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 HEIDI 
 
 BY JOHANNA SPYRI 
 
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 ILLUSTRATED BY 
 
 JESSIE WILLCOX SMITH 
 
 DAVID MCKAY COMPANY 
 PHILADELPHIA 
 
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 Library, Un*. <* 
 th Carolina 
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 FACING 
 PAGE 
 
 "I want to see what you have inside the house," said Heidi 34 
 
 "You can have that, I have plenty" 52 
 
 "Are you the child who lives up with Aim-Uncle, are you Heidi?" . . 70 
 
 "I am never called anything but Heidi" 104 
 
 So Heidi had plenty of time from day to day to sit and picture how 
 everything at home was now turning green, and how the yellow 
 
 flowers were shining in the sun 138 
 
 The moonlight was shining in through the open door and fell on a 
 
 white figure standing motionless in the doorway 190 
 
 The bells were ringing in every direction now, sounding louder and 
 
 fuller as they neared the valley 228 
 
 Down the mountain they shot like two birds darting through the air . . 284 
 
 Heidi introduced each in turn by its name to her friend Clara 318 
 
 "Put your foot down firmly once," suggested Heidi 344 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2012 with funding from 
 
 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hil 
 
 http://archive.org/details/heidiOOspyri 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 Introduction 9 
 
 I. Up the Mountain to Alm-Uncle 13 
 
 II. At Home with Grandfather 33 
 
 III. Out with the Goats 45 
 
 IV. The Visit to Grandmother 65 
 
 V. Two Visits and What Came of Them 85 
 
 VI. A New Chapter about New Things 101 
 
 VII. Fraulein Rottenmeier Spends an Uncomfortable Day 113 
 
 VIII. There is Great Commotion in the Large House 133 
 
 IX. Herr Sesemann Hears of Things that are New to Him 149 
 
 X. Another Grandmother 159 
 
 XI. Heidi Gains in One Way and Loses in Another 173 
 
 XII. A Ghost in the House 181 
 
 XIII. A Summer Evening on the Mountain 197 
 
 XIV. Sunday Bells 219 
 
 XV. Preparations for a Journey 237 
 
 XVI. A Visitor 247 
 
 XVII. A Compensation 261 
 
 XVIII. Winter in Dorfli 273 
 
 XIX. The Winter Continues 289 
 
 XX. News from Distant Friends 301 
 
 XXI. How Life Went on at Grandfather's 323 
 
 XXII. Something Unexpected Happens 335 
 
 XXIII. "Good-bye Till We Meet Again" 355 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 "TT "TTEIDI" is a delightful story for children of life in 
 I 1 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 known to the younger 
 readers of her own country since 1880, when she published her 
 story, Heimathlos, which ran into three or more editions, and 
 which, like her other books, as she states on the title page, was 
 written for those who love children, as well as for the youngsters 
 themselves. Her own sympathy with the instincts and longings 
 of the child's heart is shown in her picture of Heidi. The record 
 of the early life of this Swiss child amid the beauties of her 
 passionately loved mountain-home and during her exile in the 
 great town has been for many years a favorite book of younger 
 readers in Germany and America. 
 
 Madame Spyri, like Hans Andersen, had by temperament a 
 peculiar skill in writing the simple histories of an innocent 
 world. In all her stories she shows an underlying desire to 
 preserve children alike from misunderstanding and the mis- 
 taken kindness that frequently hinder the happiness and nat- 
 ural development of their lives and characters. The authoress, 
 as we feel in reading her tales, lived among the scenes and peo- 
 ple she describes, and the setting of her stories has the charm 
 of the mountain scenery amid which she places her small 
 actors. 
 
 Her chief works, besides Heidi, were: Am Sonntag; Arthur 
 
 [9] 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 und Squirrel; Aus dem Leben; Aus den Schweizer Bergen; 
 Aus Nah und Fern; Aus unserem Lande; Cornelli wird erzo- 
 gen; Einer vom Hause Lesa; 10 Geschichten fiir Yung und 
 Alt; Kurze Geschichten, 2 vols.; Gritli's Kinder, S? vols.; 
 Heimathlos; Im Tilonethal; In Leuchtensa; Keiner zu Klein 
 Heifer zu sein; Onkel Titus; Schloss Wildenstein; Sina; Ein 
 Goldener Spruch; Die Hauffer Miihle; Verschollen, nicht ver- 
 gessen; Was soil dann aus ihr werden; Was aus ihr Geworden 
 ist. 
 
 M. E 
 
 [10] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 UP THE MOUNTAIN TO ALM-UNCLE 
 
 FROM the old and pleasantly situated village of Mayen- 
 feld, a footpath winds through green and shady mead- 
 ows to the foot of the mountains, which on this side look 
 down from their stern and lofty heights upon the valley below. 
 The land grows gradually wilder as the path ascends, and the 
 climber has not gone far before he begins to inhale the fra- 
 grance of the short grass and sturdy mountain-plants, for the 
 way is steep and leads directly up to the summits above. 
 
 On a clear sunny morning in June two figures might be seen 
 climbing the narrow mountain path ; one a tall, strong-looking 
 girl, the other a child whom she was leading by the hand, and 
 whose little cheeks were so aglow with heat that the crimson 
 color could be seen even through the dark, sunburnt skin. And 
 this was hardly to be wondered at, for in spite of the hot June 
 sun 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 what 
 her natural figure was like, it would have been hard to say, for 
 she had apparently two, if not three dresses, one above the 
 other, and over these a thick red woollen shawl wound round 
 about her, so that the little body presented a shapeless appear- 
 ance, as, with its small feet shod in thick, nailed mountain- 
 shoes, it slowly and laboriously plodded its way up in the heat. 
 
 [13] ' 
 
HEIDI 
 
 The two must have left the valley a good hour's walk behind 
 them, when they came to the hamlet known as Dorfli, which is 
 situated half-way up the mountain. Here the wayfarers met 
 with greetings from all sides, some calling to them from win- 
 dows, some from open doors, others from outside, for the elder 
 girl was now in her old home. She did not, however, pause in 
 her walk to respond to her friends' welcoming cries and ques- 
 tions, but passed on without stopping for a moment until she 
 reached the last of the scattered houses of the hamlet. Here a 
 voice called to her from 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 immediately 
 let 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 a little longer, and take good long steps, and in another hour 
 we shall be there," said Dete in an encouraging voice. 
 
 They were now joined by a stout, good-natured-looking 
 woman, who walked on ahead with her old acquaintance, the 
 two breaking forth at once into lively conversation about 
 everybody and everything in Dorfli and its surroundings, while 
 the child wandered behind them. 
 
 "And where are you off to with the child?" asked the one 
 who had just joined the party. "I suppose it is the child your 
 sister left?" 
 
 "Yes," answered Dete. "I am taking her up to Uncle, where 
 she must stay." 
 
 "The child stay up there with Aim-Uncle! You must be out 
 
 [14] 
 
UP THE MOUNTAIN TO ALM-UNCLE 
 
 of your senses, Dete ! How can you think of such a thing ! The 
 old man, however, will soon send you and your proposal pack- 
 ing off home again!" 
 
 "He cannot very well do that, seeing that he is her grand- 
 father. He must do something for her. I have had the charge 
 of the child till now, and I can tell you, Barbel, I am not going 
 to give up the 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 by her." 
 
 "That would be all very well if he were like other people," 
 asseverated stout Barbel warmly, "but you know what he is. 
 And what can he do with a child, especially with one so young! 
 The child cannot possibly live with him. But where are you 
 thinking of going yourself?" 
 
 "To Frankfurt, where an extra good place awaits me," an- 
 swered Dete. "The people I am going to were down at the 
 Baths last summer, and it was part of my duty to attend upon 
 their rooms. They would have liked then to take me away 
 with them, but I could not leave. Now they are there again and 
 have repeated their offer, and I intend to go with them, you 
 may make up your mind to that! " 
 
 "I am glad I am not the child!" exclaimed Barbel, with a 
 gesture of horrified pity. "Not a creature knows anything 
 about the old man up there ! He will have nothing to do with 
 anybody, and never sets his foot inside a church from one 
 year's end to another. When he does come down once in a 
 while, everybody clears out of the way of him and his big 
 stick. The mere sight of him, with his bushy gray eyebrows 
 and his immense beard, is alarming enough. He looks like 
 
 [15] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 any old heathen or Indian, and few would care to meet 
 him alone." 
 
 "Well, and what of that?" said Dete, in a defiant voice, "he 
 is the grandfather all the same, and must look after the child. 
 He is not likely to do her any harm, and if he does, he will be 
 answerable for it, not I." 
 
 "I should very much like to know," continued Barbel, in an 
 inquiring tone of voice, "what the old man has on his con- 
 science that he looks as he does, and lives up there on the 
 mountain like a hermit, hardly ever allowing himself to be seen. 
 All kinds of things are said about him. You, Dete, however, 
 must certainly have learnt a good deal concerning him from 
 your sister — am I not right?" 
 
 . "You are right, I did, but I am not going to repeat what I 
 heard; if it should come to his ears I should get into trouble 
 about it." 
 
 Now Barbel had for long past been most anxious to ascertain 
 particulars about Aim-Uncle, as she eould not understand why 
 he seemed to feel such hatred towards his fellow-creatures, and 
 insisted on living all alone, or why people spoke about him half 
 in whispers, as if afraid to say anything against him, and yet 
 unwilling to take his part. Moreover, Barbel was in ignorance 
 as to why all the people in Dorfli called him Aim-Uncle, for he 
 could not possibly be uncle to everybody living there. As, how- 
 ever, it was the custom, she did like the rest and called the old 
 man Uncle. Barbel had only lived in Dorfli since her marriage, 
 which had taken place not long before. Previous to that her 
 home had been below in Prattigau, so that she was not well 
 acquainted with all the events that had ever taken place, and 
 
 [16] 
 
UP THE MOUNTAIN TO ALM-UNCLE 
 
 with all the people who had ever lived in Dorfli and its neigh- 
 borhood. Dete, on the contrary, had been born in Dorfli, and 
 had lived there with her mother until the death of the latter the 
 year before, and had then gone over to the Baths at Ragatz and 
 taken service in the large hotel there as chambermaid. On the 
 morning of this day she had come all the way from Ragatz with 
 the child, a friend having given them a lift in a hay-cart as far 
 as Mayenfeld. Barbel was therefore determined not to lose this 
 good opportunity of satisfying her curiosity. She put her arm 
 through Dete's in a confidential sort of way, and said: "I 
 know I can find out the real truth from you, and the meaning of 
 all these tales that are afloat about him. I believe you know 
 the whole 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 a misanthrope." 
 
 "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 of age ; so you can hSrdly expect me to know much about 
 his youth. If I was sure, however, that what I tell you would 
 not go the whole round of Prattigau, I could relate all kinds of 
 things about him; my mother came from Domleschg, and so 
 did he." 
 
