There was once a very old man, whose eyes had become dim, his ears dull of hearing, his knees trembled, and when he sat at table he could hardly hold the spoon, and spilt the broth upon the table-cloth or let it run out 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 the stove, and they gave him his food in an earthenware bowl, and not even enough of it. And he used to look towards the table with his eyes full of tears. Once, too, his trembling hands could not hold the bowl, and it fell to the ground and broke. The young wife scolded him, but he said nothing and only sighed. Then they brought him a wooden bowl for a few half-pence, out of which he had to eat.
从前有一位非常年迈的老人，他的眼睛已经昏花，耳朵也听不清了，膝盖颤抖不止。当他坐在桌边时，几乎拿不稳勺子，常常把汤洒在桌布上，或者让汤从嘴边流出来。他的儿子和儿媳对此感到厌恶，于是这位老祖父最终只能坐在炉子后面的角落里吃饭，他们给他用一个陶碗盛饭，而且分量还不足。他常常含泪望着餐桌。有一次，他颤抖的双手再也托不住碗，碗掉在地上摔碎了。年轻的妻子责备了他，他却一言不发，只是叹息。随后，他们花几个铜板给他买了一个木碗，从此他便用这个木碗吃饭。
They were once sitting thus when the little grandson of four years old began to gather together some bits of wood upon the ground. ‘What are you doing there?’ asked the father. ‘I am making a little trough,’ answered the child, ‘for father and mother to eat out of when I am big.’
他们正这样坐着时，四岁的小孙子开始在地上捡拾一些木片。‘你在做什么？’父亲问道。‘我在做一个小碗，’孩子回答，‘等我长大了，爸爸妈妈就可以用它来吃饭了。'
The man and his wife looked at each other for a while, and presently began to cry. Then they took the old grandfather to the table, and henceforth always let him eat with them, and likewise said nothing if he did spill a little of anything.
那对夫妇对视良久，随后开始哭泣。接着，他们把老祖父请到桌边，从此让他与他们一同用餐，即便他不小心洒出一点食物，也绝不再多言。