[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] proverb

[Richard Benert]

Could someone with a better memory than mine please give me at least the approximate wording of the German/Russian proverb ( or was it specifically Volhynian German?) that compared the horrid existence of the first generation to settle in Russia with the somewhat better life of the second generation, and finally with the third generation which could finally benefit from all the work of the first two?  I wish I could offer a prize to the first person with the correct answer, but you'll just have to settle for my sincere thanks.

Dick Benert