No doubt , they feel almost too heavy-hearted to climb the hill . '' `` Go you and meet them , '' answered Baucis , `` while I make haste within doors , and see whether we can get them anything for supper . A comfortable bowl of bread and milk would do wonders towards raising their spirits . '' Accordingly , she hastened into the cottage . Philemon , on his part , went forward , and extended his hand with so hospitable an aspect that there was no need of saying , what nevertheless he did say , in the heartiest tone imaginable , -- `` Welcome , strangers ! welcome ! '' `` Thank you ! '' replied the younger of the two , in a lively kind of way , notwithstanding his weariness and trouble . `` This is quite another greeting than we have met with yonder , in the village . Pray , why do you live in such a bad neighborhood ? '' `` Ah ! '' observed old Philemon , with a quiet and benign smile , `` Providence put me here , I hope , among other reasons , in order that I may make you what amends I can for the inhospitality of my neighbors . '' `` Well said , old father ! '' cried the traveller , laughing ; `` and , if the truth must be told , my companion and myself need some amends . Those children -LRB- the little rascals ! -RRB- have bespattered us finely with their mud-ball ; and one of the curs has torn my cloak , which was ragged enough already . But I took him across the muzzle with my staff ; and I think you may have heard him yelp , even thus far off . '' Philemon was glad to see him in such good spirits ; nor , indeed , would you have fancied , by the traveller 's look and manner , that he was weary with a long day 's journey , besides being disheartened by rough treatment at the end of it . He was dressed in rather an odd way , with a sort of cap on his head , the brim of which stuck out over both ears . Though it was a summer evening , he wore a cloak , which he kept wrapt closely about him , perhaps because his under garments were shabby .
Philemen perceived , too , that he had on a singular pair XXXXX shoes ; but , as it was now growing dusk , and as the old man 's eyesight was none the sharpest , he could not precisely tell in what the strangeness consisted .
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