Many many years ago in France, on a chilly winter's morning in a small town, a beggar sat in the shelter of a projecting balcony of a large mansion. His clothes were torn and tattered. Shivering in the cold, his arms stretched out he were begging for alms. He was so weak that his voice was barely audible. The passersby going past him did not pay any attention to him and went their way.

Suddenly the chilly morning air filled with the neighing of horses. Clip- clop, clip-clop went the sound of their hoofs on the cobblestones. The Emperor's soldiers were passing through the street. All the people around stopped to watch the soldiers pass by in their glorious uniform and well-groomed horses. They also did not hear the beggar asking for alms or feigned not to hear they certainly saw the beggar shivering and weak but nobody offered him any help.

Martin was the last solider in the line. His eyes seldom missed anything and under the grand uniform was a noble heart. Realizing that all his comrades had passed by the poor beggar without noticing or offering him help. Martin's pockets were empty, due to the fact that he helped anyone who needed help.
Seeing that the beggar was shivering he stopped, got down from his horse, took off his coat, cut in half with his sword and wrapped it around the beggar's shoulders and then getting up on his horse rode away. When he joined the other soldiers, they laughed as they looked at his cut and tattered coat.

That night Martin saw Jesus in his dreams; he was surrounded by many angles. He was putting on the other half of Martin's coat and telling the angels," Look martin has given this to me. Many better coats than this can be had, but the kindness that this coat is filled with has no equal."