There was an old woman who had three sons, and from her stinginess
she could not bear that anyone should have anything to eat. One day
the eldest son came to her and said he must take a wife.
'If you must, you must,' replied the miserly mother. 'But mind she is
one who brings a great dowry, eats little, and can work all day long.'
The eldest son went his way and told the girl he was going to marry
his mother's hard terms. As the girl loved him very much, she made
no objection, and he married her, and brought her home. [379]
The first morning the mother-in-law came before it was light,
and knocked at the door, and bid the bride get up and come down to
her work.
'It is very hard for you,' said the young husband.
'Ah, well! I promised to submit to it before we married,' she
replied. 'I won't break my promise.'
So she got up and went down and helped her mother-in-law to do the
work of the house. By twelve o'clock she was very hungry; but the
miserly mother-in-law only took out an apple and a halfpenny roll,
and gave her half of each for all her food. She took it without a
murmur; and so she went on every day, working hard, and eating little,
and making no complaint.
By-and-by the second son came and told his mother that he was going
to take a wife. The mother made the same conditions, and the wife
submitted to them with equally good grace.
Then the third son came and said he too must take a wife. To him the
old woman made the same terms; but he could not find a wife who would
submit to them for his sake. The girl he wanted to marry, however,
was very lively and spirited, and she said at last--
'Never mind the conditions; let's marry, and we'll get through the
future somehow.'
Then they married. When her son brought home this wife, and the old
woman found she had no dowry, she was in a great fury; but it was
too late to help it.
The first morning, when she knocked at their door to wake her, she
called out--
'Who's there?' though she knew well enough.