The Old Man and His Grandson

A very old man once sat down to eat, but he struggled to grasp the spoon and either spilt the soup onto the tablecloth or let it stream out of his mouth due to his failing vision, dulled hearing, and trembling legs. The old grandfather eventually had to sit in the corner behind the stove since his son and his son's wife were repulsed by this. They gave him his food in a clay bowl, and there wasn't even enough of it. He also frequently blinked tears from his eyes as he turned to face the table. Once again, the bowl slid to the floor and broke because his shaky hands were unable to hold it. He was reprimanded by his young wife, but he remained silent and merely sighed. Then, for a few halfpence, they brought him a wooden bowl, from which he was obligated to eat.

When the little grandson, who was then four years old, started to gather some pieces of wood from the ground, they were already seated in the same position. The father inquired, "What are you doing over there?" The child said, "I am making a little bowl for my parents to eat out of when I become big.”

After some time spent gazing at one another, husband and wife started to cry. Then they brought the elderly man to the table and from that point forward always allowed him to eat with them, saying nothing in the event that he did spill a small amount of anything.