1) Saint Francis of Assisi felt sympathy for the wolf of Gubbio that was stalking and killing people, as he saw the wolf's behavior as reflecting the violence and fear within all humans. 2) Francis bravely approached the wolf and preached to the townspeople about loving all of God's creatures. He then found and confronted the wolf alone. 3) By speaking gently to the wolf and making the sign of the cross, Francis was able to calm the wolf. He then struck a deal where the wolf would be protected in exchange for guarding Gubbio as its protector.

1. THE WOLF OF GUBBIO
READING SKILLL

2. Tell something about the picture

3. Basic Facts about Wolves
 The wolf is the largest member of the canine
family. Gray wolves range in colour from grizzled
gray or black to all-white. As the ancestor of the
domestic dog, the gray wolf resembles German
shepherds or malamutes. Wolves are making a
comeback in the Great Lakes, northern Rockies
and South-western United States.
Diet
 Wolves eat ungulates, or large hoofed mammals,
like elk, deer, moose and caribou. Wolves are also
known to eat beaver, rabbits and other small prey.
Wolves are also scavengers and often eat animals
that have died due to other causes like starvation
and disease.

4.  Population
 Did You Know?
 Wolves can range in color, from pure white in Arctic
populations, to brown, gray, cinnamon and black.
 There are an estimated 7,000 to 11,200 wolves in
Alaska and more than 5,000 in the lower 48 states.
Around the world there are an estimated 200,000 in
57 countries, compared to up to 2 million in earlier
times.
 Range
 Wolves were once common throughout all of North
America but were killed in most areas of the United
States by the mid 1930s. Today their range has
been reduced to Canada and the following portions
of the United States: Alaska, Idaho, Michigan,
Minnesota, Montana, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Mexican wolves are found in New Mexico and
Arizona.

5.  Behavior
 Wolves live, travel and hunt in packs of 4-7
animals on average. Packs include the mother
and father wolves, called the alphas, their pups
and several other subordinate or young animals.
The alpha female and male are the pack leaders
that track and hunt prey, choose den sites and
establish the pack's territory. Wolves develop
close relationships and strong social bonds. They
often demonstrate deep affection for their family
and may even sacrifice themselves to protect the
family unit.

6.  Wolves have a complex communication system
ranging from barks and whines to growls and
howls. While they don't howl at the moon, they do
howl more when it's lighter at night, which occurs
more often when the moon is full.
 Reproduction
 Mating Season: January or February.
Gestation: 63 days.
Litter size: 4-7 pups.
 Pups are born blind and defenceless. The pack
cares for the pups until they mature at about 10
months of age.

7. MURRAY BODO

8.  Murray Bodo is a Franciscan priest, a member of
the Franciscan Academy and the author of twenty-one
books, including the international bestseller
Francis, the Journey and the Dream. He has a
Ph.D. in English and has taught English and
Writing for 35 years, and his poems have
appeared in several literary publications including
The Paris Review.
 Fr. Murray spends his summers in Assisi, Italy as
a staff member and pilgrim guide for “Franciscan
Pilgrimage Programs.” His latest works, published
by St. Anthony Messenger Press in 2003, are
Landscape of Prayer, a lyrical exploration of
prayer and The Earth Moves at Midnight, a
volume of poems.

9. Reading Skill
 Coping with Unknown Words and Ambiguous
Sentence Structures
Identifying the use of words like it, its, he, our,
this, those, is an important reading skill. These
words may seem common and insignificant, but
when used ambiguously by the writer, they can
lead to misinterpretation. One should know the
word to which these pronouns refer to determine
their meaning. The reference word or antecedent,
is a word, a phrase, or a clause to which a
pronoun refers in a sentence.

10. The Wolf of Gubbio
By : Murray Bodo

11. Francis loved the woods and out-of-doors
because everything was there – good and evil,
danger and refuge, violence and peace.
When he heard the news about the wolf of
Gubbio, Francis felt sympathetic towards the wolf.
He saw in the wolf not so much the stalker as the
stalked. Everyone feared wolves and disliked
them. But he saw in the eyes of wolves a fear, a
hunted look, an anger, and hostility that wanted to
devour everything in sight in order to avenge their
own hurt and alienation. But wolves, after all were
like men. Their hunger, the restless pursuit, the
baring of the fangs was so symbolic of what was
wild and violent in all of us.

12. The Gubbio affair was interesting to Francis
because it did not involve a pack of wolves
banded together for strength and security. This
was one lone wolf; a deserter from a pack
striking by himself.
The rumor about the wolf was up and about
as Francis entered the city. Before the gossip
could create more fear, Francis bravely walked to
the plaza and began to preach about God’s
commandment concerning love for all creatures
of God. He asked the people where the wolf’s lair
was because he wanted to see it and prove to
the wolf and all that love had nothing to do with
fear. The townsfolk were shocked, while some
began to laugh in mockery of Francis. A woman
then showed Francis the way to the wolf’s lair.

13. True Italian practice, the tension wore off quickly
and everyone seemed to be caught up in the
excitement and joined Francis in the search for the
wolf’s lair in a procession or pilgrimage – like
fashion. Francis, however was a bit nervous, and as
he would always do when a bit nervous , he began
to sing. The crowd soon joined him belting out an old
march song.
Soon, they reached the place. Suddenly, they
heard behind them a low growl and a pounding of
the ground. Francis saw the wolf charging wildly
toward them. He then made the sign of the cross. He
took a deep breath and started walking slowly
toward the wolf. The wolf was frothing at the mouth
and growling menacingly. Then, Francis stopped a
few yards from the wolf and stared at him as kindly
as he could under the situation.

14. The wolf’s eyes flashed with anger, its jaws
were working, slobbering on to the ground.
Francis did not move now that he was face-to-face
with the wolf. He stood still and tried to look
calm. Then, he said in a low, quiet voice:
“Brother Wolf.” The wolf quieted down in an
apparent response to Francis’ words. Francis
spoke again. “Brother Wolf, in the name of
Jesus, our Brother, I have come for you. We
need you in the city. The people have come with
me to ask you to be the guardian and protector
of Gubbio. In return, we offer you respect and
shelter for as long as you live.”

15. Francis then stretched out his hand to the
wolf that seemed so calm but remained
unmoved, scanning the crowd with bloodshot
eyes, slowly, it walked to Francis and lifted his
paw into his warm steady hand.
Finally, Francis leaned over and put his arms
about the wolf’s neck. Then he and his new
brother walked meekly up to the brave peasant
woman who accompanied him all along. The
three went back to Gubbio.

16. Comprehension Check
1. What did Francis see in the wolf that reflects
human condition?
2. Why do you think was the wolf tamed by
Francis
3. What does the wolf symbolize?
4. Who does Francis represent?
5. If you were to give the story another twist or
ending what would have happened next?
6. Look at the second to the last paragraph. It has
an ambiguous structure with the use of the
pronoun his. Which does the first his refer to.
What about the second his? The third his?