Saint Francis and the Wolf of Gubbio
In Gubbio, everyone is afraid of a huge wolf prowling through the woods. But Saint Francis doesn't go after him with sticks: he goes to talk to him, along with Pietro, the not-so-brave baker of the town. A story from the Franciscan tradition about the courage it takes to make peace.
Who was Saint Francis of Assisi?
Feast day: October 4
Francis was born in Assisi, Italy, around the year 1181, and he died there in 1226. He was the son of a rich cloth merchant, and as a young man he dreamed of becoming a knight. But he left everything behind to follow Jesus: he lived in poverty, cared for the sick, and traveled the roads proclaiming peace. He loved everything God made so much that he called the sun "Brother Sun" and the moon "Sister Moon."
The story of the wolf of Gubbio, a town in Umbria, doesn't appear in the documents of his own time: it comes from the Franciscan tradition, in The Little Flowers of Saint Francis (the "Fioretti," chapter 21), a collection from the 14th century. Pietro, Lucia, her daughter, and the dialogues are our own invention, to tell the story to children.
To talk about as a family
- Why were the people of Gubbio so afraid of the wolf?
- What did Francis do instead of picking up a stick?
- Francis was a little scared too. When have you done something good even though you were afraid?
The story
Welcome to The Adventures of the Saints! Open your ears wide, because today we're going to tell you an amazing story. Are you ready?
More than eight hundred years ago, in Italy, in a town on top of a hill called Assisi, there lived a young man named Francis. His father was a rich merchant who sold beautiful cloth, and young Francis had everything: fancy clothes, lots of friends, and parties with music until dawn. He dreamed of becoming a famous knight!
But one day Francis felt that Jesus was calling him, and he discovered a treasure much greater than all the money in the world. He left everything behind, put on a simple robe tied with a rope, and set off along the roads to help the poor and the sick, and to tell everyone about God's love.
Francis loved everything God made so much that he called the sun "Brother Sun," and the moon "Sister Moon." And he talked to animals as if they were his little brothers and sisters.
And today we're going to tell you about the day Francis came face to face with the most feared animal for miles around... A wolf!
Now let's travel to Gubbio, a town of stone houses, surrounded by walls and thick forests. But in those days, there wasn't much joy in Gubbio.
A huge wolf was prowling around the town. He had already eaten sheep and chickens, and people were so scared that whenever they had to go outside the walls, they carried sticks and pitchforks, as if they were going off to war! Look: right now, Lucia comes running into the square...
Lucia: Pietro! Pietro! Shut the bakery door!
Pietro: Huh? But it isn't even dark yet! What's going on now?
Lucia: They've seen the wolf again! Down there, on the path by the olive trees!
Pietro: The wolf? Again?
Child: Mom, is it true he's as big as a horse?
Lucia: I don't know, sweetheart. But he's dangerous, and nobody wants to run into him.
Pietro: Well, I've had enough of it! You can't even go gather firewood without shaking!
Pietro is the baker of Gubbio. He makes the best bread in the whole town... but brave? Really brave? Not so much. And at that very moment, up the cobblestone street comes a thin man, barefoot, in an earth-colored robe. It's Saint Francis.
Francis: Peace and good! What's all this shouting about?
Lucia: Oh, Brother Francis! How lucky that you've come!
Pietro: Be careful, Francis! There's a fierce wolf around here... and nobody dares go near him!
Lucia: We don't let the children play outside the walls anymore. When we hear a noise in the woods, we all go straight to home.
Francis: How sad, living like this, afraid every single day.
Pietro: That's exactly why! We have to grab our sticks and chase that beast away!
Francis: I understand, Pietro. But maybe there's another way.
Pietro: Another way? What are you going to do, invite him over for lunch?
Francis: You know... that lunch idea isn't so bad.
Francis: I'll go and find him. I want to try to make peace with him.
Lucia: All by yourself? No way!
Francis: Don't worry, Lucia. I'm not going there to fight him. I'm going there to talk to him.
Pietro: Talk to a wolf! Now that's something I've never heard of! Well, you're not going alone... I'm coming with you!
Can you imagine someone telling you they're going into the woods to talk to a wolf? Well, the people of Gubbio stood there with their mouths hanging open! Many of them climbed up onto the walls to watch from far away.
And Francis, with Pietro sticking to his back like a shadow, walked out through the town gate, toward the woods.
The woods were dark and silent. Too silent. The birds had stopped singing, and all you could hear were their footsteps on the dry leaves.
