ould not have cruelty
or bloodshed among his human friends. And he also taught his beasts to
be kind. He loved best the gentle lambs, one of which was almost always
with him, and in his sermons he would point to them to show men what
their lives should be. But there is a story told of the lesson he taught
a wolf that shows what power the Saint had over the fiercer animals.
There are many stories of wolves whom the saints made tame. But this
wolf of Saint Francis was the most terrible of them all.

This huge and savage wolf had been causing great horror to the people
of Gubbio. For in the night he not only stole sheep and cows from the
farms, but he came and carried off men also for his dinner. So that
people were afraid to go out of the town for fear of being gobbled up.

Now Saint Francis came. And he said, "I will go out and seek this wolf."
But the townsfolk begged him not to go, for the good man was dear to
them and they feared never to see him again. However, he was resolved
and went forth from the gate.

He had gone but a little way when out rushed the wolf to meet him, with
his mouth wide open, roaring horribly. Then Saint Francis made the sign
of the cross and said gently:--

"Come hither, Brother Wolf. I command thee in Christ's behalf that thou
do no evil to me nor to any one." And wonderful to say! The wolf grew
tame and came like a lamb to lie at Saint Francis' feet.

Then Francis went on to rebuke him, saying that he deserved to be hung
for his many sins, being a robber and a wicked murderer of men and
beasts.

"But I wish, Brother Wolf," he said, "to make peace between thee and
men; therefore vex them no more and they will pardon thee all thy past
offenses, and neither dogs nor men will chase thee any more."

At this the wolf wagged his tail and bowed his head to show he
understood. And putting his right paw in the hand of Saint Francis he
promised never again to steal nor slay. Then like a gentle dog he
followed the holy man to the market-place of the town, where great
crowds of people had gathered to see what Saint Francis would do with
the great beast, their enemy, for they thought he was to be punished.
But Francis rose and said to them:--

"Hearken, dear brethren: Brother Wolf who is here before you has
promised me that he will make peace with you and will never injure you
in any way, if ye promise to give him day by day what is needful for his
dinner. And I will be surety for him." Thereupon