"How can you pay for them?" asks the old man. "You have got nothing to
pay with."

All the children chattered together, and looked at the old man and
smiled. Then one of them said to the old man, "Are you hungry,
grandfather?"

"Hungry!" says the old man. "Why, yes, of course I am, my dear. I've
been looking for you all day, and I had to start without my dinner."

"If you are hungry, open the cupboard behind you."

The old man opened the cupboard.

"Take out the tablecloth."

The old man took out the tablecloth.

"Spread it on the table."

The old man spread the tablecloth on the table.

"Now!" shouted the children, chattering like a thousand nests full of
young birds, "we'll all sit down and have dinner."

They pulled out the benches and gave the old man a chair at one end,
and all crowded round the table ready to begin.

"But there's no food," said the old man.