The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

THE WOODEN DISHES

THIS STORY WAS TOLD TO ME BY MY FRENCH-POLISH
GRANDMOTHER (FRATERNAL) SEVERAL TIMES AND SHE SAID
THAT HER GRANDMOTHER TOLD IT TO HER. IT WAS A LESSON IN
RESPECT AND REVERENCE FOR OLD AGE. IT WENT LIKE THIS...
THERE WAS A CERTAIN FAMILY IN A FAIRLY LARGE VILLAGE
WHICH WAS DOING BETTER THAN THE AVERAGE VILLAGER. THIS
FAMILY CONSISTED OF A FATHER, MOTHER, AND TWO
CHILDREN, ONE BOY AND ONE GIRL. IT CAME TO PASS THAT THE
FATHER'S MOTHER DIED AND HIS FATHER WAS LEFT ALONE. AFTER
A FEW YEARS, THE WIDOWED FATHER BECAME TOO FEEBLE TO CARE
FOR ALL HIS NEEDS AND CAME TO LIVE WITH HIS SON AND
FAMILY. NOW, THE WIDOWER HAD A HARD TIME EATING AND
CARING FOR THE CHINA. SOMETIMES HE WOULD LIFT HIS PLATE
AND CLUMSILY DROP IT. THIS HELD TRUE FOR HIS CUP AND
SAUCER; MANY PIECES WERE BROKEN. NOW THE DAUGHTER-IN-LAW
BECAME VERY FRUSTRATED ABOUT THE LOSS OF HER GOOD CHINA AND
COMPLAINED TO HER HUSBAND ABOUT THE SITUATION SEVERAL TIMES.
AT LAST, THEY DECIDED TO GIVE THE ELDER WOODEN
DISHES, ALTHOUGH NOT LIKE THE REST, WHICH COULD NOT BE
BROKEN. SO FOR SOME TIME, THE ELDER WAS SERVED HIS FOOD
ON DISHES OF WOOD WHILE THE REST OF THE FAMILY DINED UPON
FINE CHINA. ONE DAY, THE MOTHER AND FATHER OF THE FAMILY
SAW THEIR CHILDREN BUSY AT WORK. THEY WERE CURIOUS AS TO
WHAT PROJECT THE CHILDREN WERE ENGROSSED IN. WHEN THE
PARENTS INQUIRED ABOUT THE WORK THEY WERE DOING AND WHAT
IT WAS THEY WERE MAKING, THE CHILDREN REPLIED, "WHY ITS
A SET OF WOODEN DISHES FOR YOU AND MAMA WHEN YOU GET OLD!"

Where learned: POLAND

Date learned: 09-00-1984