Reading Notes: Saints and Animals, Part A

Saint Kentigern and the Robin:

• Kentigern was the smartest pupil in the school and loved by the fatherly figure Saint Servan
• All of the other schoolboys were jealous of Kentigern knowing all the right answers so they decided to prank him and get him in trouble, but their tricks go wrong and Kentigern becomes even more loved by everyone
• Could change it so that Saint Servan was on the schoolboys' side in hating Kentigern because he was smarter than the Saint himself

Saint Blaise and His Beasts:

• Saint Blaise was a Christian in a town of heathens who loved animals and prayed for all of them, even the wild ones in the woods and fields
• The soldiers of the town took Saint Blaise away from his animal friends and tortured him so that he would renounce Christianity
• The soldiers try to drown him, but instead he walks on water and willingly is beheaded
• Could add a small animal friend that follows him into the jail where he is kept and frees him

Saint Comgall and the Mice:

• Saint Comgall, the "goodly pledge" built a monastery with many pupils and friends nearby
• Comgall loved all animals and called to all the mice in the land when his monastery was starving to eat all of the grain that was stored at the evil prince Croadh's hall 
• Could rewrite the story so that the mice actually carried Croadh and his mother Lurch away from their hall so that Comgall and his pupils could then inhabit the place and eat all the grain (which is a happier ending!)

The Wonders of Saint Berach:

• Berach was a young monk learning from Saint Coemgen in a monastery when one day his favorite cow's young calf was snatched up by a hungry wolf
• Berach had great power over animals and nature, so when a young boy was sick, he turned the winter and snow into April and was able to collect juicy apples and salad for the biy
• He was summoned to court one day and mistaken as a beggar, so he performed several miraculous acts and the King noticed him, bringing him inside and giving him gifts
• Could change the part of freezing the naughty boys where Berach was unable to fix it after and the crowds were very mad at him, but the animals he saved came to his rescue

(The Monastery at Glendalough where Saint Berach was the Abbott)

Bibliography: 
Link to Saints and Animals, based on Book of Saints and Friendly Beasts by Abbie Farwell Brown