Myths That Every Child Should Know

already eaten their frugal supper, and intended now to spend a quiet hour or two before bedtime. So they talked together about their garden, an

the village near at hand, grew louder and louder, until, at last, it

ospitality among our neighbours yonder, and, instead of giving him f

dness for their fellow creatures. And only think of bringing up their children in t

if some terrible thing were to happen to all the people in the village, unless they mend their manners. But, as for you and me, so long

sband!" said Bauc

d was seldom anything but bread, milk, and vegetables, with sometimes a portion of honey from their beehive, and now and then a bunch of grapes that had ripened against the cottage wall. But they were two of the kindest old people in the world, and would cheerfully have gone without their dinners, any

flected images in the broad and peaceful mirror. But, as the waters subsided, men had cultivated the soil, and built houses on it, so that it was now a fertile spot, and bore no traces of the ancient lake, except a very small brook, which meandered through the midst of the village, and supplied the inhabitants with water. The valley had been dry land so long that o

ell you. These naughty people taught their children to be no better than themselves, and used to clap their hands, by way of encouragement, when they saw the little boys and girls run after some poor stranger, shouting at his heels, and pelting him with stones. They kept large and fierce dogs, and whenever a traveller ventured to show himself in the village street, this pack of disagreeable curs scampered to meet him, barking, snarling, and showing their teeth. Then they would seize him by his leg,

e. They would take off their hats, and make the humblest bows you ever saw. If the children were rude, they were pretty certain to get their ears boxed; and as for the dogs, if a single cur in the pack presumed to yelp, his master instantly beat him with a clu

hildren and the barking of the dogs, at the farther extremity of the village street. There was a c

ogs so loud!" observ

so rude!" answered

at their very heels. A little farther off, ran a crowd of children, who sent up shrill cries, and flung stones at the two strangers, with all their might. Once or twice, the younger of the two men (he was a slender and very active figure) turned about

ey enough in their pockets to pay for a night's lodging. And this, I am afraid, was th

go and meet these poor people. No doubt, they f

ors, and see whether we can get them anything for supper. A comfortabl

ard, and extended his hand with so hospitable an aspect that there was no ne

strangers!

nding his weariness and trouble. "This is quite another greeting than we have me

ence put me here, I hope, among other reasons, in order that I may

hose children (the little rascals!) have bespattered us finely with their mud balls; and one of the curs has torn my cloak, which wa

the brim of which stuck out over both ears. Though it was a summer evening, he wore a cloak, which he kept wrapt closely about him, perhaps because his undergarments were shabby. Philemon perceived, too, that he had on a singular pair of shoes; but, as it was now growing dusk, and as the old man's eye

id Philemon to the traveller. "But I always

one along," answered the stranger; "and I

of wings near the top. Two snakes, carved in the wood, were represented as twining themselves about the staff, and were so very skilfully execute

"A staff with wings! It would be an excellent k

and his two guests had

ch. My good wife Baucis has gone to see what you can have for supper. We ar

. The staff seemed to get up from the ground of its own accord, and, spreading its little pair of wings, it half hopped, half flew, and leaned itself against the wall of t

elder stranger drew his attention from

deep tone of voice, "a lake, in very ancient times,

they are now, and the old trees, and the little stream murmuring through the midst of the valley. My father, nor his father before h

his head, too, so that his dark and heavy curls were shaken with the movement. "Since the inhabitants of yonder village have for

e more so, that, at his frown, the twilight seemed suddenly to grow darker,

red so humbly and to be journeying on foot. Not that Philemon fancied him a prince in disguise, or any character of that sort; but rather some exceedingly wise man, who went about the world in this poor garb, despising wealth and all worldly objects

younger, indeed, was extremely loquacious, and made such shrewd and witty remarks, that the good old man

e, as they grew familiar togeth

red the traveller. "So, if you call me Qui

aveller's face, to see if he were making fun of him. "It is a ve

replied Quicksilver, putting on a mysteri

isage. But, undoubtedly, here was the grandest figure that ever sat so humbly beside a cottage door. When the stranger conversed, it was with gravity, and in such a way that Philemon felt irresistibly moved

om this very spot. His wife Baucis and himself had dwelt in the cottage from their youth upward, earning their bread by honest labour, always poor, but still contented. He told what excellent butter and cheese Baucis made, and how ni

med over his countenance, and made it

, "and you have a good old wife to be your he

e sunset clouds threw up a bright flash from t

the door, began to make apologies for the poor f

you should lack a better supper. But I took the most part of to-day's milk to make cheese; and our last loaf is

der stranger, kindly. "An honest, hearty welcome to a guest works miracles wit

likewise a little honey that we happen to hav

ghing, "an absolute feast! and you shall see how bravely I will

"If the young man has such a terrible appetite,

ent into t

ge. Well; when its master entered the door, leaving this wonderful staff behind, what should it do but immediately spread its little wings, and go hopping and fluttering up the door-steps! Tap, tap, went the staff, on the kitchen floor; nor did it re

or each of the guests. A moderately sized earthen pitcher, nearly full of milk, stood at a corner of the board; and when Baucis had filled two bowls, and set them before the strangers, only a little milk remained in the bottom of the pitcher. Alas! it is a v

