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 Peter , 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 . I have a good piece of business in hand which may turn out well for us . ' ` You with a good business ? ' cried she , ` you are good for nothing but talk ! ' ' I am making my will , ' said he , ` that when my hour comes my house may be in order . ' These unexpected words cut his daughter to the heart ; she remembered that all night long she had dreamed of a newly dug grave , and at this thought she broke out into loud lamentations . But her mother only cried : ` Wretch ! have you not wasted goods and possessions , and now do you talk of making a will ? '
And she seized him like a fury , and tried XXXXX scratch out his eyes .
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