night in prayer.  ’And in the morning his companions, being aware that, through the fatigues of the night which he had passed without sleep, St. Francis was much weakened in body and could but ill go on his way afoot, went to a poor peasant of these parts, and begged him, for the love of God, to lend his ass for Brother Francis, their Father, that could not go afoot.  Hearing them make mention of Brother Francis, he asked them:  ’Are ye of the brethren of the brother of Assisi, of whom so much good is spoken?’ The brothers answered ‘Yes,’ and that in very truth it was for him that they asked for the sumpter beast.  Then the good man, with great diligence and devotion, made ready the ass and brought it to St. Francis, and with great reverence let him mount thereon, and they went on their way, and he with them behind his ass.  And when they had gone on a little way, the peasant said to St. Francis, ‘Tell me, art thou Brother Francis of Assisi?’ Replied St. Francis, ‘Yes.’  ‘Try, then,’ said the peasant, ’to be as good as thou art by all folk held to be, seeing that many have great faith in thee; and therefore I admonish thee, that in thee there be naught save what men hope to find therein.’  Hearing these words, St. Francis thought no scorn to be admonished by a peasant, and said not within himself, ’What beast is this doth admonish me?’ as many would say nowadays that wear the habit, but straightway threw himself from off the ass upon the ground, and kneeled down before him and kissed his feet, and then humbly thanked him for that he had deigned thus lovingly to admonish him.  Then the peasant, together with the companions of St. Francis, with great devotion lifted him from the ground and set him on the ass again, and they went on their way....  As they drew near to the foot of the rock of Alvernia itself, it pleased St. Francis to rest a little under the oak that was by the way, and is there to this day; and as he stood under it, St. Francis began to take note of the situation of the place and the country around.  And as he was thus gazing, lo! there came a great multitude of birds from divers parts, the which, with singing and flapping of their wings, all showed joy and gladness exceeding great, and came about St. Francis in such fashion, some settled on his head, some on his shoulders, and some on his arms, some in his lap and some round his feet.  When his companions and the peasant marvelled, beholding this, St. Francis, all joyful in spirit, spake thus unto them:  ’I believe, brethren most dear, that it is pleasing unto Our Lord Jesus Christ that we should dwell in this lonely mountain, seeing that our little sisters and brothers, the birds, show such joy at our coming.’  So they went on their way and came to the place the companions had first chosen.”

It is not in any other words than those of the writer of the Fioretti that we should care to read of that journey.