 "Nonsense, Dete, what do you mean?" replied Barbel, some- 
 what offended, "gossip has not reached such a dreadful pitch 
 in Prattigau as all that, and I am also quite capable of holding 
 my tongue when it is necessary." 
 
 "Very well then, I will tell you — but just wait a moment," 
 said Dete in a warning voice, and she looked back to make sure 
 that the child was not near enough to hear all she was going to 
 
 [17] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 relate; but the child was nowhere to be seen, and must have 
 turned aside from following her companions some time before, 
 while these were too eagerly occupied with their conversation 
 to notice it. Dete stood still and looked around her in all direc- 
 tions. The footpath wound a little here and there, but could 
 nevertheless be seen along its whole length nearly to Dorfli ; no 
 one, however, was visible upon it at this moment. 
 
 "I see where she is," exclaimed Barbel, "look over there!" 
 and she pointed to a spot far away from the footpath. " She is 
 climbing up the slope yonder with the goatherd and his goats. 
 I wonder why he is so late to-day bringing them up. It happens 
 well, however, for us, for he can now see after the child, and 
 you can the better tell me your tale." 
 
 "Oh, as to the looking after," remarked Dete, "the boy need 
 not put himself out about that; she is not by any means stupid 
 for her five years, and knows how to use her eyes. She notices 
 all that is going on, as I have often had occasion to remark, and 
 this will stand her in good stead some day, for the old man has 
 nothing beyond his two goats and his hut." 
 
 "Did he ever have more?" asked Barbel. 
 
 "He? I should think so indeed," replied Dete with anima- 
 tion; "he was owner once of one of the largest farms in Dom- 
 leschg. He was the elder of two brothers; the younger was a 
 quiet, orderly man, but nothing would please the other but to 
 play the grand gentleman and go driving about the country and 
 mixing with bad company, strangers that nobody knew. He 
 drank and gambled away the whole of his property, and when 
 this became known to his mother and father they died, one 
 shortly after the other, of sorrow. The younger brother, who 
 
 [18] 
 
UP THE MOUNTAIN TO ALM-UNCLE 
 
 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, also disappeared. For some time his 
 whereabouts were unknown, then some one found out that he 
 had gone to Naples as a soldier; after that nothing more was 
 heard of him for twelve or fifteen years. At the end of that 
 time he reappeared in Domleschg, bringing with him a young 
 child, whom he tried to place with some of his kinspeople. 
 Every door, however, was shut in his face, for no one wished to 
 have any more to do with him. Embittered by this treatment, 
 he vowed never to set foot in Domleschg again, and he then 
 came to Dorfli, where he continued to live with his little boy. 
 His wife was probably a native of the Grisons, whom he had 
 met down there, and who died soon after their marriage. He 
 could not have been entirely without money, for he apprenticed 
 his son, Tobias, to a carpenter. He was a steady lad, and kindly 
 received by every one in Dorfli. The old man was, however, still 
 looked upon with suspicion, and it was even rumored that he had 
 been forced to make his escape from Naples, or it might have gone 
 badly with him, for that he had killed a man, not in fair fight, you 
 understand, but in some brawl. We, however, did not refuse to 
 acknowledge our relationship with him, my great-grandmother 
 on my mother's side having been sister to his grandmother. 
 So we called him Uncle, and as through my father we are also 
 related to nearly every family in Dorfli, he became known all 
 over the place as Uncle, and since he went to live on the moun- 
 tain-side he has gone everywhere by the name of Aim-Uncle." 
 "And what happened to Tobias?" asked Barbel, who was 
 listening with deep interest. 
 
 [ 19 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 "Wait a moment, I am coming to that, but I cannot tell you 
 everything at once," replied Dete. "Tobias was taught his 
 trade in Mels, and when he had served his apprenticeship he 
 came back to Dorfli and married my sister Adelaide. They had 
 always been fond of one another, and they got on very well 
 together after they were married. But their happiness did not 
 last long. Her husband met with his death only two years after 
 their marriage, a beam falling upon him as he was working, and 
 killing him on the spot. They carried him home, and when 
 Adelaide saw the poor disfigured body of her husband she was 
 so overcome with horror and grief that she fell into a fever from 
 which she never recovered. She had always been rather delicate 
 and subject to curious attacks, during which no one knew 
 whether she was awake or sleeping. And so two months after 
 Tobias had been carried to the grave, his wife followed him. 
 Their sad fate was the talk of everybody far and near, and both 
 in private and public the general opinion was expressed that it 
 was a punishment which Uncle had deserved for the godless life 
 he had led. Some went so far even as to tell him so to his face. 
 Our minister endeavored to awaken his conscience and ex- 
 horted him to repentance, but the old man grew only more 
 wrathful and obdurate and would not speak to 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 Aim and did not intend ever to 
 come down again, and since then he has led his solitary life on 
 the mountain-side at enmity with God and man. Mother and 
 I took Adelaide's little one, then only a year old, into our care. 
 When mother died last year, and I went down to the Baths to 
 earn some money, I paid old Ursel, who lives in the village just 
 
 [ 20 ] 
 
UP THE MOUNTAIN TO ALM-UNCLE 
 
 above, to keep and look after the child. I stayed on at the 
 Baths through the winter, for as I could sew and knit I had no 
 difficulty in finding plenty of work, and early in the spring the 
 same family I had waited on before returned from Frankfurt, 
 and again asked me to go back with them. And so we leave the 
 day after to-morrow, and I can assure you, it is an excellent 
 place for me." 
 
 "And you are going to give the child over to the old man up 
 there? It surprises me beyond words that you can think of 
 doing such a thing, Dete," said Barbel, in a voice full of re- 
 proach. 
 
 "What do you mean?" retorted Dete. "I have done my 
 duty by the child, and what would you have me do with it 
 now? I cannot certainly take a child of five years old with me 
 to Frankfurt. But where are you going to yourself, Barbel; we 
 are now half way up the Aim? " 
 
 "We have just reached the place I wanted," answered Bar- 
 bel. "I had something to say to the goatherd's wife, who does 
 some spinning for me in the winter. So good-bye, Dete, and 
 good luck to you!" 
 
 •Dete shook hands with her friend and remained standing 
 while Barbel went towards a small, dark brown hut, which 
 stood a few steps away from the path in a hollow that afforded 
 it some protection from the mountain wind. The hut was 
 situated half way up the Aim, reckoning from Dorfli, and it was 
 well that it was provided with some shelter, for it was so 
 broken down and dilapidated that even then it must have been 
 very unsafe as a habitation, for when the stormy south wind 
 came sweeping over the mountain, everything inside it, doors 
 
 [21] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 and windows, shook and rattled, and all the rotten old beams 
 creaked and trembled. On such days as this, had the goatherd's 
 dwelling been standing above on the exposed mountain-side, it 
 could not have escaped being blown straight down into the 
 valley without a moment's warning. 
 
 Here lived Peter, the eleven-year-old boy, who every morn- 
 ing went down to Dorfli to fetch his goats and drive them up 
 on to the mountain, where they were free to browse till evening 
 on the delicious mountain plants. 
 
 Then Peter, with his light-footed animals, would go running 
 and leaping down the mountain again till he reached Dorfli, 
 and there he would give a shrill whistle through his fingers, 
 whereupon all the owners of the goats would come out to fetch 
 home the animals that belonged to them. It was generally the 
 small boys and girls who ran in answer to Peter's whistle, for 
 they were none of them afraid of the gentle goats, and this was 
 the only hour of the day through all the summer months that 
 Peter had any opportunity of seeing his young friends, since 
 the rest of his time was spent alone with the goats. He had a 
 mother and a blind grandmother at home, it is true, but he was 
 always obliged to start off very early in the morning, and only 
 got home late in the evening from Dorfli, for he always stayed 
 as long as he could talking and playing with the other children ; 
 and so he had just time enough at home, and that was all, to 
 swallow down his bread and milk in the morning, and again in 
 the evening to get through a similar meal, lie down in bed and 
 go to sleep. His father, who had been known also as the 
 goatherd, having earned his living as such when younger, had 
 been accidentally killed while cutting wood some years before. 
 
 [22] 
 
UP THE MOUNTAIN TO ALM-UNCLE 
 
 His mother, whose real name was Brigitta, was always called 
 the goatherd's wife, for the sake of old association, 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 
 her in every direction for some sign of the children and the 
 goats. Not a glimpse of them, however, was to be seen, so she 
 climbed to a higher spot, whence she could get a fuller view of 
 the mountain as it sloped beneath her to the valley, while, with 
 ever-increasing anxiety on her face and in her movements, she 
 continued to scan the surrounding slopes. Meanwhile the chil- 
 dren were climbing up by a far and roundabout way, for Peter 
 knew many spots where all kinds of good food, in the shape of 
 shrubs and plants, grew for his goats, and he was in the habit 
 of leading his flock aside from the beaten track. The child, ex- 
 hausted with the heat and weight of her thick armor of clothes, 
 panted and struggled after him at first with some difficulty. 
 She said nothing, but her little eyes kept watching first Peter, 
 as he sprang nimbly hither and thither on his bare feet, clad 
 only in his short light breeches, and then the slim-legged goats 
 that went leaping over rocks and shrubs and up the steep as- 
 cents with even greater ease. All at once she sat herself down 
 on the ground, and as fast as her little fingers could move, be- 
 gan pulling off her shoes and stockings. This done she rose, 
 unwound the hot red shawl and threw it away, and then pro- 
 ceeded to undo her frock. It was off in a second, but there was 
 still another to unfasten, for Dete had put the Sunday frock on 
 over the everyday one, to save the trouble of carrying it. Quick 
 as lightning the everyday frock followed the other, and now the 
 
 [23] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 child stood up, clad only in her light, short-sleeved undergar- 
 ment, stretching out her little bare arms with glee. She put all 
 her clothes together in a tidy little heap, and then went jump- 
 ing and climbing up after Peter and the goats as nimbly as any 
 one of the party. Peter had taken no heed of what the child 
 was about when she stayed behind, but when she ran up to 
 him in her new attire, his face broke into a grin, which grew 
 broader still as he looked back and saw the small heap of 
 clothes lying on the ground, until his mouth stretched almost 
 from ear to ear; he said nothing, however. The child, able now 
 to move at her ease, began to enter into conversation with 
 Peter, who had many questions to answer, for his companion 
 wanted to know how many goats he had, where he was going 
 to with them, and what he had to do when he arrived there. At 
 last, after some time, they and the goats approached the hut 
 and came within view of Cousin Dete. Hardly had the latter 
 caught sight of the little company climbing up towards her 
 when she shrieked out: "Heidi, what have you been doing! 
 What a sight you have made of yourself ! And where are your 
 two frocks and the red wrapper? And the new shoes I bought, 
 and the new stockings I knitted for you — everything gone ! not 
 a thing left ! What can you have been thinking of, Heidi ! where 
 are all your clothes?" 
 
 The child quietly pointed to a spot below on the mountain- 
 side and answered, "Down there." Dete followed the direction 
 of her finger; she could just distinguish something lying on the 
 ground, with a spot of red on the top of it which she had no 
 doubt was the woollen wrapper. 
 
