Such persons -LRB- if they once knew how badly these unkind people , and their unkind children and curs , were in the habit of behaving -RRB- would go miles and miles out of their way , rather than try to pass through the village again . What made the matter seem worse , if possible , was that when rich persons came in their chariots , or riding on beautiful horses , with their servants in rich liveries attending on them , nobody could be more civil and obsequious than the inhabitants of the village . They would take off their hats , and make the humblest bows you ever saw . If the children were rude , they were pretty certain to get their ears boxed ; and as for the dogs , if a single cur in the pack presumed to yelp , his master instantly beat him with a club , and tied him up without any supper . This would have been all very well , only it proved that the villagers cared much about the money that a stranger had in his pocket , and nothing whatever for the human soul , which lives equally in the beggar and the prince . So now you can understand why old Philemon spoke so sorrowfully , when he heard the shouts of the children 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 farther 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 -LRB- he was a slender and very active figure -RRB- 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 , `` XXXXX I make haste within doors , and see whether we can get them anything for supper .
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