這個故事里主要有兩個神，Jupiter和Mercury.

Jupiter，朱庇特，即希臘神話中的宙斯Zeus, 是諸神之王，the king of the gods. 太陽系中最大的行星，木星，即以他命名，英語就叫Jupiter。

Mercury，是Jupiter最喜愛的兒子，希臘神話中的名字叫Hermes,赫耳墨斯, 其標志是穿著一雙帶翅膀的涼鞋(winged sandals)。 九大行星中的水星以他命名，就叫Mercury.

這個故事中還有兩個凡人，是一對年老的貧窮的夫妻，丈夫叫Philemon, 妻子叫Baucis, 故事最后變成了兩棵樹，即題目里的橡樹oak tree和菩提樹Linden tree。

故事是怎么開始的呢？起因全在于Jupiter奧林匹斯山上的無比完美的一切感到厭煩了。

But Jupiter, the king of the gods, was bored. He could not eat another bite of ambrosia, the food of the gods. He would not listen to another note sung by Apollo as he played his lyre. Jupiter shut his eyes tight so that he could not see the Graces do the same dance over and over.?

It was too perfect to bear.?

他再不想吃天上的神食，也不想聽阿波羅美妙的琴聲，也不想再看美慧女神的歌舞。這一切都太完美，以至于讓人無法忍受。

他召來最愛的兒子Mercury，決定去人間看看。他澤被眾生，但還不知道凡人是否足夠善良，值得他的特殊守護。

“Come with me down to Earth. We're going to test the kindness of the people of Phrygia to see if they are worthy of my special protection," Jupiter told him.?

他們裝扮成窮苦的流浪漢去一家一家的敲門，結(jié)果試了幾百家，無論是富的，還是窮的，都被拒之門外。

“No!" was the answer they got every time. The people of Phrygia slammed doors in their faces. They forced Jupiter and Mercury away from their homes.?

Mercury下結(jié)論說這些凡人們都不值得你的保護，Jupiter也很生氣，但他不相信所有人都自私而低劣。他決定嘗試最后一家，如果還是如此，就要對這些百姓施以報復。

"These people are not worthy of your protection, Father," Mercury said. Jupiter was angry. He could not believe that these people were so selfish and mean.?

"Let's try one more home," Jupiter said, "or I shall have to take my revenge on these folks."

這最后的一家，便是Baucis和Philemon的家。但這是非常非常小的一間小屋，幾乎都不能遮風蔽雨，是他們所見過的最窮最小的房子，幾乎到不能稱之為房子的地步。院子里只有一棵干巴巴的卷心菜，和一只骨瘦如柴的鵝。

They came upon a tiny hut with a rickety roof of reeds. The house offered no protection from the weather. It was the poorest and smallest home that they had found. In fact, it was so small and poor that it could hardly be called a house at all. In the garden there was one scrawny cabbage. In the yard there was one bony goose.?

但是沒想到這家人，Baucis和Philemon, 自己一無所有，卻打開門迎了他們進去，并熱情地招待了他們。

"Come in!" Philemon said. "You look as though you've journeyed long."

"You must be weary. Set your feet beside the fire, " Baucis offered.?

From their nearly bare cupboards, Baucis and Philemon set out every morsel of food they had. They placed a dish of olives, a bowl of turnips, two roasted eggs, and two bowls of cabbage soup on the table.?

從他們幾乎空空如也的櫥柜里，Baucis和Philemon把僅有的一點食物都拿出來擺到他們面前: 一碟橄欖，一碗蘿卜，兩片煎蛋，和兩碗卷心菜湯。