Katherina has lived a life of hardship, from the time she was born into immense poverty to her marriage to a cruel and miserly man. She spent her life being berated by her in-laws for her lack of a portion - a gift provided along with a daughter during marriage. Katherina will do anything to ensure her beautiful daughter Natalka receives a sizeable portion, but she doesn't know how to overcome the will of her husband, who refuses to give her any portion at all. For weeks Katherina sneaks out at night to build Natalka's trousseau and spends her days praying that her daughter somehow gain a portion. She's overjoyed to see how deeply Natalka loves her future husband, but knows her happiness will quickly unravel if she doesn't come with a portion. At last, the day Katherina has dreaded arrives, and her daughter walks down the aisle. Throughout the ceremony, her husband and her daughter's new in-laws drink together. At last, when her husband is nearly overcome by drink, Natalka's in-laws ask what her portion will be. Katherina whispers in her husband's ear, convincing him to provide a pig, cow, and a field's worth of wheat. Although she must return to her rotting house and cruel husband, Katherina glows with joy at knowing her daughter's fate will be much better than her own.