186 The Little Bedesman of Christ

hither, Brother Wolf! In the name of Christ
I bid you do no harm, neither to me nor to
any one.” And when the wolf closed his
jaws and stopped running, and came at the
Saint’s bidding, as gentle as a lamb, and lay
down at his feet, St. Francis rebuked him
_ for the slaying of God’s creatures, the beasts,
and even men made in God’s image. “ But
fain would I make peace,” he said, “ between
you and these townsfolk; so that if you
pledge them your faith that you will do no
more scathe either to man or beast, they will
forgive you all your offences in the past, and
neither men nor dogs shall harry you any
more. And I will look to it that you shall
always have food as long as you abide with
the folk of this countryside.”

Whereupon Brother Wolf, by movements
of body and tail and bowing of head, gave
token of his good will to abide by that bar-
gain. And in sign that he plighted his troth
to it he gave the Saint his paw, and followed
to the market-place of Agobio, where St.
Francis repeated all that he had said, and
the people agreed to the bargain, and once
more the wolf gave pledge of his faith by
putting his paw in the Saint’s hand.