d to observe this circumstance) stretched out their heads,
and began to lap up the spilt milk.

And then what a delicious fragrance the milk had! It seemed as if
Philemon's only cow must have pastured, that day, on the richest herbage
that could be found anywhere in the world. I only wish that each of you,
my beloved little souls, could have a bowl of such nice milk, at
supper-time!

"And now a slice of your brown loaf, Mother Baucis," said Quicksilver,
"and a little of that honey!"

Baucis cut him a slice accordingly; and though the loaf, when she and her
husband ate of it, had been rather too dry and crusty to be palatable, 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 than
bread ever was before, and could hardly believe that it was a loaf of her
own kneading and baking. Yet, what other loaf could it possibly be?

But oh, the honey! I may just as well let it alone, without trying to
describe how exquisitely it smelt and looked. Its color was that of the
purest and most transparent gold; and it had the odor of a thousand
flowers; but of such flowers as never grew in an earthly garden, 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 tasted, seen, or smelt.
The perfume floated around the kitchen, and made it so delightful, that,
had you closed your eyes, you would instantly have forgotten the low
ceiling and smoky walls, and have fancied yourself in an arbor, with
celestial honeysuckles creeping over it.

Although good Mother Baucis was a simple old dame, she could not but think
that there was something rather out of the common way in all that had been
going on. So, after helping the guests to bread and honey, and laying a
bunch of grapes by each of their plates, she sat down by Philemon, and
told him what she had seen, in a whisper.

"Did you ever hear the like?" asked she.

"No, I never did," answered Philemon, with a smile. "And I rather think,
my dear old wife, you have been walking about in a sort of a dream. If I
had poured out the milk, I should have seen through the business at once.
There happened to be a little more in the pitcher than you thought,--that
is all."

"Ah, husband," said Bau