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 to scratch out his eyes . But by-and-by the quarrel was patched up , and everything went on as before . From that day Peter saved up every penny that his daughter Lucia gave him on the sly , and bribed the boys of his acquaintance to spy out a black woodpecker 's nest for him . He sent them into the woods and fields , but instead of looking for a nest they only played pranks on him .
They led him miles over hill and vale , stock and stone , XXXXX find a raven 's brood , or a nest of squirrels in a hollow tree , and when he was angry with them they laughed in his face and ran away .
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