Pietro: Francis... maybe we've walked far enough, don't you think?
Francis: If you're scared, you can stay here, Pietro.
Pietro: Me, scared? No, no... Well... maybe a tiny bit.
Pietro: Francis... Did you hear that?
Francis: Yes. Stay behind me.
The branches moved. A gray shadow came out from the bushes. It was the wolf! His fur was bristling and his eyes were shining... and suddenly, he charged straight at Francis with his jaws wide open!
Pietro: It's him! It's the wolf! Run, Francis! Run! I'm climbing this tree!
But Francis didn't run. He didn't pick up a stone, or a stick. He stood still, raised his hand... and made the sign of the cross.
Francis: Brother Wolf, come here! In the name of Jesus: don't hurt me, or anyone else!
And then... something amazing happened. The wolf stopped short. He closed his mouth. And slowly, calm as a lamb, he came up to Francis and lay down at his feet.
Pietro: He called him... brother?
Francis: Oh, Brother Wolf... You've done a lot of harm to the people of Gubbio, haven't you? Everyone's afraid of you. But I don't want to hurt you. You're hungry, aren't you? That's why you attack their animals.
Francis: Look, let's make a deal. If you don't hurt anyone else, I'll ask the people of Gubbio to give you food every day, and to make sure nobody chases you. Do you promise?
The wolf bowed his head and wiggled his body and wagged his tail, as if to say: "Yes, I promise."
Francis: Very good, brother! And to make it official... give me your paw.
And the wolf lifted his right paw... and placed it, very gently, in Francis's hand.
Pietro: He put his paw in his hand! I saw it! With my own eyes!
Francis: Pietro, you can come down from the tree now. We're all going back to town together.
Pietro: All together? You mean... the wolf too?
Francis: Of course! We can't leave him out, now that we've been talking about lunch.
Pietro: I'm coming down, I'm coming down... Whoa, whoa, I'm faaaalling!
Pietro: Ow, my butt... But I'm fine, okay! I'm fine!
Just imagine the faces of the people of Gubbio when, from up on the wall, they saw Francis coming back... strolling along so calmly... with the wolf at his side, like a little puppy!
Lucia: Look! Francis is coming back!
Child: Mom! And Pietro too!
Lucia: And... and THE WOLF! Everybody, get inside!
Neighbor 1: The wolf!
Neighbor 2: Shut the doors!
Francis: Hey, don't run! It's all right! Listen to me for a moment!
The bells rang out, and the whole town gathered in the square. Nobody wanted to miss what was about to happen.
Francis: I know this wolf has caused you a lot of trouble. But he has promised me he won't hurt you anymore. Now it's your turn: if you give him food every day, he won't need to attack your animals.
Lucia: And why should we trust him?
Francis: Because nobody can make peace all alone: it takes both sides. He has already made his promise. Now we need yours.
Child: I'll bring him cookies!
Pietro: And I'll save him the leftover bread from the bakery!
Lucia: Well... I'll help too. I promise!
Neighbor 1: We promise!
Neighbor 3: We sure do!
Francis: Brother Wolf, did you hear that? Now it's your turn. Will you promise again, in front of everyone?
The wolf came up to Francis, lifted his paw... and, in front of the whole town of Gubbio, placed it in Francis's hand once again.
And the square burst with joy! People shouted, laughed, hugged each other... and thanked God for sending them Francis to bring them peace.
And do you know what the tradition says? That from that day on, the wolf lived in Gubbio just like any other neighbor. He went calmly from door to door, and people gave him food. He never hurt anyone again... and not even the dogs barked at him!
Child: Francis, weren't you scared of the wolf?
Francis: A little, yes.
Child: But you didn't run!
Francis: Well, being brave doesn't mean never being afraid. It means that, even when you're afraid, you trust in God and do what's good anyway.
Pietro: Well, next time, I'll stay on the ground too... Okay, I'll try.
Francis: That's a good start, Pietro!
And that's the end of the story of Saint Francis and the Wolf of Gubbio. Where everyone saw a beast that had to be chased away, Francis saw a hungry brother. And instead of sticks and pitchforks, he brought peace.
And you know what? You don't need to meet a wolf to be brave like Francis. Sometimes, being brave means taking the first step to make up with a friend, saying you're sorry, or sharing what you have.
And you? Are you ready to live your own adventure? We were born to be saints, like Saint Francis. Let's start today!