The Griffin and the Minor Canon - Frank R. Stockton - Bookniverse

In a quiet town with a beautiful old church, a terrifying beast suddenly arrives to see a stone statue of himself. While all the townspeople run away in fear, only one brave and kind man, the Minor Canon of the church, stays behind to talk to the beast. As the two become unlikely friends, the story explores themes of courage, honesty and how people can be quick to judge others.****************************The man who wrote this imaginative story was Frank Richard Stockton, an American author born in 1834. Stockton was famous for writing fairy tales that were full of irony and funny surprises. Like many of his other famous works, this story shows his talent for taking a fantasy creature and putting it into a world that feels very real.