ABSTRACT
Once upon a time there was a very old man who was no longer able to earn his daily bread and who lived with his son and daughter-in-law. His eyes had grown dim, his hearing was not what it used to be, and his hands were no longer steady. At mealtimes he had difficulties in holding his spoon and would spill food on the table cloth. This was a source of great irritation to his son and daughter-in-law who finally placed him out of sight, in a corner, behind the stove. The little food he received was put in an earthenware bowl. At mealtimes the old man would look sadly at the table with tears in his eyes thinking of happier times. One day, he could not hold his earthenware bowl, dropped it out of his trembling hands and it broke into pieces. His daughter-in-law replaced it with a wooden bowl from which he ate from then on.
