsh but I only remember a few words of the language.'


'What if we need some help?' asked George.
'Don't worry,' replied Merlin, 'they understand much more English than they pretend to know.'
'Like the French?'
'That's it.'
'They sing very nicely, don't they?'
'Yes, the Welsh are famous for their choirs.'
'Thank goodness they don't play the bagpipes,' said George.
Saint George, Rusty Knight, and Monster Tamer is a series of nine self-contained historical short stories which introduces George, a hapless knight who has an unusual skill for monster taming, and which, with wit and delightful aplomb takes the young reader on an adventurous journey though some significant moments in history.

By:  John Powell

Tag : Humor