So he went and took a knife from the kitchen, and in fervour of spirit ran through the wood in which certain pigs were feeding; he threw himself on one of them, cut off its foot and ran away. Returning to the house, he washed and dressed and cooked the foot; and when, with much diligence, he had prepared it, he brought the foot right lovingly to the sick man.
And the sick man ate it up greedily, to the great comfort and delight of Brother Juniper, who with glee told his invalid how he had made assault upon the pig.
Meanwhile the swineherd, who saw Brother Juniper cut off the foot, went and told all the story to his lord, who, when he was ware of it, came to the house of the Brothers, crying out that they were hypocrites and thieves and knaves.
"Why have ye cut off my pig's foot?" he shouted.
At the noise he made, St. Francis and the Brothers came out, and with all humility the saint made excuses, and promised to make reparation for the outrage.
But for all that he was no whit appeased, but with much insult and threats went away from the Brothers, full of anger.
And St. Francis bethought him, and said within his heart, "Can Brother Juniper in his indiscreet zeal have done this thing?"
He called Juniper to him secretly, and said:
"Didst thou cut off the foot of a pig in the wood?"
Whereat Brother Juniper, not as if he had committed a crime, but as if he had done a deed of charity, answered cheerfully: