The Project Gutenberg eBook of Heidi, by Johanna Spyri

Published：2026-07-29 18:24:11 Source: interactive globes for toddlers Author: Dollhouses

HEIDI

by JOHANNA SPYRI

CONTENTS

I Up the Mountain to Alm-Uncle
II At Home with Grandfather
III Out with the Goats
IV The 3d puzzles for kids under 20 dollarsVisit to Grandmother
V Two Visits and What Came of Them
VI A New Chapter about New Things
VII Fraulein Rottenmeier Spends an Uncomfortable Day
VIII There is Great Commotion in the Large House
IX Herr Sesemann Hears of Things that are New to Him
X Another Grandmother
XI Heidi Gains in One Way and Loses in Another
XII A Ghost in the House
XIII A Summer Evening on the Mountain
XIV Sunday Bells
XV Preparations for a journey
XVI A Visitor
XVII A Compensation
XVIII Winter in Dorfli
XIX The Winter Continues
XX News from Distant Friends
XXI How Life went on at Grandfather's
XXII Something Unexpected Happens
XXIII "Good-bye Till We Meet Again"

INTRODUCTION

"Heidi" is a delightful story for children of life in the Alps,one of many tales written by the Swiss authoress, Johanna Spyri,who died in her home at Zurich in 1891. She had been well knownto the younger readers of her own country since 1880, when shepublished her story, Heimathlos, which ran into three or moreeditions, and which, like her other books, as she states on thetitle page, was written for those who love children, as well asfor the youngsters themselves. Her own sympathy with theinstincts and longings of the child's heart is shown in herpicture of Heidi. The record of the early life of this Swisschild amid the beauties of her passionately loved mountain-homeand during her exile in the great town has been for many years afavorite book of younger readers in Germany and America.

Madame Spyri, like Hans Andersen, had by temperament a peculiarskill in writing the simple histories of an innocent world. Inall her stories she shows an underlying desire to preservechildren alike from misunderstanding and the mistaken kindnessthat frequently hinder the happiness and natural development oftheir lives and characters. The authoress, as we feel in readingher tales, lived among the scenes and people she describes, andthe setting of her stories has the charm of the mountain sceneryamid which she places her small actors.

Her chief works, besides Heidi, were:— Am Sonntag; Arthur und
Squirrel; Aus dem Leben; Aus den Schweizer Bergen; Aus Nah und
Fern; Aus unserem, Lande; Cornelli wird erzogen; Einer vom Hause
Lesa; 10 Geschichten fur Yung und Alt; Kurze Geschichten, 2
vols.; Gritli's Kinder, 2 vols.; Heimathlos; Im Tilonethal; In
Leuchtensa; Keiner zu Klein Helfer zu sein; Onkel Titus; Schloss
Wildenstein; Sina; Ein Goldener Spruch; Die Hauffer Muhle;
Verschollen, nicht vergessen; Was soll deim aus ihr werden; Was
aus ihr Geworden ist. M.E.

HEIDI

CHAPTER I. UP THE MOUNTAIN TO ALM-UNCLE

From the old and pleasantly situated village of Mayenfeld, afootpath winds through green and shady meadows to the foot ofthe mountains, which on this side look down from their stern andlofty heights upon the valley below. The land grows graduallywilder as the path ascends, and the climber has not gone farbefore he begins to inhale the fragrance of the short grass andsturdy mountain-plants, for the way is steep and leads directlyup to the summits above.

On a clear sunny morning in June two figures might be seenclimbing the narrow mountain path; one, a tall strong-lookinggirl, the other a child whom she was leading by the hand, andwhose little checks were so aglow with heat that the crimsoncolor could be seen even through the dark, sunburnt skin. Andthis was hardly to be wondered at, for in spite of the hot Junesun the child was clothed as if to keep off the bitterest frost.She did not look more than five years old, if as much, but whather natural figure was like, it would have been hard to say, forshe had apparently two, if not three dresses, one above theother, and over these a thick red woollen shawl wound roundabout her, so that the little body presented a shapelessappearance, as, with its small feet shod in thick, nailedmountain-shoes, it slowly and laboriously plodded its way up inthe heat. The two must have left the valley a good hour's walkbehind them, when they came to the hamlet known as Dorfli, whichis situated half-way up the mountain. Here the wayfarers met withgreetings from all sides, some calling to them from windows, somefrom open doors, others from outside, for the elder girl was nowin her old home. She did not, however, pause in her walk torespond to her friends' welcoming cries and questions, but passedon without stopping for a moment until she reached the last ofthe scattered houses of the hamlet. Here a voice called to herfrom the door: "Wait a moment, Dete; if you are going up higher,I will come with you."

The girl thus addressed stood still, and the child immediatelylet go her hand and seated herself on the ground.

"Are you tired, Heidi?" asked her companion.

"No, I am hot," answered the child.

"We shall soon get to the top now. You must walk bravely on alittle longer, and take good long steps, and in another hour weshall be there," said Dete in an encouraging voice.

They were now joined by a stout, good-natured-looking woman, whowalked on ahead with her old acquaintance, the two breakingforth at once into lively conversation about everybody andeverything in Dorfli and its surroundings, while the childwandered behind them.

"And where are you off to with the child?" asked the one who hadjust joined the party. "I suppose it is the child your sisterleft?"

"Yes," answered Dete. "I am taking her up to Uncle, where shemust stay."

"The child stay up there with Alm-Uncle! You must be out of yoursenses, Dete! How can you think of such a thing! The old man,however, will soon send you and your proposal packing off homeagain!"

"He cannot very well do that, seeing that he is her grandfather.He must do something for her. I have had the charge of the childtill now, and I can tell you, Barbel, I am not going to give upthe chance which has just fallen to me of getting a good place,for her sake. It is for the grandfather now to do his duty byher."

"That would be all very well if he were like other people,"asseverated stout Barbel warmly, "but you know what he is. Andwhat can he do with a child, especially with one so young! Thechild cannot possibly live with him. But where are you thinkingof going yourself?"

"To Frankfurt, where an extra good place awaits me," answeredDete. "The people I am going to were down at the Baths lastsummer, and it was part of my duty to attend upon their rooms.They would have liked then to take me away with them, but Icould not leave. Now they are there again and have repeated theiroffer, and I intend to go with them, you may make up your mindto that!"

"I am glad I am not the child!" exclaimed Barbel, with a gestureof horrified pity. "Not a creature knows anything about the oldman up there! He will have nothing to do with anybody, and neversets his foot inside a church from one year's end to another.When he does come down once in a while, everybody clears out ofthe way of him and his big stick. The mere sight of him, withhis bushy grey eyebrows and his immense beard, is alarmingenough. He looks like any old heathen or Indian, and few wouldcare to meet him alone."

"Well, and what of that?" said Dete, in a defiant voice, "he isthe grandfather all the same, and must look after the child. Heis not likely to do her any harm, and if he does, he will beanswerable for it, not I."

"I should very much like to know," continued Barbel, in aninquiring tone of voice, "what the old man has on his consciencethat he looks as he does, and lives up there on the mountainlike a hermit, hardly ever allowing himself to be seen. All kindsof things are said about him. You, Dete, however, must certainlyhave learnt a good deal concerning him from your sister—am Inot right?"

"You are right, I did, but I am not going to repeat what Iheard; if it should come to his ears I should get into troubleabout it."

Now Barbel had for long past been most anxious to ascertainparticulars about Alm-Uncle, as she could not understand why heseemed to feel such hatred towards his fellow-creatures, andinsisted on living all alone, or why people spoke about him halfin whispers, as if afraid to say anything against him, and yetunwilling to take his Part. Moreover, Barbel was in ignorance asto why all the people in Dorfli called him Alm-Uncle, for hecould not possibly be uncle to everybody living there. As,however, it was the custom, she did like the rest and called theold man Uncle. Barbel had only lived in Dorfli since hermarriage, which had taken place not long before. Previous tothat her home had been below in Prattigau, so that she was notwell acquainted with all the events that had ever taken place,and with all the people who had ever lived in Dorfli and itsneighborhood. Dete, on the contrary, had been born in Dorfli,and had lived there with her mother until the death of the latterthe year before, and had then gone over to the Baths at Ragatzand taken service in the large hotel there as chambermaid. On themorning of this day she had come all the way from Ragatz withthe child, a friend having given them a lift in a hay-cart as faras Mayenfeld. Barbel was therefore determined not to lose thisgood opportunity of satisfying her curiosity. She put her armthrough Dete's in a confidential sort of way, and said: "I know Ican find out the real truth from you, and the meaning of allthese tales that are afloat about him. I believe you know thewhole story. Now do just tell me what is wrong with the old man,and if he was always shunned as he is now, and was always such amisanthrope."

"How can I possibly tell you whether he was always the same,seeing I am only six-and-twenty and he at least seventy years ofage; so you can hardly expect me to know much about his youth.If I was sure, however, that what I tell you would not go thewhole round of Prattigau, I could relate all kinds of thingsabout him; my mother came from Domleschg, and so did he."

"Nonsense, Dete, what do you mean?" replied Barbel, somewhatoffended, "gossip has not reached such a dreadful pitch inPrattigau as all that, and I am also quite capable of holding mytongue when it is necessary."

"Very well then, I will tell you—but just wait a moment," saidDete in a warning voice, and she looked back to make sure thatthe child was not near enough to hear all she was going torelate; but the child was nowhere to be seen, and must haveturned aside from following her companions some time before,while these were too eagerly occupied with their conversation tonotice it. Dete stood still and looked around her in alldirections. The footpath wound a little here and there, butcould nevertheless be seen along its whole length nearly toDorfli; no one, however, was visible upon it at this moment.

"I see where she is," exclaimed Barbel, "look over there!" andshe pointed to a spot far away from the footpath. "She isclimbing up the slope yonder with the goatherd and his goats. Iwonder why he is so late to-day bringing them up. It happenswell, however, for us, for he can now see after the child, andyou can the better tell me your tale."

"Oh, as to the looking after," remarked Dete, "the boy need notput himself out about that; she is not by any means stupid forher five years, and knows how to use her eyes. She notices allthat is going on, as I have often had occasion to remark, andthis will stand her in good stead some day, for the old man hasnothing beyond his two goats and his hut."

"Did he ever have more?" asked Barbel.

"He? I should think so indeed," replied Dete with animation; "hewas owner once of one of the largest farms in Domleschg. He wasthe elder of two brothers; the younger was a quiet, orderly man,but nothing would please the other but to play the grandgentleman and go driving about the country and mixing with badcompany, strangers that nobody knew. He drank and gambled awaythe whole of his property, and when this became known to hismother and father they died, one shortly after the other, ofsorrow. The younger brother, who was also reduced to beggary,went off in his anger, no one knew whither, while Uncle himself,having nothing now left to him but his bad name, alsodisappeared. For some time his whereabouts were unknown, thensome one found out that he had gone to Naples as a soldier;after that nothing more was heard of him for twelve or fifteenyears. At the end of that time he reappeared in Domleschg,bringing with him a young child, whom he tried to place with someof his kinspeople. Every door, however, was shut in his face, forno one wished to have any more to do with him. Embittered by thistreatment, he vowed never to set foot in Domleschg again, and hethen came to Dorfli, where he continued to live with his littleboy. His wife was probably a native of the Grisons, whom he hadmet down there, and who died soon after their marriage. He couldnot have been entirely without money, for he apprenticed hisson, Tobias, to a carpenter. He was a steady lad, and kindlyreceived by every one in Dorfli. The old man was, however, stilllooked upon with suspicion, and it was even rumoured that he hadbeen forced to make his escape from Naples, or it might have gonebadly with him, for that he had killed a man, not in fair fight,you understand, but in some brawl. We, however, did not refuseto acknowledge our relationship with him, my great-grandmother onmy mother's side having been sister to his grandmother. So wecalled him Uncle, and as through my father we are also related tonearly every family in Dorfli, he became known all over the placeas Uncle, and since he went to live on the mountain side he hasgone everywhere by the name of Alm-Uncle."

"And what happened to Tobias?" asked Barbel, who was listeningwith deep interest.

"Wait a moment, I am coming to that, but I cannot tell youeverything at once," replied Dete. "Tobias was taught his tradein Mels, and when he had served his apprenticeship he came backto Dorfli and married my sister Adelaide. They had always beenfond of one another, and they got on very well together afterthey were married. But their happiness did not last long. Herhusband met with his death only two years after their marriage,a beam falling upon him as he was working, and killing him on thespot. They carried him home, and when Adelaide saw the poordisfigured body of her husband she was so overcome with horrorand grief that she fell into a fever from which she neverrecovered. She had always been rather delicate and subject tocurious attacks, during which no one knew whether she was awakeor sleeping. And so two months after Tobias had been carried tothe grave, his wife followed him. Their sad fate was the talk ofeverybody far and near, and both in private and public thegeneral opinion was expressed that it was a punishment whichUncle had deserved for the godless life he had led. Some went sofar even as to tell him so to his face. Our minister endeavoredto awaken his conscience and exhorted him to repentance, but theold man grew only more wrathful and obdurate and would not speakto a soul, and every one did their best to keep out of his way.All at once we heard that he had gone to live up the Alm and didnot intend ever to come down again, and since then he has ledhis solitary life on the mountain side at enmity with God andman. Mother and I took Adelaide's little one, then only a yearold, into our care. When mother died last year, and I went downto the Baths to earn some money, I paid old Ursel, who lives inthe village just above, to keep and look after the child. Istayed on at the Baths through the winter, for as I could sew andknit I had no difficulty in finding plenty of work, and early inthe spring the same family I had waited on before returned fromFrankfurt, and again asked me to go back with them. And so weleave the day after to-morrow, and I can assure you, it is anexcellent place for me."

"And you are going to give the child over to the old man upthere? It surprises me beyond words that you can think of doingsuch a thing, Dete," said Barbel, in a voice full of reproach.

"What do you mean?" retorted Dete. "I have done my duty by thechild, and what would you have me do with it now? I cannotcertainly take a child of five years old with me to Frankfurt.But where are you going to yourself, Barbel; we are now half wayup the Alm?"

"We have just reached the place I wanted," answered Barbel. "Ihad something to say to the goatherd's wife, who does somespinning for me in the winter. So good-bye, Dete, and good luckto you!"

Dete shook hands with her friend and remained standing whileBarbel went towards a small, dark brown hut, which stood a fewsteps away from the path in a hollow that afforded it someprotection from the mountain wind. The hut was situated half wayup the Alm, reckoning from Dorfli, and it was well that it wasprovided with some shelter, for it was so broken-down anddilapidated that even then it must have been very unsafe as ahabitation, for when the stormy south wind came sweeping overthe mountain, everything inside it, doors and windows, shook andrattled, and all the rotten old beams creaked and trembled. Onsuch days as this, had the goatherd's dwelling been standingabove on the exposed mountain side, it could not have escapedbeing blown straight down into the valley without a moment'swarning.

Here lived Peter, the eleven-year-old boy, who every morningwent down to Dorfli to fetch his goats and drive them up on tothe mountain, where they were free to browse till evening on thedelicious mountain plants.

Then Peter, with his light-footed animals, would go running andleaping down the mountain again till he reached Dorfli, andthere he would give a shrill whistle through his fingers,whereupon all the owners of the goats would come out to fetchhome the animals that belonged to them. It was generally thesmall boys and girls who ran in answer to Peter's whistle, forthey were none of them afraid of the gentle goats, and this wasthe only hour of the day through all the summer months that Peterhad any opportunity of seeing his young friends, since the restof his time was spent alone with the goats. He had a mother and ablind grandmother at home, it is true, but he was always obligedto start off very early in the morning, and only got home late inthe evening from Dorfli, for he always stayed as long as he couldtalking and playing with the other children; and so he had justtime enough at home, and that was all, to swallow down his breadand milk in the morning, and again in the evening to get througha similar meal, lie down in bed and go to sleep. His father, whohad been known also as the goatherd, having earned his living assuch when younger, had been accidentally killed while cuttingwood some years before. His mother, whose real name was Brigitta,was always called the goatherd's wife, for the sake of oldassociation, while the blind grandmother was just "grandmother"to all the old and young in the neighborhood.

Dete had been standing for a good ten minutes looking about herin every direction for some sign of the children and the goats.Not a glimpse of them, however, was to be seen, so she climbedto a higher spot, whence she could get a fuller view of themountain as it sloped beneath her to the valley, while, withever-increasing anxiety on her face and in her movements, shecontinued to scan the surrounding slopes. Meanwhile the childrenwere climbing up by a far and roundabout way, for Peter knewmany spots where all kinds of good food, in the shape of shrubsand plants, grew for his goats, and he was in the habit ofleading his flock aside from the beaten track. The child,exhausted with the heat and weight of her thick armor of clothes,panted and struggled after him at first with some difficulty. Shesaid nothing, but her little eyes kept watching first Peter, ashe sprang nimbly hither and thither on his bare feet, clad onlyin his short light breeches, and then the slim-legged goats thatwent leaping over rocks and shrubs and up the steep ascents witheven greater ease. All at once she sat herself down on theground, and as fast as her little fingers could move, beganpulling off her shoes and stockings. This done she rose, unwoundthe hot red shawl and threw it away, and then proceeded to undoher frock. It was off in a second, but there was still anotherto unfasten, for Dete had put the Sunday frock on over theeveryday one, to save the trouble of carrying it. Quick aslightning the everyday frock followed the other, and now thechild stood up, clad only in her light short-sleeved undergarment, stretching out her little bare arms with glee. She putall her clothes together in a tidy little heap, and then wentjumping and climbing up after Peter and the goats as nimbly asany one of the party. Peter had taken no heed of what the childwas about when she stayed behind, but when she ran up to him inher new attire, his face broke into a grin, which grew broaderstill as he looked back and saw the small heap of clothes lyingon the ground, until his mouth stretched almost from ear to ear;he said nothing, however. The child, able now to move at herease, began to enter into conversation with Peter, who had manyquestions to answer, for his companion wanted to know how manygoats he had, where he was going to with them, and what he had todo when he arrived there. At last, after some time, they and thegoats approached the hut and came within view of Cousin Dete.Hardly had the latter caught sight of the little company climbingup towards her when she shrieked out: "Heidi, what have you beendoing! What a sight you have made of yourself! And where are yourtwo frocks and the red wrapper? And the new shoes I bought, andthe new stockings I knitted for you—everything gone! not a thingleft! What can you have been thinking of, Heidi; where are allyour clothes?"

The child quietly pointed to a spot below on the mountain sideand answered, "Down there." Dete followed the direction of herfinger; she could just distinguish something lying on theground, with a spot of red on the top of it which she had nodoubt was the woollen wrapper.

"You good-for-nothing little thing!" exclaimed Dete angrily,"what could have put it into your head to do like that? Whatmade you undress yourself? What do you mean by it?"

"I don't want any clothes," said the child, not showing any signof repentance for her past deed.

"You wretched, thoughtless child! have you no sense in you atall?" continued Dete, scolding and lamenting. "Who is going allthat way down to fetch them; it's a good half-hour's walk!Peter, you go off and fetch them for me as quickly as you can,and don't stand there gaping at me, as if you were rooted to theground!"

"I am already past my time," answered Peter slowly, withoutmoving from the spot where he had been standing with his handsin his pockets, listening to Dete's outburst of dismay and anger.

"Well, you won't get far if you only keep on standing there withyour eyes staring out of your head," was Dete's cross reply;"but see, you shall have something nice," and she held out abright new piece of money to him that sparkled in the sun. Peterwas immediately up and off down the steep mountain side, takingthe shortest cut, and in an incredibly short space of time hadreached the little heap of clothes, which he gathered up underhis arm, and was back again so quickly that even Dete wasobliged to give him a word of praise as she handed him thepromised money. Peter promptly thrust it into his pocket and hisface beamed with delight, for it was not often that he was thehappy possessor of such riches.

"You can carry the things up for me as far as Uncle's, as you aregoing the same way," went on Dete, who was preparing to continueher climb up the mountain side, which rose in a steep ascentimmediately behind the goatherd's hut. Peter willingly undertookto do this, and followed after her on his bare feet, with hisleft arm round the bundle and the right swinging his goatherd'sstick, while Heidi and the goats went skipping and jumpingjoyfully beside him. After a climb of more than three-quartersof an hour they reached the top of the Alm mountain. Uncle's hutstood on a projection of the rock, exposed indeed to the winds,but where every ray of sun could rest upon it, and a full viewcould be had of the valley beneath. Behind the hut stood threeold fir trees, with long, thick, unlopped branches. Beyond theserose a further wall of mountain, the lower heights stillovergrown with beautiful grass and plants, above which werestonier slopes, covered only with scrub, that led gradually upto the steep, bare rocky summits.

Against the hut, on the side looking towards the valley, Unclehad put up a seat. Here he was sitting, his pipe in his mouthand his hands on his knees, quietly looking out, when thechildren, the goats and Cousin Dete suddenly clambered into view.Heidi was at the top first. She went straight up to the old man,put out her hand, and said, "Good-evening, Grandfather."

"So, so, what is the meaning of this?" he asked gruffly, as hegave the child an abrupt shake of the hand, and gazed long andscrutinisingly at her from under his bushy eyebrows. Heidistared steadily back at him in return with unflinching gaze, forthe grandfather, with his long beard and thick grey eyebrows thatgrew together over his nose and looked just like a bush, wassuch a remarkable appearance, that Heidi was unable to take hereyes off him. Meanwhile Dete had come up, with Peter after her,and the latter now stood still a while to watch what was goingon.

"I wish you good-day, Uncle," said Dete, as she walked towardshim, "and I have brought you Tobias and Adelaide's child. Youwill hardly recognise her, as you have never seen her since shewas a year old."

"And what has the child to do with me up here?" asked the oldman curtly. "You there," he then called out to Peter, "be offwith your goats, you are none too early as it is, and take minewith you."

Peter obeyed on the instant and quickly disappeared, for the oldman had given him a look that made him feel that he did not wantto stay any longer.

"The child is here to remain with you," Dete made answer. "Ihave, I think, done my duty by her for these four years, and nowit is time for you to do yours."

"That's it, is it?" said the old man, as he looked at her with aflash in his eye. "And when the child begins to fret and whineafter you, as is the way with these unreasonable little beings,what am I to do with her then?"

"That's your affair," retorted Dete. "I know I had to put upwith her without complaint when she was left on my hands as aninfant, and with enough to do as it was for my mother and self.Now I have to go and look after my own earnings, and you are thenext of kin to the child. If you cannot arrange to keep her, dowith her as you like. You will be answerable for the result ifharm happens to her, though you have hardly need, I should think,to add to the burden already on your conscience."

Now Dete was not quite easy in her own conscience about what shewas doing, and consequently was feeling hot and irritable, andsaid more than she had intended. As she uttered her last words,Uncle rose from his seat. He looked at her in a way that madeher draw back a step or two, then flinging out his arm, he saidto her in a commanding voice: "Be off with you this instant, andget back as quickly as you can to the place whence you came, anddo not let me see your face again in a hurry."

Dete did not wait to be told twice. "Good-bye to you then, andto you too, Heidi," she called, as she turned quickly away andstarted to descend the mountain at a running pace, which she didnot slacken till she found herself safely again at Dorfli, forsome inward agitation drove her forwards as if a steam-enginewas at work inside her. Again questions came raining down uponher from all sides, for every one knew Dete, as well as allparticulars of the birth and former history of the child, andall wondered what she had done with it. From every door andwindow came voices calling: "Where is the child?" "Where have youleft the child, Dete?" and more and more reluctantly Dete madeanswer, "Up there with Alm-Uncle!" "With Alm-Uncle, have I nottold you so already?"

Then the women began to hurl reproaches at her; first one criedout, "How could you do such a thing!" then another, "To think ofleaving a helpless little thing up there,"—while again andagain came the words, "The poor mite! the poor mite!" pursuingher as she went along. Unable at last to bear it any longer Deteran forward as fast as she could until she was beyond reach oftheir voices. She was far from happy at the thought of what shehad done, for the child had been left in her care by her dyingmother. She quieted herself, however, with the idea that shewould be better able to do something for the child if she wasearning plenty of money, and it was a relief to her to thinkthat she would soon be far away from all these people who weremaking such a fuss about the matter, and she rejoiced furtherstill that she was at liberty now to take such a good place.

CHAPTER II. AT HOME WITH GRANDFATHER

As soon as Dete had disappeared the old man went back to hisbench, and there he remained seated, staring on the groundwithout uttering a sound, while thick curls of smoke floatedupward from his pipe. Heidi, meanwhile, was enjoying herself inher new surroundings; she looked about till she found a shed,built against the hut, where the goats were kept; she peeped in,and saw it was empty. She continued her search and presentlycame to the fir trees behind the hut. A strong breeze was blowingthrough them, and there was a rushing and roaring in theirtopmost branches, Heidi stood still and listened. The soundgrowing fainter, she went on again, to the farther corner of thehut, and so round to where her grandfather was sitting. Seeingthat he was in exactly the same position as when she left him,she went and placed herself in front of the old man, and puttingher hands behind her back, stood and gazed at him. Hergrandfather looked up, and as she continued standing therewithout moving, "What is it you want?" he asked.

"I want to see what you have inside the house," said Heidi.

"Come then!" and the grandfather rose and went before hertowards the hut.

"Bring your bundle of clothes in with you," he bid her as shewas following.

"I shan't want them any more," was her prompt answer.

The old man turned and looked searchingly at the child, whosedark eyes were sparkling in delighted anticipation of what shewas going to see inside. "She is certainly not wanting inintelligence," he murmured to himself. "And why shall you notwant them any more?" he asked aloud.

"Because I want to go about like the goats with their thin lightlegs."

"Well, you can do so if you like," said her grandfather, "butbring the things in, we must put them in the cupboard."

Heidi did as she was told. The old man now opened the door andHeidi stepped inside after him; she found herself in a good-sized room, which covered the whole ground floor of the hut. Atable and a chair were the only furniture; in one corner stoodthe grandfather's bed, in another was the hearth with a largekettle hanging above it; and on the further side was a large doorin the wall—this was the cupboard. The grandfather opened it;inside were his clothes, some hanging up, others, a couple ofshirts, and some socks and handkerchiefs, lying on a shelf; on asecond shelf were some plates and cups and glasses, and on ahigher one still, a round loaf, smoked meat, and cheese, foreverything that Alm-Uncle needed for his food and clothing waskept in this cupboard. Heidi, as soon as it was opened, ranquickly forward and thrust in her bundle of clothes, as far backbehind her grandfather's things as possible, so that they mightnot easily be found again. She then looked carefully round theroom, and asked, "Where am I to sleep, grandfather?"

"Wherever you like," he answered.

Heidi was delighted, and began at once to examine all the nooksand corners to find out where it would be pleasantest to sleep.In the corner near her grandfather's bed she saw a short ladderagainst the wall; up she climbed and found herself in thehayloft. There lay a large heap of fresh sweet-smelling hay,while through a round window in the wall she could see rightdown the valley.

"I shall sleep up here, grandfather," she called down to him,
"It's lovely, up here. Come up and see how lovely it is!"

"Oh, I know all about it," he called up in answer.

"I am getting the bed ready now," she called down again, as shewent busily to and fro at her work, "but I shall want you tobring me up a sheet; you can't have a bed without a sheet, youwant it to lie upon."

"All right," said the grandfather, and presently he went to thecupboard, and after rummaging about inside for a few minutes hedrew out a long, coarse piece of stuff, which was all he had todo duty for a sheet. He carried it up to the loft, where hefound Heidi had already made quite a nice bed. She had put anextra heap of hay at one end for a pillow, and had so arranged itthat, when in bed, she would be able to see comfortably outthrough the round window.

"That is capital," said her grandfather; "now we must put on thesheet, but wait a moment first," and he went and fetched anotherlarge bundle of hay to make the bed thicker, so that the childshould not feel the hard floor under her—"there, now bring ithere." Heidi had got hold of the sheet, but it was almost tooheavy for her to carry; this was a good thing, however, as theclose thick stuff would prevent the sharp stalks of the hayrunning through and pricking her. The two together now spreadthe sheet over the bed, and where it was too long or too broad,Heidi quickly tucked it in under the hay. It looked now as tidyand comfortable a bed as you could wish for, and Heidi stoodgazing thoughtfully at her handiwork.

"We have forgotten something now, grandfather," she said after ashort silence.

"What's that?" he asked.

"A coverlid; when you get into bed, you have to creep in betweenthe sheets and the coverlid."

"Oh, that's the way, is it? But suppose I have not got acoverlid?" said the old man.

"Well, never mind, grandfather," said Heidi in a consoling toneof voice, "I can take some more hay to put over me," and she wasturning quickly to fetch another armful from the heap, when hergrandfather stopped her. "Wait a moment," he said, and heclimbed down the ladder again and went towards his bed. Hereturned to the loft with a large, thick sack, made of flax,which he threw down, exclaiming, "There, that is better than hay,is it not?"

Heidi began tugging away at the sack with all her little might,in her efforts to get it smooth and straight, but her smallhands were not fitted for so heavy a job. Her grandfather came toher assistance, and when they had got it tidily spread over thebed, it all looked so nice and warm and comfortable that Heidistood gazing at it in delight. "That is a splendid coverlid," shesaid, "and the bed looks lovely altogether! I wish it was night,so that I might get inside it at once."

"I think we might have something to eat first," said thegrandfather, "what do you think?"

Heidi in the excitement of bed-making had forgotten everythingelse; but now when she began to think about food she feltterribly hungry, for she had had nothing to eat since the pieceof bread and little cup of thin coffee that had been herbreakfast early that morning before starting on her long, hotjourney. So she answered without hesitation, "Yes, I think sotoo."

"Let us go down then, as we both think alike," said the old man,and he followed the child down the ladder. Then he went up tothe hearth, pushed the big kettle aside, and drew forward thelittle one that was hanging on the chain, and seating himself onthe round-topped, three-legged stool before the fire, blew it upinto a clear bright flame. The kettle soon began to boil, andmeanwhile the old man held a large piece of cheese on a longiron fork over the fire, turning it round and round till it wastoasted a nice golden yellow color on each side. Heidi watchedall that was going on with eager curiosity. Suddenly some newidea seemed to come into her head, for she turned and ran to thecupboard, and then began going busily backwards and forwards.Presently the grandfather got up and came to the table with ajug and the cheese, and there he saw it already tidily laid withthe round loaf and two plates and two knives each in its rightplace; for Heidi had taken exact note that morning of all thatthere was in the cupboard, and she knew which things would bewanted for their meal.

"Ah, that's right," said the grandfather, "I am glad to see thatyou have some ideas of your own," and as he spoke he laid thetoasted cheese on a layer of bread, "but there is stillsomething missing."

Heidi looked at the jug that was steaming away invitingly, andran quickly back to the cupboard. At first she could only see asmall bowl left on the shelf, but she was not long inperplexity, for a moment later she caught sight of two glassesfurther back, and without an instant's loss of time she returnedwith these and the bowl and put them down on the table.

"Good, I see you know how to set about things; but what will youdo for a seat?" The grandfather himself was sitting on the onlychair in the room. Heidi flew to the hearth, and dragging thethree-legged stool up to the table, sat herself down upon it.

"Well, you have managed to find a seat for yourself, I see, onlyrather a low one I am afraid," said the grandfather, "but youwould not be tall enough to reach the table even if you sat inmy chair; the first thing now, however, is to have something toeat, so come along."

With that he stood up, filled the bowl with milk, and placing iton the chair, pushed it in front of Heidi on her little three-legged stool, so that she now had a table to herself. Then hebrought her a large slice of bread and a piece of the goldencheese, and told her to eat. After which he went and sat down onthe corner of the table and began his own meal. Heidi lifted thebowl with both hands and drank without pause till it was empty,for the thirst of all her long hot journey had returned uponher. Then she drew a deep breath—in the eagerness of her thirstshe had not stopped to breathe—and put down the bowl.

"Was the milk nice?" asked her grandfather.

"I never drank any so good before," answered Heidi.

"Then you must have some more," and the old man filled her bowlagain to the brim and set it before the child, who was nowhungrily beginning her bread having first spread it with thecheese, which after being toasted was soft as butter; the twotogether tasted deliciously, and the child looked the picture ofcontent as she sat eating, and at intervals taking furtherdraughts of milk. The meal being over, the grandfather wentoutside to put the goat-shed in order, and Heidi watched withinterest while he first swept it out, and then put fresh strawfor the goats to sleep upon. Then he went to the little well-shed, and there he cut some long round sticks, and a small roundboard; in this he bored some holes and stuck the sticks intothem, and there, as if made by magic, was a three-legged stooljust like her grandfather's, only higher. Heidi stood and lookedat it, speechless with astonishment.

"What do you think that is?" asked her grandfather.

"It's my stool, I know, because it is such a high one; and itwas made all of a minute," said the child, still lost in wonderand admiration.

"She understands what she sees, her eyes are in the rightplace," remarked the grandfather to himself, as he continued hisway round the hut, knocking in a nail here and there, or makingfast some part of the door, and so with hammer and nails andpieces of wood going from spot to spot, mending or clearing awaywherever work of the kind was needed. Heidi followed him step bystep, her eyes attentively taking in all that he did, andeverything that she saw was a fresh source of pleasure to her.

And so the time passed happily on till evening. Then the windbegan to roar louder than ever through the old fir trees; Heidilistened with delight to the sound, and it filled her heart sofull of gladness that she skipped and danced round the oldtrees, as if some unheard of joy had come to her. The grandfatherstood and watched her from the shed.

Suddenly a shrill whistle was heard. Heidi paused in herdancing, and the grandfather came out. Down from the heightsabove the goats came springing one after another, with Peter intheir midst. Heidi sprang forward with a cry of joy and rushedamong the flock, greeting first one and then another of her oldfriends of the morning. As they neared the hut the goats stoodstill, and then two of their number, two beautiful slenderanimals, one white and one brown, ran forward to where thegrandfather was standing and began licking his hands, for he washolding a little salt which he always had ready for his goats ontheir return home. Peter disappeared with the remainder of hisflock. Heidi tenderly stroked the two goats in turn, runningfirst to one side of them and then the other, and jumping aboutin her glee at the pretty little animals. "Are they ours,grandfather? Are they both ours? Are you going to put them in theshed? Will they always stay with us?"

Heidi's questions came tumbling out one after the other, so thather grandfather had only time to answer each of them with "Yes,yes." When the goats had finished licking up the salt hergrandfather told her to go and fetch her bowl and the bread.

Heidi obeyed and was soon back again. The grandfather milked thewhite goat and filled her basin, and then breaking off a pieceof bread, "Now eat your supper," he said, "and then go up to bed.Cousin Dete left another little bundle for you with a nightgownand other small things in it, which you will find at the bottomof the cupboard if you want them. I must go and shut up thegoats, so be off and sleep well."

"Good-night, grandfather! good-night. What are their names,grandfather, what are their names?" she called out as she ranafter his retreating figure and the goats.

"The white one is named Little Swan, and the brown one Little
Bear," he answered.

"Good-night, Little Swan, good-night, Little Bear!" she calledagain at the top of her voice, for they were already inside theshed. Then she sat down on the seat and began to eat and drink,but the wind was so strong that it almost blew her away; so shemade haste and finished her supper and then went indoors andclimbed up to her bed, where she was soon lying as sweetly andsoundly asleep as any young princess on her couch of silk.

Not long after, and while it was still twilight, the grandfatheralso went to bed, for he was up every morning at sunrise, andthe sun came climbing up over the mountains at a very early hourduring these summer months. The wind grew so tempestuous duringthe night, and blew in such gusts against the walls, that thehut trembled and the old beams groaned and creaked. It camehowling and wailing down the chimney like voices of those inpain, and it raged with such fury among the old fir trees thathere and there a branch was snapped and fell. In the middle ofthe night the old man got up. "The child will be frightened," hemurmured half aloud. He mounted the ladder and went and stood bythe child's bed.

Outside the moon was struggling with the dark, fast-drivingclouds, which at one moment left it clear and shining, and thenext swept over it, and all again was dark. Just now themoonlight was falling through the round window straight on toHeidi's bed. She lay under the heavy coverlid, her cheeks rosywith sleep, her head peacefully resting on her little round arm,and with a happy expression on her baby face as if dreaming ofsomething pleasant. The old man stood looking down on thesleeping child until the moon again disappeared behind theclouds and he could see no more, then he went back to bed.

CHAPTER III. OUT WITH THE GOATS

Heidi was awakened early the next morning by a loud whistle; thesun was shining through the round window and falling in goldenrays on her bed and on the large heap of hay, and as she openedher eyes everything in the loft seemed gleaming with gold. Shelooked around her in astonishment and could not imagine for awhile where she was. But her grandfather's deep voice was nowheard outside, and then Heidi began to recall all that hadhappened: how she had come away from her former home and was nowon the mountain with her grandfather instead of with old Ursula.The latter was nearly stone deaf and always felt cold, so thatshe sat all day either by the hearth in the kitchen or by thesitting-room stove, and Heidi had been obliged to stay close toher, for the old woman was so deaf that she could not tell wherethe child was if out of her sight. And Heidi, shut up within thefour walls, had often longed to be out of doors. So she feltvery happy this morning as she woke up in her new home andremembered all the many new things that she had seen the daybefore and which she would see again that day, and above all shethought with delight of the two dear goats. Heidi jumped quicklyout of bed and a very few minutes sufficed her to put on theclothes which she had taken off the night before, for there werenot many of them. Then she climbed down the ladder and ranoutside the hut. There stood Peter already with his flock ofgoats, and the grandfather was just bringing his two out of theshed to join the others. Heidi ran forward to wish good-morningto him and the goats.

"Do you want to go with them on to the mountain?" asked hergrandfather. Nothing could have pleased Heidi better, and shejumped for joy in answer.

"But you must first wash and make yourself tidy. The sun thatshines so brightly overhead will else laugh at you for beingdirty; see, I have put everything ready for you," and hergrandfather pointed as he spoke to a large tub full of water,which stood in the sun before the door. Heidi ran to it andbegan splashing and rubbing, till she quite glistened withcleanliness. The grandfather meanwhile went inside the hut,calling to Peter to follow him and bring in his wallet. Peterobeyed with astonishment, and laid down the little bag which heldhis meagre dinner.

"Open it," said the old man, and inside it he put a large pieceof bread and an equally large piece of cheese, which made Peteropen his eyes, for each was twice the size of the two portionswhich he had for his own dinner.

"There, now there is only the little bowl to add," continued thegrandfather, "for the child cannot drink her milk as you do fromthe goat; she is not accustomed to that. You must milk twobowlfuls for her when she has her dinner, for she is going withyou and will remain with you till you return this evening; buttake care she does not fall over any of the rocks, do you hear?"

Heidi now came running in. "Will the sun laugh at me now,grandfather?" she asked anxiously. Her grandfather had left acoarse towel hanging up for her near the tub, and with this shehad so thoroughly scrubbed her face, arms, and neck, for fear ofthe sun, that as she stood there she was as red all over as alobster. He gave a little laugh.

"No, there is nothing for him to laugh at now," he assured her."But I tell you what—when you come home this evening, you willhave to get right into the tub, like a fish, for if you runabout like the goats you will get your feet dirty. Now you can beoff."

She started joyfully for the mountain. During the night the windhad blown away all the clouds; the dark blue sky was spreadingoverhead, and in its midst was the bright sun shining down onthe green slopes of the mountain, where the flowers opened theirlittle blue and yellow cups, and looked up to him smiling. Heidiwent running hither and thither and shouting with delight, forhere were whole patches of delicate red primroses, and there theblue gleam of the lovely gentian, while above them all laughedand nodded the tender-leaved golden cistus. Enchanted with allthis waving field of brightly-colored flowers, Heidi forgot evenPeter and the goats. She ran on in front and then off to theside, tempted first one way and then the other, as she caughtsight of some bright spot of glowing red or yellow. And all thewhile she was plucking whole handfuls of the flowers which sheput into her little apron, for she wanted to take them all homeand stick them in the hay, so that she might make her bedroomlook just like the meadows outside. Peter had therefore to be onthe alert, and his round eyes, which did not move very quickly,had more work than they could well manage, for the goats were aslively as Heidi; they ran in all directions, and Peter had tofollow whistling and calling and swinging his stick to get allthe runaways together again.

"Where have you got to now, Heidi?" he called out somewhatcrossly.

"Here," called back a voice from somewhere. Peter could see noone, for Heidi was seated on the ground at the foot of a smallhill thickly overgrown with sweet smelling prunella; the wholeair seemed filled with its fragrance, and Heidi thought she hadnever smelt anything so delicious. She sat surrounded by theflowers, drawing in deep breaths of the scented air.

"Come along here!" called Peter again. "You are not to fall overthe rocks, your grandfather gave orders that you were not to doso."

"Where are the rocks?" asked Heidi, answering him back. But shedid not move from her seat, for the scent of the flowers seemedsweeter to her with every breath of wind that wafted it towardsher.

"Up above, right up above. We have a long way to go yet, so comealong! And on the topmost peak of all the old bird of prey sitsand croaks."

That did it. Heidi immediately sprang to her feet and ran up to
Peter with her apron full of flowers.

"You have got enough now," said the boy as they began climbingup again together. "You will stay here forever if you go onpicking, and if you gather all the flowers now there will be nonefor to-morrow."

This last argument seemed a convincing one to Heidi, andmoreover her apron was already so full that there was hardly roomfor another flower, and it would never do to leave nothing topick for another day. So she now kept with Peter, and the goatsalso became more orderly in their behavior, for they werebeginning to smell the plants they loved that grew on the higherslopes and clambered up now without pause in their anxiety toreach them. The spot where Peter generally halted for his goatsto pasture and where he took up his quarters for the day lay atthe foot of the high rocks, which were covered for some distanceup by bushes and fir trees, beyond which rose their bare andrugged summits. On one side of the mountain the rock was splitinto deep clefts, and the grandfather had reason to warn Peter ofdanger. Having climbed as far as the halting-place, Peter unslunghis wallet and put it carefully in a little hollow of the ground,for he knew what the wind was like up there and did not want tosee his precious belongings sent rolling down the mountain by asudden gust. Then be threw himself at full length on the warmground, for he was tired after all his exertions.

Heidi meanwhile had unfastened her apron and rolling itcarefully round the flowers laid it beside Peter's wallet insidethe hollow; she then sat down beside his outstretched figure andlooked about her. The valley lay far below bathed in the morningsun. In front of her rose a broad snow-field, high against thedark-blue sky, while to the left was a huge pile of rocks oneither side of which a bare lofty peak, that seemed to piercethe blue, looked frowningly down upon, her. The child sat withoutmoving, her eyes taking in the whole scene, and all around was agreat stillness, only broken by soft, light puffs of wind thatswayed the light bells of the blue flowers, and the shining goldheads of the cistus, and set them nodding merrily on theirslender stems. Peter had fallen asleep after his fatigue and thegoats were climbing about among the bushes overhead. Heidi hadnever felt so happy in her life before. She drank in the goldensunlight, the fresh air, the sweet smell of the flowers, andwished for nothing better than to remain there forever. So thetime went on, while to Heidi, who had so often looked up fromthe valley at the mountains above, these seemed now to havefaces, and to be looking down at her like old friends. Suddenlyshe heard a loud harsh cry overhead and lifting her eyes she sawa bird, larger than any she had ever seen before, with great,spreading wings, wheeling round and round in wide circles, anduttering a piercing, croaking kind of sound above her.

"Peter, Peter, wake up!" called out Heidi. "See, the great birdis there—look, look!"

Peter got up on hearing her call, and together they sat andwatched the bird, which rose higher and higher in the blue airtill it disappeared behind the grey mountain-tops.

"Where has it gone to?" asked Heidi, who had followed the bird'smovements with intense interest.

"Home to its nest," said Peter.

"Is his home right up there? Oh, how nice to be up so high! whydoes he make that noise?"

"Because he can't help it," explained Peter.

"Let us climb up there and see where his nest is," proposed
Heidi.

"Oh! oh! oh!" exclaimed Peter, his disapproval of Heidi'ssuggestion becoming more marked with each ejaculation, "why eventhe goats cannot climb as high as that, besides didn't Uncle saythat you were not to fall over the rocks?"

Peter now began suddenly whistling and calling in such a loudmanner that Heidi could not think what was happening; but thegoats evidently understood his voice, for one after the otherthey came springing down the rocks until they were all assembledon the green plateau, some continuing to nibble at the juicystems, others skipping about here and there or pushing at eachother with their horns for pastime.

Heidi jumped up and ran in and out among them, for it was new toher to see the goats playing together like this and her delightwas beyond words as she joined in their frolics; she madepersonal acquaintance with them all in turn, for they were likeseparate individuals to her, each single goat having aparticular way of behavior of its own. Meanwhile Peter had takenthe wallet out of the hollow and placed the pieces of bread andcheese on the ground in the shape of a square, the larger two onHeidi's side and the smaller on his own, for he knew exactlywhich were hers and which his. Then he took the little bowl andmilked some delicious fresh milk into it from the white goat, andafterwards set the bowl in the middle of the square. Now hecalled Heidi to come, but she wanted more calling than the goats,for the child was so excited and amused at the capers and livelygames of her new playfellows that she saw and heard nothing else.But Peter knew how to make himself heard, for he shouted till thevery rocks above echoed his voice, and at last Heidi appeared,and when she saw the inviting repast spread out upon the groundshe went skipping round it for joy.

"Leave off jumping about, it is time for dinner," said Peter;"sit down now and begin."

Heidi sat down. "Is the milk for me?" she asked, giving anotherlook of delight at the beautifully arranged square with the bowlas a chief ornament in the centre.

"Yes," replied Peter, "and the two large pieces of bread andcheese are yours also, and when you have drunk up that milk, youare to have another bowlful from the white goat, and then itwill be my turn."

"And which do you get your milk from?" inquired Heidi.

"From my own goat, the piebald one. But go on now with yourdinner," said Peter, again reminding her it was time to eat.Heidi now took up the bowl and drank her milk, and as soon asshe had put it down empty Peter rose and filled it again for her.Then she broke off a piece of her bread and held out theremainder, which was still larger than Peter's own piece,together with the whole big slice of cheese to her companion,saying, "You can have that, I have plenty."

Peter looked at Heidi, unable to speak for astonishment, fornever in all his life could he have said and done like that withanything he had. He hesitated a moment, for he could not believethat Heidi was in earnest; but the latter kept on holding outthe bread and cheese, and as Peter still did not take it, shelaid it down on his knees. He saw then that she really meant it;he seized the food, nodded his thanks and acceptance of herpresent, and then made a more splendid meal than he had knownever since he was a goat-herd. Heidi the while still continued towatch the goats. "Tell me all their names," she said.

Peter knew these by heart, for having very little else to carryin his head he had no difficulty in remembering them. So hebegan, telling Heidi the name of each goat in turn as he pointedit out to her. Heidi listened with great attention, and it wasnot long before she could herself distinguish the goats from oneanother and could call each by name, for every goat had its ownpeculiarities which could not easily be mistaken; only one hadto watch them closely, and this Heidi did. There was the greatTurk with his big horns, who was always wanting to butt theothers, so that most of them ran away when they saw him comingand would have nothing to do with their rough companion. OnlyGreenfinch, the slender nimble little goat, was brave enough toface him, and would make a rush at him, three or four times insuccession, with such agility and dexterity, that the great Turkoften stood still quite astounded not venturing to attack heragain, for Greenfinch was fronting him, prepared for more warlikeaction, and her horns were sharp. Then there was little WhiteSnowflake, who bleated in such a plaintive and beseeching mannerthat Heidi already had several times run to it and taken its headin her hands to comfort it. Just at this moment the pleadingyoung cry was heard again, and Heidi jumped up running and,putting her arms round the little creature's neck, asked in asympathetic voice, "What is it, little Snowflake? Why do you calllike that as if in trouble?" The goat pressed closer to Heidi ina confiding way and left off bleating. Peter called out fromwhere he was sitting—for he had not yet got to the end of hisbread and cheese, "She cries like that because the old goat isnot with her; she was sold at Mayenfeld the day before yesterday,and so will not come up the mountain any more."

"Who is the old goat?" called Heidi back.

"Why, her mother, of course," was the answer.

"Where is the grandmother?" called Heidi again.

"She has none."

"And the grandfather?"

"She has none."

"Oh, you poor little Snowflake!" exclaimed Heidi, clasping theanimal gently to her, "but do not cry like that any more; seenow, I shall come up here with you every day, so that you willnot be alone any more, and if you want anything you have only tocome to me."

The young animal rubbed its head contentedly against Heidi'sshoulder, and no longer gave such plaintive bleats. Peter nowhaving finished his meal joined Heidi and the goats, Heidihaving by this time found out a great many things about these.She had decided that by far the handsomest and best-behaved ofthe goats were undoubtedly the two belonging to her grandfather;they carried themselves with a certain air of distinction andgenerally went their own way, and as to the great Turk theytreated him with indifference and contempt.

The goats were now beginning to climb the rocks again, eachseeking for the plants it liked in its own fashion, some jumpingover everything they met till they found what they wanted,others going more carefully and cropping all the nice leaves bythe way, the Turk still now and then giving the others a pokewith his horns. Little Swan and Little Bear clambered lightly upand never failed to find the best bushes, and then they wouldstand gracefully poised on their pretty legs, delicately nibblingat the leaves. Heidi stood with her hands behind her back,carefully noting all they did.

