Once upon a time there was a man and a woman who were fortunate enough to marry their three more or less beautiful daughters to three young boys, who were also siblings. All of them worked with three different landlords, but their lands were far from the girls’ home, which was on the edge of a forest near the Carpathians. So it happened that one day the woman, who had all the time to think up all sorts of nonsense, awoke with the intention of testing the affection of her three sons-in-law.
On the same day she sat down at the old wooden table in her room and wrote a letter to the eldest of the brothers, stating:
“Son-in-law, have some food for you, it will nourish you well in the winter, I’ll wait for you soon.”
The following days she spent sitting in the sun in front of her house, waiting for the sound of approaching hooves. Three days later it was time and hardly that she heard the horse approaching, she ran quickly to the well, climbed up on the narrow frame and pretended that she wanted to throw herself under loud lamentation about the futility of her life. The eldest of her sons-in-law jumped from the horse in horror, ran to her with a loud shout, and then trembling in her arms to take her away and promise her never to come back to such stupid thoughts.
The old woman was content and gave him in addition to the jars of preserves still some bottles of best schnapps and four kilos of the best bacon home, along with a small piece of paper on which were the following words:
“He who does good will find good, your mother-in-law.”
For a few days, the woman rested, but soon she rolled around restlessly at night, and the next morning found that it was now time to examine the average of her sons-in-law regarding his attachment.
So she also wrote him the following message:
“Son-in-law, we slaughtered a pig last week, I dried some meters of good garlic sausage for you, it will make you any stew tastier, I’ll wait for you soon.”
This time she had to roast a day longer in the sun in front of her house, because only on the fourth day she heard a horse approach, again she gathered up the skirts, ran as fast as she could to the well and played under loud Klagerufen also the middle of their sons-in-law the same theater as his older brother. Younger, and probably therefore of more sensitive nature, cried out his arms in order to tear them down horrified from the edge of the fountain and wrest from her the promise never to come back to such stupid thoughts.
The old woman was not only satisfied, no, she even felt a little flattered by the tears that had flown and, in addition to the homemade sausage, brought home a few pounds of extra fine goat’s cheese and a keg of wine, along with a little note on the following Words stood:
“He who does good will find good, your mother-in-law.”
Afterwards, the woman rested for about a week, but then, one night, she no longer slept and decided to finally clarify the feelings of her youngest sons-in-law.
Good morning she writes to him the following morning:
“Son-in-law, you have a lot of flour left over, you will be able to bake good bread with it, I’ll wait for you soon.”
For five days she had to wait until she heard another horse approaching. What happened next is certainly well known, this time it went to its peak and gave a spectacle on the edge of the fountain, which could not be more convincing. At first the poor boy stopped in a pang as if frozen, then he hurried to her and struck her so hard that she fell into the well with a loud clatter.
For a long time they heard her babble and whistle until she finally sank in the icy water. Unmoved, the youngest of her sons-in-law looked down at her.
“This is your punishment for sending the finest delicacies to your eldest daughters and sons-in-law, who are better off than us because of their seniority, and never again shall my poor wife cry over the fact that only the old flour remains for her. “
With these words he turned away and got on his horse, he left the flour sacks.
Epilogue:
The next morning, there was an early knock on the door. He was sure that it would be his father-in-law to tell them about the unfortunate death of the ancients. And so the youngest of the sons-in-law opened the door, but on his threshold he found only a small box. This was the key to a fat BMW parked further down the street. There was also a note that read:
“He who does good will find good, your father-in-law.”
And if they have not died, they still drive around in their luxury cart today, while the older sisters and sons-in-law at home mull in canned and dry sausage.