Act IV scene 3

ACT IV

scene 3 “An Exultation of Larks”

Setting: The forest (left side); San Damiano (centre); forest with larks (right side)

CURTAIN or spotlight opens on the forest

SHEPHERD: What have you heard anything more about Saint Francis since he got back from the Holy Land?  What’s he doing these days?

WOLF: Didn’t you know?  Didn’t you hear? 

SHEPHERD: Me?  Oh, I hardly ever get any news.  I’m usually out in the fields with my sheep, you know. 

WOLF: Of course.  I suppose you wouldn’t hear much out there.  I like to prowl around  outside San Damiano and the various hermitages of the friars, so I overhear some stories.  Some were stories of miracles and some were about his ministering to the sick and the poor.  Even though, towards the end not many people were sicker or poorer than he was.

SHEPHERD: The end?  You mean, Saint Francis is....

WOLF: Yes.  Brother Francis died last October.  Before he died, though, God gave him one last wonderful gift.  Have you ever heard of the Stigmata?

SHEPHERD: Um.  I think so, but I’m not sure.  It has something to do with sore spots on the body that look like the wounds Jesus had.  Is that right?

WOLF: Right.  Brother Francis spent many hour—even days—in retreat, praying.  He still heard voices from Jesus.   And he saw visions, too.  One really frightened him.  He tried to keep it a secret from the friars, but it wasn’t easy.  In fact it was impossible.  That was the stigmata.

SHEPHERD: Is it as painful as it looks?  What do you think?  Did he ever tell anyone about that?

WOLF: It must have been painful, but he didn’t talk about it, except to a few of the  friars.  And he didn’t show the wounds.  But we think that it was during one of those retreats that he received them, right after he saw Jesus in the last vision—Jesus on the cross, with an expression of love and sorrow on his face.  After the vision vanished, Saint Francis said he felt a wonderful glow.  He couldn’t keep it a secret forever.  Not when the blood seeped through his tunic and he had to wipe his hands and feet frequently. 

SHEPHERD: That’s amazing.  Really amazing.

WOLF: Yes.  Excuse me a moment.  I get a little choked up when I think about that.  I wish I could have seen it while he was alive.  But I did see Brother Francis one more time.  I think that was even more wonderful.  I was present when he said farewell to Sister Clare at San Damiano before going to die at home at Portiuncula. 

CURTAIN or spotlight closes on the forest; opens on San Damiano

SHEPHERD: Tell me about when you saw him last.

WOLF: I went to see him while he was in Siena, for the best medical treatment the bishop’s doctors could provide. He was too weak for us to talk.  I think he recognized me, though.  It was clear that Sister Death was coming for him quickly.  I followed as the friars carried him to San Damiano so Sister Clare could see him through the grating where she usually received Holy Communion from the priest.  It was evening, and larks were singing above the trees.  Some friars came in procession, with candles, singing hymns and waving olive branches.  Someone was reading a psalm.  Brother Francis raised his hand in blessing and farewell for the nuns and friars.  That exposed his stigmata wounds and everyone, especially Sister Clare, gasped when they saw them.   And that’s when I saw them, too.

CURTAIN closes on San Damiano; only the forest scene, filled with animals and the birds.

SHEPHERD: Oh, I wish I could have been there.  It’s no wonder he’s a saint.  In fact, everyone has known for years that he is one.  One thing I’d like to ask you, though.  Did you ever get your fourth order of Franciscans, for the animal kingdom?

WOLF: No, but I’ll try to live by a Franciscan Rule of Life anyway.  Just like Sister Clare has been doing all these years.   She is still waiting for her Rule to be approved by the Pope.  He still doesn’t like women vowing to live in poverty.  There’s hope for that, though, since he’s seen her lifelong dedication.  The rumor is that the Pope might get the approval to her before she dies.  She, too, is waiting for Sister Death.

SHEPHERD: It seems this story has a very sad ending.

WOLF: Sad?  Oh, no!  It isn’t sad at all.  In fact, we can all learn from the birds that Brother Francis taught in the forest.  The birds followed Brother Francis to Porziuncula, and I’m told that as the saint’s soul left his body, the larks accompanied it almost all the way to heaven.  They soared up, with a song of praise and in exultation, as Brother Francis went home to his heavenly father.  That’s the happiest ending there is!