 "You good-for-nothing little thing!" exclaimed Dete angrily, 
 
 [24] 
 
UP THE MOUNTAIN TO ALM-UNCLE 
 
 "what could have put it into your head to do like that? What 
 made you undress yourself? What do you mean by it? 
 
 "I don't want any clothes," said the child, not showing any 
 sign of repentance for her past deed. 
 
 "You wretched, thoughtless child! have you no sense in you 
 at all?" continued Dete, scolding and lamenting. "Who is 
 going all that 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 the ground ! " 
 
 "I am already past my time," answered Peter slowly, with- 
 out moving from the spot where he had been standing with his 
 hands in his pockets, listening to Dete's outburst of dismay 
 and anger. 
 
 "Well, you won't get far if you only keep on standing there 
 with your eyes staring out of your head," was Dete's cross re- 
 ply; "but see, you shall have something nice," and she held 
 out a bright new piece of money to him that sparkled in the 
 sun. Peter was immediately up and off down the steep moun- 
 tain-side, taking the shortest cut, and in an incredibly short 
 space of time had reached the little heap of clothes, which he 
 gathered up under his arm, and was back again so quickly that 
 even Dete was obliged to give him a word of praise as she 
 handed him the promised money. Peter promptly thrust it into 
 his pocket and his face beamed with delight, for it was not often 
 that he was the happy possessor of such riches. 
 
 "You can carry the things up for me as far as Uncle's, as 
 you are going the same way," went on Dete, who was prepar- 
 ing to continue her climb up the mountain-side, which rose in 
 
 [25] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 a steep ascent immediately behind the goatherd's hut. Peter 
 willingly undertook to do this, and followed after her on his 
 bare feet, with his left arm round the bundle and the right 
 swinging his goatherd's stick, while Heidi and the goats went 
 skipping and jumping joyfully beside him. After a climb of 
 more than three-quarters of an hour they reached the top of 
 the Aim mountain. Uncle's hut stood on a projection of the 
 rock, exposed indeed to the winds, but where every ray of sun 
 could rest upon it, and a full view could be had of the valley 
 beneath. Behind the hut stood three old fir trees, with long, 
 thick, unlopped branches. Beyond these rose a further wall of 
 mountam, the lower heights still overgrown with beautiful grass 
 and plants, above which were stonier slopes, covered only with 
 scrub, that led gradually up to the steep, bare, rocky summits. 
 
 Against the hut, on the side looking towards the valley, 
 Uncle had put up a seat. Here he was sitting, his pipe in his 
 mouth and his hands on his knees, quietly looking out, when 
 the children, 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 
 he gave the child an abrupt shake of the hand, and gazed long 
 and scrutinizingly at her from under his bushy eyebrows. 
 Heidi stared steadily back at him in return with unflinching 
 gaze, for the grandfather, with his long beard and thick gray 
 eyebrows that grew together over his nose and looked just like 
 a bush, had such a remarkable appearance, that Heidi was 
 unable to take her eyes off him. Meanwhile Dete had come up, 
 
 [26] 
 
UP THE MOUNTAIN TO ALM-UNCLE 
 
 with Peter after her, and the latter now stood still a while to 
 watch what was going on. 
 
 "I wish you good-day, Uncle," said Dete, as she walked 
 towards him, " and I have brought you Tobias' and Adelaide's 
 child. You will hardly recognize her, as you have never seen 
 her since she was a year old. " 
 
 "And what has the child to do with me up here? " asked the 
 old man curtly. "You there," he then called out to Peter, 
 "be off with your goats, you are none too early as it is, and 
 take mine with you." 
 
 Peter obeyed on the instant and quickly disappeared, for the 
 old man had given him a look that made him feel that he did 
 not want to stay any longer. 
 
 "The child is here to remain with you," Dete made answer. 
 "I have, I think, done my duty by her for these four years, and 
 now it is time for you to do yours." 
 
 "That's it, is it?" said the old man, as he looked at her with 
 a flash in his eye. "And when the child begins to fret and 
 whine after 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 
 up with her without complaint when she was left on my hands 
 as an infant, 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 the next of kin to the child. If you cannot arrange to 
 keep her, do with her as you like. You will be answerable for 
 the result if harm happens to her, though you have hardly 
 need, I should think, to add to the burden already on your 
 conscience." 
 
 [27] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 Now Dete was not quite easy in her own conscience about 
 what she was doing, and consequently was feeling hot and irri- 
 table, and said more than she had intended. As she uttered her 
 last words, Uncle rose from his seat. He looked at her in a way 
 that made her draw back a step or two, then flinging out his 
 arm, he said to her in a commanding voice: "Be off with you 
 this instant, and get back as quickly as you can to the place 
 whence you came, and do not let me see your face again in a 
 hurry." 
 
 Dete did not wait to be told twice. "Good-bye to you then, 
 and to you too, Heidi," she called, as she turned quickly away 
 and started to descend the mountain at a running pace, which 
 she did not slacken till she found herself safely again at Dorfli, for 
 some inward agitation drove her forwards as if a steam-engine 
 was at work inside her. Again questions came raining down 
 upon her from all sides, for every one knew Dete, as well as all 
 particulars of the birth and former history of the child, and all 
 wondered what she had done with it. From every door and 
 window came voices calling: "Where is the child?" "Where 
 have you left the child, Dete?" and more and more reluctantly 
 Dete made answer, "Up there with Aim-Uncle!" "With Aim- 
 Uncle, have I not told you so already? " 
 
 Then the women began to hurl reproaches at her; first one 
 cried out, "How could you do such a thing!" then another, 
 "To think of leaving a helpless little thing up there," while 
 again and again came the words, "The poor mite! the poor 
 mite!" pursuing her as she went along. Unable at last to bear 
 it any longer Dete ran forward as fast as she could until she 
 was beyond reach of their voices. She was far from happy at 
 
 [28] 
 
UP THE MOUNTAIN TO ALM-UNCLE 
 
 the thought of what she had done, for the child had been left 
 in her care by her dying mother. She quieted herself, however, 
 with the idea that she would be better able to do something for 
 the child if she was earning plenty of money, and it was 
 a relief to her to think that she would soon be far away from all 
 these people who were making such a fuss about the matter, 
 and she rejoiced further still that she was at liberty now to take 
 such a good place. 
 
 [29] 
 
BS8EB8S88KHS3SSSIK5R 
 
CHAPTER II 
 AT HOME WITH GRANDFATHER 
 
 A S SOON as Dete had disappeared the old man went back 
 
 L-\^ to his bench, and there he remained seated, staring on 
 ■^ ••• the ground without uttering a sound, while thick curls 
 of smoke floated upward from his pipe. Heidi, meanwhile, was 
 enjoying herself in her 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 presently came to the fir trees behind the hut. A 
 strong breeze was blowing through them, and there was a rush- 
 ing and roaring in their topmost branches. Heidi stood still and 
 listened. The sound growing fainter, she went on again, to the 
 farther corner of the hut, and so round to where her grand- 
 father was sitting. Seeing that he was in exactly the same posi- 
 tion as when she left him, she went and placed herself in front 
 of the old man, and putting her hands behind her back, stood 
 and gazed at him. Her grandfather looked up, and as she con- 
 tinued standing there without 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 her 
 towards the hut. 
 
 "Bring your bundle of clothes in with you," he bid her as she 
 was following. 
 
 "I shan't want them any more," was her prompt answer. 
 
 [33] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 The old man turned and looked searchingly at the child, 
 whose dark eyes were sparkling in delighted anticipation of 
 what she was going to see inside. "She is certainly not wanting 
 in intelligence," he murmured to himself. "And why shall you 
 not want them any more?" he asked aloud. 
 
 "Because I want to go about like the goats with their thin 
 light legs." 
 
 "Well, you can do so if you like," said her grandfather, "but 
 bring the things in, we must put them in the cupboard." 
 
 Heidi did as she was told. The old man now opened the door 
 and Heidi stepped inside after him ; she found herself in a good- 
 sized room, which covered the whole ground floor of the hut. A 
 table and a chair were the only furniture; in one corner stood 
 the grandfather's bed, in another was the hearth with a large 
 kettle hanging above it; and on the further side was a large 
 door in the wall — this was the cupboard. The grandfather 
 opened it; inside were his clothes, some hanging up, others, a 
 couple of shirts, and some socks and handkerchiefs, lying on a 
 shelf; on a second shelf were some plates and cups and glasses, 
 and on a higher one still, a round loaf, smoked meat, and 
 cheese, for everything that Aim-Uncle needed for his food and 
 clothing was kept in this cupboard. Heidi, as soon as it was 
 opened, ran quickly forward and thrust in her bundle of clothes, 
 as far back behind her grandfather's things as possible, so that 
 they might not easily be found again. She then looked care- 
 fully round the room, and asked, "Where am I to sleep, grand- 
 father?" 
 
 "Wherever you like," he answered. 
 
 Heidi was delighted, and began at once to examine all the 
 
 [ 34 ] 
 
©DM?K 
 
 " I want to see what you have inside the house," 
 said Heidi. {Page 33) 
 
AT HOME WITH GRANDFATHER 
 
 nooks and corners to find out where it would be pleasantest to 
 sleep. In the corner near her grandfather's bed she saw a short 
 ladder against the wall; up she climbed and found herself in 
 the hay loft. There lay a large heap of fresh, sweet-smelling hay, 
 while through a round window in the wall she could see right 
 down 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 
 she went busily to and fro at her work, "but I shall want you 
 to bring me up a sheet ; you can't have a bed without a sheet, 
 you want it to lie upon." 
 
 "All right," said the grandfather, and presently he went to 
 the cupboard, and after rummaging about inside for a few 
 minutes he drew out a long, coarse piece of stuff, which was all 
 he had to do duty for a sheet. He carried it up to the loft, 
 where he found Heidi had already made quite a nice bed. She 
 had put an extra heap of hay at one end for a pillow, and had so 
 arranged it that, when in bed, she would be able to see com- 
 fortably out through the round window. 
 
 "That is capital," said her grandfather; "now we must put 
 on the sheet, but wait a moment first," and he went and fetched 
 another large bundle of hay to make the bed thicker, so that the 
 child should not feel the hard floor under her — "there, now 
 bring it here." Heidi had got hold of the sheet, but it was al- 
 most too heavy for her to carry; this was a good thing, how- 
 ever, as the close thick stuff would prevent the sharp stalks of 
 the hay running through and pricking her. The two together 
 
 [35] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 now spread the 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 tidy and comfortable a bed as you could wish for, 
 and Heidi stood gazing thoughtfully at her handiwork. 
 
 "We have forgotten something now, grandfather," she said 
 after a short silence. 
 
 "What's that?" he asked. 
 
 "A coverlid; when you get into bed, you have to creep in 
 between the sheets and the coverlid." 
 
