any person on earth, he made up
his mind to go away. He did not tell his old nurse, but one day he set
out, alone.

He must have felt very strongly that it was God's will, otherwise he
would not have dared go out all alone and unarmed into the mountains,
and with no money or food. Don't you think it was very brave of him?
Perhaps you think it was foolish? Well, people have often been thought
fools for doing God's will faithfully, but in the end God proves that
really they were quite right. Anyway, something very soon happened to
St. Benedict to show that God was with him.

As he tramped on, along the mountain-sides, between the flower-covered
banks and thickets full of birds' songs, he prayed to God to guide him
in the right way. And so when, after some hours of solitary tramping, he
saw a man coming towards him out of a lonely mountain pass, he felt sure
this was someone sent by God to help him.

The man's clothes showed that he was a monk. As he drew near he looked
curiously at St. Benedict, wondering who this noble-looking boy could be
walking all alone among the wild mountains. He, himself, had come out
there to meditate and be alone with God and his thoughts. Stopping St.
Benedict, he asked him kindly who he was and where he was going. St.
Benedict quite simply told him the truth: that he had come out to seek
God's will, and didn't know where he was going, except that he was
seeking some place where he could live hidden from the whole world.

At first the monk Romanus tried to argue with him and show him that it
was foolish to come out like that alone. But St. Benedict spoke so
wonderfully about God's call that Romanus saw he was right, and made up
his mind to help him find somewhere where he could live alone for a
while. So he led him up a steep winding path, and showed him a cave
opening into the rugged mountain-side. The cave was about seven feet
deep and four feet broad, and there was just room on the rocky ledge
outside to make a little garden. St. Benedict stepped into the cave with
his heart full of joy, feeling sure that at last he had found the place
he was seeking. Before going away, Romanus gave him a long garment made
of sheep-skin, which was what the monks of those days used to wear. He
also promised to supply him with food. His monastery was far up, on the
top of the great rock in which the cave was. He said that every day he
would let down a basket with bread in it for St. Benedict, and he
promi