The Old Man And His Grandson

There was once a very old man, whose eyes had become dim, his ears dullof hearing, his knees trembled, and when he sat at table he could hardlyhold the spoon, and spilt the broth upon the table-cloth or let it runout of his mouth. His son and his son’s wife were disgusted at this,so the old grandfather at last had to sit in the corner behind thestove, and they gave him his food in an earthenware bowl, and not evenenough of it. And he used to look towards the table with his eyes fullof tears. Once, too, his trembling hands could not hold the bowl, andit fell to the ground and broke. The young wife scolded him, but hesaid nothing and only sighed. Then they brought him a wooden bowl for afew half-pence, out of which he had to eat.

They were once sitting thus when the little grandson of four yearsold began to gather together some bits of wood upon the ground. «Whatare you doing there?» asked the father. «I am making a littletrough,» answered the child, «for father and mother to eat out of whenI am big.»

The man and his wife looked at each other for a while, and presentlybegan to cry. Then they took the old grandfather to the table, andhenceforth always let him eat with them, and likewise said nothing if hedid spill a little of anything.