 "Oh, that's the way, is it? But suppose I have not got a 
 coverlid?" said the old man. 
 
 "Well, never mind, grandfather," said Heidi in a consoling 
 tone of voice, "I can take some more hay to put over me," and 
 she was turning quickly to fetch another armful from the heap, 
 when her grandfather stopped her. "Wait a moment," he said, 
 and he climbed down the ladder again and went towards his 
 bed. He returned 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 small 
 hands were not fitted for so heavy a job. Her grandfather came 
 to her assistance, and when they had got it tidily spread over 
 the bed, it all looked so nice and warm and comfortable that 
 Heidi stood gazing at it in delight. "That is a splendid cover- 
 lid," she said, "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 the 
 grandfather, "what do you think?" 
 
 [36] 
 
AT HOME WITH GRANDFATHER 
 
 Heidi in the excitement of bed-making had forgotten every- 
 thing else; but now when she began to think about food she 
 felt terribly hungry, for she had had nothing to eat since the 
 piece of bread and little cup of thin coffee that had been her 
 breakfast early that morning before starting on her long, hot 
 journey. So she answered without hesitation, "Yes, I think so 
 too." 
 
 "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 to the hearth, pushed the big kettle aside, and drew forward 
 the little one that was hanging on the chain, and seating him- 
 self on the round-topped, three-legged stool before the fire, blew 
 it up into a clear bright flame. The kettle soon began to boil, 
 and meanwhile the old man held a large piece of cheese on a 
 long iron fork over the fire, turning it round and round till it 
 was toasted a nice golden yellow color on each side. Heidi 
 watched all that was going on with eager curiosity. Suddenly 
 some new idea seemed to come into her head, for she turned and 
 ran to the cupboard, and then began going busily backwards 
 and forwards. Presently the grandfather got up and came to 
 the table with a jug and the cheese, and there he saw it already 
 tidily laid with the round loaf and two plates and two knives, 
 each in its right place; for Heidi had taken exact note that 
 morning of all that there was in the cupboard, and she knew 
 which things would be wanted for their meal. 
 
 "Ah, that's right," said the grandfather, "I am glad to see 
 that you have some ideas of your own," and as he spoke he laid 
 the toasted cheese on a layer of bread, "but there is still some- 
 thing missing." 
 
 [37] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 Heidi looked at the jug that was steaming away invitingly, 
 and ran quickly back to the cupboard. At first she could only see 
 a small bowl left on the shelf, but she was not long in perplexity, 
 for a moment later she caught sight of two glasses further 
 back, and without an instant's loss of time she returned 
 with these and the bowl and put them down on the table. 
 
 "Good! I see you know how to set about things; but what 
 will you do for a seat? " The grandfather himself was sitting on 
 the only chair in the room. Heidi flew to the hearth, and drag- 
 ging the three-legged stool up to the table, sat herself down 
 upon it. 
 
 "Well, you have managed to find a seat for yourself, I see, 
 only rather a low one I am afraid," said the grandfather, "but 
 you would not be tall enough to reach the table even if you sat 
 in my chair; the first thing now, however, is to have something 
 to eat, so come along." 
 
 With that he stood up, filled the bowl with milk, and placing 
 it on the chair, pushed it in front of Heidi on her little three- 
 legged stool, so that she now had a table to herself. Then he 
 brought her a large slice of bread and a piece of the golden 
 cheese, and told her to eat. After which he went and sat down 
 on the corner of the table and began his own meal. Heidi lifted 
 the bowl with both hands and drank without pause till it was 
 empty, for the thirst of all her long hot journey had returned 
 upon her. Then she drew a deep breath — in the eagerness of 
 her thirst she 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. 
 
 [38] 
 
AT HOME WITH GRANDFATHER 
 
 "Then you must have some more," and the old man filled 
 her bowl again to the brim and set it before the child, who was 
 now hungrily beginning her bread, having first spread it with 
 the cheese, which after being toasted was soft as butter; the 
 two together tasted deliriously, and the child looked the pic- 
 ture of content as she sat eating, and at intervals taking further 
 draughts of milk. The meal being over, the grandfather went 
 outside to put the goat-shed in order, and Heidi watched with 
 interest while he first swept it out, and then put fresh straw for 
 the goats to sleep upon. Then he went to the little well-shed, 
 and there he cut some long round sticks, and a small round 
 board; in this he bored some holes and stuck the sticks into 
 them, and there, as if made by magic, was a three-legged stool 
 just like her grandfather's, only higher. Heidi stood and looked 
 at 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 it 
 was made all of a minute," said the child, still lost in wonder 
 and admiration. 
 
 "She understands what she sees, her eyes are in the right 
 place," remarked the grandfather to himself, as he continued 
 his way round the hut, knocking in a nail here and there, or 
 making fast some part of the door, and so with hammer and 
 nails and pieces of wood going from spot to spot, mending or 
 clearing away wherever work of the kind was needed. Heidi 
 followed him step by step, her eyes attentively taking in all that 
 he did, and everything that she saw was a fresh source of 
 pleasure to her. 
 
 And so the time passed happily on till evening. Then the 
 
 [39] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 wind began to roar louder than ever through the old fir trees; 
 Heidi listened with delight to the sound, and it filled her heart 
 so full of gladness that she skipped and danced round the old 
 trees, as if some unheard-of joy had come to her. The grand- 
 father stood and watched her from the shed. 
 
 Suddenly a shrill whistle was heard. Heidi paused in her 
 dancing, and the grandfather came out. Down from the heights 
 above the goats came springing one after another, with Peter in 
 their midst. Heidi sprang forward with a cry of joy and rushed 
 among the flock, greeting first one and then another of her old 
 friends of the morning. As they neared the hut the goats stood 
 still, and then two of their number, two beautiful slender ani- 
 mals, one white and one brown, ran forward to where the 
 grandfather was standing and began licking his hands, for he 
 was holding a little salt which he always had ready for his 
 goats on their return home. Peter disappeared with the re- 
 mainder of his flock. Heidi tenderly stroked the two goats in 
 turn, running first to one side of them and then the other, and 
 jumping about in her glee at the pretty little animals. "Are 
 they ours, grandfather? Are they both ours? Are you going to 
 put them in the shed? Will they always stay with us?" 
 
 Heidi's questions came tumbling out one after the other, so 
 that her grandfather had only time to answer each of them 
 with "Yes, yes." When the goats had finished licking up the 
 salt her grandfather told her to go and fetch her bowl and the 
 bread. 
 
 Heidi obeyed and was soon back again. The grandfather 
 milked the white goat and filled her basin, and then breaking off 
 a piece of bread, "Now eat your supper," he said, "and then 
 
 [40] 
 
AT HOME WITH GRANDFATHER 
 
 go up to bed. Cousin Dete left another little bundle for you 
 with a nightgown and other small things in it, which you will 
 find at the bottom of the cupboard if you want them. I must go 
 and shut up the goats, 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 ran after 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 
 called again at the top of her voice, for they were already inside 
 the shed. 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 she made haste and finished her supper and then went in- 
 doors and climbed up to her bed, where she was soon lying as 
 sweetly and soundly asleep as any young princess on her couch 
 of silk. 
 
 Not long after, and while it was still twilight, the grandfather 
 also went to bed, for he was up every morning at sunrise, and 
 the sun came climbing up over the mountains at a very early 
 hour during these summer months. The wind grew so tem- 
 pestuous during the night, and blew in such gusts against the 
 walls, that the hut trembled and the old beams groaned and 
 creaked. It came howling and wailing down the chimney like 
 voices of those in pain, and it raged with such fury among the 
 old fir trees that here and there a branch was snapped and fell. 
 In the middle of the night the old man got up. "The child will 
 be frightened," he murmured half aloud. He mounted the 
 ladder and went and stood by the child's bed. 
 
 [41] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 Outside the moon was struggling with the dark, fast-driving 
 clouds, which at one moment left it clear and shining, and the 
 next swept over it, and all again was dark. Just now the moon- 
 light was falling through the round window straight on to 
 Heidi's bed. She lay under the heavy coverlid, her cheeks rosy 
 with sleep, her head peacefully resting on her little round arm, 
 and with a happy expression on her baby face as if dreaming of 
 something pleasant. The old man stood looking down on the 
 sleeping child until the moon again disappeared behind the 
 clouds and he could see no more, then he went back to bed. 
 
 [42] 
 
CHAPTER III 
 OUT WITH THE GOATS 
 
 HEIDI was awakened early the next morning by a loud 
 whistle; the sun was shining through the round win- 
 dow and falling in golden rays on her bed and on the 
 large heap of hay, and as she opened her eyes everything in 
 the loft seemed gleaming with gold. She looked around her in 
 astonishment and could not imagine for a while where she was. 
 But her grandfather's deep voice was now heard outside, and 
 then Heidi began to recall all that had happened: how she had 
 come away from her former home and was now on the moun- 
 tain with her grandfather instead of with old Ursula. The 
 latter was nearly stone deaf and always felt cold, so that she 
 sat all day either by the hearth in the kitchen or by the sitting- 
 room stove, and Heidi had been obliged to stay close to her, for 
 the old woman was so deaf that she could not tell where the 
 child was if out of her sight. And Heidi, shut up within the four 
 walls, had often longed to be out of doors. So she felt very 
 happy this morning as she woke up in her new home and re- 
 membered all the many new things that she had seen the day 
 before and which she would see again that day, and above all 
 she thought with delight of the two dear goats. Heidi jumped 
 quickly out of bed and a very few minutes sufficed her to put 
 on the clothes which she had taken off the night before, for 
 there were not many of them. Then she climbed down the 
 ladder and ran outside the hut. There stood Peter already with 
 
 [45] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 his flock of goats, and the grandfather was just bringing his 
 two out of the shed to join the others. Heidi ran forward to 
 wish good-morning to him and the goats. 
 
 "Do you want to go with them on to the mountain?" asked 
 her grandfather. Nothing could have pleased Heidi better, and 
 she jumped for joy in answer. 
 
 "But you must first wash and make yourself tidy. The sun 
 that shines so brightly overhead will else laugh at you for being 
 dirty; see, I have put everything ready for you," and her 
 grandfather pointed as he spoke to a large tub full of water, 
 which stood in the sun before the door. Heidi ran to it and 
 began splashing and rubbing, till she quite glistened with clean- 
 liness. The grandfather meanwhile went inside the hut, calling 
 to Peter to follow him and bring in his wallet. Peter obeyed 
 with astonishment, and laid down the little bag which held his 
 meagre dinner. 
 
 " Open it," said the old man, and inside it he put a large piece 
 of bread and an equally large piece of cheese, which made Peter 
 open his eyes, for each was twice the size of the two portions 
 which he had for his own dinner. 
 