"Peter," she said to the boy who had again thrown himself downon the ground, "the prettiest of all the goats are Little Swanand Little Bear."

"Yes, I know they are," was the answer. "Alm-Uncle brushes themdown and washes them and gives them salt, and he has the nicestshed for them."

All of a sudden Peter leaped to his feet and ran hastily afterthe goats. Heidi followed him as fast as she could, for she wastoo eager to know what had happened to stay behind. Peter dashedthrough the middle of the flock towards that side of themountain where the rocks fell perpendicularly to a great depthbelow, and where any thoughtless goat, if it went too near, mightfall over and break all its legs. He had caught sight of theinquisitive Greenfinch taking leaps in that direction, and he wasonly just in time, for the animal had already sprung to the edgeof the abyss. All Peter could do was to throw himself down andseize one of her hind legs. Greenfinch, thus taken by surprise,began bleating furiously, angry at being held so fast andprevented from continuing her voyage of discovery. She struggledto get loose, and endeavored so obstinately to leap forward thatPeter shouted to Heidi to come and help him, for he could not getup and was afraid of pulling out the goat's leg altogether.

Heidi had already run up and she saw at once the danger bothPeter and the animal were in. She quickly gathered a bunch ofsweet-smelling leaves, and then, holding them under Greenfinch'snose, said coaxingly, "Come, come, Greenfinch, you must not benaughty! Look, you might fall down there and break your leg, andthat would give you dreadful pain!"

The young animal turned quickly, and began contentedly eatingthe leaves out of Heidi's hand. Meanwhile Peter got on to hisfeet again and took hold of Greenfinch by the band round her neckfrom which her bell was hung, and Heidi taking hold of her in thesame way on the other side, they led the wanderer back to therest of the flock that had remained peacefully feeding. Peter,now he had his goat in safety, lifted his stick in order to giveher a good beating as punishment, and Greenfinch seeing what wascoming shrank back in fear. But Heidi cried out, "No, no, Peter,you must not strike her; see how frightened she is!"

"She deserves it," growled Peter, and again lifted his stick.Then Heidi flung herself against him and cried indignantly, "Youhave no right to touch her, it will hurt her, let her alone!"

Peter looked with surprise at the commanding little figure,whose dark eyes were flashing, and reluctantly he let his stickdrop. "Well I will let her off if you will give me some more ofyour cheese to-morrow," he said, for he was determined to havesomething to make up to him for his fright.

"You shall have it all, to-morrow and every day, I do not wantit," replied Heidi, giving ready consent to his demand. "And Iwill give you bread as well, a large piece like you had to-day;but then you must promise never to beat Greenfinch, orSnowflake, or any of the goats."

"All right," said Peter, "I don't care," which meant that hewould agree to the bargain. He now let go of Greenfinch, whojoyfully sprang to join her companions.

And thus imperceptibly the day had crept on to its close, andnow the sun was on the point of sinking out of sight behind thehigh mountains. Heidi was again sitting on the ground, silentlygazing at the blue bell-shaped flowers, as they glistened in theevening sun, for a golden light lay on the grass and flowers, andthe rocks above were beginning to shine and glow. All at once shesprang to her feet, "Peter! Peter! everything is on fire! Allthe rocks are burning, and the great snow mountain and the sky! Olook, look! the high rock up there is red with flame! O thebeautiful, fiery snow! Stand up, Peter! See, the fire hasreached the great bird's nest! look at the rocks! look at the firtrees! Everything, everything is on fire!"

"It is always like that," said Peter composedly, continuing topeel his stick; "but it is not really fire."

"What is it then?" cried Heidi, as she ran backwards andforwards to look first one side and then the other, for she feltshe could not have enough of such a beautiful sight. "What is it,Peter, what is it?" she repeated.

"It gets like that of itself," explained Peter.

"Look, look!" cried Heidi in fresh excitement, "now they haveturned all rose color! Look at that one covered with snow, andthat with the high, pointed rocks! What do you call them?"

"Mountains have not any names," he answered.

"O how beautiful, look at the crimson snow! And up there on therocks there are ever so many roses! Oh! now they are turninggrey! Oh! oh! now all the color has died away! it's all gone,Peter." And Heidi sat down on the ground looking as full ofdistress as if everything had really come to an end.

"It will come again to-morrow," said Peter. "Get up, we must gohome now." He whistled to his goats and together they allstarted on their homeward way.

"Is it like that every day, shall we see it every day when webring the goats up here?" asked Heidi, as she clambered down themountain at Peter's side; she waited eagerly for his answer,hoping that he would tell her it was so.

"It is like that most days," he replied.

"But will it be like that to-morrow for certain?" Heidipersisted.

"Yes, yes, to-morrow for certain," Peter assured her in answer.

Heidi now felt quite happy again, and her little brain was sofull of new impressions and new thoughts that she did not speakany more until they had reached the hut. The grandfather wassitting under the fir trees, where he had also put up a seat,waiting as usual for his goats which returned down the mountainon this side.

Heidi ran up to him followed by the white and brown goats, forthey knew their own master and stall. Peter called out afterher, "Come with me again to-morrow! Good-night!" For he wasanxious for more than one reason that Heidi should go with himthe next day.

Heidi ran back quickly and gave Peter her hand, promising to gowith him, and then making her way through the goats she oncemore clasped Snowflake round the neck, saying in a gentlesoothing voice, "Sleep well, Snowflake, and remember that I shallbe with you again to-morrow, so you must not bleat so sadly anymore." Snowflake gave her a friendly and grateful look, and thenwent leaping joyfully after the other goats.

Heidi returned to the fir-trees. "O grandfather," she cried,even before she had come up to him, "it was so beautiful. Thefire, and the roses on the rocks, and the blue and yellowflowers, and look what I have brought you!" And opening the apronthat held her flowers she shook them all out at her grandfather'sfeet. But the poor flowers, how changed they were! Heidi hardlyknew them again. They looked like dry bits of hay, not a singlelittle flower cup stood open. "O grandfather, what is the matterwith them?" exclaimed Heidi in shocked surprise, "they were notlike that this morning, why do they look so now?"

"They like to stand out there in the sun and not to be shut upin an apron," said her grandfather.

"Then I will never gather any more. But, grandfather, why didthe great bird go on croaking so?" she continued in an eager toneof inquiry.

"Go along now and get into your bath while I go and get somemilk; when we are together at supper I will tell you all aboutit."

Heidi obeyed, and when later she was sitting on her high stoolbefore her milk bowl with her grandfather beside her, sherepeated her question, "Why does the great bird go on croakingand screaming down at us, grandfather?"

"He is mocking at the people who live down below in thevillages, because they all go huddling and gossiping together,and encourage one another in evil talking and deeds. He callsout, 'If you would separate and each go your own way and come uphere and live on a height as I do, it would be better for you!'"There was almost a wildness in the old man's voice as he spoke,so that Heidi seemed to hear the croaking of the bird again evenmore distinctly.

"Why haven't the mountains any names?" Heidi went on.

"They have names," answered her grandfather, "and if you candescribe one of them to me that I know I will tell you what itis called."

Heidi then described to him the rocky mountain with the two highpeaks so exactly that the grandfather was delighted. "Just so, Iknow it," and he told her its name. "Did you see any other?"

Then Heidi told him of the mountain with the great snow-field,and how it had been on fire, and had turned rosy-red and then allof a sudden had grown quite pale again and all the color haddisappeared.

"I know that one too," he said, giving her its name. "So youenjoyed being out with the goats?"

Then Heidi went on to give him an account of the whole day, andof how delightful it had all been, and particularly describedthe fire that had burst out everywhere in the evening. And thennothing would do but her grandfather must tell how it came, forPeter knew nothing about it.

The grandfather explained to her that it was the sun that didit. "When he says good-night to the mountains he throws his mostbeautiful colors over them, so that they may not forget himbefore he comes again the next day."

Heidi was delighted with this explanation, and could hardly bearto wait for another day to come that she might once more climbup with the goats and see how the sun bid good-night to themountains. But she had to go to bed first, and all night sheslept soundly on her bed of hay, dreaming of nothing but ofshining mountains with red roses all over them, among whichhappy little Snowflake went leaping in and out.

CHAPTER IV. THE VISIT TO GRANDMOTHER

The next morning the sun came out early as bright as ever, andthen Peter appeared with the goats, and again the two childrenclimbed up together to the high meadows, and so it went on dayafter day till Heidi, passing her life thus among the grass andflowers, was burnt brown with the sun, and grew so strong andhealthy that nothing ever ailed her. She was happy too, andlived from day to day as free and lighthearted as the littlebirds that make their home among the green forest trees. Then theautumn came, and the wind blew louder and stronger, and thegrandfather would say sometimes, "To-day you must stay at home,Heidi; a sudden gust of the wind would blow a little thing likeyou over the rocks into the valley below in a moment."

Whenever Peter heard that he must go alone he looked veryunhappy, for he saw nothing but mishaps of all kinds ahead, anddid not know how he should bear the long dull day without Heidi.Then, too, there was the good meal he would miss, and besidesthat the goats on these days were so naughty and obstinate thathe had twice the usual trouble with them, for they had grown soaccustomed to Heidi's presence that they would run in everydirection and refuse to go on unless she was with them. Heidiwas never unhappy, for wherever she was she found something tointerest or amuse her. She liked best, it is true, to go outwith Peter up to the flowers and the great bird, where there wasso much to be seen, and so many experiences to go through amongthe goats with their different characters; but she also found hergrandfather's hammering and sawing and carpentering veryentertaining, and if it should chance to be the day when thelarge round goat's-milk cheese was made she enjoyed beyondmeasure looking on at this wonderful performance, and watchingher grandfather, as with sleeves rolled back, he stirred thegreat cauldron with his bare arms. The thing which attracted hermost, however, was the waving and roaring of the three old firtrees on these windy days. She would run away repeatedly fromwhatever she might be doing, to listen to them, for nothingseemed so strange and wonderful to her as the deep mysterioussound in the tops of the trees. She would stand underneath themand look up, unable to tear herself away, looking and listeningwhile they bowed and swayed and roared as the mighty wind rushedthrough them. There was no longer now the warm bright sun thathad shone all through the summer, so Heidi went to the cupboardand got out her shoes and stockings and dress, for it wasgrowing colder every day, and when Heidi stood under the firtrees the wind blew through her as if she was a thin little leaf,but still she felt she could not stay indoors when she heard thebranches waving outside.

Then it grew very cold, and Peter would come up early in themorning blowing on his fingers to keep them warm. But he soonleft off coming, for one night there was a heavy fall of snowand the next morning the whole mountain was covered with it, andnot a single little green leaf was to be seen anywhere upon it.There was no Peter that day, and Heidi stood at the little windowlooking out in wonderment, for the snow was beginning again, andthe thick flakes kept falling till the snow was up to thewindow, and still they continued to fall, and the snow grewhigher, so that at last the window could not be opened, and sheand her grandfather were shut up fast within the hut. Heidithought this was great fun and ran from one window to the otherto see what would happen next, and whether the snow was going tocover up the whole hut, so that they would have to light a lampalthough it was broad daylight. But things did not get as bad asthat, and the next day, the snow having ceased, the grandfatherwent out and shovelled away the snow round the house, and threwit into such great heaps that they looked like mountains standingat intervals on either side the hut. And now the windows and doorcould be opened, and it was well it was so, for as Heidi and hergrandfather were sitting one afternoon on their three-leggedstools before the fire there came a great thump at the doorfollowed by several others, and then the door opened. It wasPeter, who had made all that noise knocking the snow off hisshoes; he was still white all over with it, for he had had tofight his way through deep snowdrifts, and large lumps of snowthat had frozen upon him still clung to his clothes. He had beendetermined, however, not to be beaten and to climb up to thehut, for it was a week now since he had seen Heidi.

"Good-evening," he said as he came in; then he went and placedhimself as near the fire as he could without saying anotherword, but his whole face was beaming with pleasure at findinghimself there. Heidi looked on in astonishment, for Peter wasbeginning to thaw all over with the warmth, so that he had theappearance of a trickling waterfall.

"Well, General, and how goes it with you?" said the grandfather,"now that you have lost your army you will have to turn to yourpen and pencil."

"Why must he turn to his pen and pencil?" asked Heidiimmediately, full of curiosity.

"During the winter he must go to school," explained hergrandfather, "and learn how to read and write; it's a bit hard,although useful sometimes afterwards. Am I not right, General?"

"Yes, indeed," assented Peter.

Heidi's interest was now thoroughly awakened, and she had somany questions to put to Peter about all that was to be done andseen and heard at school, and the conversation took so long thatPeter had time to get thoroughly dry. Peter had always greatdifficulty in putting his thoughts into words, and he found hisshare of the talk doubly difficult to-day, for by the time he hadan answer ready to one of Heidi's questions she had already puttwo or three more to him, and generally such as required a wholelong sentence in reply.

The grandfather sat without speaking during this conversation,only now and then a twitch of amusement at the corners of hismouth showed that he was listening.

"Well, now, General, you have been under fire for some time andmust want some refreshment, come and join us," he said at last,and as he spoke he rose and went to fetch the supper out of thecupboard, and Heidi pushed the stools to the table. There wasalso now a bench fastened against the wall, for as he was nolonger alone the grandfather had put up seats of various kindshere and there, long enough to hold two persons, for Heidi had away of always keeping close to her grandfather whether he waswalking, sitting or standing. So there was comfortable place forthem all three, and Peter opened his round eyes very wide whenhe saw what a large piece of meat Alm-Uncle gave him on his thickslice of bread. It was a long time since Peter had had anythingso nice to eat. As soon as the pleasant meal was over Peterbegan to get ready for returning home, for it was already growingdark. He had said his "good-night" and his thanks, and was justgoing out, when he turned again and said, "I shall come againnext Sunday, this day week, and grandmother sent word that shewould like you to come and see her one day."

It was quite a new idea to Heidi that she should go and payanybody a visit, and she could not get it out of her head; sothe first thing she said to her grandfather the next day was, "Imust go down to see the grandmother to-day; she will be expectingme."

"The snow is too deep," answered the grandfather, trying to puther off. But Heidi had made up her mind to go, since thegrandmother had sent her that message. She stuck to herintention and not a day passed but what in the course of it shesaid five or six times to her grandfather, "I must certainly goto-day, the grandmother will be waiting for me."

On the fourth day, when with every step one took the groundcrackled with frost and the whole vast field of snow was hard asice, Heidi was sitting on her high stool at dinner with thebright sun shining in upon her through the window, and againrepeated her little speech, "I must certainly go down to see thegrandmother to-day, or else I shall keep her waiting too long."

The grandfather rose from table, climbed up to the hay-loft andbrought down the thick sack that was Heidi's coverlid, and said,"Come along then!" The child skipped out gleefully after himinto the glittering world of snow.

The old fir trees were standing now quite silent, their branchescovered with the white snow, and they looked so lovely as theyglittered and sparkled in the sunlight that Heidi jumped for joyat the sight and kept on calling out, "Come here, come here,grandfather! The fir trees are all silver and gold!" Thegrandfather had gone into the shed and he now came out dragginga large hand-sleigh along with him; inside it was a low seat, andthe sleigh could be pushed forward and guided by the feet of theone who sat upon it with the help of a pole that was fastened tothe side. After he had been taken round the fir trees by Heidithat he might see their beauty from all sides, he got into thesleigh and lifted the child on to his lap; then he wrapped herup in the sack, that she might keep nice and warm, and put hisleft arm closely round her, for it was necessary to hold hertight during the coming journey. He now grasped the pole with hisright hand and gave the sleigh a push forward with his two feet.The sleigh shot down the mountain side with such rapidity thatHeidi thought they were flying through the air like a bird, andshouted aloud with delight. Suddenly they came to a standstill,and there they were at Peter's hut. Her grandfather lifted herout and unwrapped her. "There you are, now go in, and when itbegins to grow dark you must start on your way home again." Thenhe left her and went up the mountain, pulling his sleigh afterhim.

Heidi opened the door of the hut and stepped into a tiny roomthat looked very dark, with a fireplace and a few dishes on awooden shelf; this was the little kitchen. She opened anotherdoor, and now found herself in another small room, for the placewas not a herdsman's hut like her grandfather's, with one largeroom on the ground floor and a hay-loft above, but a very oldcottage, where everything was narrow and poor and shabby. Atable was close to the door, and as Heidi stepped in she saw awoman sitting at it, putting a patch on a waistcoat which Heidirecognised at once as Peter's. In the corner sat an old woman,bent with age, spinning. Heidi was quite sure this was thegrandmother, so she went up to the spinning-wheel and said, "Good-day, grandmother, I have come at last; did you think I was a longtime coming?"

The woman raised her head and felt for the hand that the childheld out to her, and when she found it, she passed her own overit thoughtfully for a few seconds, and then said, "Are you thechild who lives up with Alm-Uncle, are you Heidi?"

"Yes, yes," answered Heidi, "I have just come down in the sleighwith grandfather."

"Is it possible! Why your hands are quite warm! Brigitta, did Alm-
Uncle come himself with the child?"

Peter's mother had left her work and risen from the table andnow stood looking at Heidi with curiosity, scanning her from headto foot. "I do not know, mother, whether Uncle came himself; itis hardly likely, the child probably makes a mistake."

But Heidi looked steadily at the woman, not at all as if in anyuncertainty, and said, "I know quite well who wrapped me in mybedcover and brought me down in the sleigh: it was grandfather."

"There was some truth then perhaps in what Peter used to tell usof Alm-Uncle during the summer, when we thought he must bewrong," said grandmother; "but who would ever have believed thatsuch a thing was possible? I did not think the child would livethree weeks up there. What is she like, Brigitta?"

The latter had so thoroughly examined Heidi on all sides thatshe was well able to describe her to her mother.

"She has Adelaide's slenderness of figure, but her eyes are darkand her hair curly like her father's and the old man's up there:she takes after both of them, I think."

Heidi meanwhile had not been idle; she had made the round of theroom and looked carefully at everything there was to be seen.All of a sudden she exclaimed, "Grandmother, one of your shuttersis flapping backwards and forwards; grandfather would put a nailin and make it all right in a minute, or else it will break oneof the panes some day; look, look, how it keeps on banging!"

"Ah, dear child," said the old woman, "I am not able to see it,but I can hear that and many other things besides the shutter.Everything about the place rattles and creaks when the wind isblowing, and it gets inside through all the cracks and holes.The house is going to pieces, and in the night, when the twoothers are asleep, I often lie awake in fear and trembling,thinking that the whole place will give way and fall and kill us.And there is not a creature to mend anything for us, for Peterdoes not understand such work."

"But why cannot you see, grandmother, that the shutter is loose.Look, there it goes again, see, that one there!" And Heidipointed to the particular shutter.

"Alas, child, it is not only that I cannot see—I can see,nothing, nothing," said the grandmother in a voice oflamentation.

"But if I were to go outside and put back the shutter so thatyou had more light, then you could see, grandmother?"

"No, no, not even then, no one can make it light for me again."

"But if you were to go outside among all the white snow, thensurely you would find it light; just come with me, grandmother,and I will show you." Heidi took hold of the old woman's hand tolead her along, for she was beginning to feel quite distressedat the thought of her being without light.

"Let me be, dear child; it is always dark for me now; whether insnow or sun, no light can penetrate my eyes."

"But surely it does in summer, grandmother," said Heidi, moreand more anxious to find some way out of the trouble, "when thehot sun is shining down again, and he says good-night to themountains, and they all turn on fire, and the yellow flowersshine like gold, then, you will see, it will be bright andbeautiful for you again."

"Ah, child, I shall see the mountains on fire or the yellowflowers no more; it will never be light for me again on earth,never."

At these words Heidi broke into loud crying. In her distress shekept on sobbing out, "Who can make it light for you again? Canno one do it? Isn't there any one who can do it?"

The grandmother now tried to comfort the child, but it was noteasy to quiet her. Heidi did not often weep, but when she didshe could not get over her trouble for a long while. Thegrandmother had tried all means in her power to allay the child'sgrief, for it went to her heart to hear her sobbing so bitterly.At last she said, "Come here, dear Heidi, come and let me tellyou something. You cannot think how glad one is to hear a kindword when one can no longer see, and it is such a pleasure to meto listen to you while you talk. So come and sit beside me andtell me something; tell me what you do up there, and howgrandfather occupies himself. I knew him very well in old days;but for many years now I have heard nothing of him, exceptthrough Peter, who never says much."

This was a new and happy idea to Heidi; she quickly dried hertears and said in a comforting voice, "Wait, grandmother, till Ihave told grandfather everything, he will make it light for youagain, I am sure, and will do something so that the house willnot fall; he will put everything right for you."

The grandmother was silent, and Heidi now began to give her alively description of her life with the grandfather, and of thedays she spent on the mountain with the goats, and then went onto tell her of what she did now during the winter, and how hergrandfather was able to make all sorts of things, seats andstools, and mangers where the hay was put for Little Swan andLittle Bear, besides a new large water-tub for her to bathe inwhen the summer came, and a new milk-bowl and spoon, and Heidigrew more and more animated as she enumerated all the beautifulthings which were made so magically out of pieces of wood; shethen told the grandmother how she stood by him and watched allhe did, and how she hoped some day to be able to make the sameherself.

The grandmother listened with the greatest attention, only fromtime to time addressing her daughter, "Do you hear that,Brigitta? Do you hear what she is saying about Uncle?"

The conversation was all at once interrupted by a heavy thump onthe door, and in marched Peter, who stood stock-still, openinghis eyes with astonishment, when he caught sight of Heidi; thenhis face beamed with smiles as she called out, "Good-evening,Peter."

"What, is the boy back from school already?" exclaimed thegrandmother in surprise. "I have not known an afternoon pass soquickly as this one for years. How is the reading getting on,Peter?"

"Just the same," was Peter's answer.

The old woman gave a little sigh. "Ah, well," she said, "I hopedyou would have something different to tell me by this time, asyou are going to be twelve years old this February."

"What was it that you hoped he would have to tell you?" asked
Heidi, interested in all the grandmother said.

"I mean that he ought to have learnt to read a bit by now,"continued the grandmother. "Up there on the shelf is an oldprayer-book, with beautiful songs in it which I have not heardfor a long time and cannot now remember to repeat to myself, andI hoped that Peter would soon learn enough to be able to readone of them to me sometimes; but he finds it too difficult."

"I must get a light, it is getting too dark to see," saidPeter's mother, who was still busy mending his waistcoat. "I feeltoo as if the afternoon had gone I hardly know how."

Heidi now jumped up from her low chair, and holding out her handhastily to the grandmother said, "Good-night, grandmother, if itis getting dark I must go home at once," and bidding good-bye toPeter and his mother she went towards the door. But thegrandmother called out in an anxious voice, "Wait, wait, Heidi;you must not go alone like that, Peter must go with you; andtake care of the child, Peter, that she does not fall, and don'tlet her stand still for fear she should get frozen, do you hear?Has she got anything warm to put around her throat?"

"I have not anything to put on," called back Heidi, "but I amsure I shall not be cold," and with that she ran outside andwent off at such a pace that Peter had difficulty in overtakingher. The grandmother, still in distress, called out to herdaughter, "Run after her, Brigitta; the child will be frozen todeath on such a night as this; take my shawl, run quickly!"

Brigitta ran out. But the children had taken but a few stepsbefore they saw the grandfather coming down to meet them, and inanother minute his long strides had brought him to their side.

"That's right, Heidi; you have kept your word," said thegrandfather, and then wrapping the sack firmly round her helifted her in his arms and strode off with her up the mountain.Brigitta was just in time to see him do all this, and on herreturn to the hut with Peter expressed her astonishment to thegrandmother. The latter was equally surprised, and kept onsaying, "God be thanked that he is good to the child, God bethanked! Will he let her come to me again, I wonder! the childhas done me so much good. What a loving little heart it is, andhow merrily she tells her tale!" And she continued to dwell withdelight on the thought of the child until she went to bed, stillsaying now and again, "If only she will come again! Now I havereally something left in the world to take pleasure in." AndBrigitta agreed with all her mother said, and Peter nodded hishead in approval each time his grandmother spoke, saying, with abroad smile of satisfaction, "I told you so!"

Meanwhile Heidi was chattering away to her grandfather frominside her sack; her voice, however, could not reach him throughthe many thick folds of her wrap, and as therefore it wasimpossible to understand a word she was saying, he called toher, "Wait till we get home, and then you can tell me all aboutit." They had no sooner got inside the hut than Heidi, havingbeen released from her covering, at once began what she had tosay, "Grandfather, to-morrow we must take the hammer and the longnails and fasten grandmother's shutter, and drive in a lot morenails in other places, for her house shakes and rattles allover."

"We must, must we? who told you that?" asked her grandfather.

"Nobody told me, but I know it for all that," replied Heidi,"for everything is giving way, and when the grandmother cannotsleep, she lies trembling for fear at the noise, for she thinksthat every minute the house will fall down on their heads; andeverything now is dark for grandmother, and she does not thinkany one can make it light for her again, but you will be ableto, I am sure, grandfather. Think how dreadful it is for her tobe always in the dark, and then to be frightened at what mayhappen, and nobody can help her but you. To-morrow we must go andhelp her; we will, won't we, grandfather?"

The child was clinging to the old man and looking up at him intrustful confidence. The grandfather looked down at Heidi for awhile without speaking, and then said, "Yes, Heidi, we will dosomething to stop the rattling, at least we can do that; we willgo down about it to-morrow!"

The child went skipping round the room for joy, crying out, "Weshall go to-morrow! we shall go to-morrow!"

The grandfather kept his promise. On the following afternoon hebrought the sleigh out again, and as on the previous day, he setHeidi down at the door of the grandmother's hut and said, "Go innow, and when it grows dark, come out again." Then he put thesack in the sleigh and went round the house.

Heidi had hardly opened the door and sprung into the room whenthe grandmother called out from her corner, "It's the childagain! here she comes!" and in her delight she let the threaddrop from her fingers, and the wheel stood still as shestretched out both her hands in welcome. Heidi ran to her, andthen quickly drew the little stool close up to the old woman, andseating herself upon it, began to tell and ask her all kinds ofthings. All at once came the sound of heavy blows against thewall of the hut and the grandmother gave such a start of alarmthat she nearly upset the spinning-wheel, and cried in atrembling voice, "Ah, my God, now it is coming, the house isgoing to fall upon us!" But Heidi caught her by the arm, and saidsoothingly, "No, no, grandmother, do not be frightened, it isonly grandfather with his hammer; he is mending up everything, sothat you shan't have such fear and trouble."

"Is it possible! is it really possible! so the dear God has notforgotten us!" exclaimed the grandmother. "Do you hear,Brigitta, what that noise is? Did you hear what the child says?Now, as I listen, I can tell it is a hammer; go outside,Brigitta, and if it is Alm-Uncle, tell him he must come inside amoment that I may thank him."

Brigitta went outside and found Alm-Uncle in the act offastening some heavy pieces of new wood along the wall. Shestepped up to him and said, "Good-evening, Uncle, mother and Ihave to thank you for doing us such a kind service, and she wouldlike to tell you herself how grateful she is; I do not know whoelse would have done it for us; we shall not forget yourkindness, for I am sure—"

"That will do," said the old man, interrupting her.

"I know what you think of Alm-Uncle without your telling me. Goindoors again, I can find out for myself where the mending iswanted."

Brigitta obeyed on the spot, for Uncle had a way with him thatmade few people care to oppose his will. He went on knockingwith his hammer all round the house, and then mounted the narrowsteps to the roof, and hammered away there, until he had used upall the nails he had brought with him. Meanwhile it had beengrowing dark, and he had hardly come down from the roof anddragged the sleigh out from behind the goat-shed when Heidiappeared outside. The grandfather wrapped her up and took her inhis arms as he had done the day before, for although he had todrag the sleigh up the mountain after him, he feared that if thechild sat in it alone her wrappings would fall off and that shewould be nearly if not quite frozen, so he carried her warm andsafe in his arms.

So the winter went by. After many years of joyless life, theblind grandmother had at last found something to make her happy;her days were no longer passed in weariness and darkness, onelike the other without pleasure or change, for now she hadalways something to which she could look forward. She listenedfor the little tripping footstep as soon as day had come, andwhen she heard the door open and knew the child was really there,she would call out, "God be thanked, she has come again!" AndHeidi would sit by her and talk and tell her everything she knewin so lively a manner that the grandmother never noticed how thetime went by, and never now as formerly asked Brigitta, "Isn'tthe day done yet?" but as the child shut the door behind her onleaving, would exclaim, "How short the afternoon has seemed;don't you think so, Brigitta?" And this one would answer, "I doindeed; it seems as if I had only just cleared away the mid-daymeal." And the grandmother would continue, "Pray God the child isnot taken from me, and that Alm-Uncle continues to let her come!Does she look well and strong, Brigitta?" And the latter wouldanswer, "She looks as bright and rosy as an apple."

And Heidi had also grown very fond of the old grandmother, andwhen at last she knew for certain that no one could make itlight for her again, she was overcome with sorrow; but thegrandmother told her again that she felt the darkness much lesswhen Heidi was with her, and so every fine winter's day the childcame travelling down in her sleigh. The grandfather always tookher, never raising any objection, indeed he always carried thehammer and sundry other things down in the sleigh with him, andmany an afternoon was spent by him in making the goatherd'scottage sound and tight. It no longer groaned and rattled thewhole night through, and the grandmother, who for many wintershad not been able to sleep in peace as she did now, said sheshould never forget what the Uncle had done for her.

CHAPTER V. TWO VISITS AND WHAT CAME OF THEM

Quickly the winter passed, and still more quickly the brightglad summer, and now another winter was drawing to its close.Heidi was still as light-hearted and happy as the birds, andlooked forward with more delight each day to the coming spring,when the warm south wind would roar through the fir trees andblow away the snow, and the warm sun would entice the blue andyellow flowers to show their heads, and the long days out on themountain would come again, which seemed to Heidi the greatestjoy that the earth could give. Heidi was now in her eighth year;she had learnt all kinds of useful things from her grandfather;she knew how to look after the goats as well as any one, andLittle Swan and Bear would follow her like two faithful dogs, andgive a loud bleat of pleasure when they heard her voice. Twiceduring the course of this last winter Peter had brought up amessage from the schoolmaster at Dorfli, who sent word to Alm-Uncle that he ought to send Heidi to school, as she was over theusual age, and ought indeed to have gone the winter before. Unclehad sent word back each time that the schoolmaster would find himat home if he had anything he wished to say to him, but that hedid not intend to send Heidi to school, and Peter had faithfullydelivered his message.

When the March sun had melted the snow on the mountain side andthe snowdrops were peeping out all over the valley, and the firtrees had shaken off their burden of snow and were again merrilywaving their branches in the air, Heidi ran backwards andforwards with delight first to the goat-shed then to the fir-trees, and then to the hut-door, in order to let her grandfatherknow how much larger a piece of green there was under the trees,and then would run off to look again, for she could hardly waittill everything was green and the full beautiful summer hadclothed the mountain with grass and flowers. As Heidi was thusrunning about one sunny March morning, and had just jumped overthe water-trough for the tenth time at least, she nearly fellbackwards into it with fright, for there in front of her, lookinggravely at her, stood an old gentleman dressed in black. When hesaw how startled she was, he said in a kind voice, "Don't beafraid of me, for I am very fond of children. Shake hands! Youmust be the Heidi I have heard of; where is your grandfather?"

"He is sitting by the table, making round wooden spoons," Heidiinformed him, as she opened the door.

He was the old village pastor from Dorfli who had been aneighbor of Uncle's when he lived down there, and had known himwell. He stepped inside the hut, and going up to the old man, whowas bending over his work, said, "Good-morning, neighbor."

The grandfather looked up in surprise, and then rising said,"Good-morning" in return. He pushed his chair towards thevisitor as he continued, "If you do not mind a wooden seat thereis one for you."

The pastor sat down. "It is a long time since I have seen you,neighbor," he said.

"Or I you," was the answer.

"I have come to-day to talk over something with you," continuedthe pastor. "I think you know already what it is that hasbrought me here," and as he spoke he looked towards the child whowas standing at the door, gazing with interest and surprise atthe stranger.

"Heidi, go off to the goats," said her grandfather. "You takethem a little salt and stay with them till I come."

Heidi vanished on the spot.

"The child ought to have been at school a year ago, and mostcertainly this last winter," said the pastor. "The schoolmastersent you word about it, but you gave him no answer. What are youthinking of doing with the child, neighbor?"

"I am thinking of not sending her to school," was the answer.

The visitor, surprised, looked across at the old man, who wassitting on his bench with his arms crossed and a determinedexpression about his whole person.

"How are you going to let her grow up then?" he asked.

"I am going to let her grow up and be happy among the goats andbirds; with them she is safe, and will learn nothing evil."

"But the child is not a goat or a bird, she is a human being. Ifshe learns no evil from these comrades of hers, she will at thesame time learn nothing; but she ought not to grow up inignorance, and it is time she began her lessons. I have come nowthat you may have leisure to think over it, and to arrange aboutit during the summer. This is the last winter that she must beallowed to run wild; next winter she must come regularly toschool every day."

"She will do no such thing," said the old man with calmdetermination.

"Do you mean that by no persuasion can you be brought to seereason, and that you intend to stick obstinately to yourdecision?" said the pastor, growing somewhat angry. "You havebeen about the world, and must have seen and learnt much, and Ishould have given you credit for more sense, neighbor."

"Indeed," replied the old man, and there was a tone in his voicethat betrayed a growing irritation on his part too, "and doesthe worthy pastor really mean that he would wish me next winterto send a young child like that some miles down the mountain onice-cold mornings through storm and snow, and let her return atnight when the wind is raging, when even one like ourselveswould run a risk of being blown down by it and buried in thesnow? And perhaps he may not have forgotten the child's mother,Adelaide? She was a sleep-walker, and had fits. Might not thechild be attacked in the same way if obliged to over-exertherself? And some one thinks they can come and force me to sendher? I will go before all the courts of justice in the country,and then we shall see who will force me to do it!"

"You are quite right, neighbor," said the pastor in a friendlytone of voice. "I see it would have been impossible to send thechild to school from here. But I perceive that the child is dearto you; for her sake do what you ought to have done long ago:come down into Dorfli and live again among your fellowmen. Whatsort of a life is this you lead, alone, and with bitter thoughtstowards God and man! If anything were to happen to you up herewho would there be to help you? I cannot think but what you mustbe half-frozen to death in this hut in the winter, and I do notknow how the child lives through it!"

"The child has young blood in her veins and a good roof over herhead, and let me further tell the pastor, that I know where woodis to be found, and when is the proper time to fetch it; thepastor can go and look inside my wood-shed; the fire is neverout in my hut the whole winter through. As to going to live belowthat is far from my thoughts; the people despise me and I them;it is therefore best for all of us that we live apart."

"No, no, it is not best for you; I know what it is you lack,"said the pastor in an earnest voice. "As to the people downthere looking on you with dislike, it is not as bad as you think.Believe me, neighbor; seek to make your peace with God, pray forforgiveness where you need it, and then come and see howdifferently people will look upon you, and how happy you may yetbe."

The pastor had risen and stood holding out his hand to the oldman as he added with renewed earnestness, "I will wager,neighbor, that next winter you will be down among us again, andwe shall be good neighbors as of old. I should be very grievedif any pressure had to be put upon you; give me your hand andpromise me that you will come and live with us again and becomereconciled to God and man."

Alm-Uncle gave the pastor his hand and answered him calmly andfirmly, "You mean well by me I know, but as to that which youwish me to do, I say now what I shall continue to say, that Iwill not send the child to school nor come and live among you."

"Then God help you!" said the pastor, and he turned sadly awayand left the hut and went down the mountain.

Alm-Uncle was out of humor. When Heidi said as usual thatafternoon, "Can we go down to grandmother now?" he answered,"Not to-day." He did not speak again the whole of that day, andthe following morning when Heidi again asked the same question,he replied, "We will see." But before the dinner bowls had beencleared away another visitor arrived, and this time it wasCousin Dete. She had a fine feathered hat on her head, and a longtrailing skirt to her dress which swept the floor, and on thefloor of a goatherd's hut there are all sorts of things that donot belong to a dress.

The grandfather looked her up and down without uttering a word.But Dete was prepared with an exceedingly amiable speech andbegan at once to praise the looks of the child. She was lookingso well she should hardly have known her again, and it wasevident that she had been happy and well-cared for with hergrandfather; but she had never lost sight of the idea of takingthe child back again, for she well understood that the littleone must be much in his way, but she had not been able to do itat first. Day and night, however, she had thought over the meansof placing the child somewhere, and that was why she had come to-day, for she had just heard of something that would be a luckychance for Heidi beyond her most ambitious hopes. Some immenselywealthy relatives of the people she was serving, who had themost splendid house almost in Frankfurt, had an only daughter,young and an invalid, who was always obliged to go about in awheeled chair; she was therefore very much alone and had no oneto share her lessons, and so the little girl felt dull. Herfather had spoken to Dete's mistress about finding a companionfor her, and her mistress was anxious to help in the matter, asshe felt so sympathetic about it. The lady-housekeeper haddescribed the sort of child they wanted, simple-minded andunspoilt, and not like most of the children that one saw now-a-days. Dete had thought at once of Heidi and had gone off withoutdelay to see the lady-housekeeper, and after Dete had given her adescription of Heidi, she had immediately agreed to take her. Andno one could tell what good fortune there might not be in storefor Heidi, for if she was once with these people and they took afancy to her, and anything happened to their own daughter—onecould never tell, the child was so weakly—and they did not feelthey could live without a child, why then the most unheard ofluck—

"Have you nearly finished what you had to say?" broke in Alm-
Uncle, who had allowed her to talk on uninterruptedly so far.

"Ugh!" exclaimed Dete, throwing up her head in disgust, "onewould think I had been talking to you about the most ordinarymatter; why there is not one person in all Prattigau who wouldnot thank God if I were to bring them such a piece of news as Iam bringing you."

"You may take your news to anybody you like, I will have nothingto do with it."

But now Dete leaped up from her seat like a rocket and cried,"If that is all you have to say about it, why then I will giveyou a bit of my mind. The child is now eight years old and knowsnothing, and you will not let her learn. You will not send herto church or school, as I was told down in Dorfli, and she is myown sister's child. I am responsible for what happens to her, andwhen there is such a good opening for a child, as this whichoffers for Heidi, only a person who cares for nobody and neverwishes good to any one would think of not jumping at it. But Iam not going to give in, and that I tell you; I have everybody inDorfli on my side; there is not one person there who will nottake my part against you; and I advise you to think well beforebringing it into court, if that is your intention; there arecertain things which might be brought up against you which youwould not care to hear, for when one has to do with law-courtsthere is a great deal raked up that had been forgotten."

"Be silent!" thundered the Uncle, and his eyes flashed withanger. "Go and be done with you! and never let me see you againwith your hat and feather, and such words on your tongue as youcome with today!" And with that he strode out of the hut.

"You have made grandfather angry," said Heidi, and her dark eyeshad anything but a friendly expression in them as she looked atDete.

"He will soon be all right again; come now," said Detehurriedly, "and show me where your clothes are."

"I am not coming," said Heidi.

"Nonsense," continued Dete; then altering her tone to one half-coaxing, half-cross, "Come, come, you do not understand anybetter than your grandfather; you will have all sorts of goodthings that you never dreamed of." Then she went to the cupboardand taking out Heidi's things rolled them up in a bundle. "Comealong now, there's your hat; it is very shabby but will do forthe present; put it on and let us make haste off."

"I am not coming," repeated Heidi.

"Don't be so stupid and obstinate, like a goat; I suppose it'sfrom the goats you have learnt to be so. Listen to me: you sawyour grandfather was angry and heard what he said, that he didnot wish to see us ever again; he wants you now to go away withme and you must not make him angrier still. You can't think hownice it is at Frankfurt, and what a lot of things you will see,and if you do not like it you can come back again; yourgrandfather will be in a good temper again by that time."

"Can I return at once and be back home again here this evening?"asked Heidi.

"What are you talking about, come along now! I tell you that youcan come back here when you like. To-day we shall go as far asMayenfeld, and early to-morrow we shall start in the train, andthat will bring you home again in no time when you wish it, forit goes as fast as the wind."

Dete had now got the bundle under her arm and the child by thehand, and so they went down the mountain together.

As it was still too early in the year to take his goats out,Peter continued to go to school at Dorfli, but now and again hestole a holiday, for he could see no use in learning to read,while to wander about a bit and look for stout sticks whichmight be wanted some day he thought a far better employment. AsDete and Heidi neared the grandmother's hut they met Peter cominground the corner; he had evidently been well rewarded that dayfor his labors, for he was carrying an immense bundle of longthick hazel sticks on his shoulders. He stood still and staredat the two approaching figures; as they came up to him, heexclaimed, "Where are you going, Heidi?"

"I am only just going over to Frankfurt for a little visit withDete," she replied; "but I must first run in to grandmother, shewill be expecting me."

"No, no, you must not stop to talk; it is already too late,"said Dete, holding Heidi, who was struggling to get away, fast bythe hand. "You can go in when you come back, you must come alongnow," and she pulled the child on with her, fearing that if shelet her go in Heidi might take it into her head again that shedid not wish to come, and that the grandmother might stand byher. Peter ran into the hut and banged against the table withhis bundle of sticks with such violence that everything in theroom shook, and his grandmother leaped up with a cry of alarmfrom her spinning-wheel. Peter had felt that he must give vent tohis feelings somehow.

"What is the matter? What is the matter?" cried the frightenedold woman, while his mother, who had also started up from herseat at the shock, said in her usual patient manner, "What isit, Peter? why do you behave so roughly?"

"Because she is taking Heidi away," explained Peter.

"Who? who? where to, Peter, where to?" asked the grandmother,growing still more agitated; but even as she spoke she guessedwhat had happened, for Brigitta had told her shortly before thatshe had seen Dete going up to Alm-Uncle. The old woman rosehastily and with trembling hands opened the window and calledout beseechingly, "Dete, Dete, do not take the child away fromus! do not take her away!"

The two who were hastening down the mountain heard her voice,and Dete evidently caught the words, for she grasped Heidi's handmore firmly. Heidi struggled to get free, crying, "Grandmotheris calling, I must go to her."

But Dete had no intention of letting the child go, and quietedher as best she could; they must make haste now, she said, orthey would be too late and not able to go on the next day toFrankfurt, and there the child would see how delightful it was,and Dete was sure would not wish to go back when she was oncethere. But if Heidi wanted to return home she could do so atonce, and then she could take something she liked back tograndmother. This was a new idea to Heidi, and it pleased her somuch that Dete had no longer any difficulty in getting heralong.

After a few minutes' silence, Heidi asked, "What could I takeback to her?"

"We must think of something nice," answered Dete; "a soft rollof white bread; she would enjoy that, for now she is old she canhardly eat the hard, black bread."

"No, she always gives it back to Peter, telling him it is toohard, for I have seen her do it myself," affirmed Heidi. "Do letus make haste, for then perhaps we can get back soon fromFrankfurt, and I shall be able to give her the white bread to-day." And Heidi started off running so fast that Dete with thebundle under her arm could scarcely keep up with her. But shewas glad, nevertheless, to get along so quickly, for they werenearing Dorfli, where her friends would probably talk andquestion in a way that might put other ideas into Heidi's head.So she went on straight ahead through the village, holding Heiditightly by the hand, so that they might all see that it was onthe child's account she was hurrying along at such a rate. Toall their questions and remarks she made answer as she passed "Ican't stop now, as you see, I must make haste with the child aswe have yet some way to go."

"Are you taking her away?" "Is she running away from Alm-Uncle?""It's a wonder she is still alive!" "But what rosy cheeks shehas!" Such were the words which rang out on all sides, and Detewas thankful that she had not to stop and give any distinctanswers to them, while Heidi hurried eagerly forward withoutsaying a word.

From that day forward Alm-Uncle looked fiercer and moreforbidding than ever when he came down and passed throughDorfli. He spoke to no one, and looked such an ogre as he camealong with his pack of cheeses on his back, his immense stick inhis hand, and his thick, frowning eyebrows, that the women wouldcall to their little ones, "Take care! get out of Alm-Uncle's wayor he may hurt you!"

The old man took no notice of anybody as he strode through thevillage on his way to the valley below, where he sold hischeeses and bought what bread and meat he wanted for himself.After he had passed the villagers all crowded together lookingafter him, and each had something to say about him; how muchwilder he looked than usual, how now he would not even respond toanybody's greeting, while they all agreed that it was a greatmercy the child had got away from him, and had they not allnoticed how the child had hurried along as if afraid that hergrandfather might be following to take her back? Only the blindgrandmother would have nothing to say against him, and told thosewho came to her to bring her work, or take away what she hadspun, how kind and thoughtful he had been with the child, howgood to her and her daughter, and how many afternoons he hadspent mending the house which, but for his help, would certainlyby this time have fallen down over their heads. And all this wasrepeated down in Dorfli; but most of the people who heard it saidthat grandmother was too old to understand, and very likely hadnot heard rightly what was said; as she was blind she wasprobably also deaf.

Alm-Uncle went no more now to the grandmother's house, and itwas well that he had made it so safe, for it was not touchedagain for a long time. The days were sad again now for the oldblind woman, and not one passed but what she would murmurcomplainingly, "Alas! all our happiness and pleasure have gonewith the child, and now the days are so long and dreary! PrayGod, I see Heidi again once more before I die!"

CHAPTER VI. A NEW CHAPTER ABOUT NEW THINGS

In her home at Frankfurt, Clara, the little daughter of HerrSesemann, was lying on the invalid couch on which she spent herwhole day, being wheeled in it from room to room. Just now shewas in what was known as the study, where, to judge by thevarious things standing and lying about, which added to the cosyappearance of the room, the family was fond of sitting. Ahandsome bookcase with glass doors explained why it was calledthe study, and here evidently the little girl was accustomed tohave her lessons.

Clara's little face was thin and pale, and at this moment hertwo soft blue eyes were fixed on the clock, which seemed to herto go very slowly this day, and with a slight accent ofimpatience, which was very rare with her, she asked, "Isn't ittime yet, Fraulein Rottenmeier?"

This lady was sitting very upright at a small work-table, busywith her embroidery. She had on a mysterious-looking loosegarment, a large collar or shoulder-cape that gave a certainsolemnity to her appearance, which was enhanced by a very loftydome-shaped head dress. For many years past, since the mistressof the house had died, the housekeeping and the superintendenceof the servants had been entrusted by Herr Sesemann to FrauleinRottenmeier. He himself was often away from home, and he lefther in sole charge, with the condition only that his littledaughter should have a voice in all matters, and that nothingshould be done against her wish.

As Clara was putting her impatient question for the second time,Dete and Heidi arrived at the front door, and the formerinquired of the coachman, who had just got down from his box, ifit was too late to see Fraulein Rottenmeier.

"That's not my business," grumbled the coachman; "ring the bellin the hall for Sebastian."

Dete did so, and Sebastian came downstairs; he looked astonishedwhen he saw her, opening his eyes till they were nearly as bigas the large round buttons on his coat.

"Is it too late for me to see Fraulein Rottenmeier?" Dete askedagain.

"That's not my business," answered the man; "ring that otherbell for the maid Tinette," and without troubling himself anyfarther Sebastian disappeared.

Dete rang again. This time Tinette appeared with a spotlesswhite cap perched on the top of her head and a mocking expressionof face.

"What is it?" she called from the top of the stairs. Deterepeated her question. Tinette disappeared, but soon came backand called down again to Dete, "Come up, she is expecting you."

Dete and Heidi went upstairs and into the study, Tinettefollowing. Dete remained standing politely near the door, stillholding Heidi tightly by the hand, for she did not know what thechild might take it into her head to do amid these newsurroundings.

Fraulein Rottenmeier rose slowly and went up to the little newcompanion for the daughter of the house, to see what she waslike. She did not seem very pleased with her appearance. Heidiwas dressed in her plain little woollen frock, and her hat wasan old straw one bent out of shape. The child looked innocentlyout from beneath it, gazing with unconcealed astonishment at thelady's towering head dress.

"What is your name?" asked Fraulein Rottenmeier, afterscrutinisingly examining the child for some minutes, while Heidiin return kept her eyes steadily fixed upon the lady.

"Heidi," she answered in a clear, ringing voice.

"What? what? that's no Christian name for a child; you were notchristened that. What name did they give you when you werebaptized?" continued Fraulein Rottenmeier.

"I do not remember," replied Heidi.

"What a way to answer!" said the lady, shaking her head. "Dete,is the child a simpleton or only saucy?"

"If the lady will allow me, I will speak for the child, for sheis very unaccustomed to strangers," said Dete, who had givenHeidi a silent poke for making such an unsuitable answer. "Sheis certainly not stupid nor yet saucy, she does not know what itmeans even; she speaks exactly as she thinks. To-day she is forthe first time in a gentleman's house and she does not know goodmanners; but she is docile and very willing to learn, if thelady will kindly make excuses for her. She was christenedAdelaide, after her mother, my sister, who is now dead."

