| Saint Francis, by Jose de Ribera [1643] (Public Domain Image) | The Little Flowers of St. Francis tr. by W. Heywood [1906] |
The Little Flowers is a traditional collection of tales of St. Francis and the early Franciscans. The legend of St. Francis (b. 1181, d. 1226), the patron saint of animals, birds, and the environment, greatly expanded as time went by, and accumulated in this work.
The Little Flowers is a much-loved spiritual classic. This translation by W. Heywood has recently been republished by Vintage, introduced by Madeline L'Engle.