~~THE END~~

Act IV scene 2

ACT IV

Scene 2 “St. Francis and the Sultan”

Setting: forest (left side); Muslim camp (centre) ; nativity crèche (right side)

CURTAIN opens on forest scene

SHEPHERD:  Did you ever hear anything more about Saint Francis after he left Assisi?

WOLF:  I heard lots about him!  He’s so famous, and kept  very busy.  First of all, he preached to the birds and animals in the forest, and I heard that later he even preached to some fish.  Best of all, he finally managed to go to preach to the Muslims.

SHEPHERD:  Oh-oh!  That’s dangerous!  Did they kill him?  Is he a martyr?

WOLF:  As saint, but not a martyr.  I think he would have happily given his life for Christ, but it didn’t happen, even though he did put himself in great danger. 

SHEPHERD:  Where did that happen?  Was he hurt?  How did you hear about that?

WOLF:  Wait a minute!  One question at a time!  It’s quite complicated, because for the longest time everyone thought Brother Francis was dead.  He tried three times to leave Europe to go to the Holy Land, or Morocco to be martyred.  The first time, it was on an ill-advised crusade called the Children’s Crusade.  The Pope didn’t want them to do it, but many children and shepherds from all over Europe decided to go to the Holy Land and rescue Jerusalem from the hands of the Muslims.  They left on a boat and all disappeared.  Some drowned and some were captured by pirates and taken to be slaves or killed.  We were sure Brother Francis was among them.

SHEPHERD: But he wasn’t?

WOLF: He might have been, and somehow got home safe.  The next time we heard about him, he was in Spain trying to cross over to Morocco.  But he got sick and came back to Assisi.  I didn’t hear about that until he had left again.  This time, apparently, he actually made it to the Holy Land.  At least, he got to the camp of the Crusaders at Acre. 

SHEPHERD: He must have loved that.  As you say, he always wanted to be a knight.

CURTAIN closes on the forest, and opens on the Muslim camp.

WOLF: The word is that he hated it.  He was so disappointed with the knights.  Even wearing the cross of Christ on their tunics, they behaved worse than thieves and thugs.  But Brother Francis got permission from the Pope’s representative to go and preach to the Muslim camp.  The Sultan was there, and had said that any man who brought back the head of a Christian would receive a gold coin as a reward.  So Brother Francis and the friar he had with him, his name was Brother Illuminato, walked for a few days past so-called Christian crusaders’ camps and Muslim camps to the place where the Sultan was said to be. 

SHEPHERD: Do you think he was afraid?

WOLF: I am sure he must have been.  Even when you want to be martyred, it must be terrifying to be faced with the fact that it could happen any minute.  And he was captured!  But, he was surely being guarded by angels, because the Muslims didn’t kill him.  Brother Francis was shouting “Sultan! Sultan!”  And probably that saved his life, because he was taken straight to the Sultan.

SHEPHERD: How did you hear about all this?

WOLF: I overheard some of Brother Illuminato’s friends talking about it after they got back.  Not many people actually sit down and talk to me personally, you understand, especially since they believe that the Wolf of Gubbio is dead.  But what I heard was that the Sultan and Saint Francis got along very well.  The Sultan didn’t convert to Christianity, unfortunately, but he respected Brother Francis’s courage.  The Sultan wasn’t really against Christians.  He is said to respect everyone who accepts that there is only one God.  And some of his own advisors are Christians. 

SHEPHERD: Then why were they fighting?  Why were they killing Christians?

WOLF: Well, to begin with, the crusaders were invaders.  The Muslims had lived there for four or five hundred years before the first crusade took Jerusalem away from them.  Then, gradually, the Muslims moved back in and there were other crusades.  All unsuccessful.  But most of all, I think it is as I said, the crusaders were not really Christians.  They were there for the money they got for fighting and for whatever they could steal.  The Sultan respected the real Christians, like Brother Francis.  In fact, the Sultan even gave him a gift, a silver and ivory horn to be blown when calling people to come to peace.  He put it with the crucifix at San Damiano.  I haven’t seen it, but it’s a wonderful gift.  I can imagine, though, how Brother Francis must have tried to refuse it.  He doesn’t like to own anything.  But there are times when you can’t say no because you will offend someone.