"Well, that's a name that one can pronounce," remarked FrauleinRottenmeier. "But I must tell you, Dete, that I am astonished tosee so young a child. I told you that I wanted a companion ofthe same age as the young lady of the house, one who could shareher lessons, and all her other occupations. Fraulein Clara is nowover twelve; what age is this child?"

"If the lady will allow me," began Dete again, in her usualfluent manner, "I myself had lost count of her exact age; she iscertainly a little younger, but not much; I cannot sayprecisely, but I think she is ten, or thereabouts."

"Grandfather told me I was eight," put in Heidi. Dete gave heranother poke, but as the child had not the least idea why shedid so she was not at all confused.

"What—only eight!" cried Fraulein Rottenmeier angrily. "Fouryears too young! Of what use is such a child! And what have youlearnt? What books did you have to learn from?"

"None," said Heidi.

"How? what? How then did you learn to read?" continued the lady.

"I have never learnt to read, or Peter either," Heidi informedher.

"Mercy upon us! you do not know how to read! Is it really so?"exclaimed Fraulein Rottenmeier, greatly horrified. "Is itpossible—not able to read? What have you learnt then?"

"Nothing," said Heidi with unflinching truthfulness.

"Young woman," said the lady to Dete, after having paused for aminute or two to recover from her shock, "this is not at all thesort of companion you led me to suppose; how could you think ofbringing me a child like this?"

But Dete was not to be put down so easily, and answered warmly,"If the lady will allow me, the child is exactly what I thoughtshe required; the lady described what she wished for, a childunlike all other children, and I could find no other to suit,for the greater number I know are not peculiar, but one very muchthe same as the other, and I thought this child seemed as if madefor the place. But I must go now, for my mistress will be waitingfor me; if the lady will permit I will come again soon and seehow she is getting on." And with a bow Dete quickly left the roomand ran downstairs. Fraulein Rottenmeier stood for a moment takenaback and then ran after Dete. If the child was to stop she hadmany things yet to say and ask about her, and there the childwas, and what was more, Dete, as she plainly saw, meant to leaveher there.

Heidi remained by the door where she had been standing since shefirst came in. Clara had looked on during the interview withoutspeaking; now she beckoned to Heidi and said, "Come here!"

Heidi went up to her.

"Would you rather be called Heidi or Adelaide?" asked Clara.

"I am never called anything but Heidi," was the child's promptanswer.

"Then I shall always call you by that name," said Clara, "itsuits you. I have never heard it before, but neither have I everseen a child like you before. Have you always had that shortcurly hair?"

"Yes, I think so," said Heidi.

"Are you pleased to come to Frankfurt?" went on Clara.

"No, but I shall go home to-morrow and take grandmother a whiteloaf," explained Heidi.

"Well, you are a funny child!" exclaimed Clara. "You wereexpressly sent for to come here and to remain with me and sharemy lessons; there will be some fun about them now as you cannotread, something new to do, for often they are dreadfully dull,and I think the morning will never pass away. You know my tutorcomes every morning at about ten o'clock, and then we go on withlessons till two, and it does seem such a long time. Sometimeshe takes up the book and holds it close up to his face, as if hewas very short-sighted, but I know it's only because he wants sodreadfully to gape, and Fraulein Rottenmeier takes her largehandkerchief out also now and then and covers her face with it,as if she was moved by what we had been reading, but that isonly because she is longing to gape too. And I myself often wantto gape, but I am obliged to stop myself, for if FrauleinRottenmeier sees me gaping she runs off at once and fetches thecod-liver oil and says I must have a dose, as I am getting weakagain, and the cod-liver oil is horrible, so I do my best not togape. But now it will be much more amusing, for I shall be ableto lie and listen while you learn to read."

Heidi shook her head doubtfully when she heard of learning toread.

"Oh, nonsense, Heidi, of course you must learn to read,everybody must, and my tutor is very kind, and never cross, andhe will explain everything to you. But mind, when he explainsanything to you, you won't be able to understand; but don't askany questions, or else he will go on explaining and you willunderstand less than ever. Later when you have learnt more andknow about things yourself, then you will begin to understandwhat he meant."

Fraulein Rottenmeier now came back into the room; she had notbeen able to overtake Dete, and was evidently very much put out;for she had wanted to go into more details concerning the child,and to convince Dete how misleading she had been, and how unfitHeidi was as a companion for Clara; she really did not know whatto be about, or how to undo the mischief, and it made her allthe more angry that she herself was responsible for it, havingconsented to Heidi being fetched. She ran backwards and forwardsin a state of agitation between the study and the dining-room,and then began scolding Sebastian, who was standing looking atthe table he had just finished laying to see that nothing wasmissing.

"You can finish your thoughts to-morrow morning; make haste, orwe shall get no dinner to-day at all."

Then hurrying out she called Tinette, but in such an ill-tempered voice that the maid came tripping forward with even moremincing steps than usual, but she looked so pert that evenFraulein Rottenmeier did not venture to scold her, which onlymade her suppressed anger the greater.

"See that the room is prepared for the little girl who has justarrived," said the lady, with a violent effort at self-control."Everything is ready; it only wants dusting."

"It's worth my troubling about," said Tinette mockingly as sheturned away.

Meanwhile Sebastian had flung open the folding doors leadinginto the dining-room with rather more noise than he need, for hewas feeling furious, although he did not dare answer back whenFraulein Rottenmeier spoke to him; he then went up to Clara'schair to wheel her into the next room. As he was arranging thehandle at the back preparatory to doing so, Heidi went near andstood staring at him. Seeing her eyes fixed upon him, hesuddenly growled out, "Well, what is there in me to stare at likethat?" which he would certainly not have done if he had beenaware that Fraulein Rottenmeier was just then entering the room."You look so like Peter," answered Heidi. The lady-housekeeperclasped her hands in horror. "Is it possible!" she stammered half-aloud, "she is now addressing the servant as if he were a friend!I never could have imagined such a child!"

Sebastian wheeled the couch into the dining-room and helpedClara on to her chair. Fraulein Rottenmeier took the seat besideher and made a sign to Heidi to take the one opposite. They werethe only three at table, and as they sat far apart there wasplenty of room for Sebastian to hand his dishes. Beside Heidi'splate lay a nice white roll, and her eyes lighted up withpleasure as she saw it. The resemblance which Heidi had noticedhad evidently awakened in her a feeling of confidence towardsSebastian, for she sat as still as a mouse and without movinguntil he came up to her side and handed her the dish of fish;then she looked at the roll and asked, "Can I have it?" Sebastiannodded, throwing a side glance at Fraulein Rottenmeier to seewhat effect this request would have upon her. Heidi immediatelyseized the roll and put it in her pocket. Sebastian's face becameconvulsed, he was overcome with inward laughter but knew hisplace too well to laugh aloud. Mute and motionless he stillremained standing beside Heidi; it was not his duty to speak, norto move away until she had helped herself. Heidi lookedwonderingly at him for a minute or two, and then said, "Am I toeat some of that too?" Sebastian nodded again. "Give me somethen," she said, looking calmly at her plate. At this Sebastian'scommand of his countenance became doubtful, and the dish began totremble suspiciously in his hands.

"You can put the dish on the table and come back presently,"said Fraulein Rottenmeier with a severe expression of face.Sebastian disappeared on the spot. "As for you, Adelaide, I see Ishall have to teach you the first rules of behavior," continuedthe lady-housekeeper with a sigh. "I will begin by explaining toyou how you are to conduct yourself at table," and she went on togive Heidi minute instructions as to all she was to do. "Andnow," she continued, "I must make you particularly understandthat you are not to speak to Sebastian at table, or at any othertime, unless you have an order to give him, or a necessaryquestion to put to him; and then you are not to address him asif he was some one belonging to you. Never let me hear you speakto him in that way again! It is the same with Tinette, and formyself you are to address me as you hear others doing. Claramust herself decide what you are to call her."

"Why, Clara, of course," put the latter. Then followed a longlist of rules as to general behavior, getting up and going tobed, going in and out of the room, shutting the doors, keepingeverything tidy, during the course of which Heidi's eyesgradually closed, for she had been up before five o'clock thatmorning and had had a long journey. She leant back in her chairand fell fast asleep. Fraulein Rottenmeier having at last cometo the end of her sermonizing said, "Now remember what I havesaid, Adelaide! Have you understood it all?"

"Heidi has been asleep for ever so long," said Clara, her facerippling all over with amusement, for she had not had such anentertaining dinner for a long time.

"It is really insupportable what one has to go through with thischild," exclaimed Fraulein Rottenmeier, in great indignation,and she rang the bell so violently that Tinette and Sebastianboth came running in and nearly tumbling over one another; but nonoise was sufficient to wake Heidi, and it was with difficultythey could rouse her sufficiently to get her along to herbedroom, to reach which she had to pass first through the study,then through Clara's bedroom, then through Fraulein Rottenmeier'ssitting-room, till she came to the corner room that had been setapart for her.

CHAPTER VII. FRAULEIN ROTTENMEIER SPENDS AN UNCOMFORTABLE DAY

When Heidi opened her eyes on her first morning in Frankfurt shecould not think where she was. Then she rubbed them and lookedabout her. She was sitting up in a high white bed, on one sideof a large, wide room, into which the light was falling throughvery, very long white curtains; near the window stood two chairscovered with large flowers, and then came a sofa with the sameflowers, in front of which was a round table; in the corner wasa washstand, with things upon it that Heidi had never seen in herlife before. But now all at once she remembered that she was inFrankfurt; everything that had happened the day before came backto her, and finally she recalled clearly the instructions thathad been given her by the lady-housekeeper, as far as she hadheard them. Heidi jumped out of bed and dressed herself; thenshe ran first to one window and then another; she wanted to seethe sky and country outside; she felt like a bird in a cagebehind those great curtains. But they were too heavy for her toput aside, so she crept underneath them to get to the window. Butthese again were so high that she could only just get her headabove the sill to peer out. Even then she could not see what shelonged for. In vain she went first to one and then the other ofthe windows—she could see nothing but walls and windows andagain walls and windows. Heidi felt quite frightened. It wasstill early, for Heidi was accustomed to get up early and runout at once to see how everything was looking, if the sky wasblue and if the sun was already above the mountains, or if thefir trees were waving and the flowers had opened their eyes. As abird, when it first finds itself in its bright new cage, dartshither and thither, trying the bars in turn to see if it cannotget through them and fly again into the open, so Heidi continuedto run backwards and forwards, trying to open first one and thenthe other of the windows, for she felt she could not bear to seenothing but walls and windows, and somewhere outside there mustbe the green grass, and the last unmelted snows on the mountainslopes, which Heidi so longed to see. But the windows remainedimmovable, try what Heidi would to open them, even endeavoringto push her little fingers under them to lift them up; but it wasall no use. When after a while Heidi saw that her efforts werefruitless, she gave up trying, and began to think whether shewould not go out and round the house till she came to the grass,but then she remembered that the night before she had only seenstones in front of the house. At that moment a knock came to thedoor, and immediately after Tinette put her head inside andsaid, "Breakfast is ready." Heidi had no idea what an invitationso worded meant, and Tinette's face did not encourage anyquestioning on Heidi's part, but rather the reverse. Heidi wassharp enough to read its expression, and acted accordingly. Soshe drew the little stool out from under the table, put it inthe corner and sat down upon it, and there silently awaited whatwould happen next. Shortly after, with a good deal of rustlingand bustling Fraulein Rottenmeier appeared, who again seemedvery much put out and called to Heidi, "What is the matter withyou, Adelheid? Don't you understand what breakfast is? Come alongat once!"

Heidi had no difficulty in understanding now and followed atonce. Clara had been some time at the breakfast table and shegave Heidi a kindly greeting, her face looking considerably morecheerful than usual, for she looked forward to all kinds of newthings happening again that day. Breakfast passed off quietly;Heidi ate her bread and butter in a perfectly correct manner,and when the meal was over and Clara wheeled back into the study,Fraulein Rottenmeier told her to follow and remain with Clarauntil the tutor should arrive and lessons begin.

As soon as the children were alone again, Heidi asked, "How canone see out from here, and look right down on to the ground?"

"You must open the window and look out," replied Clara amused.

"But the windows won't open," responded Heidi sadly.

"Yes, they will," Clara assured her. "You cannot open them, norI either, but when you see Sebastian you can ask him to openone."

It was a great relief to Heidi to know that the windows could beopened and that one could look out, for she still felt as if shewas shut up in prison. Clara now began to ask her questionsabout her home, and Heidi was delighted to tell her all about themountain and the goats, and the flowery meadows which were sodear to her.

Meanwhile her tutor had arrived; Fraulein Rottenmeier, however,did not bring him straight into the study but drew him firstaside into the dining-room, where she poured forth her troublesand explained to him the awkward position in which she wasplaced, and how it had all come about. It appeared that she hadwritten some time back to Herr Sesemann to tell him that hisdaughter very much wished to have a companion, and had added howdesirable she thought it herself, as it would be a spur to Claraat her lessons and an amusement for her in her playtime.Fraulein Rottenmeier had privately wished for this arrangement onher own behalf, as it would relieve her from having always toentertain the sick girl herself, which she felt at times was toomuch for her. The father had answered that he was quite willingto let his daughter have a companion, provided she was treated inevery way like his own child, as he would not have any childtormented or put upon, "which was a very unnecessary remark," putin Fraulein Rottenmeier, "for who wants to torment children!" Butnow she went on to explain how dreadfully she had been taken inabout the child, and related all the unimaginable things of whichshe had already been guilty, so that not only would he have tobegin with teaching her the A B C, but would have to start withthe most rudimentary instruction as regarded everything to dowith daily life. She could see only one way out of thisdisastrous state of affairs, and that was for the tutor todeclare that it was impossible for the two to learn togetherwithout detriment to Clara, who was so far ahead of the other;that would be a valid excuse for getting rid of the child, andHerr Sesemann would be sure to agree to the child being sent homeagain, but she dared not do this without his order, since he wasaware that by this time the companion had arrived. But the tutorwas a cautious man and not inclined to take a partial view ofmatters. He tried to calm Fraulein Rottenmeier, and gave it ashis opinion that if the little girl was backward in some thingsshe was probably advanced in others, and a little regularteaching would soon set the balance right. When FrauleinRottenmeier saw that he was not ready to support her, andevidently quite ready to undertake teaching the alphabet, sheopened the study door, which she quickly shut again as soon as hehad gone through, remaining on the other side herself, for shehad a perfect horror of the A B C. She walked up and down thedining-room, thinking over in her own mind how the servants wereto be told to address Adelaide. The father had written that shewas to be treated exactly like his own daughter, and this wouldespecially refer, she imagined, to the servants. She was notallowed, however, a very long interval of time for consideration,for suddenly the sound of a frightful crash was heard in thestudy, followed by frantic cries for Sebastian. She rushed intothe room. There on the floor lay in a confused heap, books,exercise-books, inkstand, and other articles with the table-clothon the top, while from beneath them a dark stream of ink wasflowing all across the floor. Heidi had disappeared.

"Here's a state of things!" exclaimed Fraulein Rottenmeier,wringing her hands. "Table-cloth, books, work-basket, everythinglying in the ink! It was that unfortunate child, I suppose!"

The tutor was standing looking down at the havoc in distress;there was certainly only one view to be taken of such a matteras this and that an unfavorable one. Clara meanwhile appeared tofind pleasure in such an unusual event and in watching theresults. "Yes, Heidi did it," she explained, "but quite byaccident; she must on no account be punished; she jumped up insuch violent haste to get away that she dragged the tableclothalong with her, and so everything went over. There were a numberof vehicles passing, that is why she rushed off like that;perhaps she has never seen a carriage."

"Is it not as I said? She has not the smallest notion aboutanything! not the slightest idea that she ought to sit still andlisten while her lessons are going on. But where is the childwho has caused all this trouble? Surely she has not run away!What would Herr Sesemann say to me?" She ran out of the room anddown the stairs. There, at the bottom, standing in the open door-way, was Heidi, looking in amazement up and down the street.

"What are you doing? What are you thinking of to run away likethat?" called Fraulein Rottenmeier.

"I heard the sound of the fir trees, but I cannot see where theyare, and now I cannot hear them any more," answered Heidi,looking disappointedly in the direction whence the noise of thepassing carriages had reached her, and which to Heidi had seemedlike the blowing of the south wind in the trees, so that ingreat joy of heart she had rushed out to look at them.

"Fir trees! do you suppose we are in a wood? What ridiculousideas are these? Come upstairs and see the mischief you havedone!"

Heidi turned and followed Fraulein Rottenmeier upstairs; she wasquite astonished to see the disaster she had caused, for in herjoy and haste to get to the fir trees she had been unaware ofhaving dragged everything after her.

"I excuse you doing this as it is the first time, but do not letme know you doing it a second time," said Fraulein Rottenmeier,pointing to the floor. "During your lesson time you are to sitstill and attend. If you cannot do this I shall have to tie youto your chair. Do you understand?"

"Yes," replied Heidi, "but I will certainly not move again," fornow she understood that it was a rule to sit still while she wasbeing taught.

Sebastian and Tinette were now sent for to clear up the brokenarticles and put things in order again; the tutor said good-morning and left, as it was impossible to do any more lessonsthat day; there had been certainly no time for gaping thismorning.

Clara had to rest for a certain time during the afternoon, andduring this interval, as Fraulein Rottenmeier informed Heidi,the latter might amuse herself as she liked. When Clara had beenplaced on her couch after dinner, and the lady-housekeeper hadretired to her room, Heidi knew that her time had come to chooseher own occupation. It was just what she was longing for, asthere was something she had made up her mind to do; but shewould require some help for its accomplishment, and in view ofthis she took her stand in the hall in front of the dining-roomdoor in order to intercept the person she wanted. In a fewminutes up came Sebastian from the kitchen with a tray of silvertea-things, which he had to put away in the dining-room cupboard.As he reached the top stairs Heidi went up to him and addressedhim in the formal manner she had been ordered to use by FrauleinRottenmeier.

Sebastian looked surprised and said somewhat curtly, "What is ityou want, miss?"

"I only wished to ask you something, but it is nothing bad likethis morning," said Heidi, anxious to conciliate him, for shesaw that Sebastian was rather in a cross temper, and quitethought that it was on account of the ink she had spilt on thefloor.

"Indeed, and why, I should first like to know, do you address melike that?" replied Sebastian, evidently still put out.

"Fraulein Rottenmeier told me always to speak to you like that,"said Heidi.

Then Sebastian laughed, which very much astonished Heidi, whohad seen nothing amusing in the conversation, but Sebastian, nowhe understood that the child was only obeying orders, added in afriendly voice, "What is it then that miss wants?"

It was now Heidi's turn to be a little put out, and she said,
"My name is not miss, it is Heidi."

"Quite so, but the same lady has ordered me to call you miss,"explained Sebastian.

"Has she? oh, then I must be called so," said Heidisubmissively, for she had already noticed that whatever FrauleinRottenmeier said was law. "Then now I have three names," sheadded with a sigh.

"What was it little miss wished to ask?" said Sebastian as hewent on into the dining-room to put away his silver.

"How can a window be opened?"

"Why, like that!" and Sebastian flung up one of the largewindows.

Heidi ran to it, but she was not tall enough to see out, for herhead only reached the sill.

"There, now miss can look out and see what is going on below,"said Sebastian as he brought her a high wooden stool to standon.

Heidi climbed up, and at last, as she thought, was going to seewhat she had been longing for. But she drew back her head with alook of great disappointment on her face.

"Why, there is nothing outside but the stony streets," she saidmournfully; "but if I went right round to the other side of thehouse what should I see there, Sebastian?"

"Nothing but what you see here," he told her.

"Then where can I go to see right away over the whole valley?"

"You would have to climb to the top of a high tower, a churchtower, like that one over there with the gold ball above it.From there you can see right away ever so far."

Heidi climbed down quickly from her stool, ran to the door, downthe steps and out into the street. Things were not, however,quite so easy as she thought. Looking from the window the towerhad appeared so close that she imagined she had only to run overthe road to reach it. But now, although she ran along the wholelength of the street, she still did not get any nearer to it,and indeed soon lost sight of it altogether; she turned downanother street, and went on and on, but still no tower. Shepassed a great many people, but they all seemed in such a hurrythat Heidi thought they had not time to tell her which way to go.Then suddenly at one of the street corners she saw a boystanding, carrying a hand-organ on his back and a funny-lookinganimal on his arm. Heidi ran up to him and said, "Where is thetower with the gold ball on the top?"

"I don't know," was the answer.

"Who can I ask to show me?" she asked again.

"I don't know."

"Do you know any other church with a high tower?"

"Yes, I know one."

"Come then and show it me."

"Show me first what you will give me for it," and the boy heldout his hand as he spoke. Heidi searched about in her pocketsand presently drew out a card on which was painted a garland ofbeautiful red roses; she looked at it first for a moment or two,for she felt rather sorry to part with it; Clara had only thatmorning made her a present of it—but then, to look down intothe valley and see all the lovely green slopes! "There," saidHeidi, holding out the card, "would you like to have that?"

The boy drew back his hand and shook his head.

"What would you like then?" asked Heidi, not sorry to put thecard back in her pocket.

"Money."

"I have none, but Clara has; I am sure she will give me some;how much do you want?"

"Twopence."

"Come along then."

They started off together along the street, and on the way Heidiasked her companion what he was carrying on his back; it was ahand-organ, he told her, which played beautiful music when heturned the handle. All at once they found themselves in front ofan old church with a high tower; the boy stood still, and said,"There it is."

"But how shall I get inside?" asked Heidi, looking at the fastclosed doors.

"I don't know," was the answer.

"Do you think that I can ring as they do for Sebastian?"

"I don't know."

Heidi had by this time caught sight of a bell in the wall whichshe now pulled with all her might. "If I go up you must staydown here, for I do not know the way back, and you will have toshow me."

"What will you give me then for that?"

"What do you want me to give you?"

"Another twopence."

They heard the key turning inside, and then some one pulled openthe heavy creaking door; an old man came out and at first lookedwith surprise and then in anger at the children, as he beganscolding them: "What do you mean by ringing me down like this?Can't you read what is written over the bell, 'For those whowish to go up the tower'?"

The boy said nothing but pointed his finger at Heidi. The latteranswered, "But I do want to go up the tower."

"What do you want up there?" said the old man. "Has somebodysent you?"

"No," replied Heidi, "I only wanted to go up that I might lookdown."

"Get along home with you and don't try this trick on me again,or you may not come off so easily a second time," and with thathe turned and was about to shut the door. But Heidi took hold ofhis coat and said beseechingly, "Let me go up, just once."

He looked around, and his mood changed as he saw her pleadingeyes; he took hold of her hand and said kindly, "Well, if youreally wish it so much, I will take you."

The boy sat down on the church steps to show that he was contentto wait where he was.

Hand in hand with the old man Heidi went up the many steps ofthe tower; they became smaller and smaller as they neared thetop, and at last came one very narrow one, and there they were atthe end of their climb. The old man lifted Heidi up that shemight look out of the open window.

"There, now you can look down," he said.

Heidi saw beneath her a sea of roofs, towers, and chimney-pots;she quickly drew back her head and said in a sad, disappointedvoice, "It is not at all what I thought."

"You see now, a child like you does not understand anythingabout a view! Come along down and don't go ringing at my bellagain!"

He lifted her down and went on before her down the narrowstairway. To the left of the turn where it grew wider stood thedoor of the tower-keeper's room, and the landing ran out besideit to the edge of the steep slanting roof. At the far end ofthis was a large basket, in front of which sat a big grey cat,that snarled as it saw them, for she wished to warn the passers-by that they were not to meddle with her family. Heidi stoodstill and looked at her in astonishment, for she had never seensuch a monster cat before; there were whole armies of mice,however, in the old tower, so the cat had no difficulty incatching half a dozen for her dinner every day. The old manseeing Heidi so struck with admiration said, "She will not hurtyou while I am near; come, you can have a peep at the kittens."

Heidi went up to the basket and broke out into expressions ofdelight.

"Oh, the sweet little things! the darling kittens," she kept onsaying, as she jumped from side to side of the basket so as, notto lose any of the droll gambols of the seven or eight littlekittens that were scrambling and rolling and falling over oneanother.

"Would you like to have one?" said the old man, who enjoyedwatching the child's pleasure.

"For myself to keep?" said Heidi excitedly, who could hardlybelieve such happiness was to be hers.

"Yes, of course, more than one if you like—in short, you cantake away the whole lot if you have room for them," for the oldman was only too glad to think he could get rid of his kittenswithout more trouble.

Heidi could hardly contain herself for joy. There would beplenty of room for them in the large house, and then howastonished and delighted Clara would be when she saw the sweetlittle kittens.

"But how can I take them with me?" asked Heidi, and was goingquickly to see how many she could carry away in her hands, whenthe old cat sprang at her so fiercely that she shrank back infear.

"I will take them for you if you will tell me where," said theold man, stroking the cat to quiet her, for she was an oldfriend of his that had lived with him in the tower for manyyears.

"To Herr Sesemann's, the big house where there is a gold dog'shead on the door, with a ring in its mouth," explained Heidi.

Such full directions as these were not really needed by the oldman, who had had charge of the tower for many a long year andknew every house far and near, and moreover Sebastian was anacquaintance of his.

"I know the house," he said, "but when shall I bring them, andwho shall I ask for?—you are not one of the family, I am sure."

"No, but Clara will be so delighted when I take her thekittens."

The old man wished now to go downstairs, but Heidi did not knowhow to tear herself away from the amusing spectacle.

"If I could just take one or two away with me! one for myselfand one for Clara, may I?"

"Well, wait a moment," said the man, and he drew the catcautiously away into his room, and leaving her by a bowl of foodcame out again and shut the door. "Now take two of them."

Heidi's eyes shone with delight. She picked up a white kittenand another striped white and yellow, and put one in the right,the other in the left pocket. Then she went downstairs. The boywas still sitting outside on the steps, and as the old man shutthe door of the church behind them, she said, "Which is our wayto Herr Sesemann's house?"

"I don't know," was the answer.

Heidi began a description of the front door and the steps andthe windows, but the boy only shook his head, and was not any thewiser.

"Well, look here," continued Heidi, "from one window you can seea very, very large grey house, and the roof runs like this—"and Heidi drew a zigzag line in the air with her forefinger.

With this the boy jumped up, he was evidently in the habit ofguiding himself by similar landmarks. He ran straight off withHeidi after him, and in a very short time they had reached thedoor with the large dog's head for the knocker. Heidi rang thebell. Sebastian opened it quickly, and when he saw it was Heidi,"Make haste! make haste," he cried in a hurried voice.

Heidi sprang hastily in and Sebastian shut the door after her,leaving the boy, whom he had not noticed, standing in wonder onthe steps.

"Make haste, little miss," said Sebastian again; "go straightinto the dining-room, they are already at table; FrauleinRottenmeier looks like a loaded cannon. What could make thelittle miss run off like that?"

Heidi walked into the room. The lady housekeeper did not lookup, Clara did not speak; there was an uncomfortable silence.Sebastian pushed her chair up for her, and when she was seatedFraulein Rottenmeier, with a severe countenance, sternly andsolemnly addressed her: "I will speak with you afterwards,Adelheid, only this much will I now say, that you behaved in amost unmannerly and reprehensible way by running out of thehouse as you did, without asking permission, without any oneknowing a word about it; and then to go wandering about till thishour; I never heard of such behavior before."

"Miau!" came the answer back.

This was too much for the lady's temper; with raised voice sheexclaimed, "You dare, Adelheid, after your bad behavior, toanswer me as if it were a joke?"

"I did not—" began Heidi—"Miau! miau!"

Sebastian almost dropped his dish and rushed out of the room.

"That will do," Fraulein Rottenmeier tried to say, but her voicewas almost stifled with anger. "Get up and leave the room."

Heidi stood up frightened, and again made an attempt to explain.
"I really did not—" "Miau! miau! miau!"

"But, Heidi," now put in Clara, "when you see that it makes
Fraulein Rottenmeier angry, why do you keep on saying miau?"

"It isn't I, it's the kittens," Heidi was at last given time tosay.

"How! what! kittens!" shrieked Fraulein Rottenmeier. "Sebastian!Tinette! Find the horrid little things! take them away!" And sherose and fled into the study and locked the door, so as to makesure that she was safe from the kittens, which to her were themost horrible things in creation.

Sebastian was obliged to wait a few minutes outside the door toget over his laughter before he went into the room again. Hehad, while serving Heidi, caught sight of a little kitten's headpeeping out of her pocket, and guessing the scene that wouldfollow, had been so overcome with amusement at the first miausthat he had hardly been able to finish handing the dishes. Thelady's distressed cries for help had ceased before he hadsufficiently regained his composure to go back into the dining-room. It was all peace and quietness there now, Clara had thekittens on her lap, and Heidi was kneeling beside her, bothlaughing and playing with the tiny, graceful little animals.

"Sebastian," exclaimed Clara as he came in, "you must help us;you must find a bed for the kittens where Fraulein Rottenmeierwill not spy them out, for she is so afraid of them that shewill send them away at once; but we want to keep them, and havethem out whenever we are alone. Where can you put them?"

"I will see to that," answered Sebastian willingly. "I will makea bed in a basket and put it in some place where the lady is notlikely to go; you leave it to me." He set about the work atonce, sniggling to himself the while, for he guessed there wouldbe a further rumpus about this some day, and Sebastian was notwithout a certain pleasure in the thought of Fraulein Rottenmeierbeing a little disturbed.

Not until some time had elapsed, and it was nearing the hour forgoing to bed, did Fraulein Rottenmeier venture to open the doora crack and call through, "Have you taken those dreadful littleanimals away, Sebastian?"

He assured her twice that he had done so; he had been hangingabout the room in anticipation of this question, and now quicklyand quietly caught up the kittens from Clara's lap anddisappeared with them.

The castigatory sermon which Fraulein Rottenmeier had held inreserve for Heidi was put off till the following day, as shefelt too exhausted now after all the emotions she had gonethrough of irritation, anger, and fright, of which Heidi hadunconsciously been the cause. She retired without speaking, Claraand Heidi following, happy in their minds at knowing that thekittens were lying in a comfortable bed.

CHAPTER VIII. THERE IS GREAT COMMOTION IN THE LARGE HOUSE

Sebastian had just shown the tutor into the study on thefollowing morning when there came another and very loud ring atthe bell, which Sebastian ran quickly to answer. "Only HerrSesemann rings like that," he said to himself; "he must havereturned home unexpectedly." He pulled open the door, and therein front of him he saw a ragged little boy carrying a hand-organon his back.

"What's the meaning of this?" said Sebastian angrily. "I'llteach you to ring bells like that! What do you want here?"

"I want to see Clara," the boy answered.

"You dirty, good-for-nothing little rascal, can't you be politeenough to say 'Miss Clara'? What do you want with her?"continued Sebastian roughly. "She owes me fourpence," explainedthe boy.

"You must be out of your mind! And how do you know that anyyoung lady of that name lives here?"

"She owes me twopence for showing her the way there, andtwopence for showing her the way back."

"See what a pack of lies you are telling! The young lady nevergoes out, cannot even walk; be off and get back to where youcame from, before I have to help you along."

But the boy was not to be frightened away; he remained standing,and said in a determined voice, "But I saw her in the street,and can describe her to you; she has short, curly black hair, andblack eyes, and wears a brown dress, and does not talk quitelike we do."

"Oho!" thought Sebastian, laughing to himself, "the little misshas evidently been up to more mischief." Then, drawing the boyinside he said aloud, "I understand now, come with me and waitoutside the door till I tell you to go in. Be sure you beginplaying your organ the instant you get inside the room; the ladyis very fond of music."

Sebastian knocked at the study door, and a voice said, "Comein."

"There is a boy outside who says he must speak to Miss Claraherself," Sebastian announced.

Clara was delighted at such an extraordinary and unexpectedmessage.

"Let him come in at once," replied Clara; "he must come in, musthe not," she added, turning to her tutor, "if he wishes soparticularly to see me?"

The boy was already inside the room, and according toSebastian's directions immediately began to play his organ.Fraulein Rottenmeier, wishing to escape the A B C, had retiredwith her work to the dining-room. All at once she stopped andlistened. Did those sounds come up from the street? And yet theyseemed so near! But how could there be an organ playing in thestudy? And yet—it surely was so. She rushed to the other end ofthe long dining-room and tore open the door. She could hardlybelieve her eyes. There, in the middle of the study, stood aragged boy turning away at his organ in the most energeticmanner. The tutor appeared to be making efforts to speak, but hisvoice could not be heard. Both children were listeningdelightedly to the music.

"Leave off! leave off at once!" screamed Fraulein Rottenmeier.But her voice was drowned by the music. She was making a dashfor the boy, when she saw something on the ground crawlingtowards her feet—a dreadful dark object—a tortoise. At thissight she jumped higher than she had for many long years before,shrieking with all her might, "Sebastian! Sebastian!"

The organ-player suddenly stopped, for this time her voice hadrisen louder than the music. Sebastian was standing outside bentdouble with laughter, for he had been peeping to see what wasgoing on. By the time he entered the room Fraulein Rottenmeierhad sunk into a chair.

"Take them all out, boy and animal! Get them away at once!" shecommanded him.

Sebastian pulled the boy away, the latter having quickly caughtup the tortoise, and when he had got him outside he putsomething into his hand. "There is the fourpence from Miss Clara,and another fourpence for the music. You did it all quite right!"and with that he shut the front door upon him.

Quietness reigned again in the study, and lessons began oncemore; Fraulein Rottenmeier now took up her station in the studyin order by her presence to prevent any further dreadful goings-on.

But soon another knock came to the door, and Sebastian againstepped in, this time to say that some one had brought a largebasket with orders that it was to be given at once to MissClara.

"For me?" said Clara in astonishment, her curiosity very muchexcited, "bring it in at once that I may see what it is like."

Sebastian carried in a large covered basket and retired.

"I think the lessons had better be finished first before thebasket is unpacked," said Fraulein Rottenmeier.

Clara could not conceive what was in it, and cast longingglances towards it. In the middle of one of her declensions shesuddenly broke off and said to the tutor, "Mayn't I just give onepeep inside to see what is in it before I go on?"

"On some considerations I am for it, on others against it," hebegan in answer; "for it, on the ground that if your wholeattention is directed to the basket—" but the speech remainedunfinished. The cover of the basket was loose, and at thismoment one, two, three, and then two more, and again more kittenscame suddenly tumbling on to the floor and racing about the roomin every direction, and with such indescribable rapidity that itseemed as if the whole room was full of them. They jumped overthe tutor's boots, bit at his trousers, climbed up FrauleinRottenmeier's dress, rolled about her feet, sprang up on toClara's couch, scratching, scrambling, and mewing: it was a sadscene of confusion. Clara, meanwhile, pleased with theirgambols, kept on exclaiming, "Oh, the dear little things! howpretty they are! Look, Heidi, at this one; look, look, at thatone over there!" And Heidi in her delight kept running after themfirst into one corner and then into the other. The tutor stood upby the table not knowing what to do, lifting first his right footand then his left to get it away from the scrambling, scratchingkittens. Fraulein Rottenmeier was unable at first to speak atall, so overcome was she with horror, and she did not dare risefrom her chair for fear that all the dreadful little animalsshould jump upon her at once. At last she found voice to callloudly, "Tinette! Tinette! Sebastian! Sebastian!"

They came in answer to her summons and gathered up the kittens,by degrees they got them all inside the basket again and thencarried them off to put with the other two.

To-day again there had been no opportunity for gaping. Late thatevening, when Fraulein Rottenmeier had somewhat recovered fromthe excitement of the morning, she sent for the two servants,and examined them closely concerning the events of the morning.And then it came out that Heidi was at the bottom of them,everything being the result of her excursion of the day before.Fraulein Rottenmeier sat pale with indignation and did not knowat first how to express her anger. Then she made a sign toTinette and Sebastian to withdraw, and turning to Heidi, who wasstanding by Clara's couch, quite unable to understand of what sinshe had been guilty, began in a severe voice,—

"Adelaide, I know of only one punishment which will perhaps makeyou alive to your ill conduct, for you are an utter littlebarbarian, but we will see if we cannot tame you so that youshall not be guilty of such deeds again, by putting you in adark cellar with the rats and black beetles."

Heidi listened in silence and surprise to her sentence, for shehad never seen a cellar such as was now described; the placeknown at her grandfather's as the cellar, where the fresh madecheeses and the new milk were kept, was a pleasant and invitingplace; neither did she know at all what rats and black beetleswere like.

But now Clara interrupted in great distress. "No, no, FrauleinRottenmeier, you must wait till papa comes; he has written tosay that he will soon be home, and then I will tell himeverything, and he will say what is to be done with Heidi."

Fraulein Rottenmeier could not do anything against this superiorauthority, especially as the father was really expected veryshortly. She rose and said with some displeasure, "As you will,Clara, but I too shall have something to say to Herr Sesemann."And with that she left the room.

Two days now went by without further disturbance. FrauleinRottenmeier, however, could not recover her equanimity; she wasperpetually reminded by Heidi's presence of the deception thathad been played upon her, and it seemed to her that ever sincethe child had come into the house everything had been topsy-turvy, and she could not bring things into proper order again.Clara had grown much more cheerful; she no longer found time hangheavy during the lesson hours, for Heidi was continually making adiversion of some kind or other. She jumbled all her letters uptogether and seemed quite unable to learn them, and when thetutor tried to draw her attention to their different shapes, andto help her by showing her that this was like a little horn, orthat like a bird's bill, she would suddenly exclaim in a joyfulvoice, "That is a goat!" "That is a bird of prey!" For thetutor's descriptions suggested all kinds of pictures to her mind,but left her still incapable of the alphabet. In the laterafternoons Heidi always sat with Clara, and then she would givethe latter many and long descriptions of the mountain and of herlife upon it, and the burning longing to return would become sooverpowering that she always finished with the words, "Now I mustgo home! to-morrow I must really go!" But Clara would try toquiet her, and tell Heidi that she must wait till her fatherreturned, and then they would see what was to be done. And ifHeidi gave in each time and seemed quickly to regain her goodspirits, it was because of a secret delight she had in thethought that every day added two more white rolls to the numbershe was collecting for grandmother; for she always pocketed theroll placed beside her plate at dinner and supper, feeling thatshe could not bear to eat them, knowing that grandmother had nowhite bread and could hardly eat the black bread which was sohard. After dinner Heidi had to sit alone in her room for acouple of hours, for she understood now that she might not runabout outside at Frankfurt as she did on the mountain, and so shedid not attempt it. Any conversation with Sebastian in the dining-room was also forbidden her, and as to Tinette, she kept out ofher way, and never thought of speaking to her, for Heidi wasquite aware that the maid looked scornfully at her and alwaysspoke to her in a mocking voice. So Heidi had plenty of time fromday to day to sit and picture how everything at home was nowturning green, and how the yellow flowers were shining in thesun, and how all around lay bright in the warm sunshine, the snowand the rocks, and the whole wide valley, and Heidi at timescould hardly contain herself for the longing to be back homeagain. And Dete had told her that she could go home whenever sheliked. So it came about one day that Heidi felt she could notbear it any longer, and in haste she tied all the rolls up in herred shawl, put on her straw hat, and went downstairs. But just asshe reached the hall-door she met Fraulein Rottenmeier herself,just returning from a walk, which put a stop to Heidi's journey.

Fraulein Rottenmeier stood still a moment, looking at her fromtop to toe in blank astonishment, her eye resting particularlyon the red bundle. Then she broke out,—

"What have you dressed yourself like that for? What do you meanby this? Have I not strictly forbidden you to go running aboutin the streets? And here you are ready to start off again, andgoing out looking like a beggar."

"I was not going to run about, I was going home," said Heidi,frightened.

"What are you talking about! Going home! You want to go home?"exclaimed Fraulein Rottenmeier, her anger rising. "To run awaylike that! What would Herr Sesemann say if he knew! Take carethat he never hears of this! And what is the matter with hishouse, I should like to know! Have you not been better treatedthan you deserved? Have you wanted for a thing? Have you ever inyour life before had such a house to live in, such a table, orso many to wait upon you? Have you?"

"No," replied Heidi.

"I should think not indeed!" continued the exasperated lady."You have everything you can possibly want here, and you are anungrateful little thing; it's because you are too well off andcomfortable that you have nothing to do but think what naughtything you can do next!"

Then Heidi's feelings got the better of her, and she pouredforth her trouble. "Indeed I only want to go home, for if I stayso long away Snowflake will begin crying again, and grandmotheris waiting for me, and Greenfinch will get beaten, because I amnot there to give Peter any cheese, and I can never see how thesun says good-night to the mountains; and if the great bird wereto fly over Frankfurt he would croak louder than ever aboutpeople huddling all together and teaching each other bad things,and not going to live up on the rocks, where it is so muchbetter."

"Heaven have mercy on us, the child is out of her mind!" criedFraulein Rottenmeier, and she turned in terror and went quicklyup the steps, running violently against Sebastian in her hurry."Go and bring that unhappy little creature in at once," sheordered him, putting her hand to her forehead which she hadbumped against his.

Sebastian did as he was told, rubbing his own head as he went,for he had received a still harder blow.

Heidi had not moved, she stood with her eyes aflame andtrembling all over with inward agitation.

"What, got into trouble again?" said Sebastian in a cheerfulvoice; but when he looked more closely at Heidi and saw that shedid not move, he put his hand kindly on her shoulder, and said,trying to comfort her, "There, there, don't take it to heart somuch; keep up your spirits, that is the great thing! She hasnearly made a hole in my head, but don't you let her bully you."Then seeing that Heidi still did not stir, "We must go; sheordered me to take you in."

Heidi now began mounting the stairs, but with a slow, crawlingstep, very unlike her usual manner. Sebastian felt quite sad ashe watched her, and as he followed her up he kept trying toencourage her. "Don't you give in! don't let her make youunhappy! You keep up your courage! Why we've got such a sensiblelittle miss that she has never cried once since she was here;many at that age cry a good dozen times a day. The kittens areenjoying themselves very much up in their home; they jump aboutall over the place and behave as if they were little mad things.Later we will go up and see them, when Fraulein is out of theway, shall we?"

Heidi gave a little nod of assent, but in such a joyless mannerthat it went to Sebastian's heart, and he followed her withsympathetic eyes as she crept away to her room.

At supper that evening Fraulein Rottenmeier did not speak, butshe cast watchful looks towards Heidi as if expecting her at anyminute to break out in some extraordinary way; but Heidi satwithout moving or eating; all that she did was to hastily hideher roll in her pocket.

When the tutor arrived next morning, Fraulein Rottenmeier drewhim privately aside, and confided her fear to him that thechange of air and the new mode of life and unaccustomedsurroundings had turned Heidi's head; then she told him of theincident of the day before, and of Heidi's strange speech. Butthe tutor assured her she need not be in alarm; he had alreadybecome aware that the child was somewhat eccentric, but otherwisequite right in her mind, and he was sure that, with carefultreatment and education, the right balance would be restored, andit was this he was striving after. He was the more convinced ofthis by what he now heard, and by the fact that he had so farfailed to teach her the alphabet, Heidi seeming unable tounderstand the letters.

Fraulein Rottenmeier was considerably relieved by his words, andreleased the tutor to his work. In the course of the afternoonthe remembrance of Heidi's appearance the day before, as she wasstarting out on her travels, suddenly returned to the lady, andshe made up her mind that she would supplement the child'sclothing with various garments from Clara's wardrobe, so as togive her a decent appearance when Herr Sesemann returned. Sheconfided her intention to Clara, who was quite willing to makeover any number of dresses and hats to Heidi; so the lady wentupstairs to overhaul the child's belongings and see what was tobe kept and what thrown away. She returned, however, in thecourse of a few minutes with an expression of horror upon herface.

"What is this, Adelaide, that I find in your wardrobe!" sheexclaimed. "I never heard of any one doing such a thing before!In a cupboard meant for clothes, Adelaide, what do I see at thebottom but a heap of rolls! Will you believe it, Clara, bread ina wardrobe! a whole pile of bread! Tinette," she called to thatyoung woman, who was in the dining-room, "go upstairs and takeaway all those rolls out of Adelaide's cupboard and the oldstraw hat on the table."

"No! no!" screamed Heidi. "I must keep the hat, and the rollsare for grandmother," and she was rushing to stop Tinette whenFraulein Rottenmeier took hold of her. "You will stop here, andall that bread and rubbish shall be taken to the place theybelong to," she said in a determined tone as she kept her handon the child to prevent her running forward.

Then Heidi in despair flung herself down on Clara's couch andbroke into a wild fit of weeping, her crying becoming louder andmore full of distress, every minute, while she kept on sobbingout at intervals, "Now grandmother's' bread is all gone! Theywere all for grandmother, and now they are taken away, andgrandmother won't have one," and she wept as if her heart wouldbreak. Fraulein Rottenmeier ran out of the room. Clara wasdistressed and alarmed at the child's crying. "Heidi, Heidi,"she said imploringly, "pray do not cry so! listen to me; don't beso unhappy; look now, I promise you that you shall have just asmany rolls, or more, all fresh and new to take to grandmotherwhen you go home; yours would have been hard and stale by then.Come, Heidi, do not cry any more!"

Heidi could not get over her sobs for a long time; she wouldnever have been able to leave off crying at all if it had notbeen for Clara's promise, which comforted her. But to make surethat she could depend upon it she kept on saying to Clara, hervoice broken with her gradually subsiding sobs, "Will you giveme as many, quite as many, as I had, for grandmother?" And Claraassured her each time that she would give her as many, "ormore," she added, "only be happy again."

Heidi appeared at supper with her eyes red with weeping, andwhen she saw her roll she could not suppress a sob. But she madean effort to control herself, for she knew she must sit quietlyat table. Whenever Sebastian could catch her eye this evening hemade all sorts of strange signs, pointing to his own head andthen to hers, and giving little nods as much as to say, "Don'tyou be unhappy! I have got it all safe for you."

When Heidi was going to get into bed that night she found herold straw hat lying under the counterpane. She snatched it upwith delight, made it more out of shape still in her joy, andthen, after wrapping a handkerchief round it, she stuck it in acorner of the cupboard as far back as she could.

It was Sebastian who had hidden it there for her; he had been inthe dining-room when Tinette was called, and had heard all thatwent on with the child and the latter's loud weeping. So hefollowed Tinette, and when she came out of Heidi's room carryingthe rolls and the hat, he caught up the hat and said, "I willsee to this old thing." He was genuinely glad to have been ableto save it for Heidi, and that was the meaning of his encouragingsigns to her at supper.

CHAPTER IX. HERR SESEMANN HEARS OF THINGS WHICH ARE NEW TO HIM

A few days after these events there was great commotion and muchrunning up and down stairs in Herr Sesemann's house. The masterhad just returned, and Sebastian and Tinette were busy carryingup one package after another from the carriage, for HerrSesemann always brought back a lot of pretty things for his home.He himself had not waited to do anything before going in to seehis daughter. Heidi was sitting beside her, for it was lateafternoon, when the two were always together. Father anddaughter greeted each other with warm affection, for they weredeeply attached to one another. Then he held out his hand toHeidi, who had stolen away into the corner, and said kindly toher, "And this is our little Swiss girl; come and shake handswith me! That's right! Now, tell me, are Clara and you goodfriends with one another, or do you get angry and quarrel, andthen cry and make it up, and then start quarreling again on thenext occasion?"

"No, Clara is always kind to me," answered Heidi.

"And Heidi," put in Clara quickly, "has not once tried toquarrel."

"That's all right, I am glad to hear it," said her father, as herose from his chair. "But you must excuse me, Clara, for I wantmy dinner; I have had nothing to eat all day. Afterwards I willshow you all the things I have brought home with me."

He found Fraulein Rottenmeier in the dining-room superintendingthe preparation for his meal, and when he had taken his placeshe sat down opposite to him, looking the every embodiment of badnews, so that he turned to her and said, "What am I to expect,Fraulein Rottenmeier? You greet me with an expression ofcountenance that quite frightens me. What is the matter? Claraseems cheerful enough."

"Herr Sesemann," began the lady in a solemn voice, "it is amatter which concerns Clara; we have been frightfully imposedupon."

"Indeed, in what way?" asked Herr Sesemann as he went on calmlydrinking his wine.

"We had decided, as you remember, to get a companion for Clara,and as I knew how anxious you were to have only those who werewell-behaved and nicely brought up about her, I thought I wouldlook for a little Swiss girl, as I hoped to find such a one as Ihave often read about, who, born as it were of the mountain air,lives and moves without touching the earth."

"Still I think even a Swiss child would have to touch the earthif she wanted to go anywhere," remarked Herr Sesemann,"otherwise they would have been given wings instead of feet."

"Ah, Herr Sesemann, you know what I mean," continued FrauleinRottenmeier. "I mean one so at home among the living creaturesof the high, pure mountain regions, that she would be like someidealistic being from another world among us."

"And what could Clara do with such an idealistic being as youdescribe, Fraulein Rottenmeier."

