 Once upon a time a stranger, armed with a bag full of medical instruments, appeared in a lonely house belonging to Franciszek and his Mother. His unexpected visit was short, but to the point, and when he left there was no doubt about it - Mother was dying. For good. For Franciszek this revelation is doubly painful. Mother s deadly sickness obliges him to take care of her - and that could cost him his precious job in the local slaughter-house. Fortunately there is a way out of every predicament. This specific way out is sixty years long and her name is Palchowa. You can count on her in every human misfortune. You will find her wherever there is Death a-coming, sitting close to His victims and taking care of them with all her considerable expertise. What s more, she does not charge that much - just five zlotys a day and ten zlotys a night. However, Franciszek finds fault with such a system. Why not pay wholesale for the entirety of Palchowa s services? Mother is bound to pass away any moment. After some exchange of arguments Palchowa and Franciszek arrive at an arrangement. She will take care of Mother for a fixed sum of money satisfactory to both of them and not subject to change. And everything would pan out well for everyone, had not a slight difficulty appeared - Mother is too fond of life to just let go. Her perseverance in that respect shortly makes the financial arrangement between Franciszek and Palchowa quite disadvantageous to the latter. And with each passing day she is losing other clients! What is there to be done? There can be only one answer. The Devil.