and child into the forest. At first
this course of action caused Peter some little trouble, for the people
who had been driven out of their homes blockaded his gates,--the men
pleading for time, the women attempting to soften his heart of stone,
and the children crying for a piece of bread. But when he had provided
himself with a couple of savage mastiffs, this charivari, as he called
it, very soon ceased. He whistled to the dogs, and set them on the pack
of beggars, who would scatter with screams in all directions. But the
most trouble was given him by an old woman, who was none other than
Peter's mother. She had been plunged into misery and want, since her
house and lot had been sold, and her son, on his return, rich as he
was, would not look after her wants. Therefore she occasionally
appeared at his door, weak and old, leaning on a staff. She dared not
enter the house, for he had once chased her out of the door; but it
pained her to live on the charity of other people, when her own son was
so well able to provide for her old age. But the cold heart was never
disturbed by the sight of the pale, well-known features, by her
pleading looks or by the withered, outstretched hand, or the tottering
form. And when on a Saturday she knocked at his door, he would take out
a sixpence, grumbling meanwhile, roll it up in a piece of paper, and
send it out to her by a servant. He could hear her trembling voice as
she returned thanks and wished that all happiness might be his; he
heard her steal away from the door coughing, but gave her no further
thought, except to reproach himself with having thrown away a good
sixpence.

[Illustration]

Finally Peter began to think about getting married. He knew that there
was not a father in the whole Black Forest who would not have been glad
to give him his daughter; but he meant to be particular in his choice,
for he wished that in this matter, too, his luck and his judgment
should be recognized. Therefore he rode all through the forest,
searching here and there, but not one of the beautiful Black Forest
maidens seemed beautiful enough for him. Finally, after he had looked
through all the ball rooms in a vain search for his ideal beauty, he
one day heard that the daughter of a certain woodchopper was the most
beautiful and virtuous of all the Black Forest maidens. She lived a
very quiet life, kept her father's house in the neatest order, and
never showed herself at a ball, not even on holid