It is told that there was a neighbor to Juha. It was known of him that he was extremely generous and bountiful. One day, this man held a wedding and didn’t invite Juha and his wife to attend. Juha and his wife were angry at the man’s deed. They sat together thinking of a trick to attend this feast.
Juha’s wife left her house and hurried to enter the neighbor’s house, imagining the feast was there. Juha was behind her running with anger and calling out to her, but the neighbors held him and began calming him and trying to prevent him from beating her. Juha’s wife hid in the neighbors’ house. Juha sat by the drums where tables were spread and food was placed. Everyone sat. Juha approached the food and began devouring it voraciously and said, “How delicious my wife’s food is. I’ve known where to feed herself.”
The neighbors talked with Juha and told him to forgive his wife for her deed and pardon her mistake. But he said to them, “If I catch her, I’ll make her like this dish, fatten her flesh like I fatten this chicken, and make her laugh like I make these laugh.” And he chewed like he chewed this delicious meat.
The neighbor who owned the feast said to him, “Share your joy with us, Juha. Enough of your talk.” He went to Juha’s wife and asked her to participate with the women in the food. Juha’s wife sat by the invited women and ate happily and joyously. When she finished her food, the neighbor’s wife presented sweets and drinks.
After everyone finished the food, Juha stood and said, “We heard about this feast and this beautiful tablecloth, and the dear neighbor didn’t invite us to attend.” The owner of the tablecloth said to him, “I apologize to you, but I was busy preparing for this tablecloth and its requisites, excuse us for our shortcoming to your right.”
Juha said, “My wife and I thought a lot of a trick or pretext with which to attend the wedding, but we didn’t find anything but to knock on doors.” The owner of the tablecloth said to him, in the extreme of his distress, “I know, Juha, that you are a righteous man, but I told you the truth.” Juha said, “I hope you’ll send to my wife to inform her that I’m pleased with her and want to leave.” Immediately, Juha’s wife came out to him, and they went, happiness and joy on their faces.