SHEPHERD: Well, I’m glad he was able to get to preach to the Muslims.

WOLF: Yes.  And even though the Sultan didn’t become a Christian, at least he became a friend.  And, aside from the gift of the horn, he also guaranteed safe passage for Brother Francis and Brother Illuminato to visit all the holy places, such as Bethlehem and Jerusalem.  That was very important, too.

CURTAIN closed

SHEPHERD: I would love to see those places.

WOLF: Brother Francis understood that.  Did you know that the custom of having a Nativity Crèche in church at Christmas was started by Saint Francis?

SHEPHERD: Really?

WOLF: It started as just a little Christmas surprise that Brother Francis wanted to give a friend.  Friars from all over came from their hermitages to celebrate the birth of Jesus together.  The re-enactment of the miracle was beautiful.  The little grotto in the village of Greccio is known as the Chapel of the Crèche.  The manger, surrounded by the animals, was lit up with candles and the friars sang joyful songs.  Brother Francis said it was Lady Poverty’s celebration, because she was there.  Our Lord was born in extreme poverty, and see how beautiful that is!

SHEPHERD: Why Sister Wolf!  I believe you are growing quite fond of Lady Poverty, Brother Francis’s bride.

WOLF: Yes. Well.  She does grow on you. 

End of Act IV scene 2

Act IV scene 1

ACT IV

 Scene 1 “Thanking the People of Gubbio”

Setting: forest 

(CURTAINS OPEN; CHARACTERS ON STAGE: WOLF & SHEPHERD

WOLF:  So there you have it.  That’s Brother Francis’ life story, most of it.  After he left Assisi to go and preach, I sort of lost touch.  I heard lots of stories about him, but I kept out of sight. 

SHEPHERD:  Really?  So, don’t you go to Assisi anymore?  What do you do now?  Just hang around Gubbio?  The people there are your only friends now, I suppose.

WOLF:  I thought you knew.  I haven’t been around Gubbio for several years now.  Not since shortly after Brother Francis left.

SHEPHERD: Wait a minute!  I thought you were the famous “Wolf of Gubbio”!  Don’t you depend on those good people to feed you?

WOLF:  Oh, something like that.  Yes, I’m the famous one you’ve heard about.  But, as I told you in the first place, I’ve changed.

SHEPHERD:  So, I suppose that means you’ve found a way to be kind to them.

WOLF:  Yes.  I did that some time ago.

SHEPHERD:  I can’t think of much that a wolf could do for people.

WOLF:  It really didn’t take me long to decide what I had to do.  You see, the people were giving me a lot of food.  They couldn’t afford it.  But, I suppose, it was better than having me steal from them.  But one day I overheard some of them talking.  They weren’t being unkind.  In fact, I thought they were being extraordinarily generous.  But they kept mentioning how eating sheep was natural for wolves.  How, they thought I would starve if they didn’t feed me.

SHEPHERD:  Isn’t that true?

WOLF:  Not really.  While I was in the forest with Brother Francis, I got to thinking about my family.  They don’t steal from shepherds.  And no one gives them handouts.

SHEPHERD:  What do they do?

WOLF:  They do what is really natural for wolves.  They hunt other wild animals.  I know.  It isn’t nice to think of that.  Killing other animals.  But, those animals kill others, too.  It’s how our Creator keeps the forest from getting overrun with any one kind of animal. 

SHEPHERD:  What made you take on stealing sheep?  I mean, if hunting wild animals is really natural for you?

WOLF:  Laziness. It was easier to catch slow moving sheep that were always available than to use my brains and talent to earn my keep.  Then, when the people of Gubbio started feeding me, and being so nice about it, too, I got to feeling guilty.

SHEPHERD:  Odd.  You didn’t feel guilty about stealing the sheep.

WOLF:  True!  But I did feel guilty about taking handouts.  Especially when I realized that it wasn’t necessary.  I could feed myself.

SHEPHERD:  I see.    So, did you just say farewell to the people of Gubbio and go back to the forest?

