tered sparks upon the
tinder, in kindling himself a light, his wife, awaking, cried:

"Why that heavy sigh?"

"Ah! life is a burden: I 'm the most harassed mortal in the world. The
pettiest office-clerk may now be abed in peace, and need n't break off
his sleep, while I must go out and brave wind and weather."

"Be content," replied his wife: "why, I dreamt you had actually been
made magistrate, and wore something on your head like a king's crown."

"Oh! you women; as though what you see is n't enough, you like to
chatter about what you dream."

"Light the lamp, too," said his wife, "and I 'll get up and make you a
nice porridge."

The peasant, putting a candle in his lantern, went to the stable; and
after he had given some fodder to the horses, he seated himself upon
the manger. With his hands squeezed between his knees and his head bent
down, he reflected over and over again what a wretched existence he had
of it. "Why," thought he, "are so many men so well-off, so comfortable,
whilst you must be always toiling? What care I if envy be not a
virtue?--and yet I 'm not envious, I don't grudge others being well-off,
only I should like to be well-off too; oh, for a quiet, easy life! Am I
not worse off than a horse? He gets his fodder at the proper time, and
takes no care about it. Why did my father make my brother a minister? He
gets his salary without any trouble, sits in a warm room, has no care in
the world; and I must slave and torment myself."

Strange to say, his very next thought, that he would like to be made
local magistrate, he would in no wise confess to himself.

He sat still a long while; then he went back again to the sitting-room,
past the kitchen, where the fire was burning cheerily. He seated himself
at the table and waited for his morning porridge. On the table lay
an open book; his children had been reading it the previous evening:
involuntarily taking it up, he began to read. Suddenly he started,
rubbed his eyes, and then read again. How comes this verse here just at
this moment? He kept his hand upon the book, and so easily had he caught
the words, that he repeated them to himself softly with his lips, and
nodded several times, as much as to say: "That's true!" And he said
aloud: "It's all there together: short and sweet!" and he was still
staring at it, when his wife brought in the smoking porridge. Taking off
his cap, he folded his hands and said aloud:

"Accept God's gifts with resigna