SHORT STORY FOR ST GEORGE'S DAY: Georgi The Aspiring Soldier, or How To Become a Saint in Five Easy Lessons by Jennifer Fisher

Whack, wham, thump – Georgi, baptised Georgius, relished these noises and the shouting of the young audience. ‘Look out Georgi, he’s behind you!’ and ‘Watch it Marcus, he’s almost on you!’

Georgi loved these sparring matches with blunted swords. Marcus was his cousin of the same age. Both looked very similar with fair curly hair and the same height and build. They might have looked the same but their characters were very different.

Marcus was reliable, honest and fair. Georgi was completely the opposite and resented his cousin Marcus who was his mother’s sister’s son.

He was always determined to win and get his own way. He often landed Marcus in trouble blaming him when he himself was to blame. Yet Marcus didn’t resent this, he truly loved his cousin.

Lesson #1: Start well with good training when young.

Lesson #2: An attractive appearance always helps.

Now anyone could see that Georgi was fighting unfairly, shoving Marcus to one side and putting his foot forward to trip him.

In fact there was someone watching who was a friend of Georgi’s father. He was a Roman soldier called Antonius and he was thinking that Georgi should join the army to ‘toughen up’ and learn fairer play. He resolved to discuss the matter later with Georgi’s father.

Georgi’s father, Gerontius, was a committed Christian and Georgi and Marcus had been raised in the same house and taught the same rules.

They were both nine at the time and too young for army life. But at supper that evening Gerontius and Antonius discussed plans for the boys’ futures and agreed that Antonius would enrol them into the army when they were 12.

Georgi was ecstatically happy but Marcus was not; he was much more of a bookworm and would rather have taken up politics.

Lesson #3: Have an older relative who is willing to help.

Life continued for 30 months until tragedy struck and both Georgi’s parents died in a horse accident.

The boys were left orphans and Antonius returned to take them into the army. They served under Antonius and strangely, Marcus thrived under army life, more than Georgi who hated the rules and regulations.

He also hated the enforced physical training. Marcus excelled in this and he was also very popular with his peers. He was soon promoted to Tribune which Georgi bitterly resented since he remained a common soldier. The years went by until the boys were 20.