The story was about Saint Gudwall and his pupil living in a cave. During the summer they chose a large cave to reside in and were happy for some time. Then the winter came and the waves that only somewhat reached inside the cave, now completely washed throughout it. Saint Gudwall and his pupil had to flee their home and were not able to take any of their belongings for most of them were out at sea now. Soaked and now faced with the elements with no shelter, Saint Gudwall prayed for help with their situation. The fish in the sea near him heard his prayer and wanted to help them. One by one each fish brought sand in front of their cave. After time the fish were able to create a sandbar barrier in front of Saint Gudwall's cave. He was very grateful for this and blessed the fish for the help they provided.
The Wolf-Mother of Saint Ailbe
The story of Saint Ailbe starts out with him being abandoned in the forest by his parents. A mother wolf heard his cries and took pity on him. The wolf took him home to become apart of her family. Saint Ailbe grew up with the wolves and one day a hunter rode nearby and saw him. The hunter was a prince that took Saint Ailbe home to his wife. The wolves tried to bring Saint Ailbe back but they weren't fast enough and howled with sadness. The saint grew up in the palace with wonderful things and was wise and became Bishop. The lords all went on a hunt one day and bringing the prey back to the palace Saint Ailbe heard a familiar language. The mother wolf recognized him and the saint recognized his mother. Saint Ailbe forbade anyone to harm the wolf or her children ever again. The wolf and her children came to the castle from then on to enjoy a feast with the prince and to be reunited.
The Ballad of Saint Athracta's Stags
This is the story of Saint Athracta and how she came to live out in the woods. She was a prince's daughter and wanted to live out in the wild with one maid for company. They built her a hut where the two later helped people passing near. They were given two older horses to help with work and to keep them company. One day the King told the kingdom to bring him wood to build a fort. Saint Athracta asked to be excused because there were no men to help them. The king refused and the two had bloodied hands from cutting wood. The two horses were unable to pull the cart of wood to the kind's palace. Saint Athracta called out to the stags to help them bring the wood to the King. During the journey the chains broke, and she had to use her very long blonde hair as new chains. When the King saw them he was shameful for his anger and not showing mercy. And freed Saint Athracta from being a servant to him. She lived the rest of her days in her hut with the stags nearby.
The Ballad of Saint Felix
This was the story of Saint Felix who fled persecution by hiding in plain sight. He tricked the soldiers who were looking for him and when they realized he prayed for help. A crack in the wall fell out into the street in front of him, and he crawled into the hiding place. A spider came and spun a thick web so that he would be hidden in the wall behind it. After the soldiers passed his hiding spot Saint Felix found a well to hid in until the danger was over. A young woman later was calling out for him to bring him food, he revealed himself and she brought him food for the remainder of his stay in the well.
The Ballad of Saint Giles and the Deer
This is the story of the hermit also known as Saint Giles who lived deep in the forest. He lived in a cave and had a friendly deer who kept him company. Then one day there was a hunt in the forest near Saint Giles, and the prey was his beloved deer. She came to him seeking safety from the men and dogs chasing her. He vowed to protect her, saying he would die in her place. An archer found them and shot an arrow towards the deer that Saint Giles shielded with his arm. The King saw what had happened and nursed Saint Giles back to health. Over time, the King's heart was made soft and he became a Christian and would protect the deer and Saint Giles from now on.
Saint Francis of Assisi
The story of Saint Francis of Assisi starts off with telling about him. He was an extremely poor beggar but he was always kind and smiling in the streets. Saint Francis of Assisi was a friend to all beings of the earth, from humans to animals to the moon to the water. He founded the Society of Little Brothers and had thousands join him. Saint Francis of Assisi preached everywhere and to everything and they listened to him. There were several stories of animals becoming tame or aiding him in his sermons through the passages. In his later years Saint Francis of Assisi went to live on top of a mountain with few people and spent the rest of his days with nature.
(Caption: Image of a deer in the forest by Flickr)
All stories were taken from: The Book of Saints and Friendly Beasts by Abbie Farwell Brown
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