WOLF:  Not exactly.  You see, the people were feeling so good about helping me out, and had begun to treat me like a pet, you know, like one of their dogs.  I stayed away a couple of days, but they sent out search parties for me, and seemed really upset.  They had actually grown to love me.  It was quite a problem.

SHEPHERD:  So what did you do?  It seems that you couldn’t leave, but you felt guilty about staying.  What choice did you have?

WOLF:  Well, you know that I’m not the only wolf in the forest.  I went back to my pack and told them what had happened.  They were very glad that I had come home, and would be leading a more natural lifestyle.  But there were other young wolves who were having a tough time learning to hunt.  So, I told them about Gubbio.

SHEPHERD:  What?  You set a whole pack of wolves on the people of Gubbio?  What sort of kindness is that?

WOLF:  No!  I wouldn’t do that!  I told the young wolves to take turns and only take what they needed.  No extra snacks.  That way more than one wolf could eat what the people offered.

SHEPHERD:  What did the people of Gubbio think of your plan?

WOLF:  They never found out.  It turns out that not so many wolves are as lazy as I am.  So, after a year or two, they stopped going.  When the people noticed the food was not being eaten, they set out to look for me again.  But this time, I managed to elude them.  So they thought I had died.

SHEPHERD:  How did you find out about that?

WOLF:  Brother Masseo told me that Brother Francis had heard I had died.   But Brother Masseo thought I seemed to be in pretty good health for a dead guy.  He told me the people of Gubbio were in mourning over me, and had erected a statue in my honour.  Well, I think it was really in honour of Brother Francis’ taming of this big bad wolf.  Anyway, there’s a statue to me in Gubbio.  I think that’s pretty good.  It means that I really did return their kindness, one way or another.

SHEPHERD:  Wonderful!  

Act I scene i

THE WOLF AND THE SAINT

The Life of Saint Francis of Assisi as Told by The Wolf of Gubbio

(a four-act play)

By  DCB Jones

ACT I

Scene 1 “The Wolf of Gubbio”

(CURTAIN OPENS)

The scene: a forest near Assisi: WOLF is standing on the left side of the stage or puppet theatre.

(SHEPHERD & SHEEP come onstage, spot the wolf, and creep cautiously off stage as quickly as possible, trying to keep out of the wolf’s sight; fail to do so, and so hurry off immediately.)

WOLF:  Hello Everyone!  Oh no!  Don’t run away!  I’ve got a story to tell you.  I bet you don’t get a lot of stories told to you by wolves.  We’re in a lot of stories, but we always get the nasty parts.  Like today, for example.  (Shepherd with sheep comes back on stage, stops to look at Wolf then hurries off-stage on opposite side.)

That shepherd thought I was going to eat that sheep.  What?  You thought so, too?  Well, it just goes to show you how wrong you can be.  Okay.  You’re right.  Sort of.  You think I’m the bad guy.  You’re right.  I am.  I’m always the bad guy.   But people can change.  And so can wolves.  You think I can’t?  Well, you’re wrong.  I can be just as good as you are, if I’m given the chance.  But no one ever gives me the chance to show my good side.  They always just run away or chase me away before I get to prove myself.

SHEPHERD (returns without the sheep, stops as spots wolf; stands near the edge of stage right):  Oh-oh!  The wolf’s still here, isn’t he? (addressing audience) Sorry I can’t stay and chat.  I’ll just keep going, if you don’t mind.  (starts to slink off stage left, passing by Wolf)

WOLF : What?  Hey!  Don’t run away!  Where’s, um, where’s your friend?

SHEPHERD (turning to face the wolf): My friend?

WOLF: Yes.  You know.   The little wooly fellow you had with you before?

SHEPHERD: Oh, him.

 WOLF: Yeah.  Him.  Where’d he go?

SHEPHERD: I, um, that is, he decided he’d rather not come out here.

WOLF: What’s wrong?  Stage fright?

SHEPHERD: You could say that.

WOLF: Yeah.  Stage fright.  Sure.  But you don’t suffer from stage fright?

SHEPHERD: Who, me?  No!  Of course not! 

WOLF: Come over here.

SHEPHERD: Me?  There?  Um, why should I do that?

WOLF: So we can talk.