"I am not joking, Herr Sesemann, the matter is a more seriousone than you think; I have been shockingly, disgracefully imposedupon."

"But how? what is there shocking and disgraceful? I see nothingshocking in the child," remarked Herr Sesemann quietly.

"If you only knew of one thing she has done, if you only knew ofthe kind of people and animals she has brought into the houseduring your absence! The tutor can tell you more about that."

"Animals? what am I to understand by animals, Fraulein
Rottenmeier?"

"It is past understanding; the whole behavior of the child wouldbe past understanding, if it were not that at times she isevidently not in her right mind."

Herr Sesemann had attached very little importance to what wastold him up till now—but not in her right mind! that was moreserious and might be prejudicial to his own child. Herr Sesemannlooked very narrowly at the lady opposite to assure himself thatthe mental aberration was not on her side. At that moment thedoor opened and the tutor was announced.

"Ah! here is some one," exclaimed Herr Sesemann, "who will helpto clear up matters for me. Take a seat," he continued, as heheld out his hand to the tutor. "You will drink a cup of coffeewith me—no ceremony, I pray! And now tell me, what is thematter with this child that has come to be a companion to mydaughter? What is this strange thing I hear about her bringinganimals into the house, and is she in her right senses?"

The tutor felt he must begin with expressing his pleasure atHerr Sesemann's return, and with explaining that he had come inon purpose to give him welcome, but Herr Sesemann begged him toexplain without delay the meaning of all he had heard aboutHeidi. The tutor started in his usual style. "If I must give myopinion about this little girl, I should like first to statethat, if on one side, there is a lack of development which hasbeen caused by the more or less careless way in which she hasbeen brought up, or rather, by the neglect of her education,when young, and by the solitary life she has led on the mountain,which is not wholly to be condemned; on the contrary, such alife has undoubtedly some advantages in it, if not allowed tooverstep a certain limit of time—"

"My good friend," interrupted Herr Sesemann, "you are givingyourself more trouble than you need. I only want to know if thechild has caused you alarm by any animals she has brought intothe house, and what your opinion is altogether as to her being afit companion or not for my daughter?"

"I should not like in any way to prejudice you against her,"began the tutor once more; "for if on the one hand there is acertain inexperience of the ways of society, owing to theuncivilised life she led up to the time of her removal toFrankfurt, on the other hand she is endowed with certain goodqualities, and, taken on the whole—"

"Excuse me, my dear sir, do not disturb yourself, but I must—Ithink my daughter will be wanting me," and with that HerrSesemann quickly left the room and took care not to return. Hesat himself down beside his daughter in the study, and thenturning to Heidi, who had risen, "Little one, will you fetchme," he began, and then paused, for he could not think what toask for, but he wanted to get the child out of the room for alittle while, "fetch me a glass of water."

"Fresh water?" asked Heidi.

"Yes—Yes—as fresh as you can get it," he answered. Heididisappeared on the spot.

"And now, my dear little Clara," he said, drawing his chairnearer and laying her hand in his, "answer my questions clearlyand intelligibly: what kind of animals has your little companionbrought into the house, and why does Fraulein Rottenmeier thinkthat she is not always in her right mind?"

Clara had no difficulty in answering. The alarmed lady hadspoken to her also about Heidi's wild manner of talking, butClara had not been able to put a meaning to it. She told herfather everything about the tortoise and the kittens, andexplained to him what Heidi had said the day Fraulein Rottenmeierhad been put in such a fright. Herr Sesemann laughed heartily ather recital. "So you do not want me to send the child homeagain," he asked, "you are not tired of having her here?"

"Oh, no, no," Clara exclaimed, "please do not send her away.Time has passed much more quickly since Heidi was here, forsomething fresh happens every day, and it used to be so dull, andshe has always so much to tell me."

"That's all right then—and here comes your little friend. Haveyou brought me some nice fresh water?" he asked as Heidi handedhim a glass.

"Yes, fresh from the pump," answered Heidi.

"You did not go yourself to the pump?" said Clara.

"Yes I did; it is quite fresh. I had to go a long way, for therewere such a lot of people at the first pump; so I went furtherdown the street, but there were just as many at the second pump,but I was able to get some water at the one in the next street,and the gentleman with the white hair asked me to give his kindregards to Herr Sesemann."

"You have had quite a successful expedition," said Herr Sesemannlaughing, "and who was the gentleman?"

"He was passing, and when he saw me he stood still and said, 'Asyou have a glass will you give me a drink; to whom are youtaking the water?' and when I said, 'To Herr Sesemann,' helaughed very much, and then he gave me that message for you, andalso said he hoped you would enjoy the water."

"Oh, and who was it, I wonder, who sent me such good wishes—tell me what he was like," said Herr Sesemann.

"He was kind and laughed, and he had a thick gold chain and agold thing hanging from it with a large red stone, and a horse'shead at the top of his stick."

"It's the doctor—my old friend the doctor," exclaimed Clara andher father at the same moment, and Herr Sesemann smiled tohimself at the thought of what his friend's opinion must havebeen of this new way of satisfying his thirst for water.

That evening when Herr Sesemann and Fraulein Rottenmeier werealone, settling the household affairs, he informed her that heintended to keep Heidi; he found the child in a perfectly rightstate of mind, and his daughter liked her as a companion. "Idesire, therefore," he continued, laying stress upon his words,"that the child shall be in every way kindly treated, and thather peculiarities shall not be looked upon as crimes. If youfind her too much for you alone, I can hold out a prospect ofhelp, for I am shortly expecting my mother here on a long visit,and she, as you know, can get on with anybody, whatever they maybe like."

"O yes, I know," replied Fraulein Rottenmeier, but there was notone of relief in her voice as she thought of the coming help.

Herr Sesemann was only home for a short time; he left for Parisagain before the fortnight was over, comforting Clara, who couldnot bear that he should go from her again so soon, with theprospect of her grandmother's arrival, which was to take placein a few days' time. Herr Sesemann had indeed only just gone whena letter came from Frau Sesemann, announcing her arrival on thefollowing day, and stating the hour when she might be expected,in order that a carriage should be sent to meet her at thestation. Clara was overjoyed, and talked so much about hergrandmother that evening, that Heidi began also to call her"grandmamma," which brought down on her a look of displeasurefrom Fraulein Rottenmeier; this, however, had no particulareffect on Heidi, for she was accustomed now to being continuallyin that lady's black books. But as she was going to her roomthat night, Fraulein Rottenmeier waylaid her, and drawing herinto her own, gave her strict injunctions as to how she was toaddress Frau Sesemann when she arrived; on no account was she tocall her "grandmamma," but always to say "madam" to her. "Do youunderstand?" said the lady, as she saw a perplexed expression onHeidi's face. The latter had not understood, but seeing thesevere expression of the lady's face she did not ask for moreexplanation.

CHAPTER X. ANOTHER GRANDMOTHER

There was much expectation and preparation about the house onthe following evening, and it was easy to see that the lady whowas coming was one whose opinion was highly thought of, and forwhom everybody had a great respect. Tinette had a new white capon her head, and Sebastian collected all the footstools he couldfind and placed them in convenient spots, so that the lady mightfind one ready to her feet whenever she chose to sit. FrauleinRottenmeier went about surveying everything, very upright anddignified, as if to show that though a rival power was expected,her own authority was not going to be extinguished.

And now the carriage came driving up to the door, and Tinetteand Sebastian ran down the steps, followed with a slower and morestately step by the lady, who advanced to greet the guest. Heidihad been sent up to her room and ordered to remain there untilcalled down, as the grandmother would certainly like to seeClara alone first. Heidi sat herself down in a corner andrepeated her instructions over to herself. She had not to waitlong before Tinette put her head in and said abruptly, "Godownstairs into the study."

Heidi had not dared to ask Fraulein Rottenmeier again how shewas to address the grandmother: she thought the lady had perhapsmade a mistake, for she had never heard any one called by otherthan their right name. As she opened the study door she heard akind voice say, "Ah, here comes the child! Come along in and letme have a good look at you."

Heidi walked up to her and said very distinctly in her clearvoice, "Good-evening," and then wishing to follow herinstructions called her what would be in English "Mrs. Madam."

"Well!" said the grandmother, laughing, "is that how theyaddress people in your home on the mountain?"

"No," replied Heidi gravely, "I never knew any one with thatname before."

"Nor I either," laughed the grandmother again as she pattedHeidi's cheek. "Never mind! when I am with the children I amalways grandmamma; you won't forget that name, will you?"

"No, no," Heidi assured her, "I often used to say it at home."

"I understand," said the grandmother, with a cheerful little nodof the head. Then she looked more closely at Heidi, givinganother nod from time to time, and the child looked back at herwith steady, serious eyes, for there was something kind and warm-hearted about this new-comer that pleased Heidi, and indeedeverything to do with the grandmother attracted her, so that shecould not turn her eyes away. She had such beautiful white hair,and two long lace ends hung down from the cap on her head andwaved gently about her face every time she moved, as if a softbreeze were blowing round her, which gave Heidi a peculiarfeeling of pleasure.

"And what is your name, child?" the grandmother now asked.

"I am always called Heidi; but as I am now to be calledAdelaide, I will try and take care—" Heidi stopped short, forshe felt a little guilty; she had not yet grown accustomed tothis name; she continued not to respond when Fraulein Rottenmeiersuddenly addressed her by it, and the lady was at this momententering the room.

"Frau Sesemann will no doubt agree with me," she interrupted,"that it was necessary to choose a name that could be pronouncedeasily, if only for the sake of the servants."

"My worthy Rottenmeier," replied Frau Sesemann, "if a person iscalled 'Heidi' and has grown accustomed to that name, I call herby the same, and so let it be."

Fraulein Rottenmeier was always very much annoyed that the oldlady continually addressed her by her surname only; but it wasno use minding, for the grandmother always went her own way, andso there was no help for it. Moreover the grandmother was a keenold lady, and had all her five wits about her, and she knew whatwas going on in the house as soon as she entered it.

When on the following day Clara lay down as usual on her couchafter dinner, the grandmother sat down beside her for a fewminutes and closed her eyes, then she got up again as lively asever, and trotted off into the dining-room. No one was there."She is asleep, I suppose," she said to herself, and then goingup to Fraulein Rottenmeier's room she gave a loud knock at thedoor. She waited a few minutes and then Fraulein Rottenmeieropened the door and drew back in surprise at this unexpectedvisit.

"Where is the child, and what is she doing all this time? Thatis what I came to ask," said Frau Sesemann.

"She is sitting in her room, where she could well employ herselfif she had the least idea of making herself useful; but you haveno idea, Frau Sesemann, of the out-of-the-way things this childimagines and does, things which I could hardly repeat in goodsociety."

"I should do the same if I had to sit in there like that child,I can tell you; I doubt if you would then like to repeat what Idid, in good society! Go and fetch the child and bring her to myroom; I have some pretty books with me that I should like togive her."

"That is just the misfortune," said Fraulein Rottenmeier with adespairing gesture, "what use are books to her? She has not beenable to learn her A B C even, all the long time she has beenhere; it is quite impossible to get the least idea of it intoher head, and that the tutor himself will tell you; if he had notthe patience of an angel he would have given up teaching her longago."

"That is very strange," said Frau Sesemann, "she does not lookto me like a child who would be unable to learn her alphabet.However, bring her now to me, she can at least amuse herselfwith the pictures in the books."

Fraulein Rottenmeier was prepared with some further remarks, butthe grandmother had turned away and gone quickly towards her ownroom. She was surprised at what she had been told about Heidi'sincapacity for learning, and determined to find out moreconcerning this matter, not by inquiries from the tutor,however, although she esteemed him highly for his uprightness ofcharacter; she had always a friendly greeting for him, butalways avoided being drawn into conversation with him, for shefound his style of talk somewhat wearisome.

Heidi now appeared and gazed with open-eyed delight and wonderat the beautiful colored pictures in the books which thegrandmother gave her to look at. All of a sudden, as the latterturned over one of the pages to a fresh picture, the child gave acry. For a moment or two she looked at it with brightening eyes,then the tears began to fall, and at last she burst into sobs.The grandmother looked at the picture—it represented a greenpasture, full of young animals, some grazing and others nibblingat the shrubs. In the middle was a shepherd leaning upon hisstaff and looking on at his happy flock. The whole scene wasbathed in golden light, for the sun was just sinking below thehorizon.

The grandmother laid her hand kindly On Heidi's.

"Don't cry, dear child, don't cry," she said, "the picture hasreminded you perhaps of something. But see, there is a beautifultale to the picture which I will tell you this evening. Andthere are other nice tales of all kinds to read and to tellagain. But now we must have a little talk together, so dry yourtears and come and stand in front of me, so that I may see youwell—there, now we are happy again."

But it was some little time before Heidi could overcome hersobs. The grandmother gave her time to recover herself, sayingcheering words to her now and then, "There, it's all right now,and we are quite happy again."

When at last she saw that Heidi was growing calmer, she said,"Now I want you to tell me something. How are you getting on inyour school-time; do you like your lessons, and have you learnta great deal?"

"O no!" replied Heidi, sighing, "but I knew beforehand that itwas not possible to learn."

"What is it you think impossible to learn?"

"Why, to read, it is too difficult."

"You don't say so! and who told you that?"

"Peter told me, and he knew all about it, for he had tried andtried and could not learn it."

"Peter must be a very odd boy then! But listen, Heidi, we mustnot always go by what Peter says, we must try for ourselves. Iam certain that you did not give all your attention to the tutorwhen he was trying to teach you your letters."

"It's of no use," said Heidi in the tone of one who was ready toendure what could not be cured.

"Listen to what I have to say," continued the grandmother. "Youhave not been able to learn your alphabet because you believedwhat Peter said; but now you must believe what I tell you—and Itell you that you can learn to read in a very little while, asmany other children do, who are made like you and not likePeter. And now hear what comes after—you see that picture withthe shepherd and the animals—well, as soon as you are able toread you shall have that book for your own, and then you willknow all about the sheep and the goats, and what the shepherddid, and the wonderful things that happened to him, just as ifsome one were telling you the whole tale. You will like to hearabout all that, won't you?"

Heidi had listened with eager attention to the grandmother'swords and now with a sigh exclaimed, "Oh, if only I could readnow!"

"It won't take you long now to learn, that I can see; and now wemust go down to Clara; bring the books with you." And hand inhand the two returned to the study.

Since the day when Heidi had so longed to go home, and FrauleinRottenmeier had met her and scolded her on the steps, and toldher how wicked and ungrateful she was to try and run away, andwhat a good thing it was that Herr Sesemann knew nothing aboutit, a change had come over the child. She had at last understoodthat day that she could not go home when she wished as Dete hadtold her, but that she would have to stay on in Frankfurt for along, long time, perhaps for ever. She had also understood thatHerr Sesemann would think it ungrateful of her if she wished toleave, and she believed that the grandmother and Clara wouldthink the same. So there was nobody to whom she dared confideher longing to go home, for she would not for the world havegiven the grandmother, who was so kind to her, any reason forbeing as angry with her as Fraulein Rottenmeier had been. But theweight of trouble on the little heart grew heavier and heavier;she could no longer eat her food, and every day she grew a littlepaler. She lay awake for long hours at night, for as soon as shewas alone and everything was still around her, the picture ofthe mountain with its sunshine and flowers rose vividly beforeher eyes; and when at last she fell asleep it was to dream of therocks and the snow-field turning crimson in the evening light,and waking in the morning she would think herself back at thehut and prepare to run joyfully out into—the sun—and then—there was her large bed, and here she was in Frankfurt far, faraway from home. And Heidi would often lay her face down on thepillow and weep long and quietly so that no one might hear her.

Heidi's unhappiness did not escape the grandmother's notice. Shelet some days go by to see if the child grew brighter and losther down-cast appearance. But as matters did not mend, and shesaw that many mornings Heidi had evidently been crying beforeshe came downstairs, she took her again into her room one day,and drawing the child to her said, "Now tell me, Heidi, what isthe matter; are you in trouble?"

But Heidi, afraid if she told the truth that the grandmotherwould think her ungrateful, and would then leave off being sokind to her, answered, "can't tell you."

"Well, could you tell Clara about it?"

"Oh, no, I cannot tell any one," said Heidi in so positive atone, and with a look of such trouble on her face, that thegrandmother felt full of pity for the child.

"Then, dear child, let me tell you what to do: you know thatwhen we are in great trouble, and cannot speak about it toanybody, we must turn to God and pray Him to help, for He candeliver us from every care, that oppresses us. You understandthat, do you not? You say your prayers every evening to the dearGod in Heaven, and thank Him for all He has done for you, andpray Him to keep you from all evil, do you not?"

"No, I never say any prayers," answered Heidi.

"Have you never been taught to pray, Heidi; do you not know evenwhat it means?"

"I used to say prayers with the first grandmother, but that is along time ago, and I have forgotten them."

"That is the reason, Heidi, that you are so unhappy, because youknow no one who can help you. Think what a comfort it is whenthe heart is heavy with grief to be able at any moment to go andtell everything to God, and pray Him for the help that no oneelse can give us. And He can help us and give us everything thatwill make us happy again."

A sudden gleam of joy came into Heidi's eyes. "May I tell Himeverything, everything?"

"Yes, everything, Heidi, everything."

Heidi drew her hand away, which the grandmother was holdingaffectionately between her own, and said quickly, "May I go?"

"Yes, of course," was the answer, and Heidi ran out of the roominto her own, and sitting herself on a stool, folded her handstogether and told God about everything that was making her sosad and unhappy, and begged Him earnestly to help her and to lether go home to her grandfather.

It was about a week after this that the tutor asked FrauSesemann's permission for an interview with her, as he wished toinform her of a remarkable thing that had come to pass. So sheinvited him to her room, and as he entered she held out her handin greeting, and pushing a chair towards him, "I am pleased tosee you," she said, "pray sit down and tell me what brings youhere; nothing bad, no complaints, I hope?"

"Quite the reverse," began the tutor. "Something has happenedthat I had given up hoping for, and which no one, knowing whathas gone before, could have guessed, for, according to allexpectations, that which has taken place could only be lookedupon as a miracle, and yet it really has come to pass and in themost extraordinary manner, quite contrary to all that one couldanticipate—"

"Has the child Heidi really learnt to read at last?" put in Frau
Sesemann.

The tutor looked at the lady in speechless astonishment. At lasthe spoke again. "It is indeed truly marvellous, not only becauseshe never seemed able to learn her A B C even after all my fullexplanations, and after spending unusual pains upon her, butbecause now she has learnt it so rapidly, just after I had madeup my mind to make no further attempts at the impossible but toput the letters as they were before her without any dissertationon their origin and meaning, and now she has as you might saylearnt her letters over night, and started at once to readcorrectly, quite unlike most beginners. And it is almost asastonishing to me that you should have guessed such an unlikelything."

"Many unlikely things happen in life," said Frau Sesemann with apleased smile. "Two things coming together may produce a happyresult, as for instance, a fresh zeal for learning and a newmethod of teaching, and neither does any harm. We can butrejoice that the child has made such a good start and hope forher future progress."

After parting with the tutor she went down to the study to makesure of the good news. There sure enough was Heidi, sittingbeside Clara and reading aloud to her, evidently herself verymuch surprised, and growing more and more delighted with the newworld that was now open to her as the black letters grew aliveand turned into men and things and exciting stories. That sameevening Heidi found the large book with the beautiful pictureslying on her plate when she took her place at table, and whenshe looked questioningly at the grandmother, the latter noddedkindly to her and said, "Yes, it's yours now."

"Mine, to keep always? even when I go home?" said, Heidi,blushing with pleasure.

"Yes, of course, yours for ever," the grandmother assured her.
"To-morrow we will begin to read it."

"But you are not going home yet, Heidi, not for years," put inClara. "When grandmother goes away, I shall want you to stay onwith me."

When, Heidi went to her room that night she had another look ather book before going to bed, and from that day forth her chiefpleasure was to read the tales which belonged to the beautifulpictures over and over again. If the grandmother said, as theywere sitting together in the evening, "Now Heidi will read aloudto us," Heidi was delighted, for reading was no trouble to hernow, and when she read the tales aloud the scenes seemed to growmore beautiful and distinct, and then grandmother would explainand tell her more about them still.

Still the picture she liked best was the one of the shepherdleaning on his staff with his flock around him in the midst ofthe green pasture, for he was now at home and happy, followinghis father's sheep and goats. Then came the picture where he wasseen far away from his father's house, obliged to look after theswine, and he had grown pale and thin from the husks which wereall he had to eat. Even the sun seemed here to be less brightand everything looked grey and misty. But there was the thirdpicture still to this tale: here was the old father withoutstretched arms running to meet and embrace his returning andrepentant son, who was advancing timidly, worn out and emaciatedand clad in a ragged coat. That was Heidi's favorite tale, whichshe read over and over again, aloud and to herself, and she wasnever tired of hearing the grandmother explain it to her andClara. But there were other tales in the book besides, and whatwith reading and looking at the pictures the days passed quicklyaway, and the time drew near for the grandmother to return home.

CHAPTER XI. HEIDI GAINS IN ONE WAY AND LOSES IN ANOTHER

Every afternoon during her visit the grandmother went and satdown for a few minutes beside Clara after dinner, when thelatter was resting, and Fraulein Rottenmeier, probably for thesame reason, had disappeared inside her room; but five minutessufficed her, and then she was up again, and Heidi was sent forto her room, and there she would talk to the child and employand amuse her in all sorts of ways. The grandmother had a lot ofpretty dolls, and she showed Heidi how to make dresses andpinafores for them, so that Heidi learnt how to sew and to makeall sorts of beautiful clothes for the little people out of awonderful collection of pieces that grandmother had by her ofevery describable and lovely color. And then grandmother likedto hear her read aloud, and the oftener Heidi read her tales thefonder she grew of them. She entered into the lives of all thepeople she read about so that they became like dear friends toher, and it delighted her more and more to be with them. Butstill Heidi never looked really happy, and her bright eyes wereno longer to be seen. It was the last week of the grandmother'svisit. She called Heidi into her room as usual one day afterdinner, and the child came with her book under her arm. Thegrandmother called her to come close, and then laying the bookaside, said, "Now, child, tell me why you are not happy? Haveyou still the same trouble at heart?"

Heidi nodded in reply.

"Have you told God about it?"

"Yes."

"And do you pray every day that He will make things right andthat you may be happy again?"

"No, I have left off praying."

"Do not tell me that, Heidi! Why have you left off praying?"

"It is of no use, God does not listen," Heidi went on in anagitated voice, "and I can understand that when there are somany, many people in Frankfurt praying to Him every evening thatHe cannot attend to them all, and He certainly has not heardwhat I said to Him."

"And why are you so sure of that, Heidi?"

"Because I have prayed for the same thing every day for weeks,and yet God has not done what I asked."

"You are wrong, Heidi; you must not think of Him like that. Godis a good father to us all, and knows better than we do what isgood for us. If we ask Him for something that is not good forus, He does not give it, but something better still, if only wewill continue to pray earnestly and do not run away and lose ourtrust in Him. God did not think what you have been praying forwas good for you just now; but be sure He heard you, for He canhear and see every one at the same time, because He is a God andnot a human being like you and me. And because He thought it wasbetter for you not to have at once what you wanted, He said toHimself: Yes, Heidi shall have what she asks for, but not untilthe right time comes, so that she may be quite happy. If I dowhat she wants now, and then one day she sees that it would havebeen better for her not to have had her own way, she will cry andsay, 'If only God had not given me what I asked for! it is not sogood as I expected!' And while God is watching over you, andlooking to see if you will trust Him and go on praying to Himevery day, and turn to Him for everything you want, you run awayand leave off saying your prayers, and forget all about Him. Andwhen God no longer hears the voice of one He knew among those whopray to Him, He lets that person go his own way, that he maylearn how foolish he is. And then this one gets into trouble, andcries, 'Save me, God, for there is none other to help me,' andGod says, 'Why did you go from Me; I could not help you when youran away.' And you would not like to grieve God, would you Heidi,when He only wants to be kind to you? So will you not go and askHim to forgive you, and continue to pray and to trust Him, foryou may be sure that He will make everything right and happy foryou, and then you will be glad and lighthearted again."

Heidi had perfect confidence in the grandmother, and every wordshe said sunk into her heart.

"I will go at once and ask God to forgive me, and I will neverforget Him again," she replied repentantly.

"That is right, dear child," and anxious to cheer her, added,"Don't be unhappy, for He will do everything you wish in goodtime."

And Heidi ran away and prayed that she might always remember
God, and that He would go on thinking about her.

The day came for grandmother's departure—a sad one for Claraand Heidi. But the grandmother was determined to make it as muchlike a holiday as possible and not to let them mope, and she keptthem so lively and amused that they had no time to think abouttheir sorrow at her going until she really drove away. Then thehouse seemed so silent and empty that Heidi and Clara did notknow what to do with themselves, and sat during the remainder ofthe day like two lost children.

The next day, when the hour came for Clara and Heidi to betogether, the latter walked in with her book and proposed thatshe should go on reading aloud every afternoon to Clara, if thelatter liked it. Clara agreed, and thought anyhow it would benice for that day, so Heidi began with her usual enthusiasm. Butthe reading did not last long, for Heidi had hardly begun a taleabout a dying grandmother before she cried out, "O! thengrandmother is dead!" and burst into tears; for everything sheread was so real to her that she quite thought it was thegrandmother at home who had died, and she kept on exclaiming asher sobs increased, "She is dead, and I shall never see heragain, and she never had one of the white rolls!"

Clara did all she could to explain to Heidi that the story wasabout quite a different grandmother; but even when at last shehad been able to convince Heidi of this, the latter continued toweep inconsolably, for now she had awakened to the thought thatperhaps the grandmother, and even the grandfather also, mightdie while she was so far away, and that if she did not go homefor a long time she would find everything there all silent anddead, and there she would be all alone, and would never be ableto see the dear ones she loved any more.

Fraulein Rottenmeier had meanwhile come into the room, and Claraexplained to her what had happened. As Heidi continued herweeping, the lady, who was evidently getting impatient with her,went up to Heidi and said with decision, "Now, Adelaide, that isenough of all this causeless lamentation. I will tell you oncefor all, if there are any more scenes like this while you arereading, I shall take the book away from you and shall not letyou have it again."

Her words had immediate effect on Heidi, who turned pale withfear. The book was her one great treasure. She quickly dried hertears and swallowed her sobs as best she could, so that nofurther sound of them should be heard. The threat did its work,for Heidi never cried aloud again whatever she might be reading,but she had often to struggle hard to keep back her tears, sothat Clara would look at her and say,

"What faces you are making, Heidi, I never saw anything likeit!" But the faces made no noise and did not offend FrauleinRottenmeier, and Heidi, having overcome her fit of despairingmisery, would go quietly on for a while, and no one perceivedher sorrow. But she lost all her appetite, and looked so pale andthin that Sebastian was quite unhappy when he looked at her, andcould not bear to see her refusing all the nice dishes he handedher. He would whisper to her sometimes, in quite a kind,fatherly manner, "Take a little; you don't know how nice it is!There, a good spoonful, now another." But it was of no use, Heidihardly ate anything at all, and as soon as she laid her head downat night the picture of home would rise before her eyes, and shewould weep, burying her face in the pillow that her crying mightnot be heard.

And so many weeks passed away. Heidi did not know it is waswinter or summer, for the walls and windows she looked out uponshowed no change, and she never went beyond the house except onrare occasions when Clara was well enough to drive out, and thenthey only went a very little way, as Clara could not bear themovement for long. So that on these occasions they generallyonly saw more fine streets and large houses and crowds of people;they seldom got anywhere beyond them, and grass and flowers, firtrees and mountains, were still far away. Heidi's longing for theold familiar and beautiful things grew daily stronger, so thatnow only to read a word that recalled them to her remembrancebrought her to the verge of tears, which with difficulty shesuppressed. So the autumn and winter passed, and again the suncame shining down on the white walls of the opposite houses, andHeidi would think to herself that now the time had come for Peterto go out again with the goats, to where the golden flowers ofthe cistus were glowing in the sunlight, and all the rocks aroundturned to fire at sunset. Heidi would go and sit in a corner ofher lonely room and put her hands up to her eyes that she mightnot see the sun shining on the opposite wall; and then she wouldremain without moving, battling silently with her terriblehomesickness until Clara sent for her again.

CHAPTER XII. A GHOST IN THE HOUSE

For some days past Fraulein Rottenmeier had gone about rathersilently and as if lost in thought. As twilight fell, and shepassed from room to room, or along the long corridors, she wasseen to look cautiously behind her, and into the dark corners,as if she thought some one was coming silently behind her andmight unexpectedly give her dress a pull. Nor would she now goalone into some parts of the house. If she visited the upperfloor where the grand guest-chambers were, or had to go down intothe large mysterious council-chamber, where every footstepechoed, and the old senators with their big white collars lookeddown so solemnly and immovably from their frames, she regularlycalled Tinette to accompany her, in case, as she said, theremight be something to carry up or down. Tinette on her side didexactly the same; if she had business upstairs or down, shecalled Sebastian to accompany her, and there was always somethinghe must help her with which she could not carry alone. Morecurious still, Sebastian, also, if sent into one of the moredistant rooms, always called John to go with him in case heshould want his assistance in bringing what was required. AndJohn readily obeyed, although there was never anything to carry,and either might well have gone alone; but he did not know howsoon he might want to ask Sebastian to do the same service forhim. And while these things were going on upstairs, the cook, whohad been in the house for years, would stand shaking her headover her pots and kettles, and sighing, "That ever I should liveto know such a thing."

For something very strange and mysterious was going on in HerrSesemann's house. Every morning, when the servants wentdownstairs, they found the front door wide open, although nobodycould be seen far or near to account for it. During the firstfew days that this happened every room and corner was searched ingreat alarm, to see if anything had been stolen, for the generalidea was that a thief had been hiding in the house and had goneoff in the night with the stolen goods; but not a thing in thehouse had been touched, everything was safe in its place. Thedoor was doubly locked at night, and for further security thewooden bar was fastened across it; but it was no good—nextmorning the door again stood open. The servants in their fearand excitement got up extra early, but not so early but what thedoor had been opened before they got downstairs, althougheverything and everybody around were still wrapped in slumber,and the doors and windows of the adjoining houses all fast shut.At last, after a great deal of persuasion from FrauleinRottenmeier, Sebastian and John plucked up courage and agreed tosit up one night in the room next to the large council-chamberand to watch and see what would happen. Fraulein Rottenmeierlooked up several weapons belonging to the master, and gave theseand a bottle of spirits to Sebastian, so that their courage mightnot faint if it came to a fight.

On the appointed night the two sat down and began at once totake some of the strengthening cordial, which at first made themvery talkative and then very sleepy, so that they leant back intheir seats and became silent. As midnight struck, Sebastianroused himself and called to his companion, who, however, was noteasy to wake, and kept rolling his head first to one side andthen the other and continuing to sleep. Sebastian began to listenmore attentively, for he was wide awake now. Everything was stillas a mouse, all sound had died away from the streets even. He didnot feel inclined to go to sleep again, for the stillness wasghostly to him, and he was afraid now to raise his voice to rouseJohn, so he shook him gently to make him stir. At last, as onestruck, John work up, and came back to the consciousness of whyhe was sitting in a chair instead of lying in his bed. He now gotup with a great show of courage and said, "Come, Sebastian, wemust go outside and see what is going on; you need not be afraid,just follow me."

Whereupon he opened the door wide and stepped into the hall.Just as he did so a sudden gust of air blew through the openfront door and put out the light which John held in his hand. Hestarted back, almost overturning Sebastian, whom he clutched andpulled back into the room, and then shutting the door quickly heturned the key as far as he could make it go. Then he pulled outhis matches and lighted his candle again. Sebastian, in thesuddenness of the affair, did not know exactly what hadhappened, for he had not seen the open door or felt the breezebehind John's broad figure. But now, as he saw the latter in thelight, he gave a cry of alarm, for John was trembling all overand as white as a ghost. "What's the matter? What did you see,outside?" asked Sebastian sympathetically.

"The door partly open," gasped John, "and a white figurestanding at the top of the steps—there it stood, and then all ina minute it disappeared."

Sebastian felt his blood run cold. The two sat down close to oneanother and did not dare move again till the morning broke andthe streets began to be alive again. Then they left the roomtogether, shut the front door, and went upstairs to tellFraulein Rottenmeier of their experience. She was quite ready toreceive them, for she had not been able to sleep at all in theanxiety of waiting to hear their report. They had no sooner givenher details of the night's experience than she sat down and wrotestraight off to Herr Sesemann, who had never received such aletter before in his life. She could hardly write, she told him,for her fingers were stiff with fear, and Herr Sesemann mustplease arrange to come back at once, for dreadful andunaccountable things were taking place at home. Then she enteredinto particulars of all that had happened, of how the door wasfound standing open every morning, and how nobody in the housenow felt sure of their life in this unprotected state of things,and how it was impossible to tell what terrible results mightfollow on these mysterious doings.

Herr Sesemann answered that it was quite impossible for him toarrange to leave his business and return home at once. He wasvery much astonished at this ghost tale, but hoped by this timethe ghost had disappeared. If, however, it still continued todisturb the household, would Fraulein Rottenmeier write to thegrandmother and ask her if she could come and do something; she,he was sure, would soon find out a way to deal with the ghost sothat it would not venture again to haunt his house. FrauleinRottenmeier was not pleased with the tone of this letter; shedid not think the matter was treated seriously enough. She wroteoff without delay to Frau Sesemann, but got no more satisfactoryreply from that quarter, and some remarks in the letter sheconsidered were quite offensive. Frau Sesemann wrote that shedid not feel inclined to take the journey again from Holstein toFrankfurt because Rottenmeier fancied she saw ghosts. There hadnever been a ghost in the house since she had known it, and ifthere was one now it must be a live one, with which Rottenmeierought to be able to deal; if not she had better send for thewatchman to help her.

Fraulein Rottenmeier, however, was determined not to pass anymore days in a state of fear, and she knew the right course topursue. She had as yet said nothing to the children of theghostly apparitions, for she knew if she did that the childrenwould not remain alone for a single moment, and that mightentail discomfort for herself. But now she walked straight offinto the study, and there in a low mysterious voice told the twochildren everything that had taken place. Clara immediatelyscreamed out that she could not remain another minute alone, herfather must come home, and Fraulein Rottenmeier must sleep in herroom at night, and Heidi too must not be left by herself, for theghost might do something to her. She insisted that they shouldall sleep together in one room and keep a light burning allnight, and Tinette had better be in the next room, and Sebastianand John come upstairs and spend the night in the hall, so thatthey might call out and frighten the ghost the instant they sawit appear on the steps. Clara, in short, grew very excited, andFraulein Rottenmeier had great difficulty in quieting her. Shepromised to write at once to her father, and to have her bed putin her room and not to be left alone for a moment. They couldnot all sleep in the same room, but if Heidi was frightened, whyTinette must go into her room. But Heidi was far more frightenedof Tinette than of ghosts, of which the child had never beforeheard, so she assured the others she did not mind the ghost, andwould rather be alone at night.

Fraulein Rottenmeier now sat down to write another letter toHerr Sesemann, stating that these unaccountable things that weregoing on in the house had so affected his daughter's delicateconstitution that the worst consequences might be expected.Epileptic fits and St. Vitus's dance often came on suddenly incases like this, and Clara was liable to be attacked by eitherif the cause of the general alarm was not removed.

The letter was successful, and two days later Herr Sesemannstood at his front door and rang the bell in such a manner thateverybody came rushing from all parts of the house and stoodlooking affrighted at everybody else, convinced that the ghostwas impudently beginning its evil tricks in daylight. Sebastianpeeped cautiously through a half-closed shutter; as he did sothere came another violent ring at the bell, which it wasimpossible to mistake for anything but a very hard pull from anon-ghostly hand. And Sebastian recognised whose hand it was,and rushing pell-mell out of the room, fell heels over headdownstairs, but picked himself up at the bottom and flung openthe street door. Herr Sesemann greeted him abruptly and went upwithout a moment's delay into his daughter's room. Clara greetedhim with a cry of joy, and seeing her so lively and apparentlyas well as ever, his face cleared, and the frown of anxietypassed gradually away from it as he heard from his daughter's ownlips that she had nothing the matter with her, and moreover wasso delighted to see him that she was quite glad about the ghost,as it was the cause of bringing him home again.

"And how is the ghost getting on?" he asked, turning to Fraulein
Rottenmeier, with a twinkle of amusement in his eye.

"It is no joke, I assure you," replied that lady. "You will notlaugh yourself to-morrow morning, Herr Sesemann; what is goingon in the house points to some terrible thing that has takenplace in the past and been concealed."

"Well, I know nothing about that," said the master of the house,"but I must beg you not to bring suspicion on my worthyancestors. And now will you kindly call Sebastian into the dining-room, as I wish to speak to him alone."

Herr Sesemann had been quite aware that Sebastian and FrauleinRottenmeier were not on the best of terms, and he had his ideasabout this scare.

"Come here, lad," he said as Sebastian appeared, "and tell mefrankly—have you been playing at ghosts to amuse yourself atFraulein Rottenmeier's expense?"

"No, on my honor, sir; pray, do not think it; I am veryuncomfortable about the matter myself," answered Sebastian withunmistakable truthfulness.

"Well, if that is so, I will show you and John to-morrow morninghow ghosts look in the daylight. You ought to be ashamed ofyourself, Sebastian, a great strong lad like you, to run awayfrom a ghost! But now go and take a message to my old friend thedoctor; give him my kind regards, and ask him if he will come tome to-night at nine o'clock without fail; I have come by expressfrom Paris to consult him. I shall want him to spend the nighthere, so bad a case is it; so he will arrange accordingly. Youunderstand?"

"Yes, sir," replied Sebastian, "I will see to the matter as youwish." Then Herr Sesemann returned to Clara, and begged her tohave no more fear, as he would soon find out all about the ghostand put an end to it.

Punctually at nine o'clock, after the children had gone to bedand Fraulein Rottenmeier had retired, the doctor arrived. He wasa grey-haired man with a fresh face, and two bright, kindlyeyes. He looked anxious as he walked in, but, on catching sightof his patient, burst out laughing and clapped him on theshoulder. "Well," he said, "you look pretty bad for a person thatI am to sit up with all night."

"Patience, friend," answered Herr Sesemann, "the one you have tosit up for will look a good deal worse when we have once caughthim."

"So there is a sick person in the house, and one that has firstto be caught?"

"Much worse than that, doctor! a ghost in the house! My house ishaunted!"

The doctor laughed aloud.

"That's a nice way of showing sympathy, doctor!" continued Herr,Sesemann. "It's a pity my friend Rottenmeier cannot hear you.She is firmly convinced that some old member of the family iswandering about the house doing penance for some awful crime hecommitted."

"How did she become acquainted with him?" asked the doctor,still very much amused.

So Herr Sesemann recounted to him how the front door was nightlyopened by somebody, according to the testimony of the combinedhousehold, and he had therefore provided two loaded revolvers,so as to be prepared for anything that happened; for either thewhole thing was a joke got up by some friend of the servants,just to alarm the household while he was away—and in that casea pistol fired into the air would procure him a wholesome fright—or else it was a thief, who, by leading everybody at first tothink there was a ghost, made it safe for himself when he camelater to steal, as no one would venture to run out if they heardhim, and in that case too a good weapon would not be amiss.

The two took up their quarters for the night in the same room inwhich Sebastian and John had kept watch. A bottle of wine wasplaced on the table, for a little refreshment would be welcomefrom time to time if the night was to be passed sitting up.Beside it lay the two revolvers, and two good-sized candles hadalso been lighted, for Herr Sesemann was determined not to waitfor ghosts in any half light.

The door was shut close to prevent the light being seen in thehall outside, which might frighten away the ghost. And now thetwo gentlemen sat comfortably back in the arm-chairs and begantalking of all sorts of things, now and then pausing to take agood draught of wine, and so twelve o'clock struck before theywere aware.

"The ghost has got scent of us and is keeping away to-night,"said the doctor.

"Wait a bit, it does not generally appear before one o'clock,"answered his friend.

They started talking again. One o'clock struck. There was not asound about the house, nor in the street outside. Suddenly thedoctor lifted his finger.

"Hush! Sesemann, don't you hear something?"

They both listened, and they distinctly heard the bar softlypushed aside and then the key turned in the lock and the dooropened. Herr Sesemann put out his hand for his revolver.

"You are not afraid, are you?" said the doctor as he stood up.

"It is better to take precautions," whispered Herr Sesemann, andseizing one of the lights in his other hand, he followed thedoctor, who, armed in like manner with a light and a revolver,went softly on in front. They stepped into the hall. Themoonlight was shining in through the open door and fell on awhite figure standing motionless in the doorway.

"Who is there?" thundered the doctor in a voice that echoedthrough the hall, as the two men advanced with lights andweapons towards the figure.

It turned and gave a low cry. There in her little whitenightgown stood Heidi, with bare feet, staring with wild eyes atthe lights and the revolvers, and trembling from head to footlike a leaf in the wind. The two men looked as one another insurprise.

"Why, I believe it is your little water-carrier, Sesemann," saidthe doctor.

"Child, what does this mean?" said Herr Sesemann. "What did youwant? why did you come down here?"

White with terror, and hardly able to make her voice heard,
Heidi answered, "I don't know."

But now the doctor stepped forward. "This is a matter for me tosee to, Sesemann; go back to your chair. I must take the childupstairs to her bed."

And with that he put down his revolver and gently taking thechild by the hand led her upstairs. "Don't be frightened," hesaid as they went up side by side, "it's nothing to befrightened about; it's all right, only just go quietly."

On reaching Heidi's room the doctor put the candle down on thetable, and taking Heidi up in his arms laid her on the bed andcarefully covered her over. Then he sat down beside her andwaited until Heidi had grown quieter and no longer trembled soviolently. He took her hand and said in a kind, soothing voice,"There, now you feel better, and now tell me where you werewanting to go to?"

"I did not want to go anywhere," said Heidi. "I did not know Iwent downstairs, but all at once I was there."

"I see, and had you been dreaming, so that you seemed to see andhear something very distinctly?"

"Yes, I dream every night, and always about the same things. Ithink I am back with the grandfather and I hear the sound in thefir trees outside, and I see the stars shining so brightly, andthen I open the door quickly and run out, and it is all sobeautiful! But when I wake I am still in Frankfurt." And Heidistruggled as she spoke to keep back the sobs which seemed tochoke her.

"And have you no pain anywhere? no pain in your head or back?"

"No, only a feeling as if there were a great stone weighing onme here."

"As if you had eaten something that would not go down."

"No, not like that; something heavy as if I wanted to cry verymuch."

"I see, and then do you have a good cry?"

"Oh, no, I mustn't; Fraulein Rottenmeier forbade me to cry."

"So you swallow it all down, I suppose? Are you happy here in
Frankfurt?"

"Yes," was the low answer; but it sounded more like "No."

"And where did you live with your grandfather?"

"Up on the mountain."

"That wasn't very amusing; rather dull at times, eh?"

"No, no, it was beautiful, beautiful!" Heidi could go nofurther; the remembrance of the past, the excitement she had justgone through, the long suppressed weeping, were too much for thechild's strength; the tears began to fall fast, and she brokeinto violent weeping.

The doctor stood up and laid her head kindly down on the pillow."There, there, go on crying, it will do you good, and then go tosleep; it will be all right to-morrow."

Then he left the room and went downstairs to Herr Sesemann; whenhe was once more sitting in the armchair opposite his friend,"Sesemann," he said, "let me first tell you that your littlecharge is a sleep-walker; she is the ghost who has nightlyopened the front door and put your household into this fever ofalarm. Secondly, the child is consumed with homesickness, to suchan extent that she is nearly a skeleton already, and soon will bequite one; something must be done at once. For the firsttrouble, due to her over-excited nerves, there is but one remedy,to send her back to her native mountain air; and for the secondtrouble there is also but one cure, and that the same. So to-morrow the child must start for home; there you have myprescription."

Herr Sesemann had arisen and now paced up and down the room inthe greatest state of concern.

"What!" he exclaimed, "the child a sleep-walker and ill! Home-sick, and grown emaciated in my house! All this has taken placein my house and no one seen or known anything about it! And youmean, doctor, that the child who came here happy and healthy, Iam to send back to her grandfather a miserable little skeleton? Ican't do it; you cannot dream of my doing such a thing! Take thechild in hand, do with her what you will, and make her whole andsound, and then she shall go home; but you must do somethingfirst."

"Sesemann," replied the doctor, "consider what you are doing!This illness of the child's is not one to be cured with pillsand powders. The child has not a tough constitution, but if yousend her back at once she may recover in the mountain air,if not—you would rather she went back ill than not at all?"

Herr Sesemann stood still; the doctor's words were a shock tohim.

"If you put it so, doctor, there is assuredly only one way—andthe thing must be seen to at once." And then he and the doctorwalked up and down for a while arranging what to do, after whichthe doctor said good-bye, for some time had passed since theyfirst sat down together, and as the master himself opened thehall door this time the morning light shone down through it intothe house.

CHAPTER XIII. A SUMMER EVENING ON THE MOUNTAIN

Herr Sesemann, a good deal irritated and excited, went quicklyupstairs and along the passage to Fraulein Rottenmeier's room,and there gave such an unusually loud knock at the door that thelady awoke from sleep with a cry of alarm. She heard the masterof the house calling to her from the other side of the door,"Please make haste and come down to me in the dining-room; wemust make ready for a journey at once." Fraulein Rottenmeierlooked at her clock: it was just half-past four; she had nevergot up so early before in her life. What could have happened?What with her curiosity and excitement she took hold ofeverything the wrong way, and it was a case with her of morehaste less speed, for she kept on searching everywhere forgarments which she had already put on.

Meanwhile Herr Sesemann had gone on farther and rung the bellsin turn which communicated with the several servants' rooms,causing frightened figures to leap out of bed, convinced that theghost had attacked the master and that he was calling for help.One by one they made their appearance in the dining-room, eachwith a more terrified face than the last, and were astonished tosee their master walking up and down, looking well and cheerful,and with no appearance of having had an encounter with a ghost.John was sent off without delay to get the horses and carriageready; Tinette was ordered to wake Heidi and get her dressed fora journey; Sebastian was hurried off to the house where Dete wasin service to bring the latter round. Then Fraulein Rottenmeier,having at last accomplished her toilet, came down, witheverything well adjusted about her except her cap, which was puton hind side before. Herr Sesemann put down her flurriedappearance to the early awakening he had caused her, and beganwithout delay to give her directions. She was to get out a trunkat once and pack up all the things belonging to the Swiss child—for so he usually spoke of Heidi, being unaccustomed to her name—and a good part of Clara's clothes as well, so that the childmight take home proper apparel; but everything was to be doneimmediately, as there was no time for consideration.

Fraulein Rottenmeier stood as if rooted to the spot and staredin astonishment at Herr Sesemann. She had quite expected a longand private account of some terrible ghostly experience of hisduring the night, which she would have enjoyed hearing about inthe broad daylight. Instead of this there were these prosaic andtroublesome directions, which were so unexpected that she tooksome time to get over her surprise and disappointment, andcontinued standing awaiting further explanation.

But Herr Sesemann had no thought or time for explanations andleft her standing there while he went to speak to Clara. As heanticipated, the unusual commotion in the house had disturbedher, and she was lying and listening and wondering what hadhappened. So he sat down and told her everything that hadoccurred during the past night, and explained that the doctorhad given his verdict and pronounced Heidi to be in a very highlystrung state, so that her nightly wanderings might graduallylead her farther and farther, perhaps even on to the roof, whichof course would be very dangerous for her. And so they haddecided to send her home at once, as he did not like to take theresponsibility of her remaining, and Clara would see for herselfthat it was the only thing to do. Clara was very muchdistressed, and at first made all kinds of suggestions forkeeping Heidi with her; but her father was firm, and promisedher, if she would be reasonable and make no further fuss, that hewould take her to Switzerland next summer. So Clara gave in tothe inevitable, only stipulating that the box might be broughtinto her room to be packed, so that she might add whatever sheliked, and her father was only too pleased to let her provide anice outfit for the child. Meanwhile Dete had arrived and waswaiting in the hall, wondering what extraordinary event had cometo pass for her to be sent for at such an unusual hour. HerrSesemann informed her of the state Heidi was in, and that hewished her that very day to take her home. Dete was greatlydisappointed, for she had not expected such a piece of news. Sheremembered Uncle's last words, that he never wished to set eyeson her again, and it seemed to her that to take back the child tohim, after having left it with him once and then taken it awayagain, was not a safe or wise thing for her to do. So she excusedherself to Herr Sesemann with her usual flow of words; to-day andto-morrow it would be quite impossible for her to take thejourney, and there was so much to do that she doubted if shecould get off on any of the following days. Herr Sesemannunderstood that she was unwilling to go at all, and so dismissedher. Then he sent for Sebastian and told him to make ready tostart: he was to travel with the child as far as Basle that day,and the next day take her home. He would give him a letter tocarry to the grandfather, which would explain everything, and hehimself could come back by return.