 "There, now there is only the little bowl to add," continued 
 the grandfather, "for the child cannot drink her milk as you do 
 from the goat; she is not accustomed to that. You must milk 
 two bowlfuls for her when she has her dinner, for she is going 
 with you and will remain with you till you return this evening; 
 but take 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 
 
 [ 46 ] 
 
OUT WITH THE GOATS 
 
 a coarse towel hanging up for her near the tub, and with this 
 she had so thoroughly scrubbed her face, arms, and neck, for 
 fear of the sun, that as she stood there she was as red all over 
 as a lobster. 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 will have to get right into the tub, like a fish, for if you run 
 about like the goats you will get your feet dirty. Now you can 
 be off." 
 
 She started joyfully for the mountain. During the night the 
 wind had blown away all the clouds; the dark blue sky was 
 spreading overhead, and in its midst was the bright sun shining 
 down on the green slopes of the mountain, where the flowers 
 opened their little blue and yellow cups, and looked up to him 
 smiling. Heidi went running hither and thither and shouting 
 with delight, for here were whole patches of delicate red prim- 
 roses, and there the blue gleam of the lovely gentian, while 
 above them all laughed and nodded the tender-leaved golden 
 cistus. Enchanted with all this waving field of brightly colored 
 flowers, Heidi forgot even Peter and the goats. She ran on in 
 front and then off to the side, tempted first one way and then 
 the other, as she caught sight of some bright spot of glowing red 
 or yellow. And all the while she was plucking whole handf uls of 
 the flowers which she put into her little apron, for she wanted 
 to take them all home and stick them in the hay, so that she 
 might make her bedroom look just like the meadows outside. 
 Peter had therefore to be on the alert, and his round eyes, 
 which did not move very quickly, had more work than they 
 could well manage, for the goats were as lively as Heidi; they 
 
 [47] 
 
 *-\0 
 
HEIDI 
 
 ran in all directions, and Peter had to follow whistling and call- 
 ing and swinging his stick to get all the runaways together 
 again. 
 
 "Where have you got to now, Heidi?" he called out some- 
 what crossly. 
 
 "Here," called back a voice from somewhere. Peter could 
 see no one, for Heidi was seated on the ground at the foot of a 
 small hill thickly overgrown with sweet smelling prunella; the 
 whole air seemed filled with its fragrance, and Heidi thought 
 she had never smelt anything so delicious. She sat surrounded 
 by the flowers, drawing in deep breaths of the scented air. 
 
 "Come along here!" called Peter again. "You are not to 
 fall over the rocks, your grandfather gave orders that you were 
 not to do so." 
 
 "Where are the rocks?" asked Heidi, answering him back. 
 But she did not move from her seat, for the scent of the flowers 
 seemed sweeter to her with every breath of wind that wafted it 
 towards her. 
 
 "Up above, right up above. We have a long way to go yet, 
 so come along ! And on the topmost peak of all the old bird of 
 prey sits and 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 
 climbing up again together. "You will stay here forever if 
 you go on picking, and if you gather all the flowers now there 
 will be none for to-morrow." 
 
 This last argument seemed a convincing one to Heidi, and 
 moreover her apron was already so full that there was hardly 
 
 [ 48 ] 
 
OUT WITH THE GOATS 
 
 room for another flower, and it would never do to leave nothing 
 
 to pick for another day. So she now kept with Peter, and the 
 
 goats also became more orderly in their behavior, for they were 
 
 beginning to smell the plants they loved that grew on the 
 
 higher slopes and clambered up now without pause in their 
 
 anxiety to reach them. The spot where Peter generally halted 
 
 for his goats to pasture and where he took up his quarters for 
 
 the day lay at the foot of the high rocks, which were covered 
 
 for some distance up by bushes and fir trees, beyond which rose 
 
 their bare and rugged summits. On one side of the mountain 
 
 the rock was split into deep clefts, and the grandfather had 
 
 reason to warn Peter of danger. Having climbed as far as the 
 
 halting-place, Peter unslung his 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 to see his precious belongings sent 
 
 rolling down the mountain by a sudden gust. Then he threw 
 
 himself at full length on the warm ground, for he was tired 
 
 after all his exertions. 
 
 Heidi meanwhile had unfastened her apron and rolling it 
 
 carefully round the flowers laid it beside Peter's wallet inside 
 
 the hollow; she then sat down beside his outstretched figure 
 
 and looked about her. The valley lay far below bathed in the 
 
 morning sun. In front of her rose a broad snow field, high 
 
 against the dark blue sky, while to the left was a huge pile of 
 
 rocks on either side of which a bare lofty peak, that seemed to 
 
 pierce the blue, looked frowningly down upon her. The child 
 
 sat without moving, her eyes taking in the whole scene, and all 
 
 around was a great stillness, only broken by soft, light puffs of 
 
 wind that swayed the light bells of the blue flowers, and the 
 
 [ 49 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 shining gold heads of the cistus, and set them nodding merrily 
 on their slender stems. Peter had fallen asleep after his fatigue 
 and the goats were climbing about among the bushes overhead. 
 Heidi had never felt so happy in her life before. She drank in 
 the golden sunlight, the fresh air, the sweet smell of the flowers, 
 and wished for nothing better than to remain there forever. So 
 the time went on, while to Heidi, who had so often looked up 
 from the valley at the mountains above, these seemed now to 
 have faces, and to be looking down at her like old friends. Sud- 
 denly she heard a loud harsh cry overhead and lifting her eyes 
 she saw a bird, larger than any she had ever seen before, 
 with great, spreading wings, wheeling round and round in 
 wide circles, and uttering a piercing, croaking kind of sound 
 above her. 
 
 "Peter, Peter, wake up!" called out Heidi. "See, the great 
 bird is there — look, look!" 
 
 Peter got up on hearing her call, and together they sat and 
 watched the bird, which rose higher and higher in the blue air 
 till it disappeared behind the gray mountain-tops. 
 
 "Where has it gone to? " asked Heidi, who had followed the 
 bird's movements with intense interest. 
 
 "Home to its nest," said Peter. 
 
 "Is his home right up there? Oh, how nice to be up so high! 
 why does 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's 
 suggestion becoming more marked with each ejaculation, 
 
 [50] 
 
OUT WITH THE GOATS 
 
 "why even the goats cannot climb as high as that, besides, 
 didn't Uncle say that you were not to fall over the rocks? " 
 
 Peter now began suddenly whistling and calling in such a 
 loud manner that Heidi could not think what was happening; 
 but the goats evidently understood his voice, for one after the 
 other they came springing down the rocks until they were all 
 assembled on the green plateau, some continuing to nibble at 
 the juicy stems, others skipping about here and there or push- 
 ing at each other with their horns for pastime. 
 
 Heidi jumped up and ran in and out among them, for it was 
 new to her to see the goats playing together like this and her 
 delight was beyond words as she joined in their frolics; she 
 made personal acquaintance with them all in turn, for they 
 were like separate individuals to her, each single goat having a 
 particular way of behavior of its own. Meanwhile Peter had 
 taken the wallet out of the hollow and placed the pieces of 
 bread and cheese on the ground in the shape of a square, the 
 larger two on Heidi's side and the smaller on his own, for he 
 knew exactly which were hers and which his. Then he took 
 the little bowl and milked some delicious fresh milk into it 
 from the white goat, and afterwards set the bowl in the middle 
 of the square. Now he called Heidi to come, but she wanted 
 more calling than the goats, for the child was so excited and 
 amused at the capers and lively games of her new playfellows 
 that she saw and heard nothing else. But Peter knew how to 
 make himself heard, for he shouted till the very rocks above 
 echoed his voice, and at last Heidi appeared, and when she saw 
 the inviting repast spread out upon the ground she went skip- 
 ping round it for joy. 
 
 [51] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 " 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 
 another look of delight at the beautifully arranged square with 
 the bowl as a chief ornament in the centre. 
 
 "Yes," replied Peter, "and the two large pieces of bread 
 and cheese are yours also, and when you have drunk up that 
 milk, you are to have another bowlful from the white goat, and 
 then it will 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 
 your dinner," said Peter, again reminding her it was time to 
 eat. Heidi now took up the bowl and drank her milk, and as 
 soon as she 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 
 the remainder, 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, for 
 never in all his life could he have said and done like that with 
 anything he had. He hesitated a moment, for he could not 
 believe that Heidi was in earnest; but the latter kept on hold- 
 ing out the bread and cheese, and as Peter still did not take it, 
 she laid it down on his knees. He saw then that she really 
 meant it; he seized the food, nodded his thanks and acceptance 
 of her present, and then made a more splendid meal than he 
 had known ever since he was a goatherd. Heidi the while still 
 continued to watch the goats. "Tell me all their names," she 
 said. 
 
 [52] 
 
©D.MSK 
 
 You can have that, I have plenty." {Page 52) 
 
OUT WITH THE GOATS 
 
 Peter knew these by heart, for having very little else to 
 carry in his head he had no difficulty in remembering them. 
 So he began, telling Heidi the name of each goat in turn as he 
 pointed it out to her. Heidi listened with great attention, and 
 it was not long before she could herself distinguish the goats 
 from one another and could call each by name, for every goat 
 had its own peculiarities which could not easily be mistaken; 
 only one had to watch them closely, and this Heidi did. There 
 was the great Turk with his big horns, who was always wanting 
 to butt the others, so that most of them ran away when they 
 saw him coming and would have nothing to do with their 
 rough companion. Only Greenfinch, the slender, nimble little 
 goat, was brave enough to face him, and would make a rush at 
 him, three or four times in succession, with such agility and 
 dexterity that the great Turk often stood still quite astounded, 
 not venturing to attack her again, for Greenfinch was fronting 
 him, prepared for more warlike action, and her horns were 
 sharp. Then there was little White Snowflake, who bleated in 
 such a plaintive and beseeching manner that Heidi already 
 had several times run to it and taken its head in her hands 
 to comfort it. Just at this moment the pleading young cry 
 was heard again, and Heidi jumped up running and, putting 
 her arms round the little creature's neck, asked in a sym- 
 pathetic voice, "What is it, little Snowflake? Why do you 
 call like that as if in trouble?" The goat pressed closer to 
 Heidi in a confiding way and left off bleating. Peter called 
 out from where he was sitting — for he had not yet got to 
 the end of his bread and cheese, " She cries like that because 
 the old goat is not with her; she was sold at Mayenfeld the 
 
 [53] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 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 
 the animal gently to her, "but do not cry like that any more; 
 see now, I shall come up here with you every day, so that you 
 will not be alone any more, and if you want anything you have 
 only to come to me." 
 
 The young animal rubbed its head contentedly against 
 Heidi's shoulder, and no longer gave such plaintive bleats. 
 Peter now having finished his meal joined Heidi and the goats, 
 Heidi having by this time found out a great many things about 
 these. She had decided that by far the handsomest and best- 
 behaved of the goats were undoubtedly the two belonging to 
 her grandfather; they carried themselves with a certain air of 
 distinction and generally went their own way, and as to the 
 great Turk, they treated him with indifference and contempt. 
 
