Francis and the Wolf

(For Oct. 4, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi)

The wolf was large and hungry at the door,
his fame became part of the village lore;
the hungry wolf would sometimes chance to meet
a village child that he would quickly eat.

St. Francis was a famous holy man,
to him the desperate parents finally ran,
and Francis bade the hungry carnivore,
to not eat any children anymore.

Through Francis' gentle chiding in the end,
the wolf obeyed his animal-loving friend,
and Francis bade the villagers to feed
the hungry wolf, and all of them agreed.

O dear St. Francis, you I do implore
to keep the wolf from scratching at my door.

-- by Pete Voelz