What St. Bernardine’s Ass Could Teach the Bishops

Abstract

During the early 1400s, the city of Siena, Italy, was a leading commercial and industrial center, much like its northern neighbor Florence. And in this cradle of capitalism, the most popular figure was a Franciscan friar named Bernardine. His speeches so enraptured listeners that the town's church could not accommodate the crowds, and listeners had to gather in Siena's largest piazza.

The noise of the multitude swiftly faded as Bernardine commenced his homily: “Have you heard the story about the donkey of the three villages? It happened in the Valley of the Moon. There was a large shed close to the windmill. In order to take the grain to the mill, three villages agreed to buy a donkey and keep him in the shed.

“A dweller of the first town went for the donkey, took him to his home, loaded the animal's back with a heavy bag of wheat, and led him to the mill. During the milling, he released the ass so he could graze, but the fields had become barren because of heavy trading. When the wheat was milled, he collected the flour, loaded it on the donkey, and returned home. The man unloaded the ass and brought him to the shed, muttering to himself, ‘He who used him yesterday must have given him a lot of grass. Surely, he is in no need now’, and left the donkey.

“The following day, a villager from the second town went for the donkey. He took him to his farm, placed on him a heavier burden than the day before, and -without feeding him- led the animal to the mill. With the milling over and the flour already at home, the villager returned the donkey to the shed thinking that yesterday’s user must have treated the animal well. And, yes, he left the donkey, saying, ‘Oh, I am very busy today’. Two days had passed, and the donkey still did not have a bite.