THE MIRACULOUS PITCHER
and the barking of the dogs, at the farther extremity of the village street. There was a confused din, which lasted a good while, and seemed to pass quite through the breadth of the valley.
‘I never heard the dogs so loud!’ observed the good old man.
‘Nor the children so rude!’ answered his good old wife.
They sat shaking their heads, one to another, while the noise came nearer and nearer; until at the foot of the little eminence on which their cottage stood, they saw two travellers approaching on foot. Close behind them came the fierce dogs, snarling at their very heels. A little further 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 and drove back the dogs with a staff which he carried in his hand. His companion, who was a very tall person, walked calmly along, as if disdaining to notice either the naughty children, or the pack of curs, whose manners the children seemed to imitate.
Both of the travellers were very humbly clad, and looked as if they might not have money enough in their pockets to pay for a night’s lodging. And this, I am afraid, was the reason why the villagers had allowed their children and dogs to treat them so rudely.
‘Come, wife,’ said Philemon to Baucis, ‘let us go and meet these poor people. No doubt, they feel almost too heavy-hearted to climb the hill.’
‘Go you and meet them,’ answered Baucis, ‘while I make haste within doors, and see whether we can get them
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