158 SPRING STORIES AND SONGS 



how sorry he was that they had been so badly 

 treated by the neighbors. Meanwhile the good 

 old woman laid the table for supper. 



She spread the cloth. She put on the table 

 some brown bread and cheese, and a little 

 honey. For each one, there was a bunch of 

 grapes. 



From the spring in which it had been put to 

 cool she brought some milk in a brown earthen 

 pitcher, and filled their bowls. 



Then they sat down to the meal. 



The young man drank his milk in one 

 draught. He held out his bowl for more. 



Poor old Baucis, very much ashamed, said she 

 was afraid there was no more. 



"But look and see," said the young man, 

 "perhaps it is not so bad as you think." 



The old woman lifted the pitcher. There it 

 was, full of delicious milk. It was much richer 

 than that which her poor cow gave. In this 

 strange way it was filled again and again. 



And, as the guests ate, the purple grapes 

 seemed to swell and grow luscious. The stale 

 end of the loaf, which was all that old Baucis 

 could give them, grew into a white loaf just 

 fresh from the oven ! 



