The old man and his grandson


Bunicul si nepotul


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 bought him a wooden bowl for a few half-pence, out of which he had to eat.
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."
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.
A fost odata un batran impovarat de ani. Si de batran ce era, privirea i se tulburase, auzul ii slabise si-i tremurau genunchii la orice miscare. Cand sedea la masa sa manance, abia mai putea sa tina lingura in mana: varsa ciorba pe masa, iar uneori ii scapau chiar bucaturile din gura.
Si vazand pana unde ajunsese batranul cu nevolnicia, fiul si nora-sa se umplura de scarba. Nu-i mai asezara sa manance cu ei la masa, ci-l pusera intr-un colt, langa vatra.
Si din ziua aceea ii dadeau mancarea intr-o strachina de lut, si nici macar atat cat sa se sature. Batranul cata cu jind la masa incarcata cu bucate, si ochii lui lacrimau de amaraciune.
Intr-o zi, strachina de lut ii scapa din mainile cuprinse de tremur; cazu pe jos si se facu cioburi. Cand vazu asta, nora apuca sa-l certe de zor, dar batranul se inchisese in amaraciunea lui si nu scotea o vorba. Din cand in cand, numai, scapa cate-un oftat adanc.
"Asta e prea de tot!" isi spusera in sinea lor barbatul si nevasta. si-i cumparara din targ o strachina de lemn, pe cateva paralute. Bietul batran trebui sa manance de aici inainte doar din strachina de lemn.
Si iata ca odata, inspre seara, cum sedeau cu totii in odaie, nepotelul, sa tot fi avut gagalicea de copil vreo patru anisori, incepu a-si face de joaca cu niste scandurele.
- Ce faci tu acolo? il intreba taica-sau.
- Fac si eu o covatica, ii raspunse copilasul, din care sa manance tata si mama, cand n-or mai fi in putere, ca bunicul!
Amandoi catara mult timp unul la altul si de amar si de rusine ii podidi plansul. il poftira de indata pe batran sa se aseze la masa lor si, din ziua aceea, mancara iarasi cu totii impreuna. si din cand in cand se mai intampla ca batranul sa verse din mancare, acum insa nu-l mai lua nimeni la rost.