"But there is one thing in particular which I wish you to lookafter," said Herr Sesemann in conclusion, "and be sure youattend to what I say. I know the people of this hotel in Basle,the name of which I give you on this card. They will see toproviding rooms for the child and you. When there, go at onceinto the child's room and see that the windows are all firmlyfastened so that they cannot be easily opened. After the child isin bed, lock the door of her room on the outside, for the childwalks in her sleep and might run into danger in a strange houseif she went wandering downstairs and tried to open the frontdoor; so you understand?"

"Oh! then that was it?" exclaimed Sebastian, for now a light wasthrown on the ghostly visitations.

"Yes, that was it! and you are a coward, and you may tell Johnhe is the same, and the whole household a pack of idiots." Andwith this Herr Sesemann went off to his study to write a letterto Alm-Uncle. Sebastian remained standing, feeling ratherfoolish.

"If only I had not let that fool of a John drag me back into theroom, and had gone after the little white figure, which I shoulddo certainly if I saw it now!" he kept on saying to himself; butjust now every corner of the room was clearly visible in thedaylight.

Meanwhile Heidi was standing expectantly dressed in her Sundayfrock waiting to see what would happen next, for Tinette hadonly woke her up with a shake and put on her clothes without aword of explanation. The little uneducated child was far too muchbeneath her for Tinette to speak to.

Herr Sesemann went back to the dining-room with the letter;breakfast was now ready, and he asked, "Where is the child?"

Heidi was fetched, and as she walked up to him to say "Good-morning," he looked inquiringly into her face and said, "Well,what do you say to this, little one?"

Heidi looked at him in perplexity.

"Why, you don't know anything about it, I see," laughed Herr
Sesemann. "You are going home today, going at once."

"Home," murmured Heidi in a low voice, turning pale; she was soovercome that for a moment or two she could hardly breathe.

"Don't you want to hear more about it?"

"Oh, yes, yes!" exclaimed Heidi, her face now rosy with delight.

"All right, then," said Herr Sesemann as he sat down and madeher a sign to do the same, "but now make a good breakfast, andthen off you go in the carriage."

But Heidi could not swallow a morsel though she tried to do whatshe was told; she was in such a state of excitement that shehardly knew if she was awake or dreaming, or if she would againopen her eyes to find herself in her nightgown at the frontdoor.

"Tell Sebastian to take plenty of provisions with him," HerrSesemann called out to Fraulein Rottenmeier, who just then cameinto the room; "the child can't eat anything now, which is quitenatural. Now run up to Clara and stay with her till the carriagecomes round," he added kindly, turning to Heidi.

Heidi had been longing for this, and ran quickly upstairs. Animmense trunk was standing open in the middle of the room.

"Come along, Heidi," cried Clara, as she entered; "see all thethings I have had put in for you—aren't you pleased?"

And she ran over a list of things, dresses and aprons andhandkerchiefs, and all kinds of working materials. "And lookhere," she added, as she triumphantly held up a basket. Heidipeeped in and jumped for joy, for inside it were twelvebeautiful round white rolls, all for grandmother. In theirdelight the children forgot that the time had come for them toseparate, and when some one called out, "The carriage is here,"there was no time for grieving.

Heidi ran to her room to fetch her darling book; she knew no onecould have packed that, as it lay under her pillow, for Heidihad kept it by her night and day. This was put in the basket withthe rolls. Then she opened her wardrobe to look for anothertreasure, which perhaps no one would have thought of packing—andshe was right—the old red shawl had been left behind, FrauleinRottenmeier not considering it worth putting in with the otherthings. Heidi wrapped it round something else which she laid onthe top of the basket, so that the red package was quiteconspicuous. Then she put on her pretty hat and left the room.The children could not spend much time over their farewells, forHerr Sesemann was waiting to put Heidi in the carriage. FrauleinRottenmeier was waiting at the top of the stairs to say good-byeto her. When she caught sight of the strange little red bundle,she took it out of the basket and threw it on the ground. "No,no, Adelaide," she exclaimed, "you cannot leave the house withthat thing. What can you possibly want with it!" And then shesaid good-bye to the child. Heidi did not dare take up herlittle bundle, but she gave the master of the house an imploringlook, as if her greatest treasure had been taken from her.

"No, no," said Herr Sesemann in a very decided voice, "the childshall take home with her whatever she likes, kittens andtortoises, if it pleases her; we need not put ourselves outabout that, Fraulein Rottenmeier."

Heidi quickly picked up her bundle, with a look of joy andgratitude. As she stood by the carriage door, Herr Sesemann gaveher his hand and said he hoped she would remember him and Clara.He wished her a happy journey, and Heidi thanked him for all hiskindness, and added, "And please say good-bye to the doctor forme and give him many, many thanks." For she had not forgottenthat he had said to her the night before, 'It will be all rightto-morrow,' and she rightly divined that he had helped to makeit so for her. Heidi was now lifted into the carriage, and thenthe basket and the provisions were put in, and finally Sebastiantook his place. Then Herr Sesemann called out once more, "Apleasant journey to you," and the carriage rolled away.

Heidi was soon sitting in the railway carriage, holding herbasket tightly on her lap; she would not let it out of her handsfor a moment, for it contained the delicious rolls forgrandmother; so she must keep it carefully, and even peep insideit from time to time to enjoy the sight of them. For many hoursshe sat as still as a mouse; only now was she beginning torealize that she was going home to the grandfather, themountain, the grandmother, and Peter, and pictures of all she wasgoing to see again rose one by one before her eyes; she thoughtof how everything would look at home, but this brought otherthoughts to her mind, and all of a sudden she said anxiously,"Sebastian, are you sure that grandmother on the mountain is notdead?"

"No, no," said Sebastian, wishing to soothe her, "we will hopenot; she is sure to be alive still."

Then Heidi fell back on her own thoughts again. Now and then shelooked inside the basket, for the thing she looked forward tomost was laying all the rolls out on grandmother's table. Aftera long silence she spoke again, "If only we could know forcertain that grandmother is alive!"

"Yes, yes," said Sebastian, half asleep; "she is sure to bealive, there is no reason why she should be dead."

After a while sleep fell on Heidi too, and after her disturbednight and early rising she slept so soundly that she did notwake till Sebastian shook her by the arm and called to her, "Wakeup, wake up! we shall have to get out directly; we are just inBasle!"

There was a further railway journey of many hours the next day.Heidi again sat with her basket on her knee, for she would nothave given it up to Sebastian on any consideration; to-day shenever even opened her mouth, for her excitement, which increasedwith every mile of the journey, kept her speechless. All of asudden, before Heidi expected it, a voice called out,"Mayenfeld." She and Sebastian both jumped up, the latter alsotaken by surprise. In another minute they were both standing onthe platform with Heidi's trunk, and the train was steaming awaydown the valley. Sebastian looked after it regretfully, for hepreferred the easier mode of travelling to a wearisome climb onfoot, especially as there was danger no doubt as well as fatiguein a country like this, where, according to Sebastian's idea,everything and everybody were half savage. He therefore lookedcautiously to either side to see who was a likely person to askthe safest way to Dorfli.

Just outside the station he saw a shabby-looking little cart andhorse which a broad-shouldered man was loading with heavy sacksthat had been brought by the train, so he went up to him andasked which was the safest way to get to Dorfli.

"All the roads about here are safe," was the curt reply.

So Sebastian altered his question and asked which was the bestway to avoid falling over the precipice, and also how a boxcould be conveyed to Dorfli. The man looked at the box, weighingit with his eye, and then volunteered if it was not too heavy totake it on his own cart, as he was driving to Dorfli. After somelittle interchange of words it was finally agreed that the manshould take both the child and the box to Dorfli, and there findsome one who could be sent on with Heidi up the mountain.

"I can go by myself, I know the way well from Dorfli," put inHeidi, who had been listening attentively to the conversation.Sebastian was greatly relieved at not having to do any mountainclimbing. He drew Heidi aside and gave her a thick rolledparcel, and a letter for her grandfather; the parcel, he toldher, was a present from Herr Sesemann, and she must put it at thebottom of her basket under the rolls and be very careful not tolose it, as Herr Sesemann would be very vexed if she did, andnever be the same to her again; so little miss was to think wellof what he said.

"I shall be sure not to lose it," said Heidi confidently, andshe at once put the roll and the letter at the bottom of herbasket. The trunk meanwhile had been hoisted into the cart, andnow Sebastian lifted Heidi and her basket on to the high seat andshook hands with her; he then made signs to her to keep her eyeon the basket, for the driver was standing near and Sebastianthought it better to be careful, especially as he knew that heought himself to have seen the child safely to her journey'send. The driver now swung himself up beside Heidi, and the cartrolled away in the direction of the mountains, while Sebastian,glad of having no tiring and dangerous journey on foot beforehim, sat down in the station and awaited the return train.

The driver of the car was the miller at Dorfli and was takinghome his sacks of flour. He had never seen Heidi, but likeeverybody in Dorfli knew all about her. He had known herparents, and felt sure at once that this was the child of whom hehad heard so much. He began to wonder why she had come back, andas they drove along he entered into conversation with her. "Youare the child who lived with your grandfather, Alm-Uncle, are younot?"

"Yes."

"Didn't they treat you well down there that you have come backso soon?"

"Yes, it was not that; everything in Frankfurt is as nice as itcould be."

"Then why are you running home again?"

"Only because Herr Sesemann gave me leave, or else I should nothave come."

"If they were willing to let you stay, why did you not remainwhere you were better off than at home?"

"Because I would a thousand times rather be with grandfather onthe mountain than anywhere else in the world."

"You will think differently perhaps when you get back there,"grumbled the miller; and then to himself, "It's strange of her,for she must know what it's like."

He began whistling and said no more, while Heidi looked aroundher and began to tremble with excitement, for she knew everytree along the way, and there overhead were the high jagged peaksof the mountain looking down on her like old friends. And Heidinodded back to them, and grew every moment more wild with herjoy and longing, feeling as if she must jump down from the cartand run with all her might till she reached the top. But she satquite still and did not move, although inwardly in suchagitation. The clock was striking five as they drove intoDorfli. A crowd of women and children immediately surrounded thecart, for the box and the child arriving with the miller hadexcited the curiosity of everybody in the neighborhood,inquisitive to know whence they came and whither they were goingand to whom they belonged. As the miller lifted Heidi down, shesaid hastily, "Thank you, grandfather will send for the trunk,"and was just going to run off, when first one and then another ofthe bystanders caught hold of her, each one having a differentquestion to put to her. But Heidi pushed her way through themwith such an expression of distress on her face that they wereforced to let her go. "You see," they said to one another, "howfrightened she is, and no wonder," and then they went on to talkof Alm-Uncle, how much worse he had grown that last year, neverspeaking a word and looking as if he would like to killeverybody he met, and if the child had anywhere else to go to shecertainly would not run back to the old dragon's den. But herethe miller interrupted them, saying he knew more about it thanthey did, and began telling them how a kind gentleman had broughther to Mayenfeld and seen her off, and had given him his farewithout any bargaining, and extra money for himself; what wasmore, the child had assured him that she had had everything shewanted where she had been, and that it was her own wish to returnto her grandfather. This information caused great surprise andwas soon repeated all over Dorfli, and that evening there was nota house in the place in which the astounding news was notdiscussed, of how Heidi had of her own accord given up aluxurious home to return to her grandfather.

Heidi climbed up the steep path from Dorfli as quickly as shecould; she was obliged, however, to pause now and again to takebreath, for the basket she carried was rather heavy, and the waygot steeper as she drew nearer the top. One thought alone filledHeidi's mind, "Would she find the grandmother sitting in herusual corner by the spinning-wheel, was she still alive?" Atlast Heidi caught sight of the grandmother's house in the hollowof the mountain and her heart began to beat; she ran faster andfaster and her heart beat louder and louder—and now she hadreached the house, but she trembled so she could hardly open thedoor—and then she was standing inside, unable in herbreathlessness to utter a sound.

"Ah, my God!" cried a voice from the corner, "that was how Heidiused to run in; if only I could have her with me once again! Whois there?"

"It's I, I, grandmother," cried Heidi as she ran and flungherself on her knees beside the old woman, and seizing herhands, clung to her, unable to speak for joy. And the grandmotherherself could not say a word for some time, so unexpected wasthis happiness; but at last she put out her hand and strokedHeidi's curly hair, and said, "Yes, yes, that is her hair, andher voice; thank God that He has granted my prayer!" And tearsof joy fell from the blind eyes on to Heidi's hand. "Is it reallyyou, Heidi; have you really come back to me?"

"Yes, grandmother, I am really here," answered Heidi in areassuring voice. "Do not cry, for I have really come back and Iam never going away again, and I shall come every day to seeyou, and you won't have any more hard bread to eat for some days,for look, look!"

And Heidi took the rolls from the basket and piled the wholetwelve up on grandmother's lap.

"Ah, child! child! what a blessing you bring with you!" the oldwoman exclaimed, as she felt and seemed never to come to the endof the rolls. "But you yourself are the greatest blessing,Heidi," and again she touched the child's hair and passed herhand over her hot cheeks, and said, "Say something, child, thatI may hear your voice."

Then Heidi told her how unhappy she had been, thinking that thegrandmother might die while she was away and would never haveher white rolls, and that then she would never, never see heragain.

Peter's mother now came in and stood for a moment overcome withastonishment. "Why, it's Heidi," she exclaimed, "and yet can itbe?"

Heidi stood up, and Brigitta now could not say enough in heradmiration of the child's dress and appearance; she walked roundher, exclaiming all the while, "Grandmother, if you could onlysee her, and see what a pretty frock she has on; you wouldhardly know her again. And the hat with the feather in it isyours too, I suppose? Put it on that I may see how you look init?"

"No, I would rather not," replied Heidi firmly. "You can have itif you like; I do not want it; I have my own still." And Heidiso saying undid her red bundle and took out her own old hat,which had become a little more battered still during the journey.But this was no trouble to Heidi; she had not forgotten how hergrandfather had called out to Dete that he never wished to seeher and her hat and feathers again, and this was the reason shehad so anxiously preserved her old hat, for she had never ceasedto think about going home to her grandfather. But Brigitta toldher not to be so foolish as to give it away; she would not thinkof taking such a beautiful hat; if Heidi did not want to wear itshe might sell it to the schoolmaster's daughter in Dorfli andget a good deal of money for it. But Heidi stuck to herintention and hid the hat quietly in a corner behind thegrandmother's chair. Then she took off her pretty dress and puther red shawl on over her under-petticoat, which left her armsbare; and now she clasped the old woman's hand. "I must go hometo grandfather," she said, "but to-morrow I shall come again. Good-night, grandmother."

"Yes, come again, be sure you come again tomorrow," begged thegrandmother, as she pressed Heidi's hands in hers, unwilling tolet her go.

"Why have you taken off that pretty dress?" asked Brigitta.

"Because I would rather go home to grandfather as I am or elseperhaps he would not know me; you hardly did at first."

Brigitta went with her to the door, and there said in rather amysterious voice, "You might have kept on your dress, he wouldhave known you all right; but you must be careful, for Petertells me that Alm-Uncle is always now in a bad temper and neverspeaks."

Heidi bid her good-night and continued her way up the mountain,her basket on her arm. All around her the steep green slopesshone bright in the evening sun, and soon the great gleaming snow-field up above came in sight. Heidi was obliged to keep onpausing to look behind her, for the higher peaks were behind heras she climbed. Suddenly a warm red glow fell on the grass ather feet; she looked back again—she had not remembered howsplendid it was, nor seen anything to compare to it in her dreams—for there the two high mountain peeks rose into the air like twogreat flames, the whole snow-field had turned crimson, and rosy-colored clouds floated in the sky above. The grass upon themountain sides had turned to gold, the rocks were all aglow, andthe whole valley was bathed in golden mist. And as Heidi stoodgazing around her at all this splendor the tears ran down hercheeks for very delight and happiness, and impulsively she puther hands together, and lifting her eyes to heaven, thanked Godaloud for having brought her home, thanked Him that everythingwas as beautiful as ever, more beautiful even than she hadthought, and that it was all hers again once more. And she was sooverflowing with joy and thankfulness that she could not findwords to thank Him enough. Not until the glory began to fadecould she tear herself away. Then she ran on so quickly that ina very little while she caught sight of the tops of the fir treesabove the hut roof, then the roof itself, and at last the wholehut, and there was grandfather sitting as in old days smokinghis pipe, and she could see the fir trees waving in the wind.Quicker and quicker went her little feet, and before Alm-Unclehad time to see who was coming, Heidi had rushed up to him,thrown down her basket and flung her arms round his neck, unablein the excitement of seeing him again to say more than"Grandfather! grandfather! grandfather!" over and over again.

And the old man himself said nothing. For the first time formany years his eyes were wet, and he had to pass his hand acrossthem. Then he unloosed Heidi's arms, put her on his knee, andafter looking at her for a moment, "So you have come back to me,Heidi," he said, "how is that? You don't look much of a grandlady. Did they send you away?"

"Oh, no, grandfather," said Heidi eagerly, "you must not thinkthat; they were all so kind—Clara, and grandmamma, and HerrSesemann. But you see, grandfather, I did not know how to bearmyself till I got home again to you. I used to think I shoulddie, for I felt as if I could not breathe; but I never saidanything because it would have been ungrateful. And thensuddenly one morning quite early Herr Sesemann said to me—but Ithink it was partly the doctor's doing—but perhaps it's all inthe letter—" and Heidi jumped down and fetched the roll and theletter and handed them both to her grandfather.

"That belongs to you," said the latter, laying the roll down onthe bench beside him. Then he opened the letter, read it throughand without a word put it in his pocket.

"Do you think you can still drink milk with me, Heidi?" heasked, taking the child by the hand to go into the hut. "Butbring your money with you; you can buy a bed and bedclothes anddresses for a couple of years with it."

"I am sure I do not want it," replied Heidi. "I have got a bedalready, and Clara has put such a lot of clothes in my box thatI shall never want any more."

"Take it and put it in the cupboard; you will want it some day Ihave no doubt."

Heidi obeyed and skipped happily after her grandfather into thehouse; she ran into all the corners, delighted to see everythingagain, and then went up the ladder—but there she came to apause and called down in a tone of surprise and distress, "Oh,grandfather, my bed's gone."

"We can soon make it up again," he answered her from below. "Idid not know that you were coming back; come along now and haveyour milk."

Heidi came down, sat herself on her high stool in the old place,and then taking up her bowl drank her milk eagerly, as if shehad never come across anything so delicious, and as she put downher bowl, she exclaimed, "Our milk tastes nicer than anythingelse in the world, grandfather."

A shrill whistle was heard outside. Heidi darted out like aflash of lightning. There were the goats leaping and springingamong the rocks, with Peter in their midst. When he caught sightof Heidi he stood still with astonishment and gazed speechlesslyat her. Heidi called out, "Good-evening, Peter," and then ran inamong the goats. "Little Swan! Little Bear! do you know meagain?" And the animals evidently recognized her voice at once,for they began rubbing their heads against her and bleatingloudly as if for joy, and as she called the other goats by nameone after the other, they all came scampering towards her helter-skelter and crowding round her. The impatient Greenfinch spranginto the air and over two of her companions in order to getnearer, and even the shy little Snowflake butted the Great Turkout of her way in quite a determined manner, which left himstanding taken aback by her boldness, and lifting his beard inthe air as much as to say, You see who I am.

Heidi was out of her mind with delight at being among all herold friends again; she flung her arms round the pretty littleSnowflake, stroked the obstreperous Greenfinch, while sheherself was thrust at from all sides by the affectionate andconfiding goats; and so at last she got near to where Peter wasstill standing, not having yet got over his surprise.

"Come down, Peter," cried Heidi, "and say good-evening to me."

"So you are back again?" he found words to say at last, and nowran down and took Heidi's hand which she was holding out ingreeting, and immediately put the same question to her which hehad been in the habit of doing in the old days when theyreturned home in the evening, "Will you come out with me again to-morrow?"

"Not to-morrow, but the day after perhaps, for to-morrow I mustgo down to grandmother."

"I am glad you are back," said Peter, while his whole facebeamed with pleasure, and then he prepared to go on with hisgoats; but he never had had so much trouble with them before, forwhen at last, by coaxing and threats, he had got them alltogether, and Heidi had gone off with an arm over either head ofher grandfather's two, the whole flock suddenly turned and ranafter her. Heidi had to go inside the stall with her two and shutthe door, or Peter would never have got home that night. WhenHeidi went indoors after this she found her bed already made upfor her; the hay had been piled high for it and smeltdeliciously, for it had only just been got in, and thegrandfather had carefully spread and tucked in the clean sheets.It was with a happy heart that Heidi lay down in it that night,and her sleep was sounder than it had been for a whole year past.The grandfather got up at least ten times during the night andmounted the ladder to see if Heidi was all right and showing nosigns of restlessness, and to feel that the hay he had stuffedinto the round window was keeping the moon from shining toobrightly upon her. But Heidi did not stir; she had no need nowto wander about, for the great burning longing of her heart wassatisfied; she had seen the high mountains and rocks alight inthe evening glow, she had heard the wind in the fir trees, shewas at home again on the mountain.

CHAPTER XIV. SUNDAY BELLS

Heidi was standing under the waving fir trees waiting for hergrandfather, who was going down with her to grandmother's, andthen on to Dorfli to fetch her box. She was longing to know howgrandmother had enjoyed her white bread and impatient to see andhear her again; but no time seemed weary to her now, for shecould not listen long enough to the familiar voice of the trees,or drink in too much of the fragrance wafted to her from thegreen pastures where the golden-headed flowers were glowing inthe sun, a very feast to her eyes. The grandfather came out,gave a look round, and then called to her in a cheerful voice,"Well, now we can be off."

It was Saturday, a day when Alm-Uncle made everything clean andtidy inside and outside the house; he had devoted his morning tothis work so as to be able to accompany Heidi in the afternoon,and the whole place was now as spick and span as he liked to seeit. They parted at the grandmother's cottage and Heidi ran in.The grandmother had heard her steps approaching and greeted heras she crossed the threshold, "Is it you, child? Have you comeagain?"

Then she took hold of Heidi's hand and held it fast in her own,for she still seemed to fear that the child might be torn fromher again. And now she had to tell Heidi how much she hadenjoyed the white bread, and how much stronger she felt alreadyfor having been able to eat it, and then Peter's mother went onand said she was sure that if her mother could eat like that fora week she would get back some of her strength, but she was soafraid of coming to the end of the rolls, that she had onlyeaten one as yet. Heidi listened to all Brigitta said, and satthinking for a while. Then she suddenly thought of a way.

"I know, grandmother, what I will do," she said eagerly, "I willwrite to Clara, and she will send me as many rolls again, if nottwice as many as you have already, for I had ever such a largeheap in the wardrobe, and when they were all taken away shepromised to give me as many back, and she would do so I amsure."

"That is a good idea," said Brigitta; "but then, they would gethard and stale. The baker in Dorfli makes the white rolls, andif we could get some of those he has over now and then—but I canonly just manage to pay for the black bread."

A further bright thought came to Heidi, and with a look of joy,"Oh, I have lots of money, grandmother," she cried gleefully,skipping about the room in her delight, "and I know now what Iwill do with it. You must have a fresh white roll every day, andtwo on Sunday, and Peter can bring them up from Dorfli."

"No, no, child!" answered the grandmother, "I cannot let you dothat; the money was not given to you for that purpose; you mustgive it to your grandfather, and he will tell you how you are tospend it."

But Heidi was not to be hindered in her kind intentions, and shecontinued to jump about, saying over and over again in a tone ofexultation, "Now, grandmother can have a roll every day and willgrow quite strong again—and, Oh, grandmother," she suddenlyexclaimed with an increase of jubilation in her voice, "if youget strong everything will grow light again for you; perhapsit's only because you are weak that it is dark." The grandmothersaid nothing, she did not wish to spoil the child's pleasure. Asshe went jumping about Heidi suddenly caught sight of thegrandmother's song book, and another happy idea struck her,"Grandmother, I can also read now, would you like me to read youone of your hymns from your old book?"

"Oh, yes," said the grandmother, surprised and delighted; "butcan you really read, child, really?"

Heidi had climbed on to a chair and had already lifted down thebook, bringing a cloud of dust with it, for it had lainuntouched on the shelf for a long time. Heidi wiped it, satherself down on a stool beside the old woman, and asked her whichhymn she should read.

"What you like, child, what you like," and the grandmotherpushed her spinning-wheel aside and sat in eager expectationwaiting for Heidi to begin. Heidi turned over the leaves and reada line out softly to herself here and there. At last she said,

"Here is one about the sun, grandmother, I will read you that."And Heidi began, reading with more and more warmth of expressionas she went on,—

     The morning breaks,
      And warm and bright
      The earth lies still
      In the golden light—
  For Dawn has scattered the clouds of night.

     God's handiwork
      Is seen around,
      Things great and small
      To His praise abound—
  Where are the signs of His love not found?

     All things must pass,
      But God shall still
      With steadfast power
      His will fulfil—
  Sure and unshaken is His will.

     His saving grace
      Will never fail,
      Though grief and fear
      The heart assail—
  O'er life's wild seas He will prevail.

     Joy shall be ours
      In that garden blest,
      Where after storm
      We find our rest—
  I wait in peace—God's time is best.

The grandmother sat with folded hands and a look of indescribablejoy on her face, such as Heidi had never seen there before,although at the same time the tears were running down her cheeks.As Heidi finished, she implored her, saying, "Read it once again,child, just once again."

And the child began again, with as much pleasure in the versesas the grandmother,—

     Joy shall be ours
      In that garden blest,
      Where after storm
      We find our rest—
  I wait in peace—God's time is best.

"Ah, Heidi, that brings light to the heart! What comfort youhave brought me!"

And the old woman kept on repeating the glad words, while Heidibeamed with happiness, and she could not take her eyes away fromthe grandmother's face, which had never looked like that before.It had no longer the old troubled expression, but was alightwith peace and joy as if she were already looking with clear neweyes into the garden or Paradise.

Some one now knocked at the window and Heidi looked up and sawher grandfather beckoning her to come home with him. Shepromised the grandmother before leaving her that she would bewith her the next day, and even if she went out with Peter shewould only spend half the day with him, for the thought that shemight make it light and happy again for the grandmother gave herthe greatest pleasure, greater even than being out on the sunnymountain with the flowers and goats. As she was going outBrigitta ran to her with the frock and hat she had left. Heidiput the dress over her arm, for, as she thought to herself, thegrandfather had seen that before, but she obstinately refused totake back the hat; Brigitta could keep it, for she should neverput it on her head again. Heidi was so full of her morning'sdoings that she began at once to tell her grandfather all aboutthem: how the white bread could be fetched every day from Dorfliif there was money for it, and how the grandmother had all atonce grown stronger and happier, and light had come to her. Thenshe returned to the subject of the rolls. "If the grandmotherwon't take the money, grandfather, will you give it all to me,and I can then give Peter enough every day to buy a roll and twoon Sunday?"

"But how about the bed?" said her grandfather. "It would be nicefor you to have a proper bed, and there would then be plenty forthe bread."

But Heidi gave her grandfather no peace till he consented to dowhat she wanted; she slept a great deal better, she said, on herbed of hay than on her fine pillowed bed in Frankfurt. So atlast he said, "The money is yours, do what you like with it; youcan buy bread for grandmother for years to come with it."

Heidi shouted for joy at the thought that grandmother wouldnever need any more to eat hard black bread, and "Oh,grandfather!" she said, "everything is happier now than it hasever been in our lives before!" and she sang and skipped along,holding her grandfather's hand as light-hearted as a bird. Butall at once she grew quiet and said, "If God had let me come atonce, as I prayed, then everything would have been different, Ishould only have had a little bread to bring to grandmother, andI should not have been able to read, which is such a comfort toher; but God has arranged it all so much better than I knew howto; everything has happened just as the other grandmother said itwould. Oh, how glad I am that God did not let me have at once allI prayed and wept for! And now I shall always pray to God as shetold me, and always thank Him, and when He does not do anything Iask for I shall think to myself, It's just like it was inFrankfurt: God, I am sure, is going to do something better still.So we will pray every day, won't we, grandfather, and neverforget Him again, or else He may forget us."

"And supposing one does forget Him?" said the grandfather in alow voice.

"Then everything goes wrong, for God lets us then go where welike, and when we get poor and miserable and begin to cry aboutit no one pities us, but they say, You ran away from God, and soGod, who could have helped you, left you to yourself."

"That is true, Heidi; where did you learn that?"

"From grandmamma; she explained it all to me."

The grandfather walked on for a little while without speaking,then he said, as if following his own train of thought: "And ifit once is so, it is so always; no one can go back, and he whomGod has forgotten, is forgotten for ever."

"Oh, no, grandfather, we can go back, for grandmamma told me so,and so it was in the beautiful tale in my book—but you have notheard that yet; but we shall be home directly now, and then Iwill read it you, and you will see how beautiful it is." And inher eagerness Heidi struggled faster and faster up the steepascent, and they were no sooner at the top than she let go hergrandfather's hand and ran into the hut. The grandfather slungthe basket off his shoulders in which he had brought up a partof the contents of the trunk which was too heavy to carry up asit was. Then he sat down on his seat and began thinking.

Heidi soon came running out with her book under her arm. "That'sright, grandfather," she exclaimed as she saw he had alreadytaken his seat, and in a second she was beside him and had herbook open at the particular tale, for she had read it so oftenthat the leaves fell open at it of their own accord. And now ina sympathetic voice Heidi began to read of the son when he washappily at home, and went out into the fields with his father'sflocks, and was dressed in a fine cloak, and stood leaning onhis shepherd's staff watching as the sun went down, just as hewas to be seen in the picture. But then all at once he wanted tohave his own goods and money and to be his own master, and so heasked his father to give him his portion, and he left his homeand went and wasted all his substance. And when he had nothingleft he hired himself out to a master who had no flocks andfields like his father, but only swine to keep; and so he wasobliged to watch these, and he only had rags to wear and a fewhusks to eat such as the swine fed upon. And then he thought ofhis old happy life at home and of how kindly his father hadtreated him and how ungrateful he had been, and he wept forsorrow and longing. And he thought to himself, "I will arise andgo to my father, and will say to him, 'Father, I am not worthy tobe called thy son; make me as one of thy hired servants.'" Andwhen he was yet a great way off his father saw him . . . HereHeidi paused in her reading. "What do you think happens now,grandfather?" she said. "Do you think the father is still angryand will say to him, 'I told you so!' Well, listen now to whatcomes next." His father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, andfell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him,"Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight, and am nomore worthy to be called thy son." But the father said to hisservants, "Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and puta ring on his hand and shoes on his feet: and bring hither thefatted calf and kill it; and let us eat and be merry, for this myson was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." Andthey began to be merry.

"Isn't that a beautiful tale, grandfather," said Heidi, as thelatter continued to sit without speaking, for she had expectedhim to express pleasure and astonishment.

"You are right, Heidi; it is a beautiful tale," he replied, buthe looked so grave as he said it that Heidi grew silent herselfand sat looking quietly at her pictures. Presently she pushedher book gently in front of him and said, "See how happy he isthere," and she pointed with her finger to the figure of thereturned prodigal, who was standing by his father clad in freshraiment as one of his own sons again.

A few hours later, as Heidi lay fast asleep in her bed, thegrandfather went up the ladder and put his lamp down near herbed so that the light fell on the sleeping child. Her hands werestill folded as if she had fallen asleep saying her prayers, anexpression of peace and trust lay on the little face, andsomething in it seemed to appeal to the grandfather, for hestood a long time gazing down at her without speaking. At last hetoo folded his hands, and with bowed head said in a low voice,"Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee and am notworthy to be called thy son." And two large tears rolled downthe old man's cheeks.

Early the next morning he stood in front of his hut and gazedquietly around him. The fresh bright morning sun lay on mountainand valley. The sound of a few early bells rang up from thevalley, and the birds were singing their morning song in the firtrees. He stepped back into the hut and called up, "Come along,Heidi! the sun is up! Put on your best frock, for we are goingto church together!"

Heidi was not long getting ready; it was such an unusual summonsfrom her grandfather that she must make haste. She put on hersmart Frankfurt dress and soon went down, but when she saw hergrandfather she stood still, gazing at him in astonishment."Why, grandfather!" she exclaimed, "I never saw you look likethat before! and the coat with the silver buttons! Oh, you dolook nice in your Sunday coat!"

The old man smiled and replied, "And you too; now come along!"He took Heidi's hand in his and together they walked down themountain side. The bells were ringing in every direction now,sounding louder and fuller as they neared the valley, and Heidilistened to them with delight. "Hark at them, grandfather! it'slike a great festival!"

The congregation had already assembled and the singing had begunwhen Heidi and her grandfather entered the church at Dorfli andsat down at the back. But before the hymn was over every one wasnudging his neighbor and whispering, "Do you see? Alm-Uncle isin church!"

Soon everybody in the church knew of Alm-Uncle's presence, andthe women kept on turning round to look and quite lost theirplace in the singing. But everybody became more attentive whenthe sermon began, for the preacher spoke with such warmth andthankfulness that those present felt the effect of his words, asif some great joy had come to them all. At the close of theservice Alm-Uncle took Heidi by the hand, and on leaving thechurch made his way towards the pastor's house; the rest of thecongregation looked curiously after him, some even following tosee whether he went inside the pastor's house, which he did.Then they collected in groups and talked over this strange event,keeping their eyes on the pastor's door, watching to see whetherAlm-Uncle came out looking angry and quarrelsome, or as if theinterview had been a peaceful one, for they could not imaginewhat had brought the old man down, and what it all meant. Some,however, adopted a new tone and expressed their opinion that Alm-Uncle was not so bad after all as they thought, "for see howcarefully he took the little one by the hand." And othersresponded and said they had always thought people hadexaggerated about him, that if he was so downright bad he wouldbe afraid to go inside the pastor's house. Then the miller put inhis word, "Did I not tell you so from the first? What child isthere who would run away from where she had plenty to eat anddrink and everything of the best, home to a grandfather who wascruel and unkind, and of whom she was afraid?"

And so everybody began to feel quite friendly towards Alm-Uncle,and the women now came up and related all they had been told byPeter and his grandmother, and finally they all stood there likepeople waiting for an old friend whom they had long missed fromamong their number.

Meanwhile Alm-Uncle had gone into the pastor's house and knockedat the study door. The latter came out and greeted him, not asif he was surprised to see him, but as if he had quite expectedto see him there; he probably had caught sight of the old man inchurch. He shook hands warmly with him, and Alm-Uncle was unableat first to speak, for he had not expected such a friendlyreception. At last he collected himself and said, "I have cometo ask you, pastor, to forget the words I spoke to you when youcalled on me, and to beg you not to owe me ill-will for havingbeen so obstinately set against your well-meant advice. You wereright, and I was wrong, but I have now made up my mind to followyour advice and to find a place for myself at Dorfli for thewinter, for the child is not strong enough to stand the bittercold up on the mountain. And if the people down here lookaskance at me, as at a person not to be trusted, I know it is myown fault, and you will, I am sure, not do so."

The pastor's kindly eyes shone with pleasure. He pressed the oldman's hand in his, and said with emotion, "Neighbor, you wentinto the right church before you came to mine; I am greatlyrejoiced. You will not repent coming to live with us again; asfor myself you will always be welcome as a dear friend andneighbor, and I look forward to our spending many a pleasantwinter evening together, for I shall prize your companionship,and we will find some nice friends too for the little one." Andthe pastor laid his hand kindly on the child's curly head andtook her by the hand as he walked to the door with the old man.He did not say good-bye to him till they were standing outside,so that all the people standing about saw him shake hands as ifparting reluctantly from his best friend. The door had hardlyshut behind him before the whole congregation now came forwardto greet Alm-Uncle, every one striving to be the first to shakehands with him, and so many were held out that Alm-Uncle did notknow with which to begin; and some said, "We are so pleased tosee you among us again," and another, "I have long been wishingwe could have a talk together again," and greetings of all kindsechoed from every side, and when Alm-Uncle told them he wasthinking of returning to his old quarters in Dorfli for thewinter, there was such a general chorus of pleasure that any onewould have thought he was the most beloved person in all Dorfli,and that they had hardly known how to live without him. Most ofhis friends accompanied him and Heidi some way up the mountain,and each as they bid him good-bye made him promise that when henext came down he would without fail come and call. As the oldman at last stood alone with the child, watching theirretreating figures, there was a light upon his face as ifreflected from some inner sunshine of heart. Heidi, looking up athim with her clear steady eyes, said, "Grandfather, you looknicer and nicer to-day, I never saw you quite like that before."

"Do you think so?" he answered with a smile. "Well, yes, Heidi,I am happier to-day than I deserve, happier than I had thoughtpossible; it is good to be at peace with God and man! God wasgood to me when He sent you to my hut."

When they reached Peter's home the grandfather opened the doorand walked straight in. "Good-morning, grandmother," he said. "Ithink we shall have to do some more patching, up before theautumn winds come."

"Dear God, if it is not Uncle!" cried the grandmother in pleasedsurprise. "That I should live to see such a thing! and now I canthank you for all that you have done for me. May God reward you!may God reward you!" She stretched out a trembling hand to him,and when the grandfather shook it warmly, she went on, stillholding his, "And I have something on my heart I want to say, aprayer to make to you! If I have injured you in any way, do notpunish me by sending the child away again before I lie under thegrass. Oh, you do not know what that child is to me!" and sheclasped the child to her, for Heidi had already taken her usualstand close to the grandmother.

"Have no fear, grandmother," said Uncle in a reassuring voice,"I shall not punish either you or myself by doing so. We are alltogether now, and pray God we may continue so for long."

Brigitta now drew the Uncle aside towards a corner of the roomand showed him the hat with the feathers, explaining to him howit came there, and adding that of course she could not take sucha thing from a child.

But the grandfather looked towards Heidi without any displeasureof countenance and said, "The hat is hers, and if she does notwish to wear it any more she has a right to say so and to giveit to you, so take it, pray."

Brigitta was highly delighted at this. "It is well worth morethan ten shillings!" she said as she held it up for furtheradmiration. "And what a blessing Heidi has brought home with herfrom Frankfurt! I have thought sometimes that it might be goodto send Peter there for a little while; what do you think,Uncle?"

A merry look came into the grandfather's eye. He thought itwould do Peter no harm, but he had better wait for a goodopportunity before starting. At this moment the subject of theirconversation himself rushed in, evidently in a great hurry,knocking his head violently against the door in his haste, sothat everything in the room rattled. Gasping and breathless hestood still after this and held out a letter. This was anothergreat event, for such a thing had never happened before; theletter was addressed to Heidi and had been delivered at the post-office in Dorfli. They all sat down round the table to hear whatwas in it, for Heidi opened it at once and read it withouthesitation. The letter was from Clara. The latter wrote that thehouse had been so dull since Heidi left that she did not know howto bear herself, and she had at last persuaded her father to takeher to the baths at Ragatz in the coming autumn; grandmamma hadarranged to join them there, and they both were looking forwardto paying her and her grandfather a visit. And grandmamma sent afurther message to Heidi which was that the latter had done quiteright to take the rolls to the grandmother, and so that she mightnot have to eat them dry, she was sending some coffee, which wasalready on its way, and grandmamma hoped when she came to theAlm in the autumn that Heidi would take her to see her oldfriend.

There were exclamations of pleasure and astonishment on hearingall this news, and so much to talk and ask about that even thegrandfather did not notice how the time was passing; there wasgeneral delight at the thought of the coming days, and even moreat the meeting which had taken place on this one, and thegrandmother spoke and said, "The happiest of all things is whenan old friend comes and greets us as in former times; the heartis comforted with the assurance that some day everything that wehave loved will be given back to us.—You will come soon again,uncle, and you child, to-morrow?"

The old man and Heidi promised her faithfully to do so; then itwas time to break up the party, and these two went back up themountain. As they had been greeted with bells when they madetheir journey down in the morning, so now they were accompaniedby the peaceful evening chimes as they climbed to the hut, whichhad quite a Sunday-like appearance as it stood bathed in thelight of the low evening sun.

But when grandmamma comes next autumn there will be many freshjoys and surprises both for Heidi and grandmother; without doubta proper bed will be put up in the hay-loft, for wherevergrandmamma steps in, there everything is soon in right order,outside and in.

CHAPTER XV. PREPARATIONS FOR A JOURNEY

The kind doctor who had given the order that Heidi was to besent home was walking along one of the broad streets towards HerrSesemann's house. It was a sunny September morning, so full oflight and sweetness that it seemed as if everybody must rejoice.But the doctor walked with his eyes fastened to the ground anddid not once lift them to the blue sky above him. There was anexpression of sadness on his face, formerly so cheerful, and hishair had grown greyer since the spring. The doctor had had anonly daughter, who, after his wife's death, had been his soleand constant companion, but only a few months previously deathhad deprived him of his dear child, and he had never been thesame bright and cheery man since.

Sebastian opened the door to him, greeting him with every markof respectful civility, for the doctor was not only the mostcherished friend of the master and his daughter, but had by hiskindness won the hearts of the whole household.

"Everything as usual, Sebastian?" asked the doctor in hispleasant voice as he preceded Sebastian up the stairs.

"I am glad you have come, doctor," exclaimed Herr Sesemann as
the latter entered. "We must really have another talk over this
Swiss journey; do you still adhere to your decision, even though
Clara is decidedly improving in health?"

"My dear Sesemann, I never knew such a man as you!" said thedoctor as he sat down beside his friend. "I really wish yourmother was here; everything would be clear and straightforwardthen and she would soon put things in right train. You sent forme three times yesterday only to ask me the same question,though you know what I think."

"Yes, I know, it's enough to make you out of patience with me;but you must understand, dear friend"—and Herr Sesemann laidhis hand imploringly on the doctor's shoulder—"that I feel Ihave not the courage to refuse the child what I have beenpromising her all along, and for months now she has been livingon the thought of it day and night. She bore this last bad attackso patiently because she was buoyed up with the hope that sheshould soon start on her Swiss journey, and see her friend Heidiagain; and now must I tell the poor child, who has to give up somany pleasures, that this visit she has so long looked forward tomust also be cancelled? I really have not the courage to do it."

"You must make up your mind to it, Sesemann," said the doctorwith authority, and as his friend continued silent and dejectedhe went on after a pause, "Consider yourself how the matterstands. Clara has not had such a bad summer as this last one foryears. Only the worst results would follow from the fatigue ofsuch a journey, and it is out of the question for her. And thenwe are already in September, and although it may still be warmand fine up there, it may just as likely be already very cold.The days too are growing short, and as Clara cannot spend thenight up there she would only have a two hours' visit at theoutside. The journey from Ragatz would take hours, for she wouldhave to be carried up the mountain in a chair. In short,Sesemann, it is impossible. But I will go in with you and talkto Clara; she is a reasonable child, and I will tell her what myplans are. Next May she shall be taken to the baths and staythere for the cure until it is quite hot weather. Then she canbe carried up the mountain from time to time, and when she isstronger she will enjoy these excursions far more than she wouldnow. Understand, Sesemann, that if we want to give the child achance of recovery we must use the utmost care andwatchfulness."

Herr Sesemann, who had listened to the doctor in sad andsubmissive silence, now suddenly jumped up. "Doctor," he said,"tell me truly: have you really any hope of her final recovery?"

The doctor shrugged his shoulders. "Very little," he repliedquietly. "But, friend, think of my trouble. You have still abeloved child to look for you and greet you on your return home.You do not come back to an empty house and sit down to asolitary meal. And the child is happy and comfortable at hometoo. If there is much that she has to give up, she has on theother hand many advantages. No, Sesemann, you are not so greatlyto be pitied—you have still the happiness of being together.Think of my lonely house!"

Herr Sesemann was now striding up and down the room as was hishabit when deeply engaged in thought. Suddenly he came to apause beside his friend and laid his hand on his shoulder."Doctor, I have an idea; I cannot bear to see you look as you do;you are no longer the same man. You must be taken out of yourselffor a while, and what do you think I propose? That you shall takethe journey and go and pay Heidi a visit in our name."

The doctor was taken aback at this sudden proposal and wanted tomake objections, but his friend gave him no time to sayanything. He was so delighted with his idea, that he seized thedoctor by the arm and drew him into Clara's room. The kind doctorwas always a welcome visitor to Clara, for he generally hadsomething amusing to tell her. Lately, it is true, he had beengraver, but Clara knew the reason why and would have given muchto see him his old lively self again. She held out her hand tohim as he came up to her; he took a seat beside her, and herfather also drew up his chair, and taking Clara's hand in hisbegan to talk to her of the Swiss journey and how he himself hadlooked forward to it. He passed as quickly as he could over themain point that it was now impossible for her to undertake it,for he dreaded the tears that would follow; but he went onwithout pause to tell her of his new plan, and dwelt on the greatbenefit it would be to his friend if he could be persuaded totake this holiday.

The tears were indeed swimming in the blue eyes, although Clarastruggled to keep them down for her father's sake, but it was abitter disappointment to give up the journey, the thought ofwhich had been her only joy and solace during the lonely hoursof her long illness. She knew, however, that her father wouldnever refuse her a thing unless he was certain that it would beharmful for her. So she swallowed her tears as well as she couldand turned her thoughts to the one hope still left her. Takingthe doctor's hand and stroking it, she said pleadingly,—

"Dear doctor, you will go and see Heidi, won't you? and then youcan come and tell me all about it, what it is like up there, andwhat Heidi and the grandfather, and Peter and the goats do allday. I know them all so well! And then you can take what I wantto send to Heidi; I have thought about it all, and alsosomething for the grandmother. Do pray go, dear doctor, and Iwill take as much cod liver oil as you like."

Whether this promise finally decided the doctor it is impossibleto say, but it is certain that he smiled and said,—

"Then I must certainly go, Clara, for you will then get as plumpand strong as your father and I wish to see you. And have youdecided when I am to start?"

"To-morrow morning—early if possible," replied Clara.

"Yes, she is right," put in Herr Sesemann; "the sun is shiningand the sky is blue, and there is no time to be lost; it is apity to miss a single one of these days on the mountain."

The doctor could not help laughing. "You will be reproaching menext for not being there already; well, I must go and makearrangements for getting off."

But Clara would not let him go until she had given him endlessmessages for Heidi, and had explained all he was to look at soas to give her an exact description on his return. Her presentsshe would send round later, as Fraulein Rottenmeier must firsthelp her to pack them up; at that moment she was out on one ofher excursions into the town which always kept her engaged forsome time. The doctor promised to obey Clara's directions inevery particular; he would start some time during the followingday if not the first thing in the morning, and would bring back afaithful account of his experiences and of all he saw and heard.

The servants of a household have a curious faculty of diviningwhat is going on before they are actually told about anything.Sebastian and Tinette must have possessed this faculty in a highdegree, for even as the doctor was going downstairs, Tinette,who had been rung for, entered Clara's room.

"Take that box and bring it back filled with the soft cakeswhich we have with coffee," said Clara, pointing to a box whichhad been brought long before in preparation for this. Tinettetook it up, and carried it out, dangling it contemptuously in herhand.

"Hardly worth the trouble I should have thought," she saidpertly as she left the room.

As Sebastian opened the door for the doctor he said with a bow,"Will the Herr Doctor be so kind as to give the little miss mygreetings?"

"I see," said the doctor, "you know then already that I am offon a journey."

Sebastian hesitated and gave an awkward little cough. "I am—Ihave—I hardly know myself. O yes, I remember; I happened topass through the dining-room and caught little miss's name, and Iput two and two together—and so I thought—"

"I see, I see," smiled the doctor, "one can find out a greatmany thinks by thinking. Good-bye till I see you again,Sebastian, I will be sure and give your message."

The doctor was hastening off when he met with a sudden obstacle;the violent wind had prevented Fraulein Rottenmeier prosecutingher walk any farther, and she was just returning and had reachedthe door as he was coming out. The white shawl she wore was soblown out by the wind that she looked like a ship in full sail.The doctor drew back, but Fraulein Rottenmeier had alwaysevinced peculiar appreciation and respect for this man, and shealso drew back with exaggerated politeness to let him pass. Thetwo stood for a few seconds, each anxious to make way for theother, but a sudden gust of wind sent Fraulein Rottenmeier flyingwith all her sails almost into the doctor's arms, and she had topause and recover herself before she could shake hands with thedoctor with becoming decorum. She was put out at having beenforced to enter in so undignified a manner, but the doctor had away of smoothing people's ruffled feathers, and she was soonlistening with her usual composure while he informed her of hisintended journey, begging her in his most conciliatory voice topack up the parcels for Heidi as she alone knew how to pack. Andthen he took his leave.

