It may be that the older we get the more this story will mean
 to us. But we should learn it while we are young, for the sake
 of the generation coming before us....


Once there was a feeble old woman whose husband died and
 left her all alone, so she went to live with her son and
 his wife and their own little daughter.


Every day the old woman's sight dimmed and her hearing
 grew worse, and sometimes at dinner her hands
 trembled so badly the peas rolled off her spoon
 or the soup ran from her cup. 


The son and his wife could not help but be annoyed at the way
 she spilled her meal all over the table. And one day, after she
 knocked over a glass of milk, they told each other that
enough is enough. 


They set up a small table for her in the corner next to the
 broom closet and made the old woman eat her meals
 there.  She sat all alone, looking with tear-filled eyes
 across the room at the others. Sometimes they spoke
 to her while they ate, but usually it was to scold
 her for dropping a bowl or a fork.


One evening just before dinner, the little girl was busy playing
 on the floor with her building blocks, and her father
 asked her what she was making. "I'm building a little
table for you and mother", she smiled, "so
you can eat by yourselves in the corner
someday when I get big."


Her parents sat staring at her for some time and then suddenly
 both began to cry. That night they led the old woman back
 to her place at the big table. 


From then on she ate with the rest of the family, and her son
 and his wife never seemed to mind a bit when she
 spilled something every now and then.

Text adapted from "The Brothers Grimm" 
Picture: Mama's Grandmother - please don't take and use.

Midi Playing "What a Wonderful World"