Once upon a time there was a farmer who worked diligently on his farm for many years. He also had three sons, but they were lazy and slept all day. “Father can do it alone,” they said.

But as the father grew older, he no longer had the strength to work so much. He became weaker day by day and was soon sick on his deathbed.

No one sowed grain in the field, and only thistles grew in the garden. But the sons said: “We are still young, we still have many years to work, now we want to rest.”

When the old father realized that he would soon have to die, he called his three sons to him and said: “I have buried a pot of gold in one of the fields. But unfortunately I can't remember which one. When I die, the pot will help you so that you don't have to suffer any hardship.”

After these words, he closed his eyes forever.

The sons wept, they buried their father and were full of grief. But they soon went hungry and remembered their father's words. The eldest of the brothers said: “Let's look for the treasure that their father buried!”

They grabbed spades and shovels and dug up the fields, but they didn't find the treasure.

“Maybe we need to dig even deeper,” said the second eldest, and they dug up the earth once more.

But this time they didn't find a pot of gold either. They stood helplessly in front of the plowed earth.

“Let's plant vines,” suggested the youngest, and so they did.

The vines grew well, sprouting leaves and tendrils. The three brothers diligently tended to the plants and were able to harvest the first grapes in the fall.

“I think we've found our father's treasure,” said the eldest to his brothers. They were delighted that their father had given them such a great gift with his last words.

Fassung Djamila Jaenike, nach: Märchen der Völker der Sowjetunion. Märchen aus der Ukraine, Belorussland und Moldawien, Moskau 1987, Übersetzung ins Englische: Lysander Jaenike ©Mutabor Märchenstiftung