 The goats were now beginning to climb the rocks again, each 
 seeking for the plants it liked in its own fashion, some jumping 
 over everything they met till they found what they wanted, 
 others going more carefully and cropping all the nice leaves by 
 the way, the Turk still now and then giving the others a poke 
 with his horns. Little Swan and Little Bear clambered lightly 
 up and never failed to find the best bushes, and then they 
 
 [54] 
 
OUT WITH THE GOATS 
 
 would stand gracefully poised on their pretty legs, delicately 
 nibbling at 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 
 down on the ground, "the prettiest of all the goats are Little 
 Swan and Little Bear." 
 
 "Yes, I know they are," was the answer. "Aim-Uncle 
 brushes them down and washes them and gives them salt, and 
 he has the nicest shed for them." 
 
 All of a sudden Peter leaped to his feet and ran hastily after 
 the goats. Heidi followed him as fast as she could, for she was 
 too eager to know what had happened to stay behind. Peter 
 dashed through the middle of the flock towards that side of the 
 mountain where the rocks fell perpendicularly to a great depth 
 below, and where any thoughtless goat, if it went too near, 
 might fall over and break all its legs. He had caught sight of 
 the inquisitive Greenfinch taking leaps in that direction, and he 
 was only just in time, for the animal had already sprung to the 
 edge of the abyss. All Peter could do was to throw himself 
 down and seize one of her hind legs. Greenfinch, thus taken by 
 surprise, began bleating furiously, angry at being held so fast 
 and prevented from continuing her voyage of discovery. She 
 struggled to get loose, and endeavored so obstinately to leap 
 forward that Peter shouted to Heidi to come and help him, for 
 he could not get up and was afraid of pulling out the goat's leg 
 altogether. 
 
 Heidi had already run up and she saw at once the danger 
 both Peter and the animal were in. She quickly gathered a 
 bunch of sweet-smelling leaves, and then, holding them under 
 
 [55] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 Greenfinch's nose, said coaxingly, "Come, come, Greenfinch, 
 you must not be naughty ! Look, you might fall down there and 
 break your leg, and that would give you dreadful pain!" 
 
 The young animal turned quickly, and began contentedly 
 eating the leaves out of Heidi's hand. Meanwhile Peter got on 
 to his feet again and took hold of Greenfinch by the band 
 round her neck from which her bell was hung, and Heidi taking 
 hold of her in the same way on the other side, they led the 
 wanderer back to the rest of the flock that had remained peace- 
 fully feeding. Peter, now he had his goat in safety, lifted his 
 stick in order to give her a good beating as punishment, and 
 Greenfinch seeing what was coming 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, 
 "You have 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 stick 
 drop. " Well, I will let her off if you will give me some more of 
 your cheese to-morrow," he said, for he was determined to have 
 something to make up to him for his fright. 
 
 "You shall have it all, to-morrow and every day; I do not 
 want it," replied Heidi, giving ready consent to his demand. 
 "And I will give you bread as well, a large piece like you had 
 to-day; but then you must promise never to beat Greenfinch, 
 or Snowflake, or any of the goats." 
 
 "All right," said Peter, "I don't care," which meant that he 
 
 [56] 
 
OUT WITH THE GOATS 
 
 would agree to the bargain. He now let go of Greenfinch, who 
 joyfully sprang to join her companions. 
 
 And thus imperceptibly the day had crept on to its close, and 
 now the sun was on the point of sinking out of sight behind the 
 high mountains. Heidi was again sitting on the ground, silently 
 gazing at the blue bell-shaped flowers as they glistened in the 
 evening sun, for a golden light lay on the grass and flowers, and 
 the rocks above were beginning to shine and glow. All at once 
 she sprang to her feet, "Peter! Peter! everything is on fire! All 
 the rocks are burning, and the great snow mountain and the 
 sky ! O look, look ! the high rock up there is red with flame ! O 
 the beautiful, fiery snow! Stand up, Peter! See, the fire has 
 reached the great bird's nest ! look at the rocks ! look at the fir 
 trees! Everything, everything is on fire!" 
 
 "It is always like that," said Peter composedly, continuing 
 to peel his stick ; " but it is not really fire." 
 
 "What is it then?" cried Heidi, as she ran backwards and 
 forwards to look first one side and then the other, for she felt 
 she 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 
 have turned all rose color! Look at that one covered with 
 snow, and that 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 the rocks there are ever so many roses! Oh! now they are 
 turning grey ! Oh ! oh ! now all the color has died away ! it's all 
 
 [57] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 gone, Peter." And Heidi sat down on the ground looking as 
 full of distress as if everything had really come to an end. 
 
 "It will come again to-morrow," said Peter. "Get up, we 
 must go home now." He whistled to his goats and together 
 they all started on their homeward way. 
 
 "Is it like that every day, shall we see it every day when we 
 bring the goats up here?" asked Heidi, as she clambered down 
 the mountain 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?" Heidi per- 
 sisted. 
 
 "Yes, yes, to-morrow for certain," Peter assured her in 
 answer. 
 
 Heidi now felt quite happy again, and her little brain was so 
 full of new impressions and new thoughts that she did not 
 speak any more until they had reached the hut. The grand- 
 father was sitting under the fir trees, where he had also put up 
 a seat, waiting as usual for his goats which returned down the 
 mountain on this side. 
 
 Heidi ran up to him, followed by the white and brown goats, 
 for they knew their own master and stall. Peter called out 
 after her, "Come with me again to-morrow! Good-night!" 
 For he was anxious for more than one reason that Heidi should 
 go with him the next day. 
 
 Heidi ran back quickly and gave Peter her hand, promising 
 to go with him, and then making her way through the goats she 
 once more clasped Snowflake round the neck, saying in a gentle 
 soothing voice, "Sleep well, Snowflake, and remember that I 
 
 [58] 
 
OUT WITH THE GOATS 
 
 shall be with you again to-morrow, so you must not bleat so 
 sadly any more." Snowflake gave her a friendly and grateful 
 look, and then went 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. The 
 fire, and the roses on the rocks, and the blue and yellow flowers, 
 and look what I have brought you ! " And opening the apron 
 that held her flowers she shook them all out at her grandfather's 
 feet. But the poor flowers, how changed they were! Heidi 
 hardly knew them again. They looked like dry bits of hay — not 
 a single little flower cup stood open. "O grandfather, what is 
 the matter with them?" exclaimed Heidi in shocked surprise, 
 "they were not like that this morning, why do they look so 
 now? 
 
 "They like to stand out there in the sun and not to be shut 
 up in an apron," said her grandfather. 
 
 "Then I will never gather any more. But, grandfather, why 
 did the great bird go on croaking so? " she continued in an eager 
 tone of inquiry. 
 
 "Go along now and get into your bath while I go and get 
 some milk; when we are together at supper I will tell you all 
 about it." 
 
 Heidi obeyed, and when later she was sitting on her high 
 stool before her milk bowl with her grandfather beside her, she 
 repeated her question, "Why does the great bird go on croak- 
 ing and screaming down at us, grandfather?" 
 
 "He is mocking at the people who live down below in the 
 villages, because they all go huddling and gossiping together, 
 and encourage one another in evil talking and deeds. He calls 
 
 [59] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 out, 'If you would separate and each go your own way and 
 come up here 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 even more distinctly. 
 
 "Why haven't the mountains any names?" Heidi went on. 
 
 "They have names," answered her grandfather, "and if you 
 can describe one of them to me that I know I will tell you what 
 it is called." 
 
 Heidi then described to him the rocky mountain with the 
 two high peaks so exactly that the grandfather was delighted. 
 "Just so, I know 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 all of a sudden had grown quite pale again and all the 
 color had disappeared. 
 
 "I know that one too," he said, giving her its name. "So you 
 enjoyed being out with the goats?" 
 
 Then Heidi went on to give him an account of the whole day, 
 and of how delightful it had all been, and particularly described 
 the fire that had burst out everywhere in the evening. And 
 then nothing would do but her grandfather must tell how it 
 came, for Peter knew nothing about it. 
 
 The grandfather explained to her that it was the sun that 
 did it. "When he says good-night to the mountains he throws 
 his most beautiful colors over them, so that they may not for- 
 get him before he comes again the next day." 
 
 Heidi was delighted with this explanation, and could hardly 
 
 [ 60 ] 
 
OUT WITH THE GOATS 
 
 bear to wait for another day to come that she might once more 
 climb up with the goats and see how the sun bid good-night to 
 the mountains. But she had to go to bed first, and all night she 
 slept soundly on her bed of hay, dreaming of nothing but of 
 shining mountains with red roses all over them, among which 
 happy little Snowflake went leaping in and out. 
 
 [61] 
 
I 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 THE VISIT TO GRANDMOTHER 
 
 THE next morning the sun came out early as bright as 
 ever, and then Peter appeared with the goats, and again 
 the two children climbed up together to the high mead- 
 ows, and so it went on day after day till Heidi, passing her life 
 thus among the grass and flowers, was burnt brown with the 
 sun, and grew so strong and healthy that nothing ever ailed 
 her. She was happy too, and lived from day to day as free and 
 lighthearted as the little birds that make their home among the 
 green forest trees. Then the autumn came, and the wind blew 
 louder and stronger, and the grandfather would say some- 
 times, "To-day you must stay at home, Heidi; a sudden gust 
 of the wind would blow a little thing like you over the rocks 
 into the valley below in a moment." 
 
 Whenever Peter heard that he must go alone he looked very 
 unhappy, for he saw nothing but mishaps of all kinds ahead, 
 and did not know how he should bear the long dull day without 
 Heidi. Then, too, there was the good meal he would miss, and 
 besides that the goats on these days were so naughty and ob- 
 stinate that he had twice the usual trouble with them, for they 
 had grown so accustomed to Heidi's presence that they would run 
 in every direction and refuse to go on unless she was with them. 
 Heidi was never unhappy, for wherever she was she found some- 
 thing to interest or amuse her. She liked best, it is true, to go 
 out with Peter up to the flowers and the great bird, where there 
 
 [ 65 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 was so much to be seen, and so many experiences to go through 
 among the goats with their different characters; but also she 
 found her grandfather's hammering and sawing and carpenter- 
 ing very entertaining, and if it should chance to be the day 
 when the large round goat's-milk cheese was made she enjoyed 
 beyond measure looking on at this wonderful performance, and 
 watching her grandfather, as, with sleeves rolled back, he stirred 
 the great cauldron with his bare arms. The thing which at- 
 tracted her most, however, was the waving and roaring of the 
 three old fir trees on these windy days. She would run away 
 repeatedly from whatever she might be doing, to listen to 
 them, for nothing seemed so strange and wonderful to her as 
 the deep mysterious sound in the tops of the trees. She would 
 stand underneath them and look up, unable to tear herself 
 away, looking and listening while they bowed and swayed and 
 roared as the mighty wind rushed through them. There was 
 no longer now the warm bright sun that had shone all through 
 the summer, so Heidi went to the cupboard and got out her 
 shoes and stockings and dress, for it was growing colder every 
 day, and when Heidi stood under the fir trees 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 the branches waving 
 outside. 
 
