ays. When Peter heard
of this Black Forest beauty, he resolved to obtain her, and rode to the
hut to which he was directed. The father of the beautiful Lisbeth
received the gentleman in much surprise, but was still more astonished
to hear that this was the wealthy Mr. Peter Munk, and that the
gentleman wished to become his son-in-law. Believing that now all his
cares and his poverty were at an end, the old man did not hesitate very
long, but consented to the match without stopping to consult his
daughter's inclinations, and the good child was so dutiful that she
made no objections, and soon became Mrs. Peter Munk.

But things did not go as well with the poor girl as she had dreamed.
She thought she had a perfect knowledge of how to manage a house; but
she could not do any thing that seemed to please her husband. She had
sympathy with poor people, and, as her husband was so rich, she thought
it would be no sin to give a farthing to a poor beggar woman or to hand
an old man a cup of tea. But when Peter saw her do this one day, he
said, in a harsh voice and with angry looks: "Why do you waste my means
on idlers and vagabonds? Did you bring anything into the house, that
you can throw money away like a princess? If I catch you at this again,
you shall feel my hand!"

The beautiful Lisbeth wept in her chamber over the cruel disposition
of her husband, and often did she feel that she would rather be
back in her father's hut than to live with the rich but miserly and
hard-hearted Peter. Alas, had she known that her husband had a marble
heart, and could neither love her nor any one else, she would not have
wondered so much at his actions. But whenever she sat at the door, and
a beggar came up, took off his hat and began to speak, she now cast her
eyes down that she might not see the poor fellow, and clasped her hands
lighter lest she should involuntarily feel in her pocket for money. So
it happened that the beautiful Lisbeth came to be badly spoken of
throughout the entire Forest, and it was asserted that she was even
more miserly than Peter himself.

But one day while Lisbeth was sitting before the house, spinning, and
humming a song--for she felt in unusually good spirits, as the weather
was fine and Peter had ridden off--a little old man came up the road,
carrying a large, heavy sack. Lisbeth had heard him panting while he
was still at some distance, and she looked at him sympathetically,
thinking that so old and weak a ma