Clara quite expected to have a long tussle with FrauleinRottenmeier before she would get the latter to consent tosending all the things that she had collected as presents forHeidi. But this time she was mistaken, for Fraulein Rottenmeierwas in a more than usually good temper. She cleared the largetable so that all the things for Heidi could be spread out uponit and packed under Clara's own eyes. It was no light job, forthe presents were of all shapes and sizes. First there was thelittle warm cloak with a hood, which had been designed by Claraherself, in order that Heidi during the coming winter might beable to go and see grandmother when she liked, and not have towait till her grandfather could take her wrapped up in a sack tokeep her from freezing. Then came a thick warm shawl for thegrandmother, in which she could wrap herself well up and not feelthe cold when the wind came sweeping in such terrible gusts roundthe house. The next object was the large box full of cakes; thesewere also for the grandmother, that she might have something toeat with her coffee besides bread. An immense sausage was thenext article; this had been originally intended for Peter, whonever had anything but bread and cheese, but Clara had alteredher mind, fearing that in his delight he might eat it all up atonce and make himself ill. So she arranged to send it toBrigitta, who could take some for herself and the grandmother andgive Peter his portion out by degrees. A packet of tobacco was apresent for grandfather, who was fond of his pipe as he satresting in the evening. Finally there was a whole lot ofmysterious little bags, and parcels, and boxes, which Clara hadhad especial pleasure in collecting, as each was to be a joyfulsurprise for Heidi as she opened it. The work came to an end atlast, and an imposing-looking package lay on the floor ready fortransport. Fraulein Rottenmeier looked at it with satisfaction,lost in the consideration of the art of packing. Clara eyed ittoo with pleasure, picturing Heidi's exclamations and jumps ofjoy and surprise when the huge parcel arrived at the hut.

And now Sebastian came in, and lifting the package on to hisshoulder, carried it off to be forwarded at once to the doctor'shouse.

CHAPTER XVI. A VISITOR

The early light of morning lay rosy red upon the mountains, anda fresh breeze rustled through the fir trees and set theirancient branches waving to and fro. The sound awoke Heidi and sheopened her eyes. The roaring in the trees always stirred a strongemotion within her and seemed to drew her irresistibly to them.So she jumped out of bed and dressed herself as quickly as shecould, but it took her some time even then, for she was carefulnow to be always clean and tidy.

When she went down her ladder she found her grandfather hadalready left the hut. He was standing outside looking at the skyand examining the landscape as he did every morning, to see whatsort of weather it was going to be.

Little pink clouds were floating over the sky, that was growingbrighter and bluer with every minute, while the heights and themeadow lands were turning gold under the rising sun, which wasjust appearing above the topmost peaks.

"O how beautiful! how beautiful! Good-morning, grandfather!"cried Heidi, running out.

"What, you are awake already, are you?" he answered, giving hera morning greeting.

Then Heidi ran round to the fir trees to enjoy the sound sheloved so well, and with every fresh gust of wind which cameroaring through their branches she gave a fresh jump and cry ofdelight.

Meanwhile the grandfather had gone to milk the goats; this donehe brushed and washed them, ready for their mountain excursion,and brought them out of their shed. As soon as Heidi caughtsight of her two friends she ran and embraced them, and theybleated in return, while they vied with each other in showingtheir affection by poking their heads against her and tryingwhich could get nearest her, so that she was almost crushedbetween them. But Heidi was not afraid of them, and when thelively Little Bear gave rather too violent a thrust, she onlysaid, "No, Little Bear, you are pushing like the Great Turk," andLittle Bear immediately drew back his head and left off his roughattentions, while Little Swan lifted her head and put on anexpression as much as to say, "No one shall ever accuse me ofbehaving like the Great Turk." For White Swan was a rather moredistinguished person than Brown Bear.

And now Peter's whistle was heard and all the goats came along,leaping and springing, and Heidi soon found herself surroundedby the whole flock, pushed this way and that by theirobstreperous greetings, but at last she managed to get throughthem to where Snowflake was standing, for the young goat had invain striven to reach her.

Peter now gave a last tremendous whistle, in order to startlethe goats and drive them off, for he wanted to get near himselfto say something to Heidi. The goats sprang aside and he came upto her.

"Can you come out with me to-day?" he asked, evidently unwillingto hear her refuse.

"I am afraid I cannot, Peter," she answered. "I am expectingthem every minute from Frankfurt, and I must be at home when theycome."

"You have said the same thing for days now," grumbled Peter.

"I must continue to say it till they come," replied Heidi. "Howcan you think, Peter, that I would be away when they came? As ifI could do such a thing?"

"They would find Uncle at home," he answered with a snarlingvoice.

But at this moment the grandfather's stentorian voice was heard."Why is the army not marching forward? Is it the field-marshalwho is missing or some of the troops?"

Whereupon Peter turned and went off, swinging his stick round sothat it whistled through the air, and the goats, who understoodthe signal, started at full trot for their mountain pasture,Peter following in their wake.

Since Heidi had been back with her grandfather things came nowand then into her mind of which she had never thought in formerdays. So now, with great exertion, she put her bed in orderevery morning, patting and stroking it till she had got itperfectly smooth and flat. Then she went about the roomdownstairs, put each chair back in its place, and if she foundanything lying about she put it in the cupboard. After that shefetched a duster, climbed on a chair, and rubbed the table tillit shone again. When the grandfather came in later he would lookround well pleased and say to himself, "We look like Sunday everyday now; Heidi did not go abroad for nothing."

After Peter had departed and she and her grandfather hadbreakfasted, Heidi began her daily work as usual, but she didnot get on with it very fast. It was so lovely out of doors to-day, and every minute something happened to interrupt her in herwork. Now it was a bright beam of sun shining cheerfully throughthe open window, and seeming to say, "Come out, Heidi, come out!"Heidi felt she could not stay indoors, and she ran out in answerto the call. The sunlight lay sparkling on everything around thehut and on all the mountains and far away along the valley, andthe grass slope looked so golden and inviting that she wasobliged to sit down for a few minutes and look about her. Thenshe suddenly remembered that her stool was left standing in themiddle of the floor and that the table had not been rubbed, andshe jumped up and ran inside again. But it was not long beforethe fir trees began their old song; Heidi felt it in all herlimbs, and again the desire to run outside was irresistible, andshe was off to play and leap to the tune of the waving branches.The grandfather, who was busy in his work-shed, stepped out fromtime to time smiling to watch her at her gambols. He had justgone back to his work on one of these occasions when Heidicalled out, "Grandfather! grandfather! Come, come!"

He stepped quickly out, almost afraid something had happened tothe child, but he saw her running towards where the mountainpath descended, crying, "They are coming! they are coming! andthe doctor is in front of them!"

Heidi rushed forward to welcome her old friend, who held out hishands in greeting to her. When she came up to him she clung tohis outstretched arm, and exclaimed in the joy of her heart,"Good-morning, doctor, and thank you ever so many times."

"God bless you, child! what have you got to thank me for?" askedthe doctor, smiling.

"For being at home again with grandfather," the child explained.

The doctor's face brightened as if a sudden ray of sunshine hadpassed across it; he had not expected such a reception as this.Lost in the sense of his loneliness he had climbed the mountainwithout heeding how beautiful it was on every side, and how moreand more beautiful it became the higher he got. He had quitethought that Heidi would have forgotten him; she had seen solittle of him, and he had felt rather like one bearing a messageof disappointment, anticipating no great show of favor, comingas he did without the expected friends. But instead, here wasHeidi, her eyes dancing for joy, and full of gratitude andaffection, clinging to the arm of her kind friend.

He took her by the hand with fatherly tenderness.

"Take me now to your grandfather, Heidi, and show me where youlive."

But Heidi still remained standing, looking down the path with aquestioning gaze. "Where are Clara and grandmother?" she asked.

"Ah, now I have to tell you something which you will be as sorryabout as I am," answered the doctor. "You see, Heidi, I havecome alone. Clara was very ill and could not travel, and so thegrandmother stayed behind too. But next spring, when the daysgrow warm and long again, they are coming here for certain."

Heidi was greatly concerned; she could not at first bringherself to believe that what she had for so long been picturingto herself was not going to happen after all. She stoodmotionless for a second or two, overcome by the unexpecteddisappointment. The doctor said nothing further; all around laythe silence, only the sighing of the fir trees could be heardfrom where they stood. Then Heidi suddenly remembered why she hadrun down there, and that the doctor had really come. She liftedher eyes and saw the sad expression in his as he looked down ather; she had never seen him with that look on his face when shewas in Frankfurt. It went to Heidi's heart; she could not bear tosee anybody unhappy, especially her dear doctor. No doubt it wasbecause Clara and grandmother could not come, and so she began tothink how best she might console him.

"Oh, it won't be very long to wait for spring, and then theywill be sure to come," she said in a reassuring voice. "Timepasses very quickly with us, and then they will be able to staylonger when they are here, and Clara will be pleased at that. Nowlet us go and find grandfather."

Hand in hand with her friend she climbed up to the hut. She wasso anxious to make the doctor happy again that she began oncemore assuring him that the winter passed so quickly on themountain that it was hardly to be taken account of, and thatsummer would be back again before they knew it, and she becameso convinced of the truth of her own words that she called outquite cheerfully to her grandfather as they approached, "Theyhave not come to-day, but they will be here in a very shorttime."

The doctor was no stranger to the grandfather, for the child hadtalked to him so much about her friend. The old man held out hishand to his guest in friendly greeting. Then the two men satdown in front of the hut, and Heidi had her little place too, forthe doctor beckoned her to come and sit beside him. The doctortold Uncle how Herr Sesemann had insisted on his taking thisjourney, and he felt himself it would do him good as he had notbeen quite the thing for a long time. Then he whispered to Heidithat there was something being brought up the mountain which hadtravelled with him from Frankfurt, and which would give her evenmore pleasure than seeing the old doctor. Heidi got into a greatstate of excitement on hearing this, wondering what it could be,The old man urged the doctor to spend as many of the beautifulautumn days on the mountain as he could, and at least to come upwhenever it was fine; he could not offer him a lodging, as he hadno place to put him; he advised the doctor, however, not to goback to Ragatz, but to stay at Dorfli, where there was a cleantidy little inn. Then the doctor could come up every morning,which would do him no end of good, and if he liked, he, thegrandfather, would act as his guide to any part of the mountainshe would like to see. The doctor was delighted with thisproposal, and it was settled that it should be as thegrandfather suggested.

Meanwhile the sun had been climbing up the sky, and it was nownoon. The wind had sunk and the fir trees stood motionless. Theair was still wonderfully warm and mild for that height, while adelicious freshness was mingled with the warmth of the sun.

Alm-Uncle now rose and went indoors, returning in a few minuteswith a table which he placed in front of the seat.

"There, Heidi, now run in and bring us what we want for thetable," he said. "The doctor must take us as he finds us; if thefood is plain, he will acknowledge that the dining-room ispleasant."

"I should think so indeed," replied the doctor as he looked downover the sun-lit valley, "and I accept the kind invitation;everything must taste good up here."

Heidi ran backwards and forwards as busy as a bee and broughtout everything she could find in the cupboard, for she did notknow how to be pleased enough that she could help to entertainthe doctor. The grandfather meanwhile had been preparing themeal, and now appeared with a steaming jug of milk and golden-brown toasted cheese. Then he cut some thin slices from the meathe had cured himself in the pure air, and the doctor enjoyed hisdinner better than he had for a whole year past.

"Our Clara must certainly come up here," he said, "it would makeher quite a different person, and if she ate for any length oftime as I have to-day, she would grow plumper than any one hasever known her before."

As he spoke a man was seen coming up the path carrying a largepackage on his back. When he reached the hut he threw it on theground and drew in two or three good breaths of the mountainair.

"Ah, here's what travelled with me from Frankfurt," said thedoctor, rising, and he went up to the package and began undoingit, Heidi looking on in great expectation. After he had releasedit from its heavy outer covering, "There, child," he said, "nowyou can go on unpacking your treasures yourself."

Heidi undid her presents one by one until they were alldisplayed; she could not speak the while for wonder and delight.Not till the doctor went up to her again and opened the largebox to show Heidi the cakes that were for the grandmother to eatwith her coffee, did she at last give a cry of joy, exclaiming,"Now grandmother will have nice things to eat," and she wanted topack everything up again and start at once to give them to her.But the grandfather said he should walk down with the doctor thatevening and she could go with them and take the things. Heidinow found the packet of tobacco which she ran and gave to hergrandfather; he was so pleased with it that he immediatelyfilled his pipe with some, and the two men then sat down togetheragain, the smoke curling up from their pipes as they talked ofall kinds of things, while Heidi continued to examine first oneand then another of her presents. Suddenly she ran up to them,and standing in front of the doctor waited till there was a pausein the conversation, and then said, "No, the other thing has notgiven me more pleasure than seeing you, doctor."

The two men could not help laughing, and the doctor answeredthat he should never have thought it.

As the sun began to sink behind the mountains the doctor rose,thinking it was time to return to Dorfli and seek for quarters.The grandfather carried the cakes and the shawl and the largesausage, and the doctor took Heidi's hand, so they all threestarted down the mountain. Arrived at Peter's home Heidi bid theothers good-bye; she was to wait at grandmother's till hergrandfather, who was going on to Dorfli with his guest, returnedto fetch her. As the doctor shook hands with her she asked,"Would you like to come out with the goats to-morrow morning?"for she could think of no greater treat to offer him.

"Agreed!" answered the doctor, "we will go together,"

Heidi now ran in to the grandmother; she first, with someeffort, managed to carry in the box of cakes; then she ran outagain and brought in the sausage—for her grandfather had put thepresents down by the door—and then a third time for the shawl.She had placed them as close as she could to the grandmother, sothat the latter might be able to feel them and understand whatwas there. The shawl she laid over the old woman's knees.

"They are all from Frankfurt, from Clara and grandmamma," sheexplained to the astonished grandmother and Brigitta, the latterhaving watched her dragging in all the heavy things, unable toimagine what was happening.

"And you are very pleased with the cakes, aren't you,grandmother? taste how soft they are!" said Heidi over and overagain, to which the grandmother continued to answer, "Yes, yes,Heidi, I should think so! what kind people they must be!" Andthen she would pass her hand over the warm thick shawl and add,"This will be beautiful for the cold winter! I never thought Ishould ever have such a splendid thing as this to put on."

Heidi could not help feeling some surprise at the grandmotherseeming to take more pleasure in the shawl than the cakes.Meanwhile Brigitta stood gazing at the sausage with almost anexpression of awe. She had hardly in her life seen such amonster sausage, much less owned one, and she could scarcelybelieve her eyes. She shook her head and said doubtfully, "I mustask Uncle what it is meant for,"

But Heidi answered without hesitation, "It is meant for eating,not for anything else."

Peter came tumbling in at this minute. "Uncle is just behind me,he is coming—" he began, and then stopped short, for his eyehad caught sight of the sausage, and he was too much taken abackto say more. But Heidi understood that her grandfather was nearand so said good-bye to grandmother. The old man now never passedthe door without going in to wish the old woman good-day, and sheliked to hear his footstep approaching, for he always had acheery word for her. But to-day it was growing late for Heidi,who was always up with the lark, and the grandfather would neverlet her go to bed after hours; so this evening he only calledgood-night through the open door and started home at once withthe child, and the two climbed under the starlit sky back totheir peaceful dwelling.

CHAPTER XVII. A COMPENSATION

The next morning the doctor climbed up from Dorfli with Peterand the goats. The kindly gentleman tried now and then to enterinto conversation with the boy, but his attempts failed, for hecould hardly get a word out of Peter in answer to his questions.Peter was not easily persuaded to talk. So the party silentlymade their way up to the hut, where they found Heidi awaitingthem with her two goats, all three as fresh and lively as themorning sun among the mountains.

"Are you coming to-day?" said Peter, repeating the words withwhich he daily greeted her, either in question or in summons.

"Of course I am, if the doctor is coming too," replied Heidi.

Peter cast a sidelong glance at the doctor. The grandfather nowcame out with the dinner bag, and after bidding good-day to thedoctor he went up to Peter and slung it over his neck. It washeavier than usual, for Alm-Uncle had added some meat to-day, ashe thought the doctor might like to have his lunch out and eatit when the children did. Peter gave a grin, for he felt surethere was something more than ordinary in it.

And so the ascent began. The goats as usual came throngingaround Heidi, each trying to be nearest her, until at last shestood still and said, "Now you must go on in front and behaveproperly, and not keep on turning back and pushing and poking me,for I want to talk to the doctor," and she gave Snowflake alittle pat on the back and told her to be good and obedient. Bydegrees she managed to make her way out from among them andjoined the doctor, who took her by the hand. He had no difficultynow in conversing with his companion, for Heidi had a great dealto say about the goats and their peculiarities, and about theflowers and the rocks and the birds, and so they clambered on andreached their resting-place before they were aware. Peter hadsent a good many unfriendly glances towards the doctor on the wayup, which might have quite alarmed the latter if he had happenedto notice them, which, fortunately, he did not.

Heidi now led her friend to her favorite spot where she wasaccustomed to sit and enjoy the beauty around her; the doctorfollowed her example and took his seat beside her on the warmgrass. Over the heights and over the far green valley hung thegolden glory of the autumn day. The great snow-field sparkled inthe bright sunlight, and the two grey rocky peaks rose in theirancient majesty against the dark blue sky. A soft, light morningbreeze blew deliciously across the mountain, gently stirring thebluebells that still remained of the summer's wealth of flowers,their slender heads nodding cheerfully in the sunshine. Overheadthe great bird was flying round and round in wide circles, but to-day he made no sound; poised on his large wings he floatedcontentedly in the blue ether. Heidi looked about her first atone thing and then at another. The waving flowers, the blue sky,the bright sunshine, the happy bird—everything was sobeautiful! so beautiful! Her eyes were alight with joy. And nowshe turned to her friend to see if he too were enjoying thebeauty. The doctor had been sitting thoughtfully gazing aroundhim. As he met her glad bright eyes, "Yes, Heidi," he responded,"I see how lovely it all is, but tell me—if one brings a sadheart up here, how may it be healed so that it can rejoice in allthis beauty?"

"Oh, but," exclaimed Heidi, "no one is sad up here, only in
Frankfurt."

The doctor smiled and then growing serious again he continued,"But supposing one is not able to leave all the sadness behindat Frankfurt; can you tell me anything that will help then?"

"When you do not know what more to do you must go and telleverything to God," answered Heidi with decision.

"Ah, that is a good thought of yours, Heidi," said the doctor."But if it is God Himself who has sent the trouble, what can wesay to Him then?"

Heidi sat pondering for a while; she was sure in her heart thatGod could help out of every trouble. She thought over her ownexperiences and then found her answer.

"Then you must wait," she said, "and keep on saying to yourself:God certainly knows of some happiness for us which He is goingto bring out of the trouble, only we must have patience and notrun away. And then all at once something happens and we seeclearly ourselves that God has had some good thought in His mindall along; but because we cannot see things beforehand, and onlyknow how dreadfully miserable we are, we think it is always goingto be so."

"That is a beautiful faith, child, and be sure you hold itfast," replied the doctor. Then he sat on a while in silence,looking at the great overshadowing mountains and the green,sunlit valley below before he spoke again,—

"Can you understand, Heidi, that a man may sit here with such ashadow over his eyes that he cannot feel and enjoy the beautyaround him, while the heart grows doubly sad knowing howbeautiful it could be? Can you understand that?"

A pain shot through the child's young happy heart. The shadowover the eyes brought to her remembrance the grandmother, whowould never again be able to see the sunlight and the beauty uphere. This was Heidi's great sorrow, which re-awoke each timeshe thought about the darkness. She did not speak for a fewminutes, for her happiness was interrupted by this sudden pang.Then in a grave voice she said,—

"Yes, I can understand it. And I know this, that then one mustsay one of grandmother's hymns, which bring the light back alittle, and often make it so bright for her that she is quitehappy again. Grandmother herself told me this."

"Which hymns are they, Heidi?" asked the doctor.

"I only know the one about the sun and the beautiful garden, andsome of the verses of the long one, which are favorites withher, and she always likes me to read them to her two or threetimes over," replied Heidi.

"Well, say the verses to me then, I should like to hear themtoo," and the doctor sat up in order to listen better.

Heidi put her hands together and sat collecting her thoughts fora second or two: "Shall I begin at the verse that grandmothersays gives her a feeling of hope and confidence?"

The doctor nodded his assent, and Heidi began,—

    Let not your heart be troubled
    Nor fear your soul dismay,
    There is a wise Defender
    And He will be your stay.
    Where you have failed, He conquers,
    See, how the foeman flies!
    And all your tribulation
    Is turned to glad surprise.

    If for a while it seemeth
    His mercy is withdrawn,
    That He no longer careth
    For His wandering child forlorn,
    Doubt not His great compassion,
    His love can never tire,
    To those who wait in patience
    He gives their heart's desire.

Heidi suddenly paused; she was not sure if the doctor was stilllistening. He was sitting motionless with his hand before hiseyes. She thought he had fallen asleep; when he awoke, if hewanted to hear more verses, she would go on. There was no soundanywhere. The doctor sat in silence, but he was certainly notasleep. His thoughts had carried him back to a long past time:he saw himself as a little boy standing by his dear mother'schair; she had her arm round his neck and was saying the veryverses to him that Heidi had just recited—words which he had notheard now for years. He could hear his mother's voice and see herloving eyes resting upon him, and as Heidi ceased the old dearvoice seemed to be saying other things to him; and the words heheard again must have carried him far, far away, for it was along time before he stirred or took his hand from his eyes. Whenat last he roused himself he met Heidi's eyes looking wonderinglyat him.

"Heidi," he said, taking the child's hand in his, "that was abeautiful hymn of yours," and there was a happier ring in hisvoice as he spoke. "We will come out here together another day,and you will let me hear it again."

Peter meanwhile had had enough to do in giving vent to hisanger. It was now some days since Heidi had been out with him,and when at last she did come, there she sat the whole timebeside the old gentleman, and Peter could not get a word withher. He got into a terrible temper, and at last went and stoodsome way back behind the doctor, where the latter could not seehim, and doubling his fist made imaginary hits at the enemy.Presently he doubled both fists, and the longer Heidi stayedbeside the gentleman, the more fiercely did he threaten withthem.

Meanwhile the sun had risen to the height which Peter knewpointed to the dinner hour. All of a sudden he called at the topof his voice, "It's dinner time."

Heidi was rising to fetch the dinner bag so that the doctormight eat his where he sat. But he stopped her, telling her hewas not hungry at all, and only cared for a glass of milk, as hewanted to climb up a little higher. Then Heidi found that shealso was not hungry and only wanted milk, and she should like,she said, to take the doctor up to the large moss-covered rockwhere Greenfinch had nearly jumped down and killed herself. Soshe ran and explained matters to Peter, telling him to go and getmilk for the two. Peter seemed hardly to understand. "Who isgoing to eat what is in the bag then?" he asked.

"You can have it," she answered, "only first make haste and getthe milk."

Peter had seldom performed any task more promptly, for hethought of the bag and its contents, which now belonged to him.As soon as the other two were sitting quietly drinking theirmilk, he opened it, and quite trembled for joy at the sight ofthe meat, and he was just putting his hand in to draw it out whensomething seemed to hold him back. His conscience smote him atthe remembrance of how he had stood with his doubled fists behindthe doctor, who was now giving up to him his whole good dinner.He felt as if he could not now enjoy it. But all at once hejumped up and ran back to the spot where he had stood before, andthere held up his open hands as a sign that he had no longer anywish to use them as fists, and kept them up until he felt he hadmade amends for his past conduct. Then he rushed back and satdown to the double enjoyment of a clear conscience and anunusually satisfying meal.

Heidi and the doctor climbed and talked for a long while, untilthe latter said it was time for him to be going back, and nodoubt Heidi would like to go and be with her goats. But Heidiwould not hear of this, as then the doctor would have to go thewhole way down the mountain alone. She insisted on accompanyinghim as far as the grandfather's hut, or even a little further.She kept hold of her friend's hand all the time, and the wholeway she entertained him with accounts of this thing and that,showing him the spots where the goats loved best to feed, andothers where in summer the flowers of all colors grew ingreatest abundance. She could give them all their right names,for her grandfather had taught her these during the summermonths. But at last the doctor insisted on her going back; sothey bid each other good-night and the doctor continued hisdescent, turning now and again to look back, and each time he sawHeidi standing on the same spot and waving her hand to him. Evenso in the old days had his own dear little daughter watched himwhen he went from home.

It was a bright sunny autumn month. The doctor came up to thehut every morning, and thence made excursions over the mountain.Alm-Uncle accompanied him on some of his higher ascents, whenthey climbed up to the ancient storm-beaten fir trees and oftendisturbed the great bird which rose startled from its nest, withthe whirl of wings and croakings, very near their heads. Thedoctor found great pleasure in his companion's conversation, andwas astonished at his knowledge of the plants that grew on themountain: he knew the uses of them all, from the aromatic firtrees and the dark pines with their scented needles, to thecurly moss that sprang up everywhere about the roots of the treesand the smallest plant and tiniest flower. He was as well versedalso in the ways of the animals, great and small, and had manyamusing anecdotes to tell of these dwellers in caves and holesand in the tops of the fir trees. And so the time passedpleasantly and quickly for the doctor, who seldom said good-byeto the old man at the end of the day without adding, "I neverleave you, friend, without having learnt something new from you."

On some of the very finest days, however, the doctor wouldwander out again with Heidi, and then the two would sit togetheras on the first day, and the child would repeat her hymns andtell the doctor things which she alone knew. Peter sat at alittle distance from them, but he was now quite reconciled inspirit and gave vent to no angry pantomime.

September had drawn to its close, and now one morning the doctorappeared looking less cheerful than usual. It was his last day,he said, as he must return to Frankfurt, but he was grieved athaving to say good-bye to the mountain, which he had begun tofeel quite like home. Alm-Uncle, on his side, greatly regrettedthe departure of his guest, and Heidi had been now accustomedfor so long to see her good friend every day that she couldhardly believe the time had suddenly come to separate. She lookedup at him in doubt, taken by surprise, but there was no help, hemust go. So he bid farewell to the old man and asked that Heidimight go with him part of the return way, and Heidi took his handand went down the mountain with him, still unable to grasp theidea that he was going for good. After some distance the doctorstood still, and passing his hand over the child's curly headsaid, "Now, Heidi, you must go back, and I must say good-bye! Ifonly I could take you with me to Frankfurt and keep you there!"

The picture of Frankfurt rose before the child's eyes, its rows
of endless houses, its hard streets, and even the vision of
Fraulein Rottenmeier and Tinette, and she answered hesitatingly,
"I would rather that you came back to us."

"Yes, you are right, that would be better. But now good-bye,Heidi." The child put her hand in his and looked up at him; thekind eyes looking down on her had tears in them. Then the doctortore himself away and quickly continued his descent.

Heidi remained standing without moving. The friendly eyes withthe tears in them had gone to her heart. All at once she burstinto tears and started running as fast as she could after thedeparting figure, calling out in broken tones: "Doctor! doctor!"

He turned round and waited till the child reached him. The tearswere streaming down her face and she sobbed out: "I will come toFrankfurt with you, now at once, and I will stay with you aslong as you like, only I must just run back and tellgrandfather."

The doctor laid his hand on her and tried to calm herexcitement. "No, no, dear child," he said kindly, "not now; youmust stay for the present under the fir trees, or I should haveyou ill again. But hear now what I have to ask you. If I am everill and alone, will you come then and stay with me? May I knowthat there would then be some one to look after me and care forme?"

"Yes, yes, I will come the very day you send for me, and I loveyou nearly as much as grandfather," replied Heidi, who had notyet got over her distress.

And so the doctor again bid her good-bye and started on his way,while Heidi remained looking after him and waving her hand aslong as a speck of him could be seen. As the doctor turned forthe last time and looked back at the waving Heidi and the sunnymountain, he said to himself, "It is good to be up there, goodfor body and soul, and a man might learn how to be happy oncemore."

CHAPTER XVIII. WINTER IN DORFLI

The snow was lying so high around the hut that the windowslooked level with the ground, and the door had entirelydisappeared from view. If Alm-Uncle had been up there he wouldhave had to do what Peter did daily, for fresh snow fell everynight. Peter had to get out of the window of the sitting-roomevery morning, and if the frost had not been very hard during thenight, he immediately sank up to his shoulders almost in the snowand had to struggle with hands, feet, and head to extricatehimself. Then his mother handed him the large broom, and withthis he worked hard to make a way to the door. He had to becareful to dig the snow well away, or else as soon as the doorwas opened the whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if thefrost was severe enough, it would have made such a wall of ice infront of the house that no one could have gone in or out, for thewindow was only big enough for Peter to creep through. The freshsnow froze like this in the night sometimes, and this was anenjoyable time for Peter, for he would get through the window onto the hard, smooth, frozen ground, and his mother would hand himout the little sleigh, and he could then make his descent toDorfli along any route he chose, for the whole mountain wasnothing but one wide, unbroken sleigh road.

Alm-Uncle had kept his word and was not spending the winter inhis old home. As soon as the first snow began to fall, he hadshut up the hut and the outside buildings and gone down toDorfli with Heidi and the goats. Near the church was a stragglinghalf-ruined building, which had once been the house of a personof consequence. A distinguished soldier had lived there at onetime; he had taken service in Spain and had there performed manybrave deeds and gathered much treasure. When he returned home toDorfli he spent part of his booty in building a fine house, withthe intention of living in it. But he had been too longaccustomed to the noise and bustle of arms and the world to carefor a quiet country life, and he soon went off again, and thistime did not return. When after many long years it seemedcertain that he was dead, a distant relative took possession ofthe house, but it had already fallen into disrepair, and he hadno wish to rebuild it. So it was let to poor people, who paid buta small rent, and when any part of the building fell it wasallowed to remain. This had now gone on for many years. As longago as when his son Tobias was a child Alm-Uncle had rented thetumble- down old place. Since then it had stood empty, for no onecould stay in it who had not some idea of how to stop up theholes and gaps and make it habitable. Otherwise the wind and rainand snow blew into the rooms, so that it was impossible even tokeep a candle alight, and the indwellers would have been frozento death during the long cold winters. Alm-Uncle, however, knewhow to mend matters. As soon as he made up his mind to spend thewinter in Dorfli, he rented the old place and worked during theautumn to get it sound and tight. In the middle of October he andHeidi took up their residence there.

On approaching the house from the back one came first into anopen space with a wall on either side, of which one was half inruins. Above this rose the arch of an old window thicklyovergrown with ivy, which spread over the remains of a domedroof that had evidently been part of a chapel. A large hall camenext, which lay open, without doors, to the square outside. Herealso walls and roof only partially remained, and indeed what wasleft of the roof looked as if it might fall at any minute had itnot been for two stout pillars that supported it. Alm-Uncle hadhere put up a wooden partition and covered the floor with straw,for this was to be the goats' house. Endless passages led fromthis, through the rents of which the sky as well as the fieldsand the road outside could be seen at intervals; but at last onecame to a stout oak door that led into a room that still stoodintact. Here the walls and the dark wainscoting remained as goodas ever, and in the corner was an immense stove reaching nearlyto the ceiling, on the white tiles of which were painted largepictures in blue. These represented old castles surrounded withtrees, and huntsmen riding out with their hounds; or else a quietlake scene, with broad oak trees and a man fishing. A seat ranall round the stove so that one could sit at one's ease and studythe pictures. These attracted Heidi's attention at once, and shehad no sooner arrived with her grandfather than she ran andseated herself and began to examine them. But when she hadgradually worked herself round to the back, something elsediverted her attention. In the large space between the stove andthe wall four planks had been put together as if to make a largereceptacle for apples; there were no apples, however, inside, butsomething Heidi had no difficulty in recognising, for it was hervery own bed, with its hay mattress and sheets, and sack for acoverlid, just as she had it up at the hut. Heidi clapped herhands for joy and exclaimed, "O grandfather, this is my room, hownice! But where are you going to sleep?"

"Your room must be near the stove or you will freeze," hereplied, "but you can come and see mine too."

Heidi got down and skipped across the large room after hergrandfather, who opened a door at the farther end leading into asmaller one which was to be his bedroom. Then came another door.Heidi pushed it open and stood amazed, for here was an immenseroom like a kitchen, larger than anything of the kind that Heidihad seen before. There was still plenty of work for thegrandfather before this room could be finished, for there wereholes and cracks in the walls through which the wind whistled,and yet he had already nailed up so many new planks that itlooked as if a lot of small cupboards had been set up round theroom. He had, however, made the large old door safe with manyscrews and nails, as a protection against the outside air, andthis was very necessary, for just beyond was a mass of ruinedbuildings overgrown with tall weeds, which made a dwelling-placefor endless beetles and lizards.

Heidi was very delighted with her new home, and by the morningafter their arrival she knew every nook and corner so thoroughlythat she could take Peter over it and show him all that was tobe seen; indeed she would not let him go till he had examinedevery single wonderful thing contained in it.

Heidi slept soundly in her corner by the stove; but everymorning when she first awoke she still thought she was on themountain, and that she must run outside at once to see if the firtrees were so quiet because their branches were weighed down withthe thick snow. She had to look about her for some minutes beforeshe felt quite sure where she was, and a certain sensation oftrouble and oppression would come over her as she grew aware thatshe was not at home in the hut. But then she would hear hergrandfather's voice outside, attending to the goats, and thesewould give one or two loud bleats, as if calling to her to makehaste and go to them, and then Heidi was happy again, for sheknew she was still at home, and she would jump gladly out of bedand run out to the animals as quickly as she could. On the fourthmorning, as soon as she saw her grandfather, she said, "I must goup to see grandmother to-day; she ought not to be alone so long."

But the grandfather would not agree to this. "Neither to-day norto-morrow can you go," he said; "the mountain is covered fathom-deep in snow, and the snow is still falling; the sturdy Peter canhardly get along. A little creature like you would soon besmothered by it, and we should not be able to find you again.Wait a bit till it freezes, then you will be able to walk overthe hard snow."

Heidi did not like the thought of having to wait, but the dayswere so busy that she hardly knew how they went by.

Heidi now went to school in Dorfli every morning and afternoon,and eagerly set to work to learn all that was taught her. Shehardly ever saw Peter there, for as a rule he was absent. Theteacher was an easy-going man who merely remarked now and then,"Peter is not turning up to-day again, it seems, but there is alot of snow up on the mountain and I daresay he cannot getalong." Peter, however, always seemed able to make his waythrough the snow in the evening when school was over, and hethen generally paid Heidi a visit.

At last, after some days, the sun again appeared and shonebrightly over the white ground, but he went to bed again behindthe mountains at a very early hour, as if he did not find suchpleasure in looking down on the earth as when everything wasgreen and flowery. But then the moon came out clear and largeand lit up the great white snowfield all through the night, andthe next morning the whole mountain glistened and sparkled like ahuge crystal. When Peter got out of his window as usual, he wastaken by surprise, for instead of sinking into the soft snow hefell on the hard ground and went sliding some way down themountain side like a sleigh before he could stop himself. Hepicked himself up and tested the hardness of the ground bystamping on it and trying with all his might to dig his heelsinto it, but even then he could not break off a single littlesplinter of ice; the Alm was frozen hard as iron. This was justwhat Peter had been hoping for, as he knew now that Heidi wouldbe able to come up to them. He quickly got back into the house,swallowed the milk which his mother had put ready for him,thrust a piece of bread in his pocket, and said, "I must be offto school." "That's right, go and learn all you can," said thegrandmother encouragingly. Peter crept through the window again—the door was quite blocked by the frozen snow outside—pullinghis little sleigh after him, and in another minute was shootingdown the mountain.

He went like lightning, and when he reached Dorfli, which stoodon the direct road to Mayenfeld, he made up his mind to go onfurther, for he was sure he could not stop his rapid descentwithout hurting himself and the sleigh too. So down he stillwent till he reached the level ground, where the sleigh came to apause of its own accord. Then he got out and looked round. Theimpetus with which he had made his journey down had carried himsome little way beyond Mayenfeld. He bethought himself that itwas too late to get to school now, as lessons would already havebegun, and it would take him a good hour to walk back to Dorfli.So he might take his time about returning, which he did, andreached Dorfli just as Heidi had got home from school and wassitting at dinner with her grandfather. Peter walked in, and ason this occasion he had something particular to communicate, hebegan without a pause, exclaiming as he stood still in themiddle of the room, "She's got it now."

"Got it? what?" asked the Uncle. "Your words sound quitewarlike, general."

"The frost," explained Peter.

"Oh! then now I can go and see grandmother!" said Heidijoyfully, for she had understood Peter's words at once. "But whywere you not at school then? You could have come down in thesleigh," she added reproachfully, for it did not agree withHeidi's ideas of good behavior to stay away when it was possibleto be there.

"It carried me on too far and I was too late," Peter replied.

"I call that being a deserter," said the Uncle, "and desertersget their ears pulled, as you know."

Peter gave a tug to his cap in alarm, for there was no one ofwhom he stood in so much awe as Alm-Uncle.

"And an army leader like yourself ought to be doubly ashamed ofrunning away," continued Alm-Uncle. "What would you think ofyour goats if one went off this way and another that, and refusedto follow and do what was good for them? What would you do then?"

"I should beat them," said Peter promptly.

"And if a boy behaved like these unruly goats, and he got abeating for it, what would you say then?"

"Serve him right," was the answer.

"Good, then understand this: next time you let your sleigh carryyou past the school when you ought to be inside at your lessons,come on to me afterwards and receive what you deserve."

Peter now understood the drift of the old man's questions andthat he was the boy who behaved like the unruly goats, and helooked somewhat fearfully towards the corner to see if anythinghappened to be there such as he used himself on such occasionsfor the punishment of his animals.

But now the grandfather suddenly said in a cheerful voice, "Comeand sit down and have something, and afterwards Heidi shall gowith you. Bring her back this evening and you will find supperwaiting for you here."

This unexpected turn of conversation set Peter grinning all overwith delight. He obeyed without hesitation and took his seatbeside Heidi. But the child could not eat any more in herexcitement at the thought of going to see grandmother. Shepushed the potatoes and toasted cheese which still stood on herplate towards him while Uncle was filling his plate from theother side, so that he had quite a pile of food in front of him,but he attacked it without any lack of courage. Heidi ran to thecupboard and brought out the warm cloak Clara had sent her; withthis on and the hood drawn over her head, she was all ready forher journey. She stood waiting beside Peter, and as soon as hislast mouthful had disappeared she said, "Come along now." As thetwo walked together Heidi had much to tell Peter of her twogoats that had been so unhappy the first day in their new stallthat they would not eat anything, but stood hanging their heads,not even rousing themselves to bleat. And when she asked hergrandfather the reason of this, he told her it was with them aswith her in Frankfurt, for it was the first time in their livesthey had come down from the mountain. "And you don't know whatthat is, Peter, unless you have felt it yourself," added Heidi.

The children had nearly reached their destination before Peteropened his mouth; he appeared to be so sunk in thought that hehardly heard what was said to him. As they neared home, however,he stood still and said in a somewhat sullen voice, "I hadrather go to school even than get what Uncle threatened."

Heidi was of the same mind, and encouraged him in his goodintention. They found Brigitta sitting alone knitting, for thegrandmother was not very well and had to stay the day in bed onaccount of the cold. Heidi had never before missed the oldfigure in her place in the corner, and she ran quickly into thenext room. There lay grandmother on her little poorly coveredbed, wrapped up in her warm grey shawl.

"Thank God," she exclaimed as Heidi came running in; the poorold woman had had a secret fear at heart all through the autumn,especially if Heidi was absent for any length of time, for Peterhad told her of a strange gentleman who had come from Frankfurt,and who had gone out with them and always talked to Heidi, andshe had felt sure he had come to take her away again. Even whenshe heard he had gone off alone, she still had an idea that amessenger would be sent over from Frankfurt to fetch the child.Heidi went up to the side of the bed and said, "Are you veryill, grandmother?"

"No, no, child," answered the old woman reassuringly, passingher hand lovingly over the child's head, "It's only the frostthat has got into my bones a bit."

"Shall you be quite well then directly it turns warm again?"

"Yes, God willing, or even before that, for I want to get backto my spinning; I thought perhaps I should do a little to-day,but to-morrow I am sure to be all right again." The old woman haddetected that Heidi was frightened and was anxious to set hermind at ease.

Her words comforted Heidi, who had in truth been greatlydistressed, for she had never before seen the grandmother ill inbed. She now looked at the old woman seriously for a minute ortwo, and then said, "In Frankfurt everybody puts on a shawl togo out walking; did you think it was to be worn in bed,grandmother?"

"I put it on, dear child, to keep myself from freezing, and I amso pleased with it, for my bedclothes are not very thick," sheanswered.

"But, grandmother," continued Heidi, "your bed is not right,because it goes downhill at your head instead of uphill."

"I know it, child, I can feel it," and the grandmother put upher hand to the thin flat pillow, which was little more than aboard under her head, to make herself more comfortable; "thepillow was never very thick, and I have lain on it now for somany years that it has grown quite flat."

"Oh, if only I had asked Clara to let me take away my Frankfurtbed," said Heidi. "I had three large pillows, one above theother, so that I could hardly sleep, and I used to slip down totry and find a flat place, and then I had to pull myself upagain, because it was proper to sleep there like that. Could yousleep like that, grandmother?"

"Oh, yes! the pillows keep one warm, and it is easier to breathewhen the head is high," answered the grandmother, wearilyraising her head as she spoke as if trying to find a higherresting-place. "But we will not talk about that, for I have somuch that other old sick people are without for which I thankGod; there is the nice bread I get every day, and this warmwrap, and your visits, Heidi. Will you read me something to-day?"

Heidi ran into the next room to fetch the hymn book. Then shepicked out the favorite hymns one after another, for she knewthem all by heart now, as pleased as the grandmother to hearthem again after so many days. The grandmother lay with foldedhands, while a smile of peace stole over the worn, troubled face,like one to whom good news has been brought.

Suddenly Heidi paused. "Grandmother, are you feeling quite wellagain already?"

"Yes, child, I have grown better while listening to you; read itto the end."

The child read on, and when she came to the last words:—

As the eyes grow dim, and darkness Closes round, the soul growsclearer, Sees the goal to which it travels, Gladly feels itshome is nearer."

the grandmother repeated them once or twice to herself, with alook of happy expectation on her face. And Heidi took equalpleasure in them, for the picture of the beautiful sunny day ofher return home rose before her eyes, and she exclaimedjoyfully, "Grandmother, I know exactly what it is like to gohome." The old woman did not answer, but she had heard Heidi'swords, and the expression that had made the child think she wasbetter remained on her face.

A little later Heidi said, "It is growing dark and I must gohome; I am glad to think, that you are quite well again."

The grandmother took the child's hand in hers and held itclosely. "Yes," she said, "I feel quite happy again; even if Ihave to go on lying here, I am content. No one knows what it isto lie here alone day after day, in silence and darkness,without hearing a voice or seeing a ray of light. Sad thoughtscome over me, and I do not feel sometimes as if I could bear itany longer or as if it could ever be light again. But when youcome and read those words to me, then I am comforted and my heartrejoices once more."

Then she let the child go, and Heidi ran into the next room, andbid Peter come quickly, for it had now grown quite dark. Butwhen they got outside they found the moon shining down on thewhite snow and everything as clear as in the daylight. Peter gothis sleigh, put Heidi at the back, he himself sitting in front toguide, and down the mountain they shot like two birds dartingthrough the air.

When Heidi was lying that night on her high bed of hay shethought of the grandmother on her low pillow, and of all she hadsaid about the light and comfort that awoke in her when sheheard the hymns, and she thought: if I could read to her everyday, then I should go on making her better. But she knew that itwould be a week, if not two, before she would be able to go upthe mountain again. This was a thought of great trouble to Heidi,and she tried hard to think of some way which would enable thegrandmother to hear the words she loved every day. Suddenly anidea struck her, and she was so delighted with it that she couldhardly bear to wait for morning, so eager was she to begincarrying out her plan. All at once she sat upright in her bed,for she had been so busy with her thoughts that she hadforgotten to say her prayers, and she never now finished her daywithout saying them.

When she had prayed with all her heart for herself, hergrandfather and grandmother, she lay back again on the warm softhay and slept soundly and peacefully till morning broke.

CHAPTER XIX. THE WINTER CONTINUES

Peter arrived punctually at school the following day. He hadbrought his dinner with him, for all the children who lived at adistance regularly seated themselves at mid-day on the tables,and resting their feet firmly on the benches, spread out theirmeal on their knees and so ate their dinner, while those livingin Dorfli went home for theirs. Till one o'clock they might alldo as they liked, and then school began again. When Peter hadfinished his lessons on the days he attended school, he wentover to Uncle's to see Heidi.

When he walked into the large room at Uncle's to-day, Heidiimmediately rushed forward and took hold of him, for it was forPeter she had been waiting. "I've thought of something, Peter,"she said hastily.

"What is it?" he asked.

"You must learn to read," she informed him.

"I have learnt," was the answer.

"Yes, yes, but I mean so that you can really make use of it,"continued Heidi eagerly.

"I never shall," was the prompt reply.

"Nobody believes that you cannot learn, nor I either now," saidHeidi in a very decided tone of voice. "Grandmamma in Frankfurtsaid long ago that it was not true, and she told me not tobelieve you."

Peter looked rather taken aback at this piece of intelligence.

"I will soon teach you to read, for I know how," continuedHeidi. "You must learn at once, and then you can read one or twohymns every day to grandmother."

"Oh, I don't care about that," he grumbled in reply.

This hard-hearted way of refusing to agree to what was right andkind, and to what Heidi had so much at heart, aroused her anger.With flashing eyes she stood facing the boy and saidthreateningly, "If you won't learn as I want you to, I will tellyou what will happen; you know your mother has often spoken ofsending you to Frankfurt, that you may learn a lot of things,and I know where the boys there have to go to school; Clarapointed out the great house to me when we were driving together.And they don't only go when they are boys, but have more lessonsstill when they are grown men. I have seen them myself, and youmustn't think they have only one kind teacher like we have. Thereare ever so many of them, all in the school at the same time, andthey are all dressed in black, as if they were going to church,and have black hats on their heads as high as that—" and Heidiheld out her hand to show their height from the floor.

Peter felt a cold shudder run down his back.

"And you will have to go in among all those gentlemen,"continued Heidi with increasing animation, "and when it comes toyour turn you won't be able to read and will make mistakes inyour spelling. Then you'll see how they'll make fun of you; evenworse than Tinette, and you ought to have seen what she was likewhen she was scornful."

"Well, I'll learn then," said Peter, half sorrowfully and halfangrily.

Heidi was instantly mollified. "That's right, then we'll beginat once," she said cheerfully, and went busily to work on thespot, dragging Peter to the table and fetching her books.

Among other presents Clara had sent Heidi a book which thelatter had decided, in bed the night before, would servecapitally for teaching Peter, for it was an A B C book withrhyming lines. And now the two sat together at the table withtheir heads bent over the book, for the lesson had begun.

Peter was made to spell out the first sentence two or threetimes over, for Heidi wished him to get it correct and fluent. Atlast she said, "You don't seem able to get it right, but I willread it aloud to you once; when you know what it ought to be youwill find it easier." And she read out:—

          A B C must be learnt to-day
           Or the judge will call you up to pay.

"I shan't go," said Peter obstinately.

"Go where?" asked Heidi.

"Before the judge," he answered.

"Well then make haste and learn these three letters, then youwon't have to go."

Peter went at his task again and repeated the three letters somany times and with such determination that she said at last,—

"You must know those three now."

Seeing what an effect the first two lines of verse had had uponhim, she thought she would prepare the ground a little for thefollowing lessons.

"Wait, and I will read you some of the next sentences," shecontinued, "then you will see what else there is to expect."

And she began in a clear slow voice:—

          D E F G must run with ease
           Or something will follow that does not please.

          Should H I J K be now forgot
           Disgrace is yours upon the spot.

          And then L M must follow at once
           Or punished you'll be for a sorry dunce.

          If you knew what next awaited you
           You'd haste to learn N O P Q.

          Now R S T be quick about
           Or worse will follow there's little doubt.

Heidi paused, for Peter was so quiet that she looked to see whathe was doing. These many secret threats and hints of dreadfulpunishments had so affected him that he sat as if petrified andstared at Heidi with horror-stricken eyes. Her kind heart wasmoved at once, and she said, wishing to reassure him, "You neednot be afraid, Peter; come here to me every evening, and if youlearn as you have to-day you will at last know all your letters,and the other things won't come. But you must come regularly,not now and then as you do to school; even if it snows it won'thurt you."

Peter promised, for the trepidation he had been in had made himquite tame and docile. Lessons being finished for this day henow went home.

Peter obeyed Heidi's instructions punctually, and every eveningwent diligently to work to learn the following letters, takingthe sentences thoroughly to heart. The grandfather wasfrequently in the room smoking his pipe comfortably while thelesson was going on, and his face twitched occasionally as if hewas overtaken with a sudden fit of merriment. Peter was ofteninvited to stay to supper after the great exertion he had gonethrough, which richly compensated him for the anguish of mind hehad suffered with the sentence for the day.

So the winter went by, and Peter really made progress with hisletters; but he went through a terrible fight each day with thesentences.

He had got at last to U. Heidi read out:—

          And if you put the U for V,
           You'll go where you would not like to be.

Peter growled, "Yes, but I shan't go!" But he was very diligentthat day, as if under the impression that some one would seizehim suddenly by the collar and drag him where he would rathernot go. The next evening Heidi read:—

          If you falter at W, worst of all,
           Look at the stick against the wall.

Peter looked at the wall and said scornfully, "There isn't one."

