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The Little Flowers of Saint Francis of Assisi by Brother Ugolino
CHAPTER XXII HOW ST FRANCIS TAMED THE WILD DOVES
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A certain young man having caught one day a great number of doves, as
he was to sell them he met St Francis, who always felt a great
compassion for such gentle animals; and, looking at the doves with eyes
of pity, he said to the young man: "O good man, I entreat thee to give
me those harmless birds, emblems in Scripture of humble, pure, and
faithful souls, so that they may not fall into cruel hands, which would
put them to death." And the young man, inspired by God, immediately
gave them to St Francis, who, placing them in his bosom, addressed them
thus sweetly: "O my little sisters the doves, so simple, so innocent,
and so chaste, why did you allow yourselves to be caught? I will save
you from death, and make your nests, that you may increase and
multiply, according to the command of God." Then St Francis made nests
for them all, and they began to lay their eggs and hatch them in
presence of the brethren, and were as familiar and as tame with St
Francis and the friars as if they had been hens brought up amongst
them, nor did they ever go away until St Francis had given them his
blessing. Then said St Francis to the young man who had given them to
him: "My son, thou shalt become a friar in this Order; and shalt serve
most fervently the Lord Jesus Christ"; and so it came to pass, for the
young man became a friar, and lived in the Order in great holiness.
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