 Then it grew very cold, and Peter would come up early in 
 the morning blowing on his fingers to keep them warm. But he 
 soon left off coming, for one night there was a heavy fall of 
 snow and the next morning the whole mountain was covered 
 with it, and not a single little green leaf was to be seen any- 
 where upon it. There was no Peter that day, and Heidi stood 
 
 [66] 
 
THE VISIT TO GRANDMOTHER 
 
 at the little window looking out in wonderment, for the snow 
 was beginning again, and the thick flakes kept falling till the 
 snow was up to the window, and still they continued to fall, and 
 the snow grew higher, so that at last the window could not be 
 opened, and she and her grandfather were shut up fast within 
 the hut. Heidi thought this was great fun and ran from one 
 window to the other to see what would happen next, and 
 whether the snow was going to cover up the whole hut, so that 
 they would have to light a lamp although it was broad day- 
 light. But things did not get as bad as that, and the next day, 
 the snow having ceased, the grandfather went out and shovelled 
 away the snow round the house, and threw it into such great 
 heaps that they looked like mountains standing at intervals on 
 either side the hut. And now the windows and door could be 
 opened, and it was well it was so, for as Heidi and her grand- 
 father were sitting one afternoon on their three-legged stools 
 before the fire there came a great thump at the door, followed 
 by several others, and then the door opened. It was Peter, 
 who had made all that noise knocking the snow off his 
 shoes; he was still white all over with it, for he had had 
 to fight his way through deep snowdrifts, and large lumps 
 of snow that had frozen upon him still clung to his clothes. 
 He had been determined, however, not to be beaten and 
 to climb up to the hut, for it was a week now since he 
 had seen Heidi. 
 
 "Good-evening," he said as he came in; then he went and 
 placed himself as near the fire as he could without saying an- 
 other word, but his whole face was beaming with pleasure at 
 finding himself there. Heidi looked on in astonishment, for 
 
 [67] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 Peter was beginning to thaw all over with the warmth, so that 
 he had the appearance of a trickling waterfall. 
 
 "Well, General, and how goes it with you? " said the grand- 
 father, "now that you have lost your army you will have to 
 turn to your pen and pencil." 
 
 "Why must he turn to his pen and pencil?" asked Heidi 
 immediately, full of curiosity. 
 
 "During the winter he must go to school," explained her 
 grandfather, "and learn how to read and write; it's a bit hard, 
 although useful sometimes afterwards. Am I not right, Gen- 
 eral?" 
 
 "Yes, indeed," assented Peter. 
 
 Heidi's interest was now thoroughly awakened, and she had 
 so many questions to put to Peter about all that was to be done 
 and seen and heard at school, and the conversation took so 
 long that Peter had time to get thoroughly dry. Peter had 
 always great difficulty in putting his thoughts into words, and 
 he found his share of the talk doubly difficult to-day, for by the 
 time he had an answer ready to one of Heidi's questions she 
 had already put two or three more to him, and generally such 
 as required a whole long sentence in reply. 
 
 The grandfather sat without speaking during this conversa- 
 tion, only now and then a twitch of amusement at the corners 
 of his mouth showed that he was listening. 
 
 " Well, now, General, you have been under fire for some time 
 and must 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 the cupboard, and Heidi pushed the stools to the table. 
 There was also now a bench fastened against the wall, for as he 
 
 [68] 
 
THE VISIT TO GRANDMOTHER 
 
 was no longer alone the grandfather had put up seats of various 
 kinds here and there, long enough to hold two persons, for 
 Heidi had a way of always keeping close to her grandfather 
 whether he was walking, sitting or standing. So there was com- 
 fortable place for them all three, and Peter opened his round 
 eyes very wide when he saw what a large piece of meat Aim- 
 Uncle gave him on his thick slice of bread. It was a long time 
 since Peter had had anything so nice to eat. As soon as the 
 pleasant meal was over Peter began to get ready for returning 
 home, for it was already growing dark. He had said his " good- 
 night " and his thanks, and was just going out, when he turned 
 again and said, "I shall come again next Sunday, this day week, 
 and grandmother sent word that she would like you to come 
 and see her one day." 
 
 It was quite a new idea to Heidi that she should go and pay 
 anybody a visit, and she could not get it out of her head; so the 
 first thing she said to her grandfather the next day was, "I 
 must go down to see the grandmother to-day; she will be ex- 
 pecting me." 
 
 "The snow is too deep," answered the grandfather, trying 
 to put her off. But Heidi had made up her mind to go, since 
 the grandmother had sent her that message. She stuck to her 
 intention and not a day passed but what in the course of it she 
 said five or six times to her grandfather, " I must certainly go 
 to-day, the grandmother will be waiting for me." 
 
 On the fourth day, when with every step one took the ground 
 crackled with frost and the whole vast field of snow was hard as 
 ice, Heidi was sitting on her high stool at dinner with the bright 
 sun shining in upon her through the window, and again repeated 
 
 [69] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 her little speech, " I must certainly go down to see the grand- 
 mother to-day, or else I shall keep her waiting too long." 
 
 The grandfather rose from table, climbed up to the hay -loft, 
 and brought down the thick sack that was Heidi's coverlid, 
 and said, "Come along then!" The child skipped out glee- 
 fully after him into the glittering world of snow. 
 
 The old fir trees were standing now quite silent, their 
 branches covered with the white snow, and they looked so 
 lovely as they glittered and sparkled in the sunlight that 
 Heidi jumped for joy at the sight and kept on calling out, 
 " Come here, come here, grandfather ! The fir trees are all sil- 
 ver and gold!" The grandfather had gone into the shed and he 
 now came out dragging a large hand-sleigh along with him; 
 inside it was a low seat, and the sleigh could be pushed forward 
 and guided by the feet of the one who sat upon it with the help 
 of a pole that was fastened to the side. After he had been 
 taken round the fir trees by Heidi that he might see their 
 beauty from all sides, he got into the sleigh and lifted the child 
 on to his lap; then he wrapped her up in the sack, that she 
 might keep nice and warm, and put his left arm closely round 
 her, for it was necessary to hold her tight during the coming 
 journey. He now grasped the pole with his right hand and 
 gave the sleigh a push forward with his two feet. The sleigh 
 shot down the mountain side with such rapidity that Heidi 
 thought they were flying through the air like a bird, and 
 shouted aloud with delight. Suddenly they came to a stand- 
 still, and there they were at Peter's hut. Her grandfather 
 lifted her out and unwrapped her. "There you are, now go in, 
 and when it begins to grow dark you must start on your way 
 
 [ 70 ] 
 
CVVijlioV .3.MH. 
 
 )DMEK 
 
 " Are you the child who lives up with Aim-Uncle, 
 are vou Heidi?" (Page 71) 
 
THE VISIT TO GRANDMOTHER 
 
 home again." Then he left her and went up the mountain, 
 pulling his sleigh after him. 
 
 Heidi opened the door of the hut and stepped into a tiny- 
 room that looked very dark, with a fireplace and a few dishes 
 on a wooden shelf; this was the little kitchen. She opened 
 another door, and now found herself in another small room, for 
 the place was not a herdsman's hut like her grandfather's, with 
 one large room on the ground floor and a hay -loft above, but a 
 very old cottage, where everything was narrow and poor and 
 shabby. A table was close to the door, and as Heidi stepped in 
 she saw a woman sitting at it, putting a patch on a waistcoat 
 which Heidi recognized at once as Peter's. In the corner sat an 
 old woman, bent with age, spinning. Heidi was quite sure this 
 was the grandmother, so she went up to the spinning-wheel and 
 said, "Good-day, grandmother, I have come at last; did you 
 think I was a long time coming?" 
 
 The woman raised her head and felt for the hand that the 
 child held out to her, and when she found it, she passed her own 
 over it thoughtfully for a few seconds, and then said, "Are you 
 the child who lives up with Aim-Uncle, are you Heidi?" 
 
 "Yes, yes," answered Heidi, "I have just come down in the 
 si ,;gh with grandfather." 
 
 "Is it possible! Why your hands are quite warm ! Brigitta, 
 did Aim-Uncle come himself with the child?" 
 
 Peter's mother had left her work and risen from the table and 
 now stood looking at Heidi with curiosity, scanning her from 
 head to foot. "I do not know, mother, whether Uncle came 
 himself; it is hardly likely, the child probably makes a mis- 
 take." 
 
 [71] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 But Heidi looked steadily at the woman, not at all as if in 
 any uncertainty, and said, "I know quite well who wrapped me 
 in my bedcover and brought me down in the sleigh: it was 
 grandfather." 
 
 "There was some truth then perhaps in what Peter used to 
 tell us of Aim-Uncle during the summer, when we thought he 
 must be wrong," said grandmother; " but who would ever have 
 believed that such a thing was possible? I did not think the 
 child would live three weeks up there. What is she like, Bri- 
 gitta?" 
 
 The latter had so thoroughly examined Heidi on all sides 
 that she was well able to describe her to her mother. 
 
 "She has Adelaide's slenderness of figure, but her eyes are 
 dark and 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 the room and looked carefully at everything there was to be 
 seen. All of a sudden she exclaimed, "Grandmother, one of 
 your shutters is flapping backwards and forwards; grandfather 
 would put a nail in and make it all right in a minute, or else 
 it will break one of 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 is blowing, and it gets inside through all the cracks 
 and holes. The house is going to pieces, and in the night, when 
 the two others are asleep, I often lie awake in fear and trem- 
 bling, thinking that the whole place will give way and fall and 
 
 [ 72 ] 
 
THE VISIT TO GRANDMOTHER 
 
 kill us. And there is not a creature to mend anything for us, for 
 Peter does 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 
 Heidi pointed to the particular shutter. 
 
 "Alas, child, it it not only that I cannot see — I can see 
 nothing, nothing," said the grandmother in a voice of lamenta- 
 tion. 
 
 "But if I were to go outside and put back the shutter so that 
 you 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, 
 then surely you would find it light; just come with me, grand- 
 mother, and I will show you." Heidi took hold of the old 
 woman's hand to lead her along, for she was beginning to feel 
 quite distressed at the thought of her being without light. 
 
 "Let me be, dear child; it is always dark for me now; 
 whether in snow or sun, no light can penetrate my eyes." 
 
 "But surely it does in summer, grandmother," said Heidi, 
 more and more anxious to find some way out of the trouble, 
 "when the hot sun is shining down again, and he says good- 
 night to the mountains, and they all turn on fire, and the yellow 
 flowers shine like gold, then, you will see, it will be bright and 
 beautiful for you again." 
 
 "Ah, child, I shall see the mountains on fire or the yellow 
 flowers no more; it will never be light for me again on earth, 
 never." 
 
 At hese words Heidi broke into loud crving. In her distress 
 
 [ 73 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 she kept on sobbing out, "Who can make it light for you again? 
 Can no one do it? Isn't there any one who can do it?" 
 
