Heaven knows how many lawns and gardens are adorned with statues of Saint Francis of Assisi, the rich Italian boy who gave up his wealth, lived as a pauper and was continually in touch with both God and nature. Francis is almost a patron saint for animal lovers, but according to one legend, he almost learned to hate mice. Satan decided that Francis was simply too Christlike, and to test the saint’s holiness, he sent a horde of mice to vex him. The mice made his life a living hell, but God and the angels saw the saint’s plight and sent him a spunky
tomcat named Felix (yes, really), who made short work of the troublesome rodents.
