He and his wife were always looking out for something to do , and never spent a penny that they could help , but luck was against them , and at the time of his father 's death they had hardly bread to eat or clothes to cover them . If there had been only himself , he would have managed to get on somehow , but he could not bear to watch his children becoming weaker day by day , and swallowing his pride , at length he crossed the mountains to his old home where his brother was living . It was the first time for long that the two men had come face to face , and they looked at each other in silence . Then tears rose in the eyes of the elder , but winking them hastily away , he said : ` Brother , it is not needful that I should tell you how poor I am ; you can see that for yourself . I have not come to beg for money , but only to ask if you will give me those unfinished houses of yours in the city , and I will make them watertight , so that my wife and children can live in them , and that will save our rent . For as they are , they profit you nothing . ' And the younger brother listened and pitied him , and gave him the houses that he asked for , and the elder went away happy . For some years things went on as they were , and then the rich brother began to feel lonely , and thought to himself that he was getting older , and it was time for him to be married . The wife he chose was very wealthy , but she was also very greedy , and however much she had , she always wanted more . She was , besides , one of those unfortunate people who invariably fancy that the possessions of other people must be better than their own . Many a time her poor husband regretted the day that he had first seen her , and often her meanness and shabby ways put him to shame . But he had not the courage to rule her , and she only got worse and worse . After she had been married a few months the bride wanted to go into the city and buy herself some new dresses . She had never been there before , and when she had finished her shopping , she thought she would pay a visit to her unknown sister-in-law , and rest for a bit . The house she was seeking was in a broad street , and ought to have been very magnificent , but the carved stone portico enclosed a mean little door of rough wood , while a row of beautiful pillars led to nothing . The dwelling on each side were in the same unfinished condition , and water trickled down the walls . Most people would have considered it a wretched place , and turned their backs on it as soon as they could , but this lady saw that by spending some money the houses could be made as splendid as they were originally intended to be , and she instantly resolved to get them for herself . Full of this idea she walked up the marble staircase , and entered the little room where her sister-in-law sat , making clothes for her children . The bride seemed full of interest in the houses , and asked a great many questions about them , so that her new relations liked her much better than they expected , and hoped they might be good friends . However , as soon as she reached home , she went straight to her husband , and told him that he must get back those houses from his brother , as they would exactly suit her , and she could easily make them into a palace as fine as the king 's .
But her husband only told her that she might buy houses in some other part of the town , for she could not have those , as he had long since made a gift of them to his brother , who had lived there for many XXXXX past .
Brother day dwelling first idea months palace penny sister-in-law years