St. Jerome lived in a monastery in the desert. He and his monks did their best to be kind and helpful to any travelers who came to them for assistance. One evening, their hospitality was put to the test in a most unusual way.

The peaceful still of the outdoors was broken by the monks suddenly crying out in terror, and fleeing for their lives. The monastery garden had been invaded by a lion! When the Abbot Jerome saw the situation for himself, he noticed that this lion was acting strange for a hunter. The beast did not run or pounce, but moved along rather slowly. Looking more closely, Jerome noticed that the lion was limping, as though he was hurt.

Overcoming his own fear, Jerome walked toward the lion. When Jerome was close enough, the beast sat back and stretched out his paw, revealing a large thorn deeply buried in it. Jerome promptly removed the thorn, then washed and bandaged the wound.

Being so kindly taken care of, the lion did not want to leave. Keeping a lion at the monastery would be a lot to get used to. Yet the whole incident was so remarkable that Jerome knew that God must have sent the lion to them.

So the lion was allowed to stay. He was even like a pet to Jerome, who would let the lion come into his cell. However, like everyone else in the monastery, the lion had work to do. His duty was to guard the monastery donkey. Every morning he and the donkey went together into the forest. Firewood for the monks was loaded onto the donkey’s back, and then the two animals were sent back to the monastery.

One day the donkey was given a holiday. Instead of going to the woods, the donkey and lion were sent to a distant pasture to spend the day. It was very warm and peaceful. After a while, seeing the donkey was in no danger, the lion settled down in the shade of a large bush, and fell asleep.

As the lion slept, a group of merchants, with a number of pack camels, came by. They saw the donkey grazing alone, for the lion was hidden by the bush. They could tell by the rope around his neck that this animal belonged to someone…but not anymore. The merchants stole him, and led him away so that he could help carry their goods.

They were long gone when the lion awoke. The poor creature was alarmed at the donkey’s disappearance. Roaring loudly, he looked in every direction, but could find no trace of the donkey.

After a long time the lion realized the sad truth, that he had lost the donkey. Tired and hungry, the lion returned to the monastery. He did not receive his usual welcome. The monks, seeing him come back so late and alone, thought at once that he had killed and eaten the donkey. Even the good Abbot believed this.

The next morning St. Jerome gathered all the monks. Then he called the lion and scolded him before them all.

"I shall not allow you any longer to come to my cell, O lion. You must live in the stables, and as you have killed the donkey, you must now take his place and go every day and fetch us wood from the forest."

So it happened that for many weeks, the lion carried bundles of wood on his back from the forest to the monastery. The work did not upset him as much as the loss of the monks’ affection, especially that of St. Jerome. If only he had not been so careless in guarding the donkey.

One evening, the lion was out alone, and heard a distant hum of voices. Looking up, he saw a group of travelers, with several camels, and leading the camels was a donkey. Immediately, the lion recognized the monastery donkey. With a terrible roar he rushed towards the merchants, who all fled for the lives.

The pack animals, however, stayed where they were. The donkey recognized the lion who had guarded him so tamely. So he was not afraid to see the beast act fiercely. As to the camels, there was a saying in the olden days that there was only one thing that camels feared, and that was when a lion beat the ground with his tail.

The lion instinctively knew this. So he struck the ground with his tail like a whip, and drove the entire pack on to the monastery.

The monks were very surprised to see a pack of laden camels without their masters. Their surprise grew to shock on recognizing their lost donkey, brought to them by their lion.

Jerome rejoiced with the monks at the return of their donkey. Then, in a gentle but serious tone, he told his brethren that he himself, and they too, ought all to be ashamed of themselves for so quickly believing that the lion had been wicked enough to kill the donkey.

When he saw that the monks liked him again, the lion was very happy.

As to the camels, Jerome told the monks to bring them to the stables, and prepare the guest-rooms for the camels' masters. The monks did as they were told. Indeed, before long the merchants came to the gate, humbly asking to be let in. The porter at once opened the gate and led them to the Abbot's cell.

The merchants fell on their knees before the Abbot, and confessed that they had stolen the donkey. They begged the Abbot to forgive them, and asked him to take as a present the rich merchandise with which their camels were laden.

"My sons," replied St. Jerome, "I fully and freely forgive you your sin in stealing the donkey, but I cannot take the rich gift you offer for myself. Instead, give each year to the monastery church ten gallons of oil, that the lamps before the altar may always be kept burning."

The merchants gladly promised to do as the Abbot desired, and still kneeling before him they received his blessing and then bade him farewell. Year by year they returned to the monastery, faithfully bringing the ten gallons of oil as they had promised.

The lion was never again expected to act as guardian to the donkey, but he lived a happy life with his beloved master. When the holy Abbot died, the great lion rose from beside his master's body, where he had been keeping watch. With solemn steps he went out from the monastery gate, back into the desert, from whence he had come so many years before.

No one knows what became of the lion, for he was never seen again, but he has never been forgotten. Wherever you see a picture of St. Jerome, there you will see the lion too.