From that time Peter became an industrious and honest fellow. He was contented with what he had and plied his trade without grumbling; and so it came to pass that through his own exertions he became well off and respected and loved by everyone in the Forest.
He never quarrelled with his wife, honoured his mother, and gave to the poor who came knocking at his door.
After a time a beautiful boy came to them, to add to their happiness, and then Peter went to the clump of pine-trees and again recited his little rhyme, but the Glass-man did not show himself.
“Master Glass-man,” cried Peter loudly, “do listen to me, for I only meant to ask you to be godfather to my little son!”
But there was no reply, only a little breath of wind sighed through the pine-trees and blew a few cones to the ground.
“Well, I will take these as a remembrance, as you will not show yourself to me,” said Peter, and popped the cones into his pocket, and went home. But when he took off his best coat and his mother shook out the pockets before laying it away in the chest, out tumbled four fine big rolls of gold pieces. That was the good Glass-man’s christening present to little Peter.
And so they lived happily ever after, and when Peter Munk was an old man with grey hair he was wont to say: “It is better to be content with little, than to have money and possessions and a cold heart.”
THE ADVENTURES OF SAID.
AT the time when Harun Al-Raschid was ruler of Bagdad there lived in Balsora a man named Benezar. He had a sufficiently large fortune to be able to live comfortably and at ease without working for a livelihood.