o try and copy them_, so that some day they
would find lots of friends in Heaven, who would not be ashamed to
receive the salutes of their little brothers, and to return them with
kind smiles of welcome.

Then the Cubs settled down for a last story.

THE STORY OF ST. GEORGE.

"And now," said the Cubs, "a last story! Go on, Miss--make it an _extra_
good one, exciting and full of adventures, and the best of all, because
it's the last night."

"Very well," said Akela, "I'll tell you the story of the Patron Saint of
all Cubs and Scouts, and of England. Who's that?"

"St. George!" cried the Cubs in chorus. And although many of them knew
the story very well, they snuggled down in their blankets and prepared
to enjoy themselves.

Well (said Akela), I'm going to tell you the story of the Saint who was
more thought about and honoured in the old days than, perhaps, any other
Saint who ever lived. He was from the very earliest times--in fact, from
directly after his death--called "the Great Martyr." He became the
patron of many countries and orders of knighthood, but specially in
England was he loved, and his feast was kept as a great holiday, equal
to Christmas. Already, before William the Conqueror came to England, our
forefathers had begun to build churches in honour of St. George. But it
was King Richard Coeur de Lion who specially spread devotion to St.
George in England, because he took him as his own patron, and used his
name as his battle-cry. "For God and St. George!" he would shout, as he
swung his mighty battle-axe in the air and charged at the head of his
knights toward the Saracen lines.

St. George several times appeared on a white horse, and led the
Crusaders to victory when it seemed as if the enemy were going to put
them to flight and come off victorious.

Many people think of St. George as a knight on a prancing horse, who
killed a dragon and rescued a maiden in distress. But this is only a
kind of parable or picture of the real St. George and what he did. The
dragon is a picture of the wicked, heathen religion that tried to kill
the beautiful young Church that Our Lord had made. St. George fought
this dragon, and gave his life in the battle, but he rescued the maiden
(who represents the Church); for his death seems to have rallied the
Christians and filled them with new courage to fight bravely and stick
to it, until at last the heathen dragon was overcome, and the Church of
Christ was able to fill a