SHEPHERD: About what?

WOLF: Well, you see, I was telling these nice folks here about, well, I was telling them about myself, you see.

SHEPHERD: About yourself.  Why?  Are you all that interesting?

WOLF: Sure.  I’m a bad guy.  Everyone loves a bad guy.

SHEPHERD: You sure about that?  I mean that everyone loves you.

WOLF: Not me, maybe.  Just bad guys in general.  And I’m a bad guy.  But, as I was saying, I’m not really so bad.  It’s just that a fellow has to eat, you know.  And I get really hungry in the forest.  So when I see a nice fat sheep…

SHEPHERD: What are you looking for?

WOLF: Nothing.  Well, I was looking for your friend.  You know, the one who was afraid to come out here with you.  I wonder if he’s still afraid.  You know.  Stage fright?

SHEPHERD: Yeah.  I guess he’s still afraid. 

WOLF: He doesn’t have to be afraid, you know. 

SHEPHERD: Well,  I don’t know about that.  You are a wolf, you know.

WOLF: Um.  Yes.  I am, in fact, aware of that.

SHEPHERD: And you do eat sheep.  Right?

WOLF: Right.  You’re right.  And it’s true that when I see a nice fat sheep, I think of my empty stomach. But I won’t chase him.  I could catch him, you know. 

SHEPHERD: He knows that.  That’s why…

WOLF: Why what?  Why he won’t come back here?  I thought you said it was stage fright. 

SHEPHERD: Oh, right.  Well, that too.  But you are a wolf, you know. 

WOLF: You said that.  But hey!  I’ve changed!

SHEPHERD: You’re not a wolf?

WOLF: I didn’t say that.  I just said I’d changed.  See, that’s what I came out here to explain.  I have to tell you my story.

SHEPHERD: A wolf can’t change!  You say you can?  Now that’s a story I’ve got to hear!

WOLF: Well, since you insist.  It’s about when I lived in the village of Gubbio.  That’s right here in Italy, not far away from this town of Assisi. 

These people here in Assisi think I’m here to eat their sheep.  But I’m not.  The people of Gubbio could tell you that.  I’m here to see my friend, Brother Francis.  I won’t chase the sheep, because I know I’ll have a nice meal with my friend.  He invited me here so I could have dinner with him.  Maybe I could introduce him to you.  Maybe you know him as Francis of Assisi, or Saint Francis of Assisi. 

SHEPHERD: I’ve heard of him.  He’s a very holy man. 

WOLF: That’s the fellow.  He’s my best friend.  Hey!  I’m telling you the truth!  You think that because he’s a saint, and because I’m a bad guy—or maybe a sinner, you might say—that we can’t be friends.  Well, you’re wrong again.  Brother Francis and I are good friends.  In fact, he saved my life.

SHEPHERD: Saved your life?  How did he do that?

WOLF: You see, it’s like this.  I was living in the forest just outside Gubbio, and the people there had lots of sheep.  Nice fat sheep! And even though the shepherds were very diligent, and kept a watchful eye out for their sheep all the time, still I was able to out-run them and catch the biggest and fattest sheep every morning for my breakfast.  And sometimes, I’d come back in the evening for a bedtime snack.  You know how it is!

Well, for some reason, that made the people of Gubbio upset.  They took a dislike to me.  I can’t understand why.  I’m really very nice when you get to know me, but they didn’t give me a chance.

Instead, they set out to kill me.  But when they couldn’t catch me, they came here to Assisi to ask Brother Francis to help them get rid of the Big Bad Wolf.  That’s what they called me!  Imagine!  Me!  A big bad wolf.  Well, I am big and I am a wolf. But bad?  Not really!  At least I didn’t think so. 

And Brother Francis didn’t think so, either.  But then, he always sees the best in everyone.  He’s so good!

He came and sat down with me in the forest and we had a nice chat.

SHEPHERD: I wish I could have seen that.  Wasn’t he afraid of you?  You are pretty scary, you know.

WOLF: I can show you what happened.  You’ll see that Brother Francis wasn’t at all afraid of me.  Let’s go, so I can find him so he can tell you himself.

(Shepherd and Wolf exit)

CURTAIN CLOSES