The humble but heroic figure of St. Francis (1182-1226), who gave up wealth and security to espouse a life of poverty, an apostolic existence as much like Christ's as possible, attracted a strong and immediate following. In a series of vivid vignettes,  The Wisdom of St. Francis and His Companions portrays the lives of the original members of the Franciscan community--the childlike innocence of their faith, their brave self-denial and acute sayings, and the sometimes comic effects of their simplicity. St. Francis himself was a poet, and his work, together with the picturesque episodes of his extraordinary life, evoke a perennial response--as witness his revered "Canticle to the Sun.