182 The Little Bedesman of Christ

them not, still less scorned or slighted them,
but spoke to them often and blessed them,
and in return they showed him great love
and sought to be of his fellowship. He
bade his companions keep plots of ground
for their little sisters the flowers, and to
these lovely and speechless creatures he
spoke, with no great fear that they would
not understand his words. And all this was
a marvellous thing in a cruel time, when
human life was accounted of slight worth by
fierce barons and ruffling marauders.

For the bees he set honey and wine in
the winter, lest they should feel the nip of
the cold too keenly; and bread for the birds,
that they all, but especially “my brother
Lark,” should have joy of Christmastide ;
and at Rieti a brood of redbreasts were the
guests of the house and raided. the tables
while the brethren were at meals; and when
a youth gave St. Francis the turtle-doves he
had snared, the Saint had nests made for
them, and there they laid their eggs and
hatched them, and fed from the hands of
the brethren.

Out of affection a fisherman once gave
him a great tench, but he put it back into