One old woman had two sons and two daughters-in-law. The daughters-in-law treated their mother-in-law poorly and moved her to the basement. There she began to live.
One day the old woman called her younger daughter-in-law to her and said: “Even though you don’t love me, you are my younger daughter-in-law and I love you.” I have one secret, I will reveal it to you, and you keep it, don’t tell anyone, not even your husband. Only when I die and you have celebrated forty days can you tell your husband about this secret. And I must die soon. I hid a treasure under our cherry tree. After my death, you will dig it up and take it for yourself.
A few days later, the old woman called her eldest daughter-in-law, told her about the same treasure and took the same oath from her. The younger daughter-in-law took the old mother-in-law to her place, dressed her, put on her shoes and began to look after her. The older daughter-in-law quarreled with the younger one and insisted that it was her duty to take care of her mother-in-law.
Both daughters-in-law, hiding from each other, showed attention to their mother-in-law.
A few years later, my mother-in-law died. When forty days were celebrated, the youngest daughter-in-law and her husband began digging under the tree at night. The eldest daughter-in-law saw them, called her husband, and they also went there. “I know why you’re digging here, my mother-in-law told me about it.” “Okay, keep quiet, we’ll divide it equally when we find it,” said the younger daughter-in-law.
They began to dig together and found a buffalo horn, the internal cavity of which was firmly sealed. When they opened it, there was a small knot in it, and in the knot there was another knot, and in the next one there was another... and finally in the tenth knot they found a note: “Let this horn pierce the eye of the one who takes bad care of his mother-in-law.”
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru