` 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 left the magic root behind him , so he could not go back for another load of treasure . But even that did not trouble Peter much ; he was quite satisfied with what he had already . After he had faithfully done everything according to Father Martin 's instructions , and pressed the earth well back into the hollow , he sat down to consider how he could bring his treasure back to his native place , and enjoy it there , without being forced to share it with his scolding wife , who would give him no peace if she once found out about it . At last , after much thinking , he hit upon a plan . He carried his sack to the nearest village , and there bought a wheelbarrow , a strong barrel , and a quantity of nails . Then he packed his gold into the barrel , covered it well with a layer of nails , hoisted it on to the wheelbarrow with some difficulty , and set off with it upon his homeward way . At one place upon the road he met a handsome young man who seemed by his downcast air to be in some great trouble .
Father Peter , who wished everybody to be as happy as he was himself , greeted him cheerfully , and asked where he was going , XXXXX which he answered sadly : ` Into the wide world , good father , or out of it , where ever my feet may chance to carry me . '
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