their appetites had not been quite so large. Why, at their very first sitting do

f you please," said Quicksilver. "The day

orry and ashamed! But the truth is, there is hardly a drop more milk i

ing the pitcher by the handle, "it really appears to me that matters are not q

from the pitcher, that was supposed to be almost empty. The good woman could scarcely believe her eyes. She had certainly pour

l I suppose I must have made a mistake. At all events, the pitcher

fing the contents of the second bowl, "Excuse me, my ki

w precisely how the case was, she lifted the pitcher, and made a gesture as if pouring milk into Quicksilver's bowl, but without the remotest idea that any milk would stream forth. What was her surprise, therefore, when such an abundant cascade fell bubbling into the bow

pastured, that day, on the richest herbage that could be found anywhere in the world. I only wis

af, Mother Baucis," said Quicksil

it was now as light and moist as if but a few hours out of the oven. Tasting a crumb, which had fallen on the table, she found it more delicious

n, and to seek which the bees must have flown high above the clouds. The wonder is, that, after alighting on a flower bed of so delicious fragrance and immortal bloom, they should have been content to fly down again to their hive in Philemon's garden. Never was such honey t

of the common way, in all that had been going on. So, after helping the guests to bread and honey, and laying a

hear the lik

been walking about in a sort of a dream. If I had poured out the milk, I should have seen through th

, "say what you will, thes

e. They certainly do look as if they had seen better days; and

pinion that the clusters had grown larger and richer, and that each separate grape seemed to be on the point of bursting with ripe juice. It

wallowed one after another, without apparently diminishing h

e of its branches twisting across the window, yonder.

r cup of this delicious milk, if you please, and

en in what she supposed to be true; but this was so very singular a case, that he wanted to see into it with his own eyes. On taking up the pitcher, therefore, he slyly peeped into it, and was fully satisfied that it contained not so much as a single drop. All at once

angers!" cried he, even more be

ce, that had something at once sweet and awe-inspiring in it. "Give me likewise a cup of the milk; an

t, and their delight at finding the poor and meagre supper prove so much better and more abundant than they hoped. But the elder traveller had inspired them with such reverence, that they dared not as

know. I can't tell what to make of my staff. It is always playing such odd tricks as this; sometimes getting me a sup

d the room. When left alone, the good old couple spent some little time in conversation about the events of the evening, and then lay down on the floor, and fell fast

ntil Baucis could milk the cow, and bake a cake upon the hearth, and, perhaps, find them a few fresh eggs for breakfast. The guests, however, seemed to think it better to accomplish a good part of their journey bef

le ocean. And as for Quicksilver, with his keen, quick, laughing wits, he appeared to discover every little thought that but peeped into their minds, before they suspected it themselves. They sometimes wished, it is true, that he had not been quite so quick-witted, and also that he would fl

. "If our neighbours only knew what a blessed thing it is to show hospitality to strangers

ried good old Baucis, vehemently. "And I mean to go this ve

r, slyly smiling, "that you w

randeur, yet serene withal, that neither Baucis nor Philemon dared to speak a w

traveller, in tones so deep that they sounded like those of an organ, "they are unwo

ook of fun and mischief in his eyes, "where is this same village that you tal

! There was no longer any appearance of a village! Even the fertile vale, in the hollow of which it lay, had ceased to have existence. In its stead, they beheld the broad, blue surface of a lake, which filled the great basin of the valley from brim to brim, and reflected the surrounding hills in its bosom with

n dreaming about a village having lain there. But, the next moment, they remembered the vanished dwellings, and the faces

ed old people, "what has bec

was neither use nor beauty in such a life as theirs; for they never softened or sweetened the hard lot of mortality by the exercise of kindly affections between

tle change, for they were already a scaly set of rascals, and the coldest-blooded beings in existence. So, kind Mother Baucis, whenever yo

"I would not, for the world, p

aking a wry face, "we c

f the homeless stranger, that the milk became an inexhaustible fount of nectar, and the brown loaf and the honey were ambrosia. Thus, the divinities have feasted, at your board,

n-I know not which of the two it was who spoke, bu

eave the world at the same instant, when we

er, with majestic kindness, "N

l edifice of white marble, with a wide-open portal, occupyi

n them both. "Exercise your hospitality in yonder palace as fre

s to thank him; but, behold! nei

t forget to say, retained its marvellous quality of being never empty, when it was desirable to have it full. Whenever an honest, good-humoured, and free-hearted guest took a draught from this pitcher, he invariably found it the

over night to breakfast. The guests searched everywhere, from top to bottom of the spacious palace, and all to no purpose. But, after a great deal of perplexity, they espied, in front of the portal, two venerable trees, which nobody could remember to have seen there the day before. Yet there they stood, with their roots fasten

have come to be so tall and venerable in a single night, a breeze sprang up, and set their intermingled bo

ilemon!" mur

is!" murmured

lain enough to perceive that the good old couple had renewed their age, and were now to spend a quiet and delightful hundred years or so, Philemon as an oak, and Baucis as a linden tree. And oh, what a hos

ome, dear trav

cular seat around both their trunks, where, for a great while afterward the weary, and the hungry,

ur sakes, that we had