602 PETER THE GOATHERD.

berries in the winter time ; but no one has yet discovered the
right place.
Perhaps they all want the strawberries for themselves.

PETER THE GOATHERD.

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Near the Kyffhauser mountains there once lived a goatherd
named Peter Klaus, who used to pasture his flock on those hills,
close by.

Even in his early manhood Peter was of a vagrant disposi-
tion, loving idleness much better than work, and never happier
than when roaming about with his dog, and half a dozen young
urchins at his heels.

Peter got married, and knew little of happiness ever after.
His wife put up with his wandering, dissolute habits for a
time ; but her temper was at last so soured, that she would
scold for hours together, till neither poor Peter nor his dog
dare show himself inside the door-step. On these occasions they
would both lie outside, basking in the sunshine, a whole morn-
ing long. But even here they were not always safe from the
eternal lecturing ; for if the good dame found them within
reach of her tongue, so sure were they to receive a full
measure of abuse.

‘At Jast, human nature could bear such a life no longer:
Peter kissed his children, took his gun and his wallet, and with
his faithful dog, set out for a ramble through the wide world,
neither knowing nor caring where. But Peter remembered his
flock on the Kyffhauser; and out of love for the poor dumb
creatures, the goatherd once more bent his sad steps up the