Ilse was hated by everybody , and the young folks would go miles out of their way rather than meet her , for she had some ill-word for everyone . Therefore , when Master Peter came along , and let himself be taken in by her boasted skill as a housewife , she jumped at his offer , and they were married the next day . But they had not got home before they began to quarrel . In the joy of his heart Peter had tasted freely of his own good wine , and as the bride hung upon his arm he stumbled and fell , dragging her down with him ; whereupon she beat him soundly , and the neighbours said truly that things did not promise well for Master Peter 's comfort . Even when the ill-matched couple were presently blessed with children , his happiness was but short lived , the savage temper of his quarrelsome wife seemed to blight them from the first , and they died like little kids in a cold winter . Though Master Peter had no great wealth to leave behind him , still it was sad to him to be childless ; and he would bemoan himself to his friends , when he laid one baby after another in the grave , saying : ` The lightning has been among the cherry-blossoms again , so there will be no fruit to grow ripe . ' But , by-and-by , he had a little daughter so strong and healthy that neither her mother 's temper nor her father 's spoiling could keep her from growing up tall and beautiful . Meanwhile the fortunes of the family had changed . From his youth up , Master Peter had hated trouble ; when he had money he spent it freely , and fed all the hungry folk who asked him for bread . If his pockets were empty he borrowed of his neighbours , but he always took good care to prevent his scolding wife from finding out that he had done so . His motto was : ` It will all come right in the end ' ; but what it did come to was ruin for Master Peter . He was at his wits ' end to know how to earn an honest living , for try as he might ill-luck seemed to pursue him , and he lost one post after another , till at last all he could do was to carry sacks of corn to the mill for his wife , who scolded him well if he was slow about it , and grudged him his portion of food . This grieved the tender heart of his pretty daughter , who loved him dearly , and was the comfort of his life . Peter was thinking of her as he sat in the inn kitchen and heard the shepherds talking about the buried treasure , and for her sake he resolved to go and seek for it . Before he rose from the landlord 's arm-chair his plan was made , and Master Peter went home more joyful and full of hope than he had been for many a long day ; but on the way he suddenly remembered that he was not yet possessed of the magic spring-root , and he stole into the house with a heavy heart , and threw himself down upon his hard straw bed . He could neither sleep nor rest ; but as soon as it was light he got up and wrote down exactly all that was to be done to find the treasure , that he might not forget anything , and when it lay clear and plain before his eyes he comforted himself with the thought that , though he must do the rough work for his wife during one more winter at least , he would not have to tread the path to the mill for the rest of his life . Soon he heard his wife 's harsh voice singing its morning song as she went about her household affairs , scolding her daughter the while . She burst open his door while he was still dressing : ` Well , Toper ! ' was her greeting , ` have you been drinking all night , wasting money that you steal from my housekeeping ? For shame , drunkard ! '
Master XXXXX , who was well used to this sort of talk , did not disturb himself , but waited till the storm blew over , then he said calmly : ` Do not be annoyed , dear wife .
Ilse Peter Toper cherry-blossoms day first morning night right spring-root