Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-04-01
Saint Jerome And
The Lion

1
Once upon time, in Bethlehem,
there lived wise and holy monk nam.
ed Jerome His good deeds were
; known SO far and wide that many 9th.
er monks and holy men came to learn
OF him, and they all dwelt together in
one house as brothers. One day in
summer the brothers were sitting to-
gether at their midday meal, while
Saint Jerome read aloud to them AS
1t was SO warm, the door leading out
to the little garden had been left open.
What was the surprise of all when in
at this door limped a great tawny lion:
All the monks except Jerome rose up
III terror, selling what weapons they
could lay their hands on to defend
their lives. But Jerome babe them be
quiet, and himself went to meet the
lion as If it had been an honored guest.
The great beast lifted up his paw and
showed the monk thorn half buried
in the flesh. When Jerome had re.
moved the thorn as gently as he could,
he washed and bound the paw and
gave the lion good meal. After this,
Leo, as he came to be called, would not
leave the monastery, but followed
Saint Jerome everywhere like dog
and at night slept before his door.
Some of the more cowardly brothers
could never get over their fear Of the
! lion, and watched him closely, hoping
| to find some excuse for sending him
away.
AS no one in the monastery was al
| lowed to be idle, Saint Jerome soon
found some work for his friend Leo 10
do. The monks possessed little gray
donkey which was used for carrying
wood. Every day the lion was made
to take the donkey to the pasture, to
guard him while there, and bring him
| safely home at night. This Leo did as
! faithfully as any shepherd and,
grumble though they would, the timid
brothers could find no reason to CON-
plain of him in any way.
| One day the lion led the donkey to
pasture as usual, and then lay down
under the shade of some bushes to
rest. He did not mean to fall asleep,
but sleep he did, and all the time the
naughty, donkey strayed farther and
father away, until at last it was graz
| ing at the side of the road. At this
moment, along came party of mer.
chants, riding on camels. When the
! leader saw the donkey all alone, he
thought it was a fine chance to steal
the little beast, so he sent man TO
put a. rope around it's neck and lead 1t
away.
| Some time after, poor Leo awoke
and began to look about for his charge.
Back and forth he ran, searching
everywhere, but all to no purpose-the
donkey was gone! Late at night the
lion returned to the house He did not
dare walk in at the door as usual, hut
stood outside, hanging his splendid
head. as if very much ashamed. AS
soon as the monks saw him, they cried
out: "Where is the donkey? What
| have you done with our donkey? + t
of course poor Leo could net answer.
Those of the brothers who had al
ways feared the lion were Quick to
guess at what had happened. He has
eaten our donkey" they cried. and
they begged Brother Jerome not to
keen such a savage beast any longer,
but to have him killed or driven back
to the forest Now Jerome loved the
lion too much to consent to TINS,
though he, too felt sure that Leo was
! guilty. .....
"I will not kill you or send YOU away
my poor friend said he. but you
must be punished Yo" shall toke the
6onkey's place, carry wood upon yo'lr
back and have only grass and nay 10
eat" -
This was a hard punishment for the
proud lion, who soon hecame very INN
and sad. and cutie unlike the happy
beast he had been. Yet he never re-
! helled. but did his work patiently every
! dav. One morning Saint Jerome nm
self took the lion to the forest to fetcl
home some wood. AS they were re-
turning they met a party of men riding
on camels and in front went Nttle
gray donkey. No sooner did Leo see
! this donkey than he sprang at the man
who was leading it, knocked MIN down
and stood over him. UP came Jerome
very angry, but when he saw the aon'
, kew close by, he knew it at once for his
own and guessed why Leo mad attack
ed the stranger.
"Whv did you steal my Donkey ne
cried. and the man, who was terribly
frightened, confessed at once what ne
had done, and begged Saint Jerome 10
rardon him and free him from the llon.
This the good monk did, and even tooS
the thief and his companions PACK WIN
him to the monastery, Where they
were allowed to rest and nave soou
dinner. When they went away, they
left a whole cask of oil as a gift and
PROMISED to bring the same every year
to the brothers. AS for Leo, he was
Toasted and petted by every one. for
even those brothers who had beer
most unkind to him were now ashamed
of their behavior All the rest OF hls
life he lived happily at the monastery
and died. it is said, on the very same
4 day as his beloved master, Saint
Jerome.
mora Newman Writes About
Her Grandpa Newman
Dear Junior:
.-o;oo toll 1you ohOnt NV