The Little Flowers of St. Francis

The Little Flowers of St. Francis of Assisi is a book by W. Heywood, first published in 1906. It brings together the cherished Little Flowers of St. Francis, accounts of the Most Holy Stigmata of St. Francis, the Life of Friar Juniper, the Life and Teachings of Friar Giles, and addenda drawn from manuscripts.

This classic spiritual anthology offers a florilegium of vivid, pious anecdotes and moral parables celebrating the humility, asceticism, and joyful service of St. Francis and his companions. These timeless stories illustrate spiritual poverty, divine simplicity, and Christ-like love, making the work beloved as both Franciscan literature and medieval Christian folklore.

Among the best-known episodes are Francis preaching to the birds, the legendary taming of the wolf, and Friar Juniper’s famous pig’s-feet tale—scenes that have helped secure the book’s place as one of the most enduring and humanly appealing expressions of Christian sanctity.