"Yes, but do you know what grandfather has in his box?" askedHeidi. "A stick as thick almost as your arm, and if he took thatout, you might well say, look at the stick on the wall."

Peter knew that thick hazel stick, and immediately bent his headover the W and struggled to master it. Another day the lines ran:—

          Then comes the X for you to say
           Or be sure you'll get no food to-day.

Peter looked towards the cupboard where the bread and cheesewere kept and said crossly, "I never said that I should forgetthe X."

"That's all right; if you don't forget it we can go on to learnthe next, and then you will only have one more," replied Heidi,anxious to encourage him.

Peter did not quite understand, but when Heidi went on and read:—

          And should you make a stop at Y,
           They'll point at you and cry, Fie, fie.

All the gentlemen in Frankfurt with tall black hats on theirheads, and scorn and mockery in their faces rose up before hismind's eye, and he threw himself with energy on the Y, notletting it go till at last he knew it so thoroughly that hecould see what it was like even when he shut his eyes.

He arrived on the following day in a somewhat lofty frame ofmind, for there was now only one letter to struggle over, andwhen Heidi began the lesson with reading aloud:—

          Make haste with Z, if you're too slow
           Off to the Hottentots you'll go.

Peter remarked scornfully, "I dare say, when no one knows evenwhere such people live."

"I assure you, Peter," replied Heidi, "grandfather knows allabout them. Wait a second and I will run and ask him, for he isonly over the way with the pastor." And she rose and ran to thedoor to put her words into action, but Peter cried out in avoice of agony,—

"Stop!" for he already saw himself being carried off by Alm-Uncle and the pastor and sent straight away to the Hottentots,since as yet he did not know his last letter. His cry of fearbrought Heidi back.

"What is the matter?" she asked in astonishment.

"Nothing! come back! I am going to learn my letter," he said,stammering with fear. Heidi, however, herself wished to knowwhere the Hottentots lived and persisted that she should ask hergrandfather, but she gave in at last to Peter's despairingentreaties. She insisted on his doing something in return, andso not only had he to repeat his Z until it was so fixed in hismemory that he could never forget it again, but she beganteaching him to spell, and Peter really made a good start thatevening. So it went on from day to day.

The frost had gone and the snow was soft again, and moreoverfresh snow continually fell, so that it was quite three weeksbefore Heidi could go to the grandmother again. So much the moreeagerly did she pursue her teaching so that Peter mightcompensate for her absence by reading hymns to the old woman.One evening he walked in home after leaving Heidi, and as heentered he said, "I can do it now."

"Do what, Peter?" asked his mother.

"Read," he answered.

"Do you really mean it? Did you hear that, grandmother?" shecalled out.

The grandmother had heard, and was already wondering how such athing could have come to pass.

"I must read one of the hymns now; Heidi told me to," he went onto inform them. His mother hastily fetched the book, and thegrandmother lay in joyful expectation, for it was so long sinceshe had heard the good words. Peter sat down to the table andbegan to read. His mother sat beside him listening with surpriseand exclaiming at the close of each verse, "Who would havethought it possible!"

The grandmother did not speak though she followed the words heread with strained attention.

It happened on the day following this that there was a readinglesson in Peter's class. When it came to his turn, the teachersaid,—

"We must pass over Peter as usual, or will you try again oncemore—I will not say to read, but to stammer through asentence."

Peter took the book and read off three lines without theslightest hesitation.

The teacher put down his book and stared at Peter as at some out-of-the-way and marvellous thing unseen before. At last he spoke,—

"Peter, some miracle has been performed upon you! Here have Ibeen striving with unheard-of patience to teach you and you havenot hitherto been able to say your letters even. And now, justas I had made up my mind not to waste any more trouble upon you,you suddenly are able to read a consecutive sentence properly anddistinctly. How has such a miracle come to pass in our days?"

"It was Heidi," answered Peter.

The teacher looked in astonishment towards Heidi, who wassitting innocently on her bench with no appearance of anythingsupernatural about her. He continued, "I have noticed a changein you altogether, Peter. Whereas formerly you often missedcoming to school for a week, or even weeks at a time, you havelately not stayed away a single day. Who has wrought this changefor good in you?"

"It was Uncle," answered Peter.

With increasing surprise the teacher looked from Peter to Heidiand back again at Peter.

"We will try once more," he said cautiously, and Peter had againto show off his accomplishment by reading another three lines.There was no mistake about it—Peter could read. As soon asschool was over the teacher went over to the pastor to tell himthis piece of news, and to inform him of the happy result ofHeidi's and the grandfather's combined efforts.

Every evening Peter read one hymn aloud; so far he obeyed Heidi.Nothing would induce him to read a second, and indeed thegrandmother never asked for it. His mother Brigitta could notget over her surprise at her son's attainment, and when thereader was in bed would often express her pleasure at it. "Now hehas learnt to read there is no knowing what may be made of himyet."

On one of these occasions the grandmother answered, "Yes, it isgood for him to have learnt something, but I shall indeed bethankful when spring is here again and Heidi can come; they arenot like the same hymns when Peter reads them. So many wordsseem missing, and I try to think what they ought to be and then Ilose the sense, and so the hymns do not come home to my heart aswhen Heidi reads them."

The truth was that Peter arranged to make his reading as littletroublesome for himself as possible. When he came upon a wordthat he thought was too long or difficult in any other way, heleft it out, for he decided that a word or two less in a verse,where there were so many of them, could make no difference tohis grandmother. And so it came about that most of the principalwords were missing in the hymns that Peter read aloud.

CHAPTER XX. NEWS FROM DISTANT FRIENDS

It was the month of May. From every height the full freshstreams of spring were flowing down into the valley. The clearwarm sunshine lay upon the mountain, which had turned greenagain. The last snows had disappeared and the sun had alreadycoaxed many of the flowers to show their bright heads above thegrass. Up above the gay young wind of spring was singing throughthe fir trees, and shaking down the old dark needles to make roomfor the new bright green ones that were soon to deck out thetrees in their spring finery. Higher up still the great bird wentcircling round in the blue ether as of old, while the goldensunshine lit up the grandfather's hut, and all the ground aboutit was warm and dry again so that one might sit out where oneliked. Heidi was at home again on the mountain, running backwardsand forwards in her accustomed way, not knowing which spot wasmost delightful. Now she stood still to listen to the deep,mysterious voice of the wind, as it blew down to her from themountain summits, coming nearer and nearer and gathering strengthas it came, till it broke with force against the fir trees,bending and shaking them, and seeming to shout for joy, so thatshe too, though blown about like a feather, felt she must join inthe chorus of exulting sounds. Then she would run round again tothe sunny space in front of the hut, and seating herself on theground would peer closely into the short grass to see how manylittle flower cups were open or thinking of opening. She rejoicedwith all the myriad little beetles and winged insects that jumpedand crawled and danced in the sun, and drew in deep draughts ofthe spring scents that rose from the newly-awakened earth, andthought the mountain was more beautiful than ever. All the tinyliving creatures must be as happy as she, for it seemed to herthere were little voices all round her singing and humming injoyful tones, "On the mountain! on the mountain!"

From the shed at the back came the sound of sawing and chopping,and Heidi listened to it with pleasure, for it was the oldfamiliar sound she had known from the beginning of her life uphere. Suddenly she jumped up and ran round, for she must knowwhat her grandfather was doing. In front of the shed dooralready stood a finished new chair, and a second was in course ofconstruction under the grandfather's skilful hand.

"Oh, I know what these are for," exclaimed Heidi in great glee."We shall want them when they all come from Frankfurt. This oneis for Grandmamma, and the one you are now making is for Clara,and then—then, there will, I suppose, have to be another,"continued Heidi with more hesitation in her voice, "or do youthink, grandfather, that perhaps Fraulein Rottenmeier will notcome with them?"

"Well, I cannot say just yet," replied her grandfather, "but itwill be safer to make one so that we can offer her a seat if shedoes."

Heidi looked thoughtfully at the plain wooden chair without armsas if trying to imagine how Fraulein Rottenmeier and a chair ofthis sort would suit one another. After a few minutes'contemplation, "Grandfather," she said, shaking her headdoubtfully, "I don't think she would be able to sit on that."

"Then we will invite her on the couch with the beautiful greenturf feather-bed," was her grandfather's quiet rejoinder.

While Heidi was pausing to consider what this might be thereapproached from above a whistling, calling, and other soundswhich Heidi immediately recognised. She ran out and foundherself surrounded by her four-footed friends. They wereapparently as pleased as she was to be among the heights again,for they leaped about and bleated for joy, pushing Heidi this wayand that, each anxious to express his delight with some sign ofaffection. But Peter sent them flying to right and left, for hehad something to give to Heidi. When he at last got up to her hehanded her a letter.

"There!" he exclaimed, leaving the further explanation of thematter to Heidi herself.

"Did some one give you this while you were out with the goats,"she asked, in her surprise.

"No," was the answer.

"Where did you get it from then?

"I found it in the dinner bag."

Which was true to a certain extent. The letter to Heidi had beengiven him the evening before by the postman at Dorfli, and Peterhad put it into his empty bag. That morning he had stuffed hisbread and cheese on the top of it, and had forgotten it when hefetched Alm-Uncle's two goats; only when he had finished hisbread and cheese at mid-day and was searching in the bag for anylast crumbs did he remember the letter which lay at the bottom.

Heidi read the address carefully; then she ran back to the shedholding out her letter to her grandfather in high glee. "FromFrankfurt! from Clara! Would you like to hear it?"

The grandfather was ready and pleased to do so, as also Peter,who had followed Heidi into the shed. He leant his back againstthe door post, as he felt he could follow Heidi's reading betterif firmly supported from behind, and so stood prepared tolisten.

"Dearest Heidi,— Everything is packed and we shall start now intwo or three days, as soon as papa himself is ready to leave; heis not coming with us as he has first to go to Paris. The doctorcomes every day, and as soon as he is inside the door, he cries,'Off now as quickly as you can, off to the mountain.' He is mostimpatient about our going. You cannot think how much he enjoyedhimself when he was with you! He has called nearly every daythis winter, and each time he has come in to my room and said hemust tell me about everything again. And then he sits down anddescribes all he did with you and the grandfather, and talks ofthe mountains and the flowers and of the great silence up therefar above all towns and the villages, and of the fresh deliciousair, and often adds, 'No one can help getting well up there.' Hehimself is quite a different man since his visit, and looksquite young again and happy, which he had not been for a longtime before. Oh, how I am looking forward to seeing everythingand to being with you on the mountain, and to making theacquaintance of Peter and the goats.

"I shall have first to go through a six weeks' cure at Ragatz;this the doctor has ordered, and then we shall move up toDorfli, and every fine day I shall be carried up the mountain inmy chair and spend the day with you. Grandmamma is travellingwith me and will remain with me; she also is delighted at thethought of paying you a visit. But just imagine, FrauleinRottenmeier refuses to come with us. Almost every day grandmammasays to her, 'Well, how about this Swiss journey, my worthyRottenmeier? Pray say if you really would like to come with us.'But she always thanks grandmamma very politely and says she hasquite made up her mind. I think I know what has done it:Sebastian gave such a frightful description of the mountain, ofhow the rocks were so overhanging and dangerous that at anyminute you might fall into a crevasse, and how it was such steepclimbing that you feared at every step to go slipping to thebottom, and that goats alone could make their way up without fearof being killed. She shuddered when she heard him tell of allthis, and since then she has not been so enthusiastic aboutSwitzerland as she was before. Fear has also taken possession ofTinette, and she also refuses to come. So grandmamma and I willbe alone; Sebastian will go with us as far as Ragatz and thenreturn here.

"I can hardly bear waiting till I see you again. Good-bye,dearest Heidi; grandmamma sends you her best love and all goodwishes.—Your affectionate friend, "Clara."

Peter, as soon as the conclusion of the letter had been reached,left his reclining position and rushed out, twirling his stickin the air in such a reckless fashion that the frightened goatsfled down the mountain before him with higher and wider leapsthan usual. Peter followed at full speed, his stick still raisedin air in a menacing manner as if he was longing to vent his furyon some invisible foe. This foe was indeed the prospect of thearrival of the Frankfurt visitors, the thought of whom filledhim with exasperation.

Heidi was so full of joyful anticipation that she determined toseize the first possible moment next day to go down and tellgrandmother who was coming, and also particularly who was notcoming. These details would be of great interest to her, forgrandmother knew well all the persons named from Heidi'sdescription, and had entered with deep sympathy into all thatthe child had told her of her life and surroundings in Frankfurt.Heidi paid her visit in the early afternoon, for she could now goalone again; the sun was bright in the heavens and the days weregrowing longer, and it was delightful to go racing down themountain over the dry ground, with the brisk May wind blowingfrom behind, and speeding Heidi on her way a little more quicklythan her legs alone would have carried her.

The grandmother was no longer confined to her bed. She was backin her corner at her spinning-wheel, but there was an expressionon her face of mournful anxiety. Peter had come in the eveningbefore brimful of anger and had told about the large party whowere coming up from Frankfurt, and he did not know what otherthings might happen after that; and the old woman had not sleptall night, pursued by the old thought of Heidi being taken fromher. Heidi ran in, and taking her little stool immediately satdown by grandmother and began eagerly pouring out all her news,growing more excited with her pleasure as she went on. But allof a sudden she stopped short and said anxiously, "What is thematter, grandmother, aren't you a bit pleased with what I amtelling you?"

"Yes, yes, of course, child, since it gives you so muchpleasure," she answered, trying to look more cheerful.

"But I can see all the same that something troubles you. Is itbecause you think after all that Fraulein Rottenmeier may come?"asked Heidi, beginning to feel anxious herself.

"No, no! it is nothing, child," said the grandmother, wishing toreassure her. "Just give me your hand that I may feel sure youare there. No doubt it would be the best thing for you, althoughI feel I could scarcely survive it."

"I do not want anything of the best if you could scarcelysurvive it," said Heidi, in such a determined tone of voice thatthe grandmother's fears increased as she felt sure the peoplefrom Frankfurt were coming to take Heidi back with them, sincenow she was well again they naturally wished to have her withthem once more. But she was anxious to hide her trouble fromHeidi if possible, as the latter was so sympathetic that shemight refuse perhaps to go away, and that would not be right. Shesought for help, but not for long, for she knew of only one.

"Heidi," she said, "there is something that would comfort me andcalm my thoughts; read me the hymn beginning: 'All things willwork for good.'"

Heidi found the place at once and read out in her clear youngvoice:—

          All things will work for good
          To those who trust in Me;
          I come with healing on my wings,
          To save and set thee free.

"Yes, yes, that is just what I wanted to hear," said thegrandmother, and the deep expression of trouble passed from herface. Heidi looked at her thoughtfully for a minute or two andthen said, "Healing means that which cures everything and makeseverybody well, doesn't it, grandmother?"

"Yes, that is it," replied the old woman with a nod of assent,"and we may be sure everything will come to pass according toGod's good purpose. Read the verse again, that we may rememberit well and not forget it again."

And Heidi read the words over two or three times, for she alsofound pleasure in this assurance of all things being arrangedfor the best.

When the evening came, Heidi returned home up the mountain. Thestars came out overhead one by one, so bright and sparkling thateach seemed to send a fresh ray of joy into her heart; she wasobliged to pause continually to look up, and as the whole sky atlast grew spangled with them she spoke aloud, "Yes, I understandnow why we feel so happy, and are not afraid about anything,because God knows what is good and beautiful for us." And thestars with their glistening eyes continued to nod to her tillshe reached home, where she found her grandfather also standingand looking up at them, for they had seldom been more gloriousthan they were this night.

Not only were the nights of this month of May so clear andbright, but the days as well; the sun rose every morning intothe cloudless sky, as undimmed in its splendor as when it sankthe evening before, and the grandfather would look out early andexclaim with astonishment, "This is indeed a wonderful year ofsun; it will make all the shrubs and plants grow apace; you willhave to see, general, that your army does not get out of handfrom overfeeding." And Peter would swing his stick with an airof assurance and an expression on his face as much as to say,"see to that."

So May passed, everything growing greener and greener, and thencame the month of June, with a hotter sun and long light days,that brought the flowers out all over the mountain, so thatevery spot was bright with them and the air full of their sweetscents. This month too was drawing to its close when one dayHeidi, having finished her domestic duties, ran out with theintention of paying first a visit to the fir trees, and thengoing up higher to see if the bush of rock roses was yet inbloom, for its flowers were so lovely when standing open in thesun. But just as she was turning the corner of the hut, she gavesuch a loud cry that her grandfather came running out of the shedto see what had happened.

"Grandfather, grandfather!" she cried, beside herself withexcitement. "Come here! look! look!"

The old man was by her side by this time and looked in thedirection of her outstretched hand.

A strange looking procession was making its way up the mountain;in front were two men carrying a sedan chair, in which sat agirl well wrapped up in shawls; then followed a horse, mounted bya stately-looking lady who was looking about her with greatinterest and talking to the guide who walked beside her; then areclining chair, which was being pushed up by another man, ithaving evidently been thought safer to send the invalid to whomit belonged up the steep path in a sedan chair. The processionwound up with a porter, with such a bundle of cloaks, shawls,and furs on his back that it rose well above his head.

"Here they come! here they come!" shouted Heidi, jumping withjoy. And sure enough it was the party from Frankfurt; thefigures came nearer and nearer, and at last they had actuallyarrived. The men in front put down their burden, Heidi rushedforward and the two children embraced each other with mutualdelight. Grandmamma having also reached the top, dismounted, andgave Heidi an affectionate greeting, before turning to thegrandfather, who had meanwhile come up to welcome his guests.There was no constraint about the meeting, for they both kneweach other perfectly well from hearsay and felt like oldacquaintances.

After the first words of greeting had been exchanged grandmammabroke out into lively expressions of admiration. "What amagnificent residence you have, Uncle! I could hardly havebelieved it was so beautiful! A king might well envy you! Andhow well my little Heidi looks—like a wild rose!" she continued,drawing the child towards her and stroking her fresh pinkcheeks. "I don't know which way to look first, it is all solovely! What do you say to it, Clara, what do you say?"

Clara was gazing round entranced; she had never imagined, muchless seen, anything so beautiful. She gave vent to her delightin cries of joy. "O grandmamma," she said, "I should like toremain here for ever."

The grandfather had meanwhile drawn up the invalid chair andspread some of the wraps over it; he now went up to Clara.

"Supposing we carry the little daughter now to her accustomedchair; I think she will be more comfortable, the travellingsedan is rather hard," he said, and without waiting for any oneto help him he lifted the child in his strong arms and laid hergently down on her own couch. He then covered her over carefullyand arranged her feet on the soft cushion, as if he had neverdone anything all his life but attend on cripples. The grandmammalooked on with surprise.

"My dear Uncle," she exclaimed, "if I knew where you had learnedto nurse I would at once send all the nurses I know to the sameplace that they might handle their patients in like manner. Howdo you come to know so much?"

Uncle smiled. "I know more from experience than training," heanswered, but as he spoke the smile died away and a look ofsadness passed over his face. The vision rose before him of aface of suffering that he had known long years before, the faceof a man lying crippled on his couch of pain, and unable to movea limb. The man had been his Captain during the fierce fightingin Sicily; he had found him lying wounded and had carried himaway, and after that the captain would suffer no one else nearhim, and Uncle had stayed and nursed him till his sufferingsended in death. It all came back to Uncle now, and it seemednatural to him to attend on the sick Clara and to show her allthose kindly attentions with which he had been once so familiar.

The sky spread blue and cloudless over the hut and the fir treesand far above over the high rocks, the grey summits of whichglistened in the sun. Clara could not feast her eyes enough onall the beauty around her.

"O Heidi, if only I could walk about with you," she saidlongingly, "if I could but go and look at the fir trees and ateverything I know so well from your description, although I havenever been here before."

Heidi in response put out all her strength, and after a slighteffort, managed to wheel Clara's chair quite easily round thehut to the fir trees. There they paused. Clara had never seensuch trees before, with their tall, straight stems, and longthick branches growing thicker and thicker till they touched theground. Even the grandmamma, who had followed the children, wasastonished at the sight of them. She hardly knew what to admiremost in these ancient trees: the lofty tops rising in their fullgreen splendor towards the sky, or the pillar-like stems, withtheir straight and gigantic boughs, that spoke of such antiquityof age, of such long years during which they had looked downupon the valley below, where men came and went, and all thingswere continually changing, while they stood undisturbed andchangeless.

Heidi had now wheeled Clara on to the goat shed, and had flungopen the door, so that Clara might have a full view of all thatwas inside. There was not much to see just now as its indwellerswere absent. Clara lamented to her grandmother that they wouldhave to leave early before the goats came home. "I should solike to have seen Peter and his whole flock."

"Dear child, let us enjoy all the beautiful things that we cansee, and not think about those that we cannot," grandmammareplied as she followed the chair which Heidi was pushingfurther on.

"Oh, the flowers!" exclaimed Clara. "Look at the bushes of redflowers, and all the nodding blue bells! Oh, if I could but getup and pick some!"

Heidi ran off at once and picked her a large nosegay of them.

"But these are nothing, Clara," she said, laying the flowers onher lap. "If you could come up higher to where the goats arefeeding, then you would indeed see something! Bushes on bushesof the red centaury, and ever so many more of the blue bell-flowers; and then the bright yellow rock roses, that gleam likepure gold, and all crowding together in the one spot. And thenthere are others with the large leaves that grandfather callsBright Eyes, and the brown ones with little round heads thatsmell so delicious. Oh, it is beautiful up there, and if you sitdown among them you never want to get up again, everything looksand smells so lovely!"

Heidi's eyes sparkled with the remembrance of what she wasdescribing; she was longing herself to see it all again, andClara caught her enthusiasm and looked back at her with equallonging in her soft blue eyes.

"Grandmamma, do you think I could get up there? Is it possiblefor me to go?" she asked eagerly. "If only I could walk, climbabout everywhere with you, Heidi!"

"I am sure I could push you up, the chair goes so easily," saidHeidi, and in proof of her words, she sent the chair at such apace round the corner that it nearly went flying down themountain-side. Grandmamma being at hand, however, stopped it intime.

The grandfather, meantime, had not been idle. He had by thistime put the table and extra chairs in front of the seat, so thatthey might all sit out here and eat the dinner that was preparinginside. The milk and the cheese were soon ready, and then thecompany sat down in high spirits to their mid-day meal.

Grandmamma was enchanted, as the doctor had been, with theirdining-room, whence one could see far along the valley, and farover the mountains to the farthest stretch of blue sky. A lightwind blew refreshingly over them as they sat at table, and therustling of the fir trees made a festive accompaniment to therepast.

"I never enjoyed anything as much as this. It is really superb!"cried grandmamma two or three times over; and then suddenly in atone of surprise,

"Do I really see you taking a second piece of toasted cheese,
Clara!"

There, sure enough, was a second golden-colored slice of cheeseon Clara's plate.

"Oh, it does taste so nice, grandmamma—better than all thedishes we have at Ragatz," replied Clara, as she continuedeating with appetite.

"That's right, eat what you can!" exclaimed Uncle. "It's themountain air which makes up for the deficiencies of thekitchen."

And so the meal went on. Grandmamma and Alm-Uncle got on verywell together, and their conversation became more and morelively. They were so thoroughly agreed in their opinions of menand things and the world in general that they might have beentaken for old cronies. The time passed merrily, and thengrandmamma looked towards the west and said,—

"We must soon get ready to go, Clara, the sun is a good waydown; the men will be here directly with the horse and sedan."

Clara's face fell and she said beseechingly, "Oh, just anotherhour, grandmamma, or two hours. We haven't seen inside the hutyet, or Heidi's bed, or any of the other things. If only the daywas ten hours long!"

"Well, that is not possible," said grandmamma, but she herselfwas anxious to see inside the hut, so they all rose from thetable and Uncle wheeled Clara's chair to the door. But therethey came to a standstill, for the chair was much too broad topass through the door. Uncle, however, soon settled thedifficulty by lifting Clara in his strong arms and carrying herinside.

Grandmamma went all round and examined the householdarrangements, and was very much amused and pleased at theirorderliness and the cozy appearance of everything. "And this isyour bedroom up here, Heidi, is it not?" she asked, as withouttrepidation she mounted the ladder to the hay loft. "Oh, it doessmell sweet, what a healthy place to sleep in." She went up tothe round window and looked out, and grandfather followed upwith Clara in his arms, Heidi springing up after them. Then theyall stood and examined Heidi's wonderful hay-bed, and grandmammalooked thoughtfully at it and drew in from time to time fragrantdraughts of the hay-perfumed air, while Clara was charmed beyondwords with Heidi's sleeping apartment.

"It is delightful for you up here, Heidi! You can look from yourbed straight into the sky, and then such a delicious smell allround you! and outside the fir trees waving and rustling! I havenever seen such a pleasant, cheerful bedroom before."

Uncle looked across at the grandmamma. "I have been thinking,"he said to her, "that if you were willing to agree to it, yourlittle granddaughter might remain up here, and I am sure shewould grow stronger. You have brought up all kinds of shawls andcovers with you, and we could make up a soft bed out of them,and as to the general looking after the child, you need have nofear, for I will see to that." Clara and Heidi were as overjoyedat these words as if they were two birds let out of their cages,and grandmamma's face beamed with satisfaction.

"You are indeed kind, my dear Uncle," she exclaimed; "you givewords to the thought that was in my own mind. I was only askingmyself whether a stay up here might not be the very thing shewanted. But then the trouble, the inconvenience to yourself! Andyou speak of nursing and looking after her as if it was a merenothing! I thank you sincerely, I thank you from my whole heart,Uncle." And she took his hand and gave it a long and gratefulshake, which he returned with a pleased expression ofcountenance.

Uncle immediately set to work to get things ready. He carriedClara back to her chair outside, Heidi following, not knowinghow to jump high enough into the air to express her contentment.Then he gathered up a whole pile of shawls and furs and said,smiling, "It is a good thing that grandmamma came up wellprovided for a winter's campaign; we shall be able to make gooduse of these."

"Foresight is a virtue," responded the lady, amused, "andprevents many misfortunes. If we have made the journey over yourmountains without meeting with storms, winds and cloud-bursts,we can only be thankful, which we are, and my provision againstthese disasters now comes in usefully, as you say."

The two had meanwhile ascended to the hay-loft and begun toprepare a bed; there were so many articles piled one over theother that when finished it looked like a regular littlefortress. Grandmamma passed her hand carefully over it to makesure there were no bits of hay sticking out. "If there's a bitthat can come through it will," she said. The soft mattress,however, was so smooth and thick that nothing could penetrateit. Then they went down again, well satisfied, and found thechildren laughing and talking together and arranging all theywere going to do from morning till evening as long as Clarastayed. The next question was how long she was to remain, andfirst grandmamma was asked, but she referred them to thegrandfather, who gave it as his opinion that she ought to makethe trial of the mountain air for at least a month. The childrenclapped their hands for joy, for they had not expected to betogether for so long a time.

The bearers and the horse and guide were now seen approaching;the former were sent back at once, and grandmamma prepared tomount for her return journey.

"It's not saying good-bye, grandmamma," Clara called out, "foryou will come up now and then and see how we are getting on, andwe shall so look forward to your visits, shan't we, Heidi?"

Heidi, who felt that life this day had been crowded withpleasures, could only respond to Clara with another jump of joy.

Grandmamma being now seated on her sturdy animal, Uncle took thebridle to lead her down the steep mountain path; she begged himnot to come far with her, but he insisted on seeing her safelyas far as Dorfli, for the way was precipitous and not withoutdanger for the rider, he said.

Grandmamma did not care to stay alone in Dorfli, and thereforedecided to return to Ragatz, and thence to make excursions upthe mountain from time to time.

Peter came down with his goats before Uncle had returned. Assoon as the animals caught sight of Heidi they all came flockingtowards her, and she, as well as Clara on her couch, were soonsurrounded by the goats, pushing and poking their heads one overthe other, while Heidi introduced each in turn by its name toher friend Clara.

It was not long before the latter had made the long-wished-foracquaintance of little Snowflake, the lively Greenfinch, and thewell-behaved goats belonging to grandfather, as well as of themany others, including the Grand Turk. Peter meanwhile stoodapart looking on, and casting somewhat unfriendly glancestowards Clara.

When the two children called out, "Good-evening, Peter," he madeno answer, but swung up his stick angrily, as if wanting to cutthe air in two, and then ran off with his goats after him.

The climax to all the beautiful things that Clara had alreadyseen upon the mountain came at the close of the day.

As she lay on the large soft bed in the hay loft, with Heidinear her, she looked out through the round open window right intothe middle of the shining clusters of stars, and she exclaimed indelight,—

"Heidi, it's just as if we were in a high carriage and weregoing to drive straight into heaven."

"Yes, and do you know why the stars are so happy and look downand nod to us like that?" asked Heidi.

"No, why is it?" Clara asked in return.

"Because they live up in heaven, and know how well God arrangeseverything for us, so that we need have no more fear or troubleand may be quite sure that all things will come right in theend. That's why they are so happy, and they nod to us becausethey want us to be happy too. But then we must never forget topray, and to ask God to remember us when He is arranging things,so that we too may feel safe and have no anxiety about what isgoing to happen."

The two children now sat up and said their prayers, and thenHeidi put her head down on her little round arm and fell off tosleep at once, but Clara lay awake some time, for she could notget over the wonder of this new experience of being in bed uphere among the stars. She had indeed seldom seen a star, for shenever went outside the house at night, and the curtains at homewere always drawn before the stars came out. Each time sheclosed her eyes she felt she must open them again to see if thetwo very large stars were still looking in, and nodding to her asHeidi said they did. There they were, always in the same place,and Clara felt she could not look long enough into their brightsparkling faces, until at last her eyes closed of their ownaccord, and it was only in her dreams that she still saw the twolarge friendly stars shining down upon her.

CHAPTER XXI. HOW LIFE WENT ON AT GRANDFATHER'S

The sun had just risen above the mountains and was shedding itsfirst golden rays over the hut and the valley below. Alm-Uncle,as was his custom, had been standing in a quiet and, devoutattitude for some little while, watching the light mistsgradually lifting, and the heights and valley emerging fromtheir twilight shadows and awakening to another day.

The light morning clouds overhead grew brighter and brighter,till at last the sun shone out in its full glory, and rock andwood and hill lay bathed in golden light.

Uncle now stepped back into the hut and went softly up theladder. Clara had just opened her eyes and was looking withwonder at the bright sunlight that shone through the roundwindow and danced and sparkled about her bed. She could not atfirst think what she was looking at or where she was. Then shecaught sight of Heidi sleeping beside her, and now she heard thegrandfather's cheery voice asking her if she had slept well andwas feeling rested. She assured him she was not tired, and thatwhen she had once fallen asleep she had not opened her eyesagain all night. The grandfather was satisfied at this andimmediately began to attend upon her with so much gentleness andunderstanding that it seemed as if his chief calling had been tolook after sick children.

Heidi now awoke and was surprised to see Clara dressed, andalready in the grandfather's arms ready to be carried down. Shemust be up too, and she went through her toilette with lightning-like speed. She ran down the ladder and out of the hut, and therefurther astonishment awaited her, for grandfather had been busythe night before after they were in bed. Seeing that it wasimpossible to get Clara's chair through the hut-door, he hadtaken down two of the boards at the side of the shed and made anopening large enough to admit the chair; these he left loose sothat they could be taken away and put up at pleasure. He was atthis moment wheeling Clara out into the sun; he left her infront of the hut while he went to look after the goats, and Heidiran up to her friend.

The fresh morning breeze blew round the children's faces, andevery fresh puff brought a waft of fragrance from the fir trees.Clara drew it in with delight and lay back in her chair with anunaccustomed feeling of health and comfort.

It was the first time in her life that she had been out in theopen country at this early hour and felt the fresh morningbreeze, and the pure mountain air was so cool and refreshingthat every breath she drew was a pleasure. And then the brightsweet sun, which was not hot and sultry up here, but lay soft andwarm on her hands and on the grass at her feet. Clara had notimagined that it would be like this on the mountain.

"O Heidi, if only I could stay up here for ever with you," sheexclaimed happily, turning in her chair from side to side thatshe might drink in the air and sun from all quarters.

"Now you see that it is just what I told you," replied Heididelighted; "that it is the most beautiful thing in the world tobe up here with grandfather."

The latter at that moment appeared coming from the goat shed andbringing two small foaming bowls of snow-white milk—one forClara and one for Heidi.

"That will do the little daughter good," he said, nodding toClara; "it is from Little Swan and will make her strong. To yourhealth, child! drink it up."

Clara had never tasted goat's milk before; she hesitated andsmelt it before putting it to her lips, but seeing how Heididrank hers up without hesitating, and how much she seemed to likeit, Clara did the same, and drank till there was not a drop left,for she too found it delicious, tasting just as if sugar andcinnamon had been mixed with it.

"To-morrow we will drink two," said the grandfather, who hadlooked on with satisfaction at seeing her follow Heidi'sexample.

Peter now arrived with the goats, and while Heidi was receivingher usual crowded morning greetings, Uncle drew Peter aside tospeak to him, for the goats, bleated so loudly and continuouslyin their wish to express their joy and affection that no onecould be heard near them.

"Attend to what I have to say," he said. "From to-day be sure youlet Little Swan go where she likes. She has an instinct where tofind the best food for herself, and so if she wants to climbhigher, you follow her, and it will do the others no harm if theygo too; on no account bring her back. A little more climbingwon't hurt you, and in this matter she probably knows better thanyou what is good for her; I want her to give as fine milk aspossible. Why are you looking over there as if you wanted to eatsomebody? Nobody will interfere with you. So now be off andremember what I say."

Peter was accustomed to give immediate obedience to Uncle, andhe marched off with his goats, but with a turn of the head androll of the eye that showed he had some thought in reserve. Thegoats carried Heidi along with them a little way, which was whatPeter wanted. "You will have to come with them," he called toher, "for I shall be obliged to follow Little Swan."

"I cannot," Heidi called back from the midst of her friends,"and I shall not be able to come for a long, long time—not aslong as Clara is with me. Grandfather, however, has promised togo up the mountain with both of us one day."

Heidi had now extricated herself from the goats and she ran backto Clara. Peter doubled his fists and made threatening gesturestowards the invalid on her couch, and then climbed up somedistance without pause until he was out of sight, for he wasafraid Uncle might have seen him, and he did not care to knowwhat Uncle might have thought of the fists.

Clara and Heidi had made so many plans for themselves that theyhardly knew where to begin. Heidi suggested that they shouldfirst write to grandmamma, to whom they had promised to send wordevery day, for grandmamma had not felt sure whether it would inthe long run suit Clara's health to remain up the mountain, or ifshe would continue to enjoy herself there. With daily news of hergranddaughter she could stay on without anxiety at Ragatz, and beready to go to Clara at a moment's notice.

"Must we go indoors to write?" asked Clara, who agreed to Heidi'sproposal but did not want to move from where she was, as it wasso much nicer outside. Heidi was prepared to arrange everything.She ran in and brought out her school-book and writing things andher own little stool. She put her reading book and copy book onClara's knees, to make a desk for her to write upon, and sheherself took her seat on the stool and sat to the bench, and thenthey both began writing to grandmamma. But Clara paused afterevery sentence to look about her; it was too beautiful for muchletter writing. The breeze had sunk a little, and now only gentlyfanned her face and whispered lightly through the fir trees.Little winged insects hummed and danced around her in the clearair, and a great stillness lay over the far, wide, sunny pasturelands. Lofty and silent rose the high mountain peaks above her,and below lay the whole broad valley full of quiet peace. Onlynow and again the call of some shepherd-boy rang out through theair, and echo answered softly from the rocks. The morning passed,the children hardly knew how, and now grandfather came with themid-day bowls of steaming milk, for the little daughter, he said,was to remain out as long as there was a gleam of sun in the sky.The mid-day meal was set out and eaten as yesterday in the openair. Then Heidi pushed Clara's chair under the fir trees, forthey had agreed to spend the afternoon under their shade andthere tell each other all that had happened since Heidi leftFrankfurt. If everything had gone on there as usual in a generalway, there were still all kinds of particular things to tellHeidi about the various people who composed the Sesemannhousehold, and who were all so well known to Heidi.

So they sat and chatted under the trees, and the more livelygrew their conversation, the more loudly sang the birds overhead,as if wishing to take part in the children's gossip, whichevidently pleased them. So the hours flew by and all at once, asit seemed, the evening had come with the returning Peter, whostill scowled and looked angry.

"Good-night, Peter," called out Heidi, as she saw he had nointention of stopping to speak.

"Good-night, Peter," called out Clara in a friendly voice. Petertook no notice and went surlily on with his goats.

As Clara saw the grandfather leading away Little Swan to milkher, she was suddenly taken with a longing for another bowlfulof the fragrant milk, and waited impatiently for it.

"Isn't it curious, Heidi," she said, astonished at herself, "aslong as I can remember I have only eaten because I was obligedto, and everything used to seem to taste of cod liver oil, and Iwas always wishing there was no need to eat or drink; and now Iam longing for grandfather to bring me the milk."

"Yes, I know what it feels like," replied Heidi, who rememberedthe many days in Frankfurt when all her food used to seem tostick in her throat. Clara, however, could not understand it;the fact was that she had never in her life before spent a wholeday in the open air, much less in such high, life-giving mountainair. When grandfather at last brought her the evening milk, shedrank it up so quickly that she had emptied her bowl beforeHeidi, and then she asked for a little more. The grandfatherwent inside with both the children's bowls, and when he broughtthem out again full he had something else to add to their supper.He had walked over that afternoon to a herdsman's house where thesweetly-tasting butter was made, and had brought home a largepat, some of which he had now spread thickly on two good slicesof bread. He stood and watched with pleasure while Clara andHeidi ate their appetising meal with childish hunger andenjoyment.

That night, when Clara lay down in her bed and prepared to watchthe stars, her eyes would not keep open, and she fell asleep assoon as Heidi and slept soundly all night—a thing she neverremembered having done before. The following day and the dayafter passed in the same pleasant fashion, and the third daythere came a surprise for the children. Two stout porters cameup the mountain, each carrying a bed on his shoulders withbedding of all kinds and two beautiful new white coverlids. Themen also had a letter with them from grandmamma, in which shesaid that these were for Clara and Heidi, and that Heidi infuture was always to sleep in a proper bed, and when she wentdown to Dorfli in the winter she was to take one with her andleave the other at the hut, so that Clara might always know therewas a bed ready for her when she paid a visit to the mountain.She went on to thank the children for their long letters andencouraged them to continue writing daily, so that she might beable to picture all they were doing.

So the grandfather went up and threw back the hay from Heidi'sbed on to the great heap, and then with his help the beds weretransported to the loft. He put them close to one another sothat the children might still be able to see out of the window,for he knew what pleasure they had in the light from the sun andstars.

Meanwhile grandmamma down at Ragatz was rejoicing at theexcellent news of the invalid which reached her daily from themountain. Clara found the life more charming each day and couldnot say enough of the kindness and care which the grandfatherlavished upon her, nor of Heidi's lively and amusingcompanionship, for the latter was more entertaining even thanwhen in Frankfurt with her, and Clara's first thought when shewoke each morning was, "Oh, how glad I am to be here still."

Having such fresh assurances each day that all was going wellwith Clara, grandmamma thought she might put off her visit tothe children a little longer, for the steep ride up and down wassomewhat of a fatigue to her.

The grandfather seemed to feel an especial sympathy for thislittle invalid charge, for he tried to think of something freshevery day to help forward her recovery. He climbed up themountain every afternoon, higher and higher each day, and camehome in the evening with a large bunch of leaves which scentedthe air with a mingled fragrance as of carnations and thyme,even from afar. He hung it up in the goat shed, and the goats ontheir return were wild to get at it, for they recognised thesmell. But Uncle did not go climbing after rare plants to givethe goats the pleasure of eating them without any trouble offinding them; what he gathered was for Little Swan alone, thatshe might give extra fine milk, and the effect of the extrafeeding was shown in the way she flung her head in the air withever-increasing frolicsomeness, and in the bright glow of hereye.

Clara had now been on the mountain for three weeks. For somedays past the grandfather, each morning after carrying her down,had said, "Won't the little daughter try if she can stand for aminute or two?" And Clara had made the effort in order to pleasehim, but had clung to him as soon as her feet touched theground, exclaiming that it hurt her so. He let her try a littlelonger, however, each day.

It was many years since they had had such a splendid summeramong the mountains. Day after day there were the same cloudlesssky and brilliant sun; the flowers opened wide their fragrantblossoms, and everywhere the eye was greeted with a glow ofcolor; and when the evening came the crimson light fell onmountain peaks and on the great snow-field, till at last the sunsank in a sea of golden flame.

And Heidi never tired of telling Clara of all this, for onlyhigher up could the full glory of the colors be rightly seen;and more particularly did she dwell on the beauty of the spot onthe higher slope of the mountain, where the bright golden rock-roses grew in masses, and the blue flowers were in such numbersthat the very grass seemed to have turned blue, while near thesewere whole bushes of the brown blossoms, with their deliciousscent, so that you never wanted to move again when you once satdown among them.

She had just been expatiating on the flowers as she sat withClara under the fir trees one evening, and had been telling heragain of the wonderful light from the evening sun, when such anirrepressible longing came over her to see it all once more thatshe jumped up and ran to her grandfather, who was in the shed,calling out almost before she was inside,—

"Grandfather, will you take us out with the goats to-morrow? Oh,it is so lovely up there now!"

"Very well," he answered, "but if I do, the little daughter mustdo something to please me: she must try her best again thisevening to stand on her feet."

Heidi ran back with the good news to Clara, and the latterpromised to try her very best as the grandfather wished, for shelooked forward immensely to the next day's excursion. Heidi wasso pleased and excited that she called out to Peter as soon asshe caught sight of him that evening,—

"Peter, Peter, we are all coming out with you to-morrow and aregoing to stay up there the whole day."

Peter, cross as a bear, grumbled some reply, and lifted hisstick to give Greenfinch a blow for no reason in particular, butGreenfinch saw the movement, and with a leap over Snowflake'sback she got out of the way, and the stick only hit the air.

Clara and Heidi got into their two fine beds that night full ofdelightful anticipation of the morrow; they were so full oftheir plans that they agreed to keep awake all night and talkover them until they might venture to get up. But their heads hadno sooner touched their soft pillows than the conversationsuddenly ceased, and Clara fell into a dream of an immense field,which looked the color of the sky, so thickly inlaid was it withblue bell-shaped flowers; and Heidi heard the great bird of preycalling to her from the heights above, "Come! come! come!"

CHAPTER XXII. SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS

Uncle went out early the next morning to see what kind of a dayit was going to be. There was a reddish gold light over thehigher peaks; a light breeze springing up and the branches of thefir trees moved gently to and fro the sun was on its way.

The old man stood and watched the green slopes under the higherpeaks gradually growing brighter with the coming day and the darkshadows lifting from the valley, until at first a rosy lightfilled its hollows, and then the morning gold flooded everyheight and depth—the sun had risen.

Uncle wheeled the chair out of the shed ready for the comingjourney, and then went in to call the children and tell them whata lovely sunrise it was.

Peter came up at this moment. The goats did not gather round himso trustfully as usual, but seemed to avoid him timidly, forPeter had reached a high pitch of anger and bitterness, and waslaying about him with his stick very unnecessarily, and where itfell the blow was no light one. For weeks now he had not hadHeidi all to himself as formerly. When he came up in the morningthe invalid child was always already in her chair and Heidi fullyoccupied with her. And it was the same thing over again when hecame down in the evening. She had not come out with the goatsonce this summer, and now to-day she was only coming in companywith her friend and the chair, and would stick by the latter'sside the whole time. It was the thought of this which was makinghim particularly cross this morning. There stood the chair on itshigh wheels; Peter seemed to see something proud and disdainfulabout it, and he glared at it as at an enemy that had done himharm and was likely to do him more still to-day. He glancedround—there was no sound anywhere, no one to see him. He sprangforward like a wild creature, caught hold of it, and gave it aviolent and angry push in the direction of the slope. The chairrolled swiftly forward and in another minute had disappeared.

Peter now sped up the mountain as if on wings, not pausing tillhe was well in shelter of a large blackberry bush, for he had nowish to be seen by Uncle. But he was anxious to see what hadbecome of the chair, and his bush was well placed for that.Himself hidden, he could watch what happened below and see whatUncle did without being discovered himself. So he looked, andthere he saw his enemy running faster and faster down hill, thenit turned head over heels several times, and finally, after onegreat bound, rolled over and over to its complete destruction.The pieces flew in every direction—feet, arms, and tornfragments of the padded seat and bolster—and Peter experienced afeeling of such unbounded delight at the sight that he leapt inthe air, laughing aloud and stamping for joy; then he took a runround, jumping over bushes on the way, only to return to the samespot and fall into fresh fits of laughter. He was beside himselfwith satisfaction, for he could see only good results for himselfin this disaster to his enemy. Now Heidi's friend would beobliged to go away, for she would have no means of going about,and when Heidi was alone again she would come out with him as inthe old days, and everything would go on in the proper way again.But Peter did not consider, or did not know, that when we do awrong thing trouble is sure to follow.

Heidi now came running out of the hut and round to the shed.Grandfather was behind with Clara in his arms. The shed stoodwide open, the two loose planks having been taken down, and itwas quite light inside. Heidi looked into every corner and ranfrom one end to the other, and then stood still wondering whatcould have happened to the chair. Grandfather now came up.

"How is this, have you wheeled the chair away, Heidi?"

"I have been looking everywhere for it, grandfather; you said itwas standing ready outside," and she again searched each cornerof the shed with her eyes.

At that moment the wind, which had risen suddenly, blew open theshed door and sent it banging back against the wall.

"It must have been the wind, grandfather," exclaimed Heidi, andher eyes grew anxious at this sudden discovery. "Oh! if it hasblown the chair all the way down to Dorfli we shall not get itback in time, and shall not be able to go."

"If it has rolled as far as that it will never come back, for itis in a hundred pieces by now," said the grandfather, goinground the corner and looking down. "But it's a curious thing tohave happened!" he added as he thought over the matter, for thechair would have had to turn a corner before starting down hill.

"Oh, I am sorry," lamented Clara, "for we shall not be able togo to-day, or perhaps any other day. I shall have to go home, Isuppose, if I have no chair. Oh, I am so sorry, I am so sorry!"

But Heidi looked towards her grandfather with her usualexpression of confidence.

"Grandfather, you will be able to do something, won't you, sothat it need not be as Clara says, and so that she is notobliged to go home?"

"Well, for the present we will go up the mountain as we hadarranged, and then later on we will see what can be done," heanswered, much to the children's delight.

He went indoors, fetched out a pile of shawls, and laying themon the sunniest spot he could find set Clara down upon them. Thenhe fetched the children's morning milk and had out his two goats.

"Why is Peter not here yet?" thought Uncle to himself, forPeter's whistle had not been sounded that morning. Thegrandfather now took Clara up on one arm, and the shawls on theother.

"Now then we will start," he said; "the goats can come with us."

Heidi was pleased at this and walked on after her grandfatherwith an arm over either of the goats' necks, and the animals wereso overjoyed to have her again that they nearly squeezed her flatbetween them out of sheer affection. When they reached the spotwhere the goats usually pastured they were surprised to find themalready feeding there, climbing about the rocks, and Peter withthem, lying his full length on the ground.

"I'll teach you another time to go by like that, you lazyrascal! What do you mean by it?" Uncle called to him.

Peter, recognising the voice, jumped up like a shot. "No one wasup," he answered.

"Have you seen anything of the chair?" asked the grandfather.

"Of what chair?" called Peter back in answer in a morose tone ofvoice.

Uncle said no more. He spread the shawls on the sunny slope, andsetting Clara upon them asked if she was comfortable.

"As comfortable as in my chair," she said, thanking him, "andthis seems the most beautiful spot. O Heidi, it is lovely, it islovely!" she cried, looking round her with delight.

The grandfather prepared to leave them. They would now be safeand happy together, he said, and when it was time for dinnerHeidi was to go and fetch the bag from the shady hollow where hehad put it; Peter was to bring them as much milk as they wanted,but Heidi was to see that it was Little Swan's milk. He wouldcome and fetch them towards evening; he must now be off to seeafter the chair and ascertain what had become of it.

The sky was dark blue, and not a single cloud was to be seenfrom one horizon to the other. The great snow-field overheadsparkled as if set with thousands and thousands of gold andsilver stars. The two grey mountains peaks lifted their loftyheads against the sky and looked solemnly down upon the valley asof old; the great bird was poised aloft in the clear blue air,and the mountain wind came over the heights and blew refreshinglyaround the children as they sat on the sunlit slope. It was allindescribably enjoyable to Clara and Heidi. Now and again ayoung goat came and lay down beside them; Snowflake cameoftenest, putting her little head down near Heidi, and onlymoving because another goat came and drove her away. Clara hadlearned to know them all so well that she never mistook one forthe other now, for each had an expression and ways of its own.And the goats had also grown familiar with Clara and would rubtheir heads against her shoulder, which was always a sign ofacquaintanceship and goodwill.

