Saint Cuthbert and the Otters

Long ago, in the old kingdom of Northumbria, there lived a kind and gentle monk named Cuthbert. He loved the sea, the birds, and every creature that lived on the shore. One day, Cuthbert went to stay at a monastery called Coldingham, on a cliff above the sea.

Every night, when the other monks were fast asleep, Cuthbert quietly slipped out of the door. Nobody knew where he went. One curious young monk decided to follow him and find out.

The young monk tiptoed after Cuthbert in the dark, all the way down the path to the beach. He hid behind a rock and peeked out. To his surprise, Cuthbert walked straight into the sea! He waded out until the cold water came right up to his shoulders. Then he stood very still in the waves, and he began to pray.

All night long, Cuthbert prayed in the sea, while the stars shone above him. The young monk shivered behind his rock and waited.

At last, as the sky turned pink with the dawn, Cuthbert waded back to the shore. He knelt down on the sand, and he was so cold that he trembled. Then something wonderful happened.

Two little otters came swimming out of the sea and scampered up the beach. They went right up to Cuthbert and curled up around his cold, wet feet. They breathed warm breath on his toes, and they rubbed his feet dry with their soft, furry coats. When his feet were warm again, Cuthbert stroked their heads and blessed them. Then the two otters slid back into the waves and swam happily away.

The young monk was so amazed that his knees began to shake. He crept back to the monastery, feeling a little ashamed for spying. The next morning, he went to Cuthbert and told him what he had seen. “Please forgive me for following you,” he said.

Cuthbert smiled kindly. “I forgive you,” he said, “but please keep it a secret for now.” The young monk kept his promise for many years. Only when he was an old man did he tell the story of the gentle monk and the two little otters.