This story makes a mockery of women's fear of life without a husband. A widow, and mother, treats her son badly and then bargains foolishly for a husband with devastatingly funny and fatal results.
Once there was a widow who, eight days after her husband's death, hid all his possessions in the cellar. Afterwards, she pretended to be a poor woman, and even refused to decently dress or give her only son a bite to eat. The poor boy walked around in rags, and almost died of hunger. One day, he met a kind old lady who said, "I know how badly your mother treats you. Take these two rolls and eat them, but don't give your mother any, even if she begs you. Just tell her, no." The boy hungrily ate the first roll, but just as started on the second, his mother saw him. " Who gave you those rolls?" she asked angrily. "Give me some," she demanded, "I'm dying of hunger." But he refused, and she became angrier than ever.
The next day, he met the old woman again, and told her what had happened. This time she said, "I have a plan. I know that your mother would like to marry again. Go tell her that husbands are for sale. The best one costs a hundred dollars, an ordinary one fifty dollars, and a poor one twenty-five.
When he told his mother, she wrung her hands, and cried, "But I'm a poor woman, and have no money. Stealing a glance at her son, she said slyly, "Perhaps my neighbor will lend me some." As soon as her son was out of sight, she ran down to the cellar, and took out the money. "Here, give this money to the old lady", she said, "and tell her to buy me the best husband she can find." Off the boy went to the old lady's house. This time, she bought food, and fine clothes as well.
"Things are going just as I planned. Now, go tell your mother," said the old lady, "that her husband is sick in the hospital, and needs another hundred dollars for his treatment. When the mother heard the bad news, she cried bitter tears. Reluctantly, she went down to the cellar for the money, and handed it to her son. The old lady bought more food for the boy.
"Things are getting better and better," the old lady said, "Now, tell your mother that her husband has died, and you need a hundred dollars for his burial, and another hundred for a new husband. The mother could hardly contain her disappointment when she heard the news. Tearfully, she gave her son two hundred dollars, one hundred for the burial, and the other for the purchase of a new husband. "I don't want to be without a husband," she said tearfully.
"Wonderful," said the old lady when the boy returned. "Now tell your mother to prepare a good dinner because you will bring her husband to the house. Take care, however, that she doesn't see him until after he has eaten. The mother was so happy to hear the news she prepared the best dinner she had ever made. The table was piled high with tasty dishes -- soup and chicken, salads, preserved midget eggplants, candied jasmine petals, fruits and delicate pastries.
When everything was ready, and while his mother waited in the kitchen, the boy brought in a horse, and sat him at the table. When he had eaten everything in sight, the boy called his mother in, and said, "Mama, come in and see your husband." The mother walked in, saw the horse, and died on the spot.
And the boy -- he went down into the cellar and found all the money his mother had hidden. Then he brought it to the old lady's house, and they lived happily ever after.
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