Some hours went by, and Heidi began to think that she might justgo over to the spot where all the flowers grew to see if theywere fully blown and looking as lovely as the year before. Claracould not go until grandfather came back that evening, when theflowers probably would be already closed. The longing to gobecame stronger and stronger, till she felt she could not resistit.

"Would you think me unkind, Clara," she said ratherhesitatingly, "if I left you for a few minutes? I should runthere and back very quickly. I want so to see how the flowers arelooking—but wait—" for an idea had come into Heidi's head. Sheran and picked a bunch or two of green leaves, and then took holdof Snowflake and led her up to Clara.

"There, now you will not be alone," said Heidi, giving the goata little push to show her she was to lie down near Clara, whichthe animal quite understood. Heidi threw the leaves into Clara'slap, and the latter told her friend to go at once to look at theflowers as she was quite happy to be left with the goat; sheliked this new experience. Heidi ran off, and Clara began tohold out the leaves one by one to Snowflake, who snoozled up toher new friend in a confiding manner and slowly ate the leavesfrom her hand. It was easy to see that Snowflake enjoyed thispeaceful and sheltered way of feeding, for when with the othergoats she had much persecution to endure from the larger andstronger ones of the flock. And Clara found a strange newpleasure in sitting all alone like this on the mountain side, heronly companion a little goat that looked to her for protection.She suddenly felt a great desire to be her own mistress and to beable to help others, instead of herself being always dependent asshe was now. Many thoughts, unknown to her before, came crowdinginto her mind, and a longing to go on living in the sunshine, andto be doing something that would bring happiness to another, asnow she was helping to make the goat happy. An unaccustomedfeeling of joy took possession of her, as if everything she hadever known or felt became all at once more beautiful, and sheseemed to see all things in a new light, and so strong was thesense of this new beauty and happiness that she threw her armsround the little goat's neck, and exclaimed, "O Snowflake, howdelightful it is up here! if only I could stay on for ever withyou beside me!"

Heidi had meanwhile reached her field of flowers, and as shecaught sight of it she uttered a cry of joy. The whole ground infront of her was a mass of shimmering gold, where the cistusflowers spread their yellow blossoms. Above them waved wholebushes of the deep blue bell-flowers; while the fragrance thatarose from the whole sunlit expanse was as if the rarest balsamhad been flung over it. The scent, however, came from the smallbrown flowers, the little round heads of which rose modestlyhere and there among the yellow blossoms. Heidi stood and gazedand drew in the delicious air. Suddenly she turned round andreached Clara's side out of breath with running and excitement."Oh, you must come," she called out as soon as she came in sight,"it is more beautiful than you can imagine, and perhaps thisevening it may not be so lovely. I believe I could carry you,don't you think I could?" Clara looked at her and shook her head."Why, Heidi, what can you be thinking of! you are smaller than Iam. Oh, if only I could walk!"

Heidi looked round as if in search of something, some new ideahad evidently come into her head. Peter was sitting up abovelooking down on the two children. He had been sitting andstaring before him in the same way for hours, as if he could notmake out what he saw. He had destroyed the chair so that thefriend might not be able to move anywhere and that her visitmight come to an end, and then a little while after she hadappeared right up here under his very nose with Heidi beside her.He thought his eyes must deceive him, and yet there she was andno mistake about it.

Heidi now looked up to where he was sitting and called out in aperemptory voice, "Peter, come down here!"

"I don't wish to come," he called in reply.

"But you are to, you must; I cannot do it alone, and you mustcome here and help me; make haste and come down," she calledagain in an urgent voice.

"I shall do nothing of the kind," was the answer.

Heidi ran some way up the slope towards him, and then pausingcalled again, her eyes ablaze with anger, "If you don't come atonce, Peter, I will do something to you that you won't like; Imean what I say."

Peter felt an inward throe at these words, and a great fearseized him. He had done something wicked which he wanted no oneto know about, and so far he had thought himself safe. But nowHeidi spoke exactly as if she knew everything, and whatever shedid know she would tell her grandfather, and there was no one hefeared so much as this latter person. Supposing he were tosuspect what had happened about the chair! Peter's anguish ofmind grew more acute. He stood up and went down to where Heidiwas awaiting him.

"I am coming and you won't do what you said."

Peter appeared now so submissive with fear that Heidi felt quitesorry for him and answered assuringly, "No, no, of course not;come along with me, there is nothing to be afraid of in what Iwant you to do."

As soon as they got to Clara, Heidi gave her orders: Peter wasto take hold of her under the arms on one side and she on theother, and together they were to lift her up. This first movementwas successfully carried through, but then came the difficulty.As Clara could not even stand, how were they to support her andget her along? Heidi was too small for her arm to serve Clara tolean upon.

"You must put one arm well around my neck so, and put the otherthrough Peter's and lean firmly upon it, then we shall be ableto carry you."

Peter, however, had never given his arm to any one in his life.Clara put hers in his, but he kept his own hanging down straightbeside him like a stick.

"That's not the way, Peter," said Heidi in an authoritativevoice. "You must put your arm out in the shape of a ring, andClara must put hers through it and lean her weight upon you, andwhatever you do, don't let your arm give way; like that. I amsure we shall be able to manage."

Peter did as he was told, but still they did not get on verywell. Clara was not such a light weight, and the team did notmatch very well in size; it was up one side and down the other,so that the supports were rather wobbly.

Clara tried to use her own feet a little, but each time drewthem quickly back.

"Put your foot down firmly once," suggested Heidi, "I am sure itwill hurt you less after that."

"Do you think so?" said Clara hesitatingly, but she followedHeidi's advice and ventured one firm step on the ground and thenanother; she called out a little as she did it; then she liftedher foot again and went on, "Oh, that was less painful already,"she exclaimed joyfully.

"Try again," said Heidi encouragingly.

And Clara went on putting one foot out after another until allat once she called out, "I can do it, Heidi! look! look! I canmake proper steps!" And Heidi cried out with even greaterdelight, "Can you really make steps, can you really walk? reallywalk by yourself? Oh, if only grandfather were here!" and shecontinued gleefully to exclaim, "You can walk now, Clara, you canwalk!"

Clara still held on firmly to her supports, but with every stepshe felt safer on her feet, as all three became aware, and Heidiwas beside herself with joy.

"Now we shall be able to come up here together every day, and gojust where we like; and you will be able all your life to walkabout as I do, and not have to be pushed in a chair, and youwill get quite strong and well. It is the greatest happiness wecould have had!"

And Clara heartily agreed, for she could think of no greater joyin the world than to be strong and able to go about like otherpeople, and no longer to have to lie from day to day in herinvalid chair.

They had not far to go to reach the field of flowers, and couldalready catch sight of the cistus flowers glowing gold in thesun. As they came to the bushes of the blue bell flowers, withsunny, inviting patches of warm ground between them, Clara said,"Mightn't we sit down here for a while?"

This was just what Heidi enjoyed, and so the children sat downin the midst of the flowers, Clara for the first time on the dry,warm mountain grass, and she found it indescribably delightful.Around her were the blue flowers softly waving to and fro, andbeyond the gleaming patches of the cistus flowers and the redcentaury, while the sweet scent of the brown blossoms and of thefragrant prunella enveloped her as she sat. Everything was solovely! so lovely! And Heidi, who was beside her, thought shehad never seen it so perfectly beautiful up here before, and shedid not know herself why she felt so glad at heart that shelonged to shout for joy. Then she suddenly remembered that Clarawas cured; that was the crowning delight of all that made life sodelightful in the midst of all this surrounding beauty. Clara satsilent, overcome with the enchantment of all that her eye restedupon, and with the anticipation of all the happiness that was nowbefore her. There seemed hardly room in her heart for all herjoyful emotions, and these and the ecstasy aroused by thesunlight and the scent of the flowers, held her dumb.

Peter also lay among the flowers without moving or speaking, forhe was fast asleep. The breeze came blowing softly andcaressingly from behind the sheltering rocks, and passedwhisperingly through the bushes overhead. Heidi got up now andthen to run about, for the flowers waving in the warm windseemed to smell sweeter and to grow more thickly whichever wayshe went, and she felt she must sit down at each fresh spot toenjoy the sight and scent. So the hours went by.

It was long past noon when a small troop of goats advancedsolemnly towards the plain of flowers. It was not a feedingplace of theirs, for they did not care to graze on flowers. Theylooked like an embassy arriving, with Greenfinch as their leader.They had evidently come in search of their companions who hadleft them in the lurch, and who had, contrary to all custom,remained away so long, for the goats could tell the time withoutmistake. As soon as Greenfinch caught sight of the three missingfriends amid the flowers she set up an extra loud bleat,whereupon all the others joined in a chorus of bleats, and thewhole company came trotting towards the children. Peter woke up,rubbing his eyes, for he had been dreaming that he saw the chairagain with its beautiful red padding standing whole and uninjuredbefore the grandfather's door, and indeed just as he awoke hethought he was looking at the brass-headed nails that studded itall round, but it was only the bright yellow flowers beside him.He experienced again a dreadful fear of mind that he had lost inthis dream of the uninjured chair. Even though Heidi had promisednot to do anything, there still remained the lively dread thathis deed might be found out in some other way. He allowed Heidito do what she liked with him, for he was reduced to such a stateof low spirits and meekness that he was ready to give his help toClara without murmur or resistance.

When all three had got back to their old quarters Heidi ran andbrought forward the bag, and proceeded to fulfil her promise,for her threat of the morning had been concerned with Peter'sdinner. She had seen her grandfather putting in all sorts of goodthings, and had been pleased to think of Peter having a largeshare of them, and she had meant him to understand when herefused at first to help her that he would get nothing for hisdinner, but Peter's conscience had put another interpretationupon her words. Heidi took the food out of the bag and divided itinto three portions, and each was of such a goodly size that shethought to herself, "There will be plenty of ours left for him tohave more still."

She gave the other two their dinners and sat down with her ownbeside Clara, and they all three ate with a good appetite aftertheir great exertions.

It ended as Heidi had expected, and Peter got as much food againas his own share with what Clara and Heidi had over from theirsafter they had both eaten as much as they wanted. Peter ate upevery bit of food to the last crumb, but there was somethingwanting to his usual enjoyment of a good dinner, for everymouthful he swallowed seemed to choke him, and he felt somethinggnawing inside him.

They were so late at their dinner that they had not long to waitafter they had finished before grandfather came up to fetch them.Heidi rushed forward to meet him as soon as he appeared, as shewanted to be the first to tell him the good news. She was soexcited that she could hardly get her words out when she did getup to him, but he soon understood, and a look of extreme pleasurecame into his face. He hastened up to where Clara was sitting andsaid with a cheerful smile, "So we've made the effort, have we,and won the day!"

Then he lifted her up, and putting his left arm behind her andgiving her his right to lean upon, made her walk a little way,which she did with less trembling and hesitation than before nowthat she had such a strong arm round her.

Heidi skipped along beside her in triumphant glee, and thegrandfather looked too as if some happiness had befallen him.But now he took Clara up in his arms. "We must not overdo it,"he said, "and it is high time we went home," and he started offdown the mountain path, for he was anxious to get her indoorsthat she might rest after her unusual fatigue.

When Peter got to Dorfli that evening he found a large group ofpeople collected round a certain spot, pushing one another andlooking over each other's shoulders in their eagerness to catchsight of something lying on the ground. Peter thought he shouldlike to see too, and poked and elbowed till he made his waythrough.

There it lay, the thing he had wanted to see. Scattered aboutthe grass were the remains of Clara's chair; part of the back andthe middle bit, and enough of the red padding and the brightnails to show how magnificent the chair had been when it wasentire.

"I was here when the men passed carrying it up," said the bakerwho was standing near Peter. "I'll bet any one that it was worthtwenty-five pounds at least. I cannot think how such an accidentcould have happened."

"Uncle said the wind might perhaps have done it," remarked oneof the women, who could not sufficiently admire the redupholstery.

"It's a good job that no one but the wind did it," said thebaker again, "or he might smart for it! No doubt the gentleman inFrankfurt when he hears what has happened will make allinquiries about it. I am glad for myself that I have not beenseen up the mountain for a good two years, as suspicion is likelyto fall on any one who was about up there at the time."

Many more opinions were passed on the matter, but Peter hadheard enough. He crept quietly away out of the crowd and thentook to his heels and ran up home as fast as he could, as if hethought some one was after him. The baker's words had filled himwith fear and trembling. He was sure now that any day a constablemight come over from Frankfurt and inquire about the destructionof the chair, and then everything would come out, and he wouldbe seized and carried off to Frankfurt and there put in prison.The whole picture of what was coming was clear before him, andhis hair stood on end with terror.

He reached home in this disturbed state of mind. He would notopen his mouth in reply to anything that was said to him; hewould not eat his potatoes; all he did was to creep off to bedas quickly as possible and hide under the bedclothes and groan.

"Peter has been eating sorrel again, and is evidently in pain bythe way he is groaning," said Brigitta.

"You must give him a little more bread to take with him; givehim a bit of mine to-morrow," said the grandmother sympathisingly.

As the children lay that night in bed looking out at the starsHeidi said, "I have been thinking all day what a happy thing itis that God does not give us what we ask for, even when we prayand pray and pray, if He knows there is something better for us;have you felt like that?"

"Why do you ask me that to-night all of a sudden?" asked Clara.

"Because I prayed so hard when I was in Frankfurt that I mightgo home at once, and because I was not allowed to I thought Godhad forgotten me. And now you see, if I had come away at firstwhen I wanted to, you would never have come here, and would neverhave got well."

Clara had in her turn become thoughtful. "But, Heidi," she beganagain, "in that case we ought never to pray for anything, as Godalways intends something better for us than we know or wishfor."

"You must not think it is like that, Clara," replied Heidieagerly. "We must go on praying for everything, for everything,so that God may know we do not forget that it all comes fromHim. If we forget God, then He lets us go our own way and we getinto trouble; grandmamma told me so. And if He does not give uswhat we ask for we must not think that He has not heard us andleave off praying, but we must still pray and say, I am sure,dear God, that Thou art keeping something better for me, and Iwill not be unhappy, for I know that Thou wilt make everythingright in the end."

"How did you learn all that?" asked Clara.

"Grandmamma explained it to me first of all, and then when itall happened just as she said, I knew it myself, and I think,Clara," she went on, as she sat up in bed, "we ought certainly tothank God to-night that you can walk now, and that He has made usso happy."

"Yes, Heidi, I am sure you are right, and I am glad you remindedme; I almost forgot my prayers for very joy."

Both children said their prayers, and each thanked God in herown way for the blessing He had bestowed on Clara, who had for solong lain weak and ill.

The next morning the grandfather suggested that they should nowwrite to the grandmamma and ask her if she would not come andpay them a visit, as they had something new to show her. But thechildren had another plan in their heads, for they wanted toprepare a great surprise for grandmamma. Clara was first to havemore practice in walking so that she might be able to go alittle way by herself; above all things grandmamma was not tohave a hint of it. They asked the grandfather how long he thoughtthis would take, and when he told them about a week or less, theyimmediately sat down and wrote a pressing invitation tograndmamma, asking her to come soon, but no word was said aboutthere being anything new to see.

The following days were some of the most joyous that Clara hadspent on the mountain. She awoke each morning with a happy voicewithin her crying, "I am well now! I am well now! I shan't haveto go about in a chair, I can walk by myself like other people."

Then came the walking, and every day she found it easier and wasable to go a longer distance. The movement gave her such anappetite that the grandfather cut his bread and butter a littlethicker each day, and was well pleased to see it disappear. Henow brought out with it a large jugful of the foaming milk andfilled her little bowl over and over again. And so another weekwent by and the day came which was to bring grandmamma up themountain for her second visit.

CHAPTER XXIII. "GOOD-BYE TILL WE MEET AGAIN"

Grandmamma wrote the day before her arrival to let the childrenknow that they might expect her without fail. Peter brought upthe letter early the following morning. Grandfather and thechildren were already outside and the goats were awaiting him,shaking their heads frolicsomely in the fresh morning air, whilethe children stroked them and wished them a pleasant journey upthe mountain. Uncle stood near, looking now at the fresh facesof the children, now at his well-kept goats, with a smile on hisface, evidently well pleased with the sight of both.

As Peter neared the group his steps slackened, and the instanthe had handed the letter to Uncle he turned quickly away as iffrightened, and as he went he gave a hasty glance behind him, asif the thing he feared was pursuing him, and then he gave a leapand ran off up the mountain.

"Grandfather," said Heidi, who had been watching him withastonished eyes, "why does Peter always behave now like theGreat Turk when he thinks somebody is after him with a stick; heturns and shakes his head and goes off with a bound just likethat?"

"Perhaps Peter fancies he sees the stick which he so welldeserves coming after him," answered grandfather.

Peter ran up the first slope without a pause; when he was wellout of sight, however, he stood still and looked suspiciouslyabout him. Suddenly he gave a jump and looked behind him with aterrified expression, as if some one had caught hold of him bythe nape of the neck; for Peter expected every minute that thepolice-constable from Frankfurt would leap out upon him frombehind some bush or hedge. The longer his suspense lasted, themore frightened and miserable he became; he did not know amoment's peace.

Heidi now set about tidying the hut, as grandmamma must findeverything clean and in good order when she arrived.

Clara looked on amused and interested to watch the busy Heidi ather work.

So the morning soon went by, and grandmamma might now beexpected at any minute. The children dressed themselves and wentand sat together outside on the seat ready to receive her.

Grandfather joined them, that they might see the splendid bunchof blue gentians which he had been up the mountain to gather,and the children exclaimed with delight at the beauty of theflowers as they shone in the morning sun. The grandfather thencarried them indoors. Heidi jumped up from time to time to see ifthere was any sign of grandmamma's approach.

At last she saw the procession winding up the mountain just inthe order she had expected. First there was the guide, then thewhite horse with grandmamma mounted upon it, and last of all theporter with a heavy bundle on his back, for grandmamma would notthink of going up the mountain without a full supply of wrapsand rugs.

Nearer and nearer wound the procession; at last it reached thetop and grandmamma was there looking down on the children fromher horse. She no sooner saw them, however, sitting side byside, than she began quickly dismounting, as she cried out in ashocked tone of voice, "Why is this? why are you not lying inyour chair, Clara? What are you all thinking about?" But evenbefore she had got close to them she threw up her hands inastonishment, exclaiming further, "Is it really you, dear child?Why, your cheeks have grown quite round and rosy! I should hardlyhave known you again!" And she was hastening forward to embraceher, when Heidi slipped down from the seat, and Clara leaning onher shoulder, the two children began walking along quite coollyand naturally. Then indeed grandmamma was surprised, or ratheralarmed, for she thought at first that it must be some unheard-of proceeding of Heidi's devising.

But no—Clara was actually walking steadily and uprightly besideHeidi—and now the two children turned and came towards her withbeaming faces and rosy cheeks. Laughing and crying she ran tothem and embraced first Clara and then Heidi, and then Claraagain, unable to speak for joy. All at once she caught sight ofUncle standing by the seat and looking on smiling at themeeting. She took Clara's arm in hers, and with continualexpressions of delight at the fact that the child could nowreally walk about with her, she went up to the old man, and thenletting go Clara's arm she seized his hands.

"My dear Uncle! my dear Uncle! how much we have to thank youfor! It is all your doing! it is your caring and nursing——"

"And God's good sun and mountain air," he interrupted her,smiling.

"Yes, and don't forget the beautiful milk I have," put in Clara."Grandmamma, you can't think what a quantity of goat's milk Idrink, and how nice it is!"

"I can see that by your cheeks, child," answered grandmamma. "Ireally should not have known you; you have grown quite strongand plump, and taller too; I never hoped or expected to see youlook like that. I cannot take my eyes off you, for I can hardlyyet believe it. But now I must telegraph without delay to my sonin Paris, and tell him he must come here at once. I shall not saywhy; it will be the greatest happiness he has ever known. Mydear Uncle, how can I send a telegram; have you dismissed the menyet?"

"They have gone," he answered, "but if you are in a hurry I willfetch Peter, and he can take it for you."

Grandmamma thanked him, for she was anxious that the good newsshould not be kept from her son a day longer than was possible.

So Uncle went aside a little way and blew such a resoundingwhistle through his fingers that he awoke a responsive echoamong the rocks far overhead. He had not to wait many minutesbefore Peter came running down in answer, for he knew the soundof Uncle's whistle. Peter arrived, looking as white as a ghost,for he quite thought Uncle was sending for him to give him up.But as it was he only had a written paper given him withinstructions to take it down at once to the post-office atDorfli; Uncle would settle for the payment later, as it was notsafe to give Peter too much to look after.

Peter went off with the paper in his hand, feeling some reliefof mind for the present, for as Uncle had not whistled for him inorder to give him up it was evident that no policeman had yetarrived.

So now they could all sit down in peace to their dinner roundthe table in front of the hut, and grandmamma was given adetailed account of all that had taken place. How grandfather hadmade Clara try first to stand and then to move her feet a littleevery day, and how they had settled for the day's excursion upthe mountain and the chair had been blown away. How Clara'sdesire to see the flowers had induced her to take the first walk,and so by degrees one thing had led to another. The recital tooksome time, for grandmamma continually interrupted it with freshexclamations of surprise and thankfulness: "It hardly seemspossible! I can scarcely believe it is not all a dream! Are wereally awake, and are all sitting here by the mountain hut, andis that round-faced, healthy-looking child my poor little, white,sickly Clara?"

And Clara and Heidi could not get over their delight at thesuccess of the surprise they had so carefully arranged forgrandmamma and at the latter's continued astonishment.

Meanwhile Herr Sesemann, who had finished his business in Paris,had also been preparing a surprise. Without saying a word to hismother he got into the train one sunny morning and travelledthat day to Basle; the next morning he continued his journey, fora great longing had seized him to see his little daughter fromwhom he had been separated the whole summer. He arrived at Ragatza few hours after his mother had left. When he heard that she hadthat very day started for the mountain, he immediately hired acarriage and drove off to Mayenfeld; here he found that he couldif he liked drive on as far as Dorfli, which he did, as hethought the walk up from that place would be as long as he caredfor.

Herr Sesemann found he was right, for the climb up the mountain,as it was, proved long and fatiguing to him. He went on and on,but still no hut came in sight, and yet he knew there was onewhere Peter lived half way up, for the path had been describedto him over and over again.

There were traces of climbers to be seen on all sides; thenarrow footpaths seemed to run in every direction, and HerrSesemann began to wonder if he was on the right one, and whetherthe hut lay perhaps on the other side of the mountain. He lookedround to see if any one was in sight of whom he could ask theway; but far and wide there was not a soul to be seen or a soundto be heard. Only at moments the mountain wind whistled throughthe air, and the insects hummed in the sunshine or a happy birdsang out from the branches of a solitary larch tree. HerrSesemann stood still for a while to let the cool Alpine wind blowon his hot face. But now some one came running down the mountain-side—it was Peter with the telegram in his hand. He ran straightdown the steep slope, not following the path on which HerrSesemann was standing. As soon as the latter caught sight of himhe beckoned to him to come. Peter advanced towards him slowly andtimidly, with a sort of sidelong movement, as if he could onlymove one leg properly and had to drag the other after him. "Hurryup, lad," called Herr Sesemann, and when Peter was near enough,"Tell me," he said, "is this the way to the hut where the old manand the child Heidi live, and where the visitors from Frankfurtare staying?"

A low sound of fear was the only answer he received, as Peterturned to run away in such precipitous haste that he fell headover heels several times, and went rolling and bumping down theslope in involuntary bounds, just in the same way as the chair,only that Peter fortunately did not fall to pieces as that haddone. Only the telegram came to grief, and that was torn intofragments and flew away.

"How extraordinarily timid these mountain dwellers are!" thoughtHerr Sesemann to himself, for he quite believed that it was thesight of a stranger that had made such an impression on thisunsophisticated child of the mountains.

After watching Peter's violent descent towards the valley for afew minutes he continued his journey.

Peter, meanwhile, with all his efforts, could not stop himself,but went rolling on, and still tumbling head over heels atintervals in a most remarkable manner.

But this was not the most terrible part of his sufferings at themoment, for far worse was the fear and horror that possessedhim, feeling sure, as he did now, that the policeman had reallycome over for him from Frankfurt. He had no doubt at all that thestranger who had asked him the way was the very man himself.Just as he had rolled to the edge of that last high slope aboveDorfli he was caught in a bush, and at last able to keep himselffrom falling any farther. He lay still for a second or two torecover himself, and to think over matters.

"Well done! another of you come bumping along like this!" said avoice close to Peter, "and which of you to-morrow is the windgoing to send rolling down like a badly-sewn sack of potatoes?"It was the baker, who stood there laughing. He had beenstrolling out to refresh himself after his hot day's work, andhad watched with amusement as he saw Peter come rolling over andover in much the same way as the chair.

Peter was on his feet in a moment. He had received a freshshock. Without once looking behind him he began hurrying up theslope again. He would have liked best to go home and creep intobed, so as to hide himself, for he felt safest when there. But hehad left the goats up above, and Uncle had given him strictinjunctions to make haste back so that they might not be lefttoo long alone. And he stood more in awe of Uncle than any one,and would not have dared to disobey him on any account. There wasno help for it, he had to go back, and Peter went on groaning andlimping. He could run no more, for the anguish of mind he hadbeen through, and the bumping and shaking he had received, werebeginning to tell upon him. And so with lagging steps and groanshe slowly made his way up the mountain.

Shortly after meeting Peter, Herr Sesemann passed the first hut,and so was satisfied that he was on the right path. He continuedhis climb with renewed courage, and at last, after a long andexhausting walk, he came in sight of his goal. There, only alittle distance farther up, stood the grandfather's home, withthe dark tops of the fir trees waving above its roof.

Herr Sesemann was delighted to have come to the last steep bitof his journey, in another minute or two he would be with hislittle daughter, and he pleased himself with the thought of hersurprise. But the company above had seen his approaching figureand recognized who it was, and they were preparing something helittle expected as a surprise on their part.

As he stepped on to the space in front of the hut two figurescame towards him. One a tall girl with fair hair and pink cheeks,leaning on Heidi, whose dark eyes were dancing with joy. HerrSesemann suddenly stopped, staring at the two children, and allat once the tears started to his eyes. What memories arose in hisheart! Just so had Clara's mother looked, the fair-haired girlwith the delicate pink-and-white complexion. Herr Sesemann didnot know if he was awake or dreaming.

"Don't you know me, papa?" called Clara to him, her face beamingwith happiness. "Am I so altered since you saw me?"

Then Herr Sesemann ran to his child and clasped her in his arms.

"Yes, you are indeed altered! How is it possible? Is it truewhat I see?" And the delighted father stepped back to look fullat her again, and to make sure that the picture would not vanishbefore his eyes.

"Are you my little Clara, really my little Clara?" he kept onsaying, then he clasped her in his arms again, and again put heraway from him that he might look and make sure it was she whostood before him.

And now grandmamma came up, anxious for a sight of her son'shappy face.

"Well, what do you say now, dear son?" she exclaimed. "You havegiven us a pleasant surprise, but it is nothing in comparison towhat we have prepared for you, you must confess," and she gaveher son an affectionate kiss as she spoke. "But now," she wenton, "you must come and pay your respects to Uncle, who is ourchief benefactor."

"Yes, indeed, and with the little inmate of our own house, ourlittle Heidi, too," said Herr Sesemann, shaking Heidi by thehand. "Well? are you still well and happy in your mountain home?but I need not ask, no Alpine rose could look more blooming. Iam glad, child, it is a pleasure to me to see you so."

And Heidi looked up with equal pleasure into Herr Sesemann'skind face. How good he had always been to her! And that he shouldfind such happiness awaiting him up here on the mountain made herheart beat with gladness.

Grandmamma now led her son to introduce him to Uncle, and whilethe two men were shaking hands and Herr Sesemann was expressinghis heartfelt thanks and boundless astonishment to the old man,grandmamma wandered round to the back to see the old fir treesagain.

Here another unexpected sight met her gaze, for there, under thetrees where the long branches had left a clear space on theground, stood a great bush of the most wonderful dark bluegentians, as fresh and shining as if they were growing on thespot. She clasped her hands, enraptured with their beauty.

"How exquisite! what a lovely sight!" she exclaimed. "Heidi,dearest child, come here! Is it you who have prepared thispleasure for me? It is perfectly wonderful!"

The children ran up.

"No, no, I did not put them there," said Heidi, "but I know whodid."

"They grow just like that on the mountain, grandmamma, only ifanything they look more beautiful still," Clara put in; "butguess who brought those down to-day," and as she spoke she gavesuch a pleased smile that the grandmother thought for a momentthe child herself must have gathered them. But that was hardlypossible.

At this moment a slight rustling was heard behind the fir trees.It was Peter, who had just arrived. He had made a long round,having seen from the distance who it was standing beside Unclein front of the hut, and he was trying to slip by unobserved. Butgrandmamma had seen and recognized him, and suddenly the thoughtstruck her that it might be Peter who had brought the flowersand that he was now trying to get away unseen, feeling shy aboutit; but she could not let him go off like that, he must have somelittle reward.

"Come along, boy; come here, do not be afraid," she called tohim.

Peter stood still, petrified with fear. After all he had gonethrough that day he felt he had no longer any power ofresistance left. All he could think was, "It's all up with menow." Every hair of his head stood on end, and he stepped forthfrom behind the fir trees, his face pale and distorted withterror.

"Courage, boy," said grandmamma in her effort to dispel hisshyness, "tell me now straight out without hesitation, was ityou who did it?"

Peter did not lift his eyes and therefore did not see at whatgrandmamma was pointing. But he knew that Uncle was standing atthe corner of the hut, fixing him with his grey eyes, whilebeside him stood the most terrible person that Peter couldconceive—the police-constable from Frankfurt. Quaking in everylimb, and with trembling lips he muttered a low, "Yes."

"Well, and what is there dreadful about that?" said grandmamma.

"Because—because—it is all broken to pieces and no one can putit together again." Peter brought out his words with difficulty,and his knees knocked together so that he could hardly stand.

Grandmamma went up to Uncle. "Is that poor boy a little out ofhis mind?" she asked sympathisingly.

"Not in the least," Uncle assured her, "it is only that he wasthe wind that sent the chair rolling down the slope, and he isexpecting his well-deserved punishment."

Grandmamma found this hard to believe, for in her opinion Peterdid not look an entirely bad boy, nor could he have any reasonfor destroying such a necessary thing as the chair. But Unclehad only given expression to the suspicion that he had from themoment the accident happened. The angry looks which Peter hadfrom the beginning cast at Clara, and the other signs of hisdislike to what had been taking place on the mountain, had notescaped Uncle's eye. Putting two and two together he had come tothe right conclusion as to the cause of the disaster, and hetherefore spoke without hesitation when he accused Peter. Thelady broke into lively expostulations on hearing this.

"No, no, dear Uncle, we will not punish the poor boy anyfurther. One must be fair to him. Here are all these strangersfrom Frankfurt who come and carry away Heidi, his one solepossession, and a possession well worth having too, and he isleft to sit alone day after day for weeks, with nothing to do butbrood over his wrongs. No, no, let us be fair to him; his angergot the upper hand and drove him an act of revenge—a foolishone, I own, but then we all behave foolishly when we are angry."And saying this she went back to Peter, who still stoodfrightened and trembling. She sat down on the seat under the firtrees and called him to her kindly,—

"Come here, boy, and stand in front of me, for I have somethingto say to you. Leave off shaking and trembling, for I want youto listen to me. You sent the chair rolling down the mountain sothat it was broken to pieces. That was a very wrong thing to do,as you yourself knew very well at the time, and you also knewthat you deserved to be punished for it, and in order to escapethis you have been doing all you can to hide the truth fromeverybody. But be sure of this, Peter: that those who do wrongmake a mistake when they think no one knows anything about it.For God sees and hears everything, and when the wicked doertries to hide what he has done, then God wakes up a littlewatchman that He places inside us all when we are born and whosleeps on quietly till we do something wrong. And the littlewatchman has a small goad in his hand, And when he wakes up hekeeps on pricking us with it, so that we have not a moment'speace. And the watchman torments us still further, for he keepson calling out, 'Now you will be found out! Now they will dragyou off to punishment!' And so we pass our life in fear andtrouble, and never know a moment's happiness or peace. Have younot felt something like that lately, Peter?"

Peter gave a contrite nod of the head, as one who knew all aboutit, for grandmamma had described his own feelings exactly.

"And you calculated wrongly also in another way," continuedgrandmamma, "for you see the harm you intended has turned outfor the best for those you wished to hurt. As Clara had no chairto go in and yet wanted so much to see the flowers, she made theeffort to walk, and every day since she has been walking betterand better, and if she remains up here she will in time be ableto go up the mountain every day, much oftener than she wouldhave done in her chair. So you see, Peter, God is able to bringgood out of evil for those whom you meant to injure, and you whodid the evil were left to suffer the unhappy consequences of it.Do you thoroughly understand all I have said to you, Peter? Ifso, do not forget my words, and whenever you feel inclined to doanything wrong, think of the little watchman inside you with hisgoad and his disagreeable voice. Will you remember all this?"

"Yes, I will," answered Peter, still very subdued, for he didnot yet know how the matter was going to end, as the policeconstable was still standing with the Uncle.

"That's right, and now the thing is over and done for," saidgrandmamma. "But I should like you to have something for apleasant reminder of the visitors from Frankfurt. Can you tellme anything that you have wished very much to have? What wouldyou like best as a present?"

Peter lifted his head at this, and stared open-eyed atgrandmamma. Up to the last minute he had been expectingsomething dreadful to happen, and now he might have anything thathe wanted. His mind seemed all of a whirl.

"I mean what I say," went on grandmamma. "You shall choose whatyou would like to have as a remembrance from the Frankfurtvisitors, and as a token that they will not think any more ofthe wrong thing you did. Now do you understand me, boy?"

The fact began at last to dawn upon Peter's mind that he had nofurther punishment to fear, and that the kind lady sitting infront of him had delivered him from the police constable. Hesuddenly felt as if the weight of a mountain had fallen off him.He had also by this time awakened to the further conviction thatit was better to make a full confession at once of anything hehad done wrong or had left undone, and so he said, "And I lostthe paper, too."

Grandmamma had to consider a moment what he meant, but soonrecalled his connection with her telegram, and answered kindly,—

"You are a good boy to tell me! Never conceal anything you havedone wrong, and then all will come right again. And now whatwould you like me to give you?"

Peter grew almost giddy with the thought that he could haveanything in the world that he wished for. He had a vision of theyearly fair at Mayenfeld with the glittering stalls and all thelovely things that he had stood gazing at for hours, without ahope of ever possessing one of them, for Peter's purse neverheld more than a halfpenny, and all these fascinating objectscost double that amount. There were the pretty little redwhistles that he could use to call his goats, and the splendidknives with rounded handles, known as toad-strikers, with whichone could do such famous work among the hazel bushes.

Peter remained pondering; he was trying to think which of thesetwo desirable objects he should best like to have, and he foundit difficult to decide. Then a bright thought occurred to him;he would then be able to think over the matter between now andnext year's fair.

"A penny," answered Peter, who was no longer in doubt.

Grandmamma could not help laughing. "That is not an extravagantrequest. Come here then!" and she pulled out her purse and putfour bright round shillings in his hand and, then laid somepennies on top of it. "We will settle our accounts at once," shecontinued, "and I will explain them to you. I have given you asmany pennies as there are weeks in the year, and so every Sundaythroughout the year you can take out a penny to spend."

"As long as I live?" said Peter quite innocently.

Grandmamma laughed more still at this, and the men hearing her,paused in their talk to listen to what was going on.

"Yes, boy, you shall have it all your life—I will put it downin my will. Do you hear, my son? and you are to put it down inyours as well: a penny a week to Peter as long as he lives."

Herr Sesemann nodded his assent and joined in the laughter.

Peter looked again at the present in his hand to make sure hewas not dreaming, and then said, "Thank God!"

And he went off running and leaping with more even than hisusual agility, and this time managed to keep his feet, for it wasnot fear, but joy such as he had never known before in his life,that now sent him flying up the mountain. All trouble andtrembling had disappeared, and he was to have a penny every weekfor life.

As later, after dinner, the party were sitting togetherchatting, Clara drew her father a little aside, and said with aneagerness that had been unknown to the little tired invalid,—

"O papa, if you only knew all that grandfather has done for mefrom day to day! I cannot reckon his kindnesses, but I shallnever forget them as long as I live! And I keep on thinking whatI could do for him, or what present I could make him that wouldgive him half as much pleasure as he has given me."

"That is just what I wish most myself, Clara," replied herfather, whose face grew happier each time he looked at hislittle daughter. "I have been also thinking how we can best showour gratitude to our good benefactor."

Herr Sesemann now went over to where Uncle and grandmamma wereengaged in lively conversation. Uncle stood up as he approached,and Herr Sesemann, taking him by the hand said,—

"Dear friend, let us exchange a few words with one another. Youwill believe me when I tell you that I have known no realhappiness for years past. What worth to me were money andproperty when they were unable to make my poor child well andhappy? With the help of God you have made her whole and strong,and you have given new life not only to her but to me. Tell menow, in what way can I show my gratitude to you? I can neverrepay all you have done, but whatever is in my power to do is atyour service. Speak, friend, and tell me what I can do?"

Uncle had listened to him quietly, with a smile of pleasure onhis face as he looked at the happy father.

"Herr Sesemann," he replied in his dignified way, "believe methat I too have my share in the joy of your daughter's recovery,and my trouble is well repaid by it. I thank you heartily forall you have said, but I have need of nothing; I have enough formyself and the child as long as I live. One wish alone I have,and if that could be satisfied I should have no further care inlife."

"Speak, dear friend, and tell me what it is," said Herr Sesemannentreatingly.

"I am growing old," Uncle went on, "and shall not be here muchlonger. I have nothing to leave the child when I die, and shehas no relations, except one person who will always like to makewhat profit out of her she can. If you could promise me thatHeidi shall never have to go and earn her living among strangers,then you would richly reward me for all I have done for yourchild."

"There could never be any question of such a thing as that, mydear friend," said Herr Sesemann quickly. "I look upon the childas our own. Ask my mother, my daughter; you may be sure thatthey will never allow the child to be left in any one else'scare! But if it will make you happier I give you here my handupon it. I promise you: Heidi shall never have to go and earn herliving among strangers; I will make provision against this bothduring my life and after. But now I have something else to say.Independent of her circumstances, the child is totally unfittedto live a life away from home; we found out that when she waswith us. But she has made friends, and among them I know one whois at this moment in Frankfurt; he is winding up his affairsthere, that he may be free to go where he likes and take hisrest. I am speaking of my friend, the doctor, who came over herein the autumn and who, having well considered your advice,intends to settle in this neighborhood, for he has never felt sowell and happy anywhere as in the company of you and Heidi. Soyou see the child will henceforth have two protectors near her—and may they both live long to share the task!"

"God grant it indeed may be so!" added grandmamma, shakingUncle's hand warmly as she spoke, to show how sincerely sheechoed her son's wish. Then putting her arm round Heidi, who wasstanding near, she drew the child to her.

"And I have a question to ask you too, dear Heidi. Tell me ifthere is anything you particularly wish for."

"Yes, there is," answered Heidi promptly, looking up delightedlyat grandmamma.

"Then tell me at once, dear, what it is."

"I want to have the bed I slept in at Frankfurt with the highpillows and the thick coverlid, and then grandmother will nothave to lie with her head down hill and hardly able to breathe,and she will be warm enough under the coverlid not to have towear her shawl in bed to prevent her freezing to death."

In her eagerness to obtain what she had set her heart upon Heidihardly gave herself time to get out all she had to say, and didnot pause for breath till she reached the end of her sentence.

"Dearest child," answered grandmamma, moved by Heidi's speech,"what is this you tell me of grandmother! You are right toremind me. In the midst of our own happiness we forget too oftenthat which we ought to remember before all things. When God hasshown us some special mercy we should think at once of those whoare denied so many things. I will telegraph to Frankfurt at once!Fraulein Rottenmeier shall pack up the bed this very day, and itwill be here in two days' time. God willing, grandmother shallsoon be sleeping comfortably upon it."

Heidi skipped round grandmamma in her glee, and then stoppingall of a sudden, said quickly, "I must make haste down and tellgrandmother, and she will be in trouble too at my not havingbeen to see her for such a long time." For she felt she could notwait another moment before carrying the good news down tograndmother, and, moreover, the recollection came to her of thedistress the old woman was in when she last saw her.

"No, no, Heidi, what can you be thinking of," said hergrandfather reprovingly. "You can't be running backwards andforwards like that when you have visitors."

But grandmamma interfered on Heidi's behalf. "The child is notso far wrong, Uncle," she said, "and poor grandmother has toolong been deprived of Heidi for our sakes. Let us all go down toher together. I believe my horse is waiting for me and I can ridedown from there, and as soon as I get to Dorfli the messageshall be sent off. What do you think of my plan, son?"

Herr Sesemann had not yet had time to speak of his travellingplans, so he begged his mother to wait a few moments that hemight tell her what he proposed doing.

Herr Sesemann had been arranging that he and his mother shouldmake a little tour in Switzerland, first ascertaining if Clarawas in a fit state to go some part of the way with them. But nowhe would have the full enjoyment of his daughter's company, andthat being so he did not want to miss any of these beautifuldays of later summer, but to start at once on the journey that henow looked forward to with such additional pleasure. And so heproposed that they should spend the night in Dorfli and thatnext day he should come and fetch Clara, then they would allthree go down to Ragatz and make that their starting point.

Clara was rather upset at first at the thought of saying good-bye like this to the mountain; she could not help being pleased,however, at the prospect of the journey, and no time was allowedher to give way to lamentation.

Grandmamma had already taken Heidi by the hand, preparatory toleading the way, when she suddenly turned. "But what is tobecome of Clara?" she asked, remembering all at once that thechild could not yet take so long a walk. She gave a nod ofsatisfaction as she saw that Uncle had already taken Clara up inhis arms and was following her with sturdy strides. Herr Sesemannbrought up the rear, and so they all started down the mountain.

Heidi kept jumping for joy as she and grandmamma walked alongside by side, and grandmamma asked all about grandmother, howshe lived, and what she did, especially in the winter when it wasso cold. And Heidi gave her a minute account of everything, forshe knew all that went on at grandmother's, and told her howgrandmother sat crouching in her corner and trembling with cold.She was able to give her exact particulars of what grandmotherhad and had not to eat. Grandmamma listened with interest andsympathy until they came to Grandmother's. Brigitta was justhanging out Peter's second shirt in the sun, so that he mighthave it ready to put on when he had worn the other long enough.As soon as she saw the company approaching she rushed indoors.

"The whole party of them are just going past, mother, evidentlyall returning home again," she informed the old woman. "Uncle iswith them, carrying the sick child."

"Alas, is it really to be so then?" sighed the grandmother. "Andyou saw Heidi with them? Then they are taking her away. If onlyshe could come and put her hand in mine again! If I could buthear her voice once more!"

At this moment the door flew open and Heidi sprang across to thecorner and threw her arms round grandmother.

"Grandmother! grandmother! my bed is to be sent from Frankfurtwith all the three pillows and the thick coverlid; grandmammasays it will be here in two days." Heidi could not get out herwords quickly enough, for she was impatient to see grandmother'sgreat joy at the news. The latter smiled, but said a littlesadly,—

"She must indeed be a good kind lady, and I ought to be glad tothink she is taking you with her, but I shall not outlive itlong."

"What is this I hear? Who has been telling my good grandmothersuch tales?" exclaimed a kindly voice, and grandmother felt herhand taken and warmly pressed, for grandmamma had followed Heidiin and heard all that was said. "No, no, there is no thought ofsuch a thing! Heidi is going to stay with you and make youhappy. We want to see her again, but we shall come to her. Wehope to pay a visit to the Alm every year, for we have good causeto offer up especial thanks to God upon this spot where so greata miracle has been wrought upon our child."

And now grandmother's face was lighted up with genuinehappiness, and she pressed Frau Sesemann's hand over and overagain, unable to speak her thanks, while two large tears of joyrolled down her aged cheeks. And Heidi saw the glad change comeover grandmother's face, and she too now was entirely happy.

She clung to the old woman, saying, "Hasn't it all come about,grandmother, just like the hymn I read to you last time? Isn'tthe bed from Frankfurt sent to make you well?"

"Yes, Heidi, and many, many other good things too, which God hassent me," said the grandmother, deeply moved. "I did not thinkit possible that there were so many kind people, ready to troublethemselves about a poor old woman and to do so much for her.Nothing strengthens our belief in a kind heavenly Father whonever forgets even the least of His creatures so much as to knowthat there are such people, full of goodness and pity for a pooruseless creature such as I am."

"My good grandmother," said Frau Sesemann, interrupting her, "weare all equally poor and helpless in the eyes of God, and allhave equal need that He should not forget us. But now we mustsay good-bye, but only till we meet again, for when we pay ournext year's visit to the Alm you will be the first person weshall come and see; meanwhile we shall not forget you." And FrauSesemann took grandmother's hand again and shook it in farewell.

But grandmother would not let her off even then without morewords of gratitude, and without calling down on her benefactressand all belonging to her every blessing that God had to bestow.

At last Herr Sesemann and his mother were able to continue theirjourney downwards, while Uncle carried Clara back home, withHeidi beside him, so full of joy of what was coming forgrandmother that every step was a jump.

But there were many tears shed the following morning by thedeparting Clara, who wept to say good-bye to the beautifulmountain home where she had been happier than ever in her lifebefore. Heidi did her best to comfort her. "Summer will be hereagain in no time," she said, "and then you will come again, andit will be nicer still, for you will be able to walk about fromthe beginning. We can then go out every day with the goats up towhere the flowers grow, and enjoy ourselves from the moment youarrive."

Herr Sesemann had come as arranged to fetch his little daughteraway, and was just now standing and talking with Uncle, for theyhad much to say to one another. Clara felt somewhat consoled byHeidi's words, and wiped away her tears.

"Be sure you say good-bye for me to Peter and the goats, andespecially to Little Swan. I wish I could give Little Swan apresent, for she has helped so much to make me strong."

"Well, you can if you like," replied Heidi, "send her a littlesalt; you know how she likes to lick some out of grandfather'shand when she comes home at night."

Clara was delighted at this idea. "Oh, then I shall send ahundred pounds of salt from Frankfurt, for I want her to havesomething as a remembrance of me."

Herr Sesemann now beckoned to the children as it was time to beoff. Grandmamma's white horse had been brought up for Clara, asshe was no longer obliged to be carried in a chair.

Heidi ran to the far edge of the slope and continued to wave herhand to Clara until the last glimpse of horse and rider haddisappeared.

And now the bed has arrived, and grandmother is sleeping sosoundly all night that she is sure to grow stronger.

Grandmamma, moreover, has not forgotten how cold the winter ison the mountain. She has sent a large parcel of warm clothing ofevery description, so that grandmother can wrap herself roundand round, and will certainly not tremble with cold now as shesits in her corner.

There is a great deal of building going on at Dorfli. The doctorhas arrived, and, for the present, is occupying his oldquarters. His friends have advised him to buy the old house thatUncle and Heidi live in during the winter, which had evidently,judging from the height of the rooms and the magnificent stovewith its artistically-painted tiles, been a fine gentleman'splace at one time. The doctor is having this part of the oldhouse rebuilt for himself, the other part being repaired forUncle and Heidi, for the doctor is aware that Uncle is a man ofindependent spirit, who likes to have a house to himself. Quiteat the back a warm and well-walled stall is being put up for thetwo goats, and there they will pass their winter in comfort.

The doctor and Uncle are becoming better friends every day, andas they walk about the new buildings to see how they are gettingon, their thoughts continually turn to Heidi, for the chiefpleasure to each in connection with the house is that they willhave the light-hearted little child with them there.

"Dear friend," said the doctor on one of these occasions as theywere standing together, "you will see this matter in the samelight as I do, I am sure. I share your happiness in the child asif, next to you, I was the one to whom she most closelybelonged, but I wish also to share all responsibilities,concerning her and to do my best for the child. I shall then feelI have my rights in her, and shall look forward to her being withme and caring for me in my old age, which is the one great wishof my heart. She will have the same claims upon me as if she weremy own child, and I shall provide for her as such, and so weshall be able to leave her without anxiety when the day comesthat you and I must go."

Uncle did not speak, but he clasped the doctor's hand in his,and his good friend could read in the old man's eyes how greatlymoved he was and how glad and grateful he felt.

Heidi and Peter were at this moment sitting with grandmother,and the one had so much to relate, and the others to listen to,that they all three got closer and closer to one another, hardlyable to breathe in their eagerness not to miss a word.

And how much there was to tell of all the events that had takenplace that last summer, for they had not had many opportunitiesof meeting since then.

And it was difficult to say which of the three looked thehappiest at being together again, and at the recollection of allthe wonderful things that had happened. Mother Brigitta's facewas perhaps the happiest of all, as now, with the help ofexplanation she was able to understand for the first time thehistory of Peter's weekly penny for life.

Then at last the grandmother spoke, "Heidi, read me one of thehymns! I can feel I can do nothing for the remainder of my lifebut thank the Father in Heaven for all the mercies he has shownus!"

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