How the Daughter-in-Law Got the Coins

How the Daughter-in-Law Got the Coins is a Sri Lankan fairy tale collected by H. Parker in Village Folk-Tales of Ceylon.^[1]

It is Aarne–Thompson type 982, Ungrateful Heirs.^[1]

Synopsis[]

A man marries a rich woman who did not help his mother. He gives his mother a bag full of pottery shards. The mother contracts leprosy, but since she shakes the bags where the daughter-in-law can hear and announces that whoever cares for it will have, the daughter-in-law tends her. After the mother dies, the woman realizes it was shards, not coins.

Variants[]

The tale is widespread, with many ways to trick the heirs into thinking there is wealth to be had.^[1]

References[]

^ ^a ^b ^c D. L. Ashliman, "Ungrateful Heirs: folktales of Aarne-Thompson type 982 about old people who trick their ungrateful children into caring for them"

[heirs-1] D. L. Ashliman, "Ungrateful Heirs: folktales of Aarne-Thompson type 982 about old people who trick their ungrateful children into caring for them"

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