In France, in the sixth century, lived one Saint Carileff. He dwelt in a monastery; but the fame of this monastery having spread through the country, many pilgrims resorted thither. Therefore Carileff and a companion departed thence to seek a quieter spot. They wandered on until they came upon the ruins of a Roman villa, and here they abode.

Now, nigh unto the ruins grew a vineyard, but it had long been neglected, long had the vines run wild. Carileff set to work to remedy this, pruning the vines and tying them up.

One spring day, as he worked among them, the sun shone so brightly that he took off his hood, hanging it upon an oak-tree, that he might be cooler whilst he laboured.

At the end of the day, when the sun was sinking, he went to get his hood again. But a tiny face peeped out from between the folds; two bright eyes timidly gazed at him. It was a little wren, who thought she had found a soft nest wherein to lay her eggs and rear her babies.

When she saw Carileff she withdrew farther into the hood, for it is ever the nature of a wren to hide rather than to fly from danger. But Carileff spoke to her, whistling to her in tones as sweet as her own. And he left the hood hanging there; while ere long six nestlings appeared, and the wren would allow the saint to stroke them.

One day Carileff returned to the monastery whence he came, to tell the Abbot the tale of Jenny Wren. The Abbot said:
“That is no accident, my son. Return thither, for a great monastery will arise some day where the little wren nested in thy hood.”

So Carileff returned and abode there.

Other animals loved Carileff. It is told how a noble buffalo from the forest would come and allow him to pat it and rub its shaggy neck. Each day the buffalo came to be stroked between its horns or on its strong neck; then it would gallop back to the forest.

But one day King Childebert hunted in the wood, and hearing that a buffalo, already rare in the forests of Gaul, had been seen, he wished to kill it. Therefore the dogs were loosed, and the chase began. On and on fled the buffalo until he came to his friend Carileff; there he stayed, feeling that he was safe with the holy man. Then the king and the huntsmen appeared; the king was angry to see the buffalo standing there, Carileff kneeling in prayer by its side, and he would have slain the beast.

But Carileff spoke gently to the king, so that after a while he promised to let the buffalo go unhurt. Not only that, but his heart was so won by the saint’s courage and piety that he furthermore promised to him as much land as he could in a day ride round on an ass. On the land so obtained was built the abbey, round which has sprung up the city of Calais.

So here is another tale of a small beginning, showing that even the smallest of God’s creatures may reveal His Will to those who will understand it.