Once upon a time there lived an old merchant. One day he says to his wife:
“You and I are old, mother, we won’t last long, but we are rich, and we have a lot of good things.” Let's divide it between our two daughters. After all, the inheritance will go to them anyway, and at least we will live out our lives without worries. Today we will have lunch and dinner with one son-in-law, tomorrow with another, so we will live out our lives in peace and harmony. And if we die, the children will have no reason to quarrel and sue. What do you say to this, mother?
“If I knew how my sons-in-law would accept our decision, then I agree.” I’m just afraid that it wouldn’t turn out like the proverb: “I’m nice with money, I’m hateful without money.”
Maybe our sons-in-law will take care of us at first, but then they will get tired of it.
Where do we go then? What if I outlive you, what will happen then? No wonder they say: “It’s hard for a mother-in-law to live on her son-in-law’s grub!” Do as God commands, but just, I ask you, don’t give all the money, so that we don’t have to grieve in our old age and receive our own goods from someone else’s hands. We don’t know when the hour of death will strike. A bad peace is better than a good quarrel.
The old merchant ordered a good dinner to be prepared, called his sons-in-law, daughters and children, and when everyone had thoroughly enjoyed themselves, he announced his decision. The sons-in-law and their wives willingly agreed to everything. They swore to God to look after their old parents for the rest of their lives and take care of them.
The father divided his property and money between his children, as if before his death. His wife, however, listened and kept a little money for a rainy day. So the young man secretly stores weapons in case of trouble.
Now the sons-in-law began to take turns calling their father-in-law and mother-in-law for lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner.
The daughters had many children. The grandfather brought gifts to his grandchildren every day. But he soon remembered that his wallet was getting thin, and he stopped giving them gifts.
The sons-in-law and daughters were surprised! They look from under their brows, as if they are angry.
The old man was upset and offended by this.
One day he sits sad and dejected in front of his empty house - he grieves that he was deceived in his own children.
And his neighbor was his former companion, an old friend and brother, an old man like him. He looked from the window across the road and guessed why his brother was sad. He took his wide-brimmed hat and stick and went to his neighbor.
“God help us, brother,” he greeted his friend. - Why are you freaking out? What trouble has befallen you, what worries are gnawing at you? I know that you have accumulated both property and money - you have prepared for the winter, like an old hamster. You are healthy and strong and strong for your age. You don’t lack anything, you have everything.
“Eh, brother,” the merchant answered with a sigh, “and don’t ask, you still can’t help, it’s your own fault.” I had a mind, but I lost it, that’s why I’m crying now.
After all, everything that I had acquired, all my property and money, everything went to dust, everything sank into the water.
- How so? - asks the companion.
“Yes, I gave everything to my ungrateful children, and now I repent.”
“You did the wrong thing, brother,” his friend told him, “why did you give everything to your children during your life?” Sons-in-law are someone else's bones, and wives always obey their husbands. Don't rely on your sons-in-law, father-in-law! That's it, I'll help you out of trouble, just don't be stupid and listen to me. Don't worry about the future. If you burn yourself on milk, you will start blowing on water.
This is what we will do,” he said again. - You prepare a treat, and a better one - everything is at my expense. Call your sons-in-law and daughters with their children.
Invite neighbors, godfathers and friends.
I'll come last and bring something. Don’t be surprised, just say: “Did this really have to be done now, as if I no longer had money?” We will avert their eyes to all of them, and we will also show how old people remember the proverb: “Debt is worth paying.”
The old merchant prepared a treat, called his sons-in-law and daughters with their children, godfathers and neighbors. Everyone came, but one place at the table remained empty. The owner was waiting for his brother-in-law. The guests sat down to dinner, but he was still not there. Several times the owner opened the door, looked out and regretted that his friend was still not there: “He will surely come, since he promised, I know him well, his word is firm. I bet that he is late because he wants to pay for the time when we traded together. He thinks that otherwise it would be inconvenient for him to come to me for a treat.”
Before the owner had time to say these words, his brother-in-law entered. He was breathing heavily, as he was carrying some kind of bag on his back. He entered, greeted everyone and said to the owner:
- Friend Yerko! Sorry for bothering you at the wrong time. But I would be burned with shame, brother, if I came to visit you without paying off my old debt.
How many times have I told you to take the money and accept the report from me, but you still hesitate. I brought your money and counted it properly. And here is the report, you can check it later and count the money. Now it’s like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders!
- Brothers! - says the owner. “I didn’t invite you to bring money and a report.” I wanted you to eat and have fun with us. But since you brought money, so be it! - Throw the bag behind the closet over there and sit down at the table. When the time comes, I’ll collect the money and check the report. If my other debtors were just as honest and paid the money on time, I wouldn’t have to reproach myself for being too compliant and generous.
Sons-in-law, daughters and all the guests watched and listened to what they were saying. Then one son-in-law whispers to the other:
- Look at your father-in-law! He pretended to be penniless, but look how much money he still has! How much more do they owe him? — My daughters whispered the same thing to each other.
One of the daughters said to her husband:
“Listen, let’s invite father and mother again for lunch, afternoon tea and dinner.”
“Of course,” the husband answered, “we must please our parents.”
The second daughter said to her husband:
- Do you hear what the sister says to her husband? They will again call their father and mother and try to please them. We will do the same so that our parents do not forget us on their deathbed. Look - my father has a whole bag of money, and what a treat he brought us. And the cabinets here are not empty.
“That’s right, wife,” the husband answers, “we need to look after our parents again and take care of them like the apple of our eye.” Everything is rewarded to us a hundredfold when they close their eyes.
And the daughters came to an agreement with their husbands about how they would look after their parents and take care of them. They thought they would get even more money.
The old parents had healed well - the children seemed to bet on who would be better at pleasing their parents, serving, feeding and drinking them, and taking care of them so that, as they say, not even a fly would land on them.
Old man Yerko often remembered his brother-in-law, who saved him from serious troubles and worries. And the children hoped that after the death of their father they would get who knows what wealth.
The old man buried his old woman, and soon died himself. In his will it was written: “Dear children, when you bury me with honor, open the big chest, and there you will find the inheritance.”
The children buried their father with honor. They pulled out from under his bed a large forged chest, locked with three locks. They took the keys and unlocked it. But the chest turned out to be empty. We only found a letter:
“Dear children! During my lifetime, you received a fair amount of property and a lot of money from me. Now, as you see, the chest is empty, but it was full of gold and silver, but everything has already been transferred to you. Do not hope for a new inheritance, but, having prayed to God, work, save and you will be rich.
Your father Yerko."
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru