After this he went sorrowfully out of the refectory. The Guardian, touched by his humility, asked the Brethren to be kind to Juniper, who had, with good intentions, erred through ignorance.
Such pity had Brother Juniper for the poor, that when he saw anyone ill-clad or naked he would at once take off his tunic, and the cowl of his cloak, and give it to the beggar.
Wherefore the Guardian commanded him that he should give to no poor person his tunic or any part of his habit.
Now it happened that a few days after, he met a poor man half-naked, who asked alms for the love of God.
"I have nothing," quoth he, "I could give thee save my tunic, and my Superior hath enjoined me not to give it to anyone, but if thou take it off my back I will not say thee nay."
He spoke not to the deaf, for straightway the poor man pulled his tunic off his back and went away with it.
And when Brother Juniper returned to the house, and was asked what had become of his tunic, he answered—
"A poor man took it off my back and went away with it." His charity had become incessant.
More than once our gentle saint had visited La Vernia, a bleak and rugged mountain some four thousand feet above the Casentino valley. On these occasions, his friend the Count Orlando Cattani of Chiusi, had caused a hut to be built for him near the hilltop. On this last visit, Francis felt a pressing need of solitude, so that he might more entirely give himself to prayer. He took with him the three men who are said to have written the charming sketch of him, called, in the French version of it, La Légende des trois Compagnons, Fra Leone, Fra Masseo, and Fra Angelo.
When they had travelled for two days, Francis became so weak he could go no farther, so the Brothers found a peasant with an ass, and persuaded him to lend it to their teacher. In doing this they gave his name, Francis of Assisi.