THIS is the story of a Saint who loved all animals and whom the animals
therefore loved in return.
Saint Blaise was the son of wealthy people in Sebaste, a town of Armenia
near Turkey, in the days when it was fashionable to be a heathen. He was
not like the other boys, his playmates, for he was a Christian, full of
sympathy for everything that lived. More than all things he longed to
learn how to help the creatures that he loved,--men and women, the
children, the dumb beasts, and everything that suffered and was sick. So
he went to school and studied medicine; and by and by he grew up to be a
wise man with a big, tender heart. Every one loved him, for he did great
good among the people of his village, tending their children and healing
their cattle and household pets.
Nor did he neglect even the wild beasts. For Saint Blaise loved to go
away into the woods and fields where he could learn about the untamed
creatures and teach them to be his friends. The birds and beasts and
fishes grew to love him because he never hurt them, but talked to them
kindly and healed them when they were sick or wounded. The timid
creatures were brave in his presence, and the fierce ones grew tame and
gentle at the sound of his voice. The little birds brought him food, and
the four-footed beasts ran errands and were his messengers. The legends
say that they used to visit him in his forest home, which was a cave on
Mount Argus near the city of Sebaste. Every morning they came to see how
their master was faring, to receive his blessing and lick his hands in
gratitude. If they found the Saint at his prayers they never disturbed
him, but waited in a patient, wistful group at the door of his cave
until he rose from his knees.
One day a poor woman came to him in great distress because a wolf had
carried away her pig. Saint Blaise was sorry to hear that one of his
friends had done so wicked a thing. He bade the woman go home, and said
he would see what could be done. He called the Wolf up to him and shook
his head gravely at the culprit.
"You bad Wolf!" he said. "Don't you know that the Pig was a friend of
mine, too? He is not handsome, but he is nice and plump; and he is the
only pig of a poor, lone woman. How could you be so selfish? Go straight
home and get my friend Pig, and drive him down to the woman's house."
Then the Wolf went sheepishly away, and did what the good Saint had told
him to do; for the Pig had not yet been made into pork. And when the
poor woman saw the Pig run grunting into her yard, chased by the
repentant Wolf, she fell upon his fat neck and wept tears of joy. Then
the Wolf went back to Saint Blaise, who told him he was a good wolf, and
gave him a dish of fresh milk to cool his throat.
Saint Blaise was chosen Bishop by the Christians who loved him for his
piety and his charity. And the wood-beasts were glad of this honor done
to their dear master. But the poor creatures did not know how dangerous
it was to be a Christian in those days, and especially to be a Bishop
who had much power over the people. For the heathen were jealous of him,
and feared that he would make all the people Christians too, when they
saw the wonderful cures which his medicines made. But they could not
find him, for he was living in his forest cave.
This was 316 years after Christ's birth, and the cruel Emperor Licinius
was causing many Christians to be killed. Agricola was the governor whom
Licinius had appointed in Sebaste, and he sent his soldiers into the
mountains to get some wild beasts for the games in the arena, where the
Christians were to be put to death. But they could not find any beasts
at all in the mountains, or in the fields, or valleys, or woods. They
thought this very strange. But by and by they came by accident to the
cave where Saint Blaise lived.
And there were the animals, all the fierce beasts whom they feared;
lions, tigers, leopards, bears, and wolves, making their morning call
upon Saint Blaise and sitting quietly about. In the midst was Blaise
himself, praying so earnestly that he never noticed the men with nets
and spears who had come to entrap the beasts. Although the creatures
were frightened they did not move nor growl for fear of disturbing
their master, but kept quite still, glaring at the soldiers with big
yellow eyes. The men were so astonished at the sight that they stole
away without capturing an animal or saying a word to Saint Blaise, for
they thought he must be Orpheus or some heathen god who charmed wild
beasts. They went to the Governor and told him what they had seen, and
he said,--
"Ho! I know he is a Christian. The Christians and the beasts are great
friends. Go and bring him to me straightway."
And this time the soldiers went in the afternoon when the animals were
taking their after-dinner nap. So they found Saint Blaise quite alone,
again at his devotions. They told him he must come with them; but
instead of being frightened he said joyfully, "I am ready, I have long
expected you." For he was a holy man willing to die for his faith, and
holy men often knew what was going to happen to them.
It was on his way to prison that Saint Blaise cured his last patient,--a
sick child whose mother brought him to the holy man's feet begging help.
The child had swallowed a bone and was choking to death, poor little
thing. But Saint Blaise touched the baby's throat and the trouble was
gone. This is why in olden times people with sore throats always prayed
to Saint Blaise to make them well.
The good Bishop was put in prison. And after that they tortured him,
trying to make him promise not to be a Christian any longer. But Saint
Blaise refused to become a heathen and to sacrifice to the gods. And so
they determined that he must die. They would have put him in the arena
with the wild beasts, but they knew that these faithful creatures would
not harm their friend. The beasts could not save him from the cruel men,
but at least they would not do anything to hurt him. Those which were
still left in the forest howled and moaned about his deserted cave, and
went sniffing and searching for him everywhere, like stray dogs who have
lost their master. It was a sad day for the wood-creatures when Saint
Blaise was taken from them forever.
The soldiers were told to drown Saint Blaise in the neighboring lake.
But he made the sign of the Cross as they cast him from the boat, and
the water bore him up, so that he walked upon it as if it were a floor,
just as Christ did once upon the sea of Galilee. When the soldiers tried
to do the same, however, thinking to follow and recapture him, they sank
and were drowned. At last of his own free will Saint Blaise walked back
to the shore, clothed in light and very beautiful to look upon; for he
was ready and eager to die. He let the heathen seize him, and soon after
this was beheaded.
In very old times it used to be the custom in England on the third of
February to light great bonfires on all the hills,--_blazes_ in honor of
his name.
And we can well believe that all the little animals came out of their
dens and burrows and nests at the sight of these fires, and thought with
loving hearts of the dear old Saint who so many years ago used to be
kind to their ancestors, the beasts in the forests of Armenia.