But the fact was that she was growing quite tired of having no one to scold . And what do you think happened ? On the very eve of the wedding a man pushing a wheelbarrow arrived at the city gate , and paid toll upon a barrel of nails which it contained , and then made the best of his way to the bride 's dwelling and knocked at the door . The bride herself peeped out of the window to see who it could be , and there stood father Peter ! Then there was great rejoicing in the house ; Lucia ran to embrace him , and even Dame Ilse held out her hand in welcome , and only said : ` Rogue , mend your ways , ' when she remembered the empty treasure cupboard . Father Peter greeted the bridegroom , looking at him shrewdly , while the mother and daughter hastened to say all they knew in his favour , and appeared to be satisfied with him as a son-in-law . When Dame Ilse had set something to eat before her husband , she was curious to hear his adventures , and questioned him eagerly as to why he had gone away . ` God bless my native place , ' said he . ' I have been marching through the country , and have tried every kind of work , but now I have found a job in the iron trade ; only , so far , I have put more into it than I have earned by it . This barrel of nails is my whole fortune , which I wish to give as my contribution towards the bride 's house furnishing . ' This speech roused Dame Ilse to anger , and she broke out into such shrill reproaches that the bystanders were fairly deafened , and Friedlin hastily offered Master Peter a home with Lucia and himself , promising that he should live in comfort , and be always welcome . So Lucia had her heart 's desire , and father Peter led her to the church next day , and the marriage took place very happily . Soon afterwards the young people settled in a fine house which Friedlin had bought , and had a garden and meadows , a fishpond , and a hill covered with vines , and were as happy as the day was long . Father Peter also stayed quietly with them , living , as everybody believed , upon the generosity of his rich son-in law . No one suspected that his barrel of nails was the real ` Horn of Plenty , ' from which all this prosperity overflowed . Peter had made the journey to the treasure mountain successfully , without being found out by anybody . He had enjoyed himself by the way , and taken his own time , until he actually reached the little brook in the valley which it had cost him some trouble to find . Then he pressed on eagerly , and soon came to the little hollow in the wood ; down he went , burrowing like a mole into the earth ; the magic root did its work , and at last the treasure lay before his eyes . You may imagine how gaily Peter filled his sack with as much gold as he could carry , and how he staggered up the seventy-seven steps with a heart full of hope and delight . He did not quite trust the gnome 's promises of safety , and was in such haste to find himself once more in the light of day that he looked neither to the right nor the left , and could not afterwards remember whether the walls and pillars had sparkled with jewels or not .
However , all went well -- he neither saw nor heard anything alarming ; the only thing that happened was that the great iron-barred door shut with a crash as soon as he was fairly outside it , and then he remembered that he had XXXXX the magic root behind him , so he could not go back for another load of treasure .
Friedlin Ilse Lucia Peter Rogue bystanders day left right wheelbarrow