 The grandmother now tried to comfort the child, but it was 
 not easy to quiet her. Heidi did not often weep, but when she 
 did she could not get over her trouble for a long while. The 
 grandmother had tried all means in her power to allay the 
 child's grief, for it went to her heart to hear her sobbing so 
 bitterly. At last she said, "Come here, dear Heidi, come and 
 let me tell you something. You cannot think how glad one is to 
 hear a kind word when one can no longer see, and it is such a 
 pleasure to me to listen to you while you talk. So come and sit 
 beside me and tell me something; tell me what you do up 
 there, and how grandfather occupies himself. I knew him very 
 well in old days; but for many years now I have heard nothing 
 of him, except through Peter, who never says much." 
 
 This was a new and happy idea to Heidi; she quickly dried 
 her tears and said in a comforting voice, "Wait, grandmother, 
 till I have told grandfather everything, he will make it light for 
 you again, I am sure, and will do something so that the house 
 will not fall; he will put everything right for you." 
 
 The grandmother was silent, and Heidi now began to give her 
 a lively description of her life with the grandfather, and of the 
 days she spent on the mountain with the goats, and then went 
 on to tell her of what she did now during the winter, and how 
 her grandfather was able to make all sorts of things, seats and 
 stools, and mangers where the hay was put for Little Swan and 
 Little Bear, besides a new large water-tub for her to bathe in 
 when the summer came, and a new milk-bowl and spoon, and 
 Heidi grew more and more animated as she enumerated ill the 
 
 [74] 
 
< 
 
 THE VISIT TO GRANDMOTHER 
 
 beautiful things which were made so magically out of pieces of 
 wood; she then told the grandmother how she stood by him 
 and watched all he did, and how she hoped some day to be able 
 to make the same herself. 
 
 The grandmother listened with the greatest attention, only 
 from time 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 on the door, and in marched Peter, who stood stock- 
 still, opening his eyes with astonishment, when he caught sight 
 of Heidi; then his face beamed with smiles as she called out, 
 "Good-evening, Peter." 
 
 "What, is the boy back from school already?" exclaimed the 
 grandmother in surprise. " I have not known an afternoon pass 
 so quickly 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 
 hoped you would have something different to tell me by this 
 time, as you 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 old 
 prayer-book, with beautiful songs in it which I have not heard 
 for a long time and cannot now remember to repeat to myself, 
 and I hoped that Peter would soon learn enough to be able to 
 read one of them to me sometimes; but he finds it too diffi- 
 cult." 
 
 [75] 
 
) 
 
 HEIDI 
 
 "I must get a light, it is getting too dark to see," said 
 Peter's mother, who was still busy mending his waistcoat. 
 "I feel too as if the afternoon had gone I hardly know how." 
 
 Heidi now jumped up from her low chair, and holding out 
 her hand hastily to the grandmother said, " Good-night, grand- 
 mother, if it is getting dark I must go home at once," and bid- 
 ding good-bye to Peter and his mother she went towards the 
 door. But the grandmother called out in an anxious voice, 
 "Wait, wait, Heidi; you must not go alone like that, Peter 
 must go with you; and take care of the child, Peter, that she 
 does not fall, and don't let 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 
 am sure I shall not be cold," and with that she ran outside and 
 went off at such a pace that Peter had difficulty in overtaking 
 her. The grandmother, still in distress, called out to her daugh- 
 ter, "Run after her, Brigitta; the child will be frozen to death 
 on such a night as this; take my shawl, run quickly! " 
 
 Brigitta ran out. But the children had taken but a few steps 
 before they saw the grandfather coming down to meet them, 
 and in another minute his long strides had brought him to their 
 side. 
 
 "That's right, Heidi; you have kept your word," said the 
 grandfather, and then wrapping the sack firmly round her he 
 lifted 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 her 
 return to the hut with Peter expressed her astonishment to the 
 grandmother. The latter was equally surprised, and kept on 
 
 [76] 
 
THE VISIT TO GRANDMOTHER 
 
 saying, " God be thanked that he is good to the child, God be 
 thanked ! Will he let her come to me again, I wonder ! the child 
 has done me so much good. What a loving little heart it is, and 
 how merrily she tells her tale!" And she continued to dwell 
 with delight on the thought of the child until she went to bed, 
 still saying now and again, "If only she will come again! Now 
 I have really something left in the world to take pleasure in." 
 And Brigitta agreed with all her mother said, and Peter nodded 
 his head in approval each time his grandmother spoke, saying, 
 with a broad smile of satisfaction, " I told you so ! " 
 
 Meanwhile Heidi was chattering away to her grandfather 
 from inside her sack; her voice, however, could not reach him 
 through the many thick folds of her wrap, and as therefore it 
 was impossible to understand a word she was saying, he called 
 to her, " Wait till we get home, and then you can tell me all 
 about it." They had no sooner got inside the hut than Heidi, 
 having been released from her covering, at once began what 
 she had to say, "Grandfather, to-morrow we must take the 
 hammer and the long nails and fasten grandmother's shutter, 
 and drive in a lot more nails in other places, for her house 
 shakes and rattles all over." 
 
 "We must, must we? who told you that? " asked her grand- 
 father. 
 
 "Nobody told me, but I know it for all that," replied Heidi, 
 "for everything is giving way, and when the grandmother can- 
 not sleep, she lies trembling for fear at the noise, for she thinks 
 that every minute the house will fall down on their heads; and 
 everything now is dark for grandmother, and she does not 
 think any one can make it light for her again, but you will be 
 
 [77] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 able to, I am sure, grandfather. Think how dreadful it is for 
 her to be always in the dark, and then to be frightened at what 
 may happen, and nobody can help her but you. To-morrow we 
 must go and help her; we will, won't we, grandfather? " 
 
 The child was clinging to the old man and looking up at him 
 in trustful confidence. The grandfather looked down at Heidi 
 for a while without speaking, and then said, "Yes, Heidi, we 
 will do something to stop the rattling, at least we can do that; 
 we will go down about it to-morrow! " 
 
 The child went skipping round the room for joy, crying out, 
 "We shall go to-morrow! we shall go to-morrow!" 
 
 The grandfather kept his promise. On the following after- 
 noon he brought the sleigh out again, and as on the previous 
 day, he set Heidi down at the door of the grandmother's hut 
 and said, ' ' Go in now, and when it grows dark, come out again. " 
 Then he put the sack in the sleigh and went round the house. 
 
 Heidi had hardly opened the door and sprung into the room 
 when the grandmother called out from her corner, "It's the 
 child again! here she comes!" and in her delight she let the 
 thread drop from her fingers, and the wheel stood still as she 
 stretched out both her hands in welcome. Heidi ran to her, and 
 then quickly drew the little stool close up to the old woman, 
 and seating herself upon it, began to tell and ask her all kinds 
 of things. All at once came the sound of heavy blows against 
 the wall of the hut and the grandmother gave such a start of 
 alarm that she nearly upset the spinning-wheel, and cried in a 
 trembling voice, "Ah, my God, now it is coming, the house is 
 going to fall upon us! " But Heidi caught her by the arm, and 
 said soothingly, "No, no, grandmother, do not be frightened, 
 
 [78] 
 
THE VISIT TO GRANDMOTHER 
 
 it is only grandfather with his hammer; he is mending up every- 
 thing, so that you shan't have such fear and trouble." 
 
 "Is it possible! is it really possible! so the dear God has not 
 forgotten 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 Aim-Uncle, tell him he must come inside a moment 
 that I may thank him." 
 
 Brigitta went outside and found Aim-Uncle in the act of 
 fastening some heavy pieces of new wood along the wall. She 
 stepped up to him and said, " Good-evening, Uncle, mother and 
 I have to thank you for doing us such a kind service, and she 
 would like to tell you herself how grateful she is; I do not know 
 who else would have done it for us; we shall not forget your 
 kindness, for I am sure — " 
 
 "That will do," said the old man, interrupting her. "I 
 know what you think of Aim-Uncle without your telling me. 
 Go indoors again, I can find out for myself where the mending 
 is wanted." 
 
 Brigitta obeyed on the spot, for Uncle had a way with him 
 that made few people care to oppose his will. He went on 
 knocking with his hammer all round the house, and then 
 mounted the narrow steps to the roof, and hammered away 
 there, until he had used up all the nails he had brought with 
 him. Meanwhile it had been growing dark, and he had hardly 
 come down from the roof and dragged the sleigh out from 
 behind the goat-shed when Heidi appeared outside. The 
 grandfather wrapped her up and took her in his arms as he had 
 done the day before, for although he had to drag the sleigh up 
 
 [ 79 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 the mountain after him, he feared that if the child sat in it 
 alone her wrappings would fall off and that she would be nearly 
 if not quite frozen, so he carried her warm and safe in his arms. 
 
 So the winter went by. After many years of joyless life, the 
 blind grandmother had at last found something to make her 
 happy; her days were no longer passed in weariness and dark- 
 ness, one like the other without pleasure or change, for now 
 she had always something to which she could look forward. 
 She listened for the little tripping footstep as soon as day had 
 come, and when she heard the door open and knew the child 
 was really there, she would call out, "God be thanked, she has 
 come again ! " And Heidi would sit by her and talk and tell her 
 everything she knew in so lively a manner that the grand- 
 mother never noticed how the time went by, and never now as 
 formerly asked Brigitta, "Isn't the day done yet?" but as the 
 child shut the door behind her on leaving, would exclaim, 
 "How short the afternoon has seemed; don't you think so, 
 Brigitta?" And this one would answer, "I do indeed; it seems 
 as if I had only just cleared away the mid-day meal. " And the 
 grandmother would continue, "Pray God the child is not taken 
 from me, and that Aim-Uncle continues to let her come ! Does 
 she look well and strong, Brigitta?" And the latter would 
 answer, "She looks as bright and rosy as an apple. " 
 
 And Heidi had also grown very fond of the old grandmother, 
 and when at last she knew for certain that no one could make 
 it light for her again, she was overcome with sorrow; but the 
 grandmother told her again that she felt the darkness much less 
 when Heidi was with her, and so every fine winter's day the 
 child came traveling down in her sleigh. The grandfather 
 
 [ 80 ] 
 
THE VISIT TO GRANDMOTHER 
 
 always took her, never raising any objection; indeed, he always 
 carried the hammer and sundry other things down in the sleigh 
 with him, and many an afternoon was spent by him in making 
 the goatherd's cottage sound and tight. It no longer groaned 
 and rattled the whole night through, and the grandmother, 
 who for many winters had not been able to sleep in peace as 
 she did now, said she should never forget what the Uncle had 
 done for her. 
 
 [81] 
 
m&esmi&£3^samB&gm&&3&&*simii®m 
 
CHAPTER V 
 TWO VISITS AND WHAT CAME OF THEM 
 
 QUICKLY the winter passed, and still more quickly the 
 bright glad summer, and now another winter was 
 , drawing to its close. Heidi was still as light-hearted 
 and happy as the birds, and looked forward with more delight 
 each day to the coming spring, when the warm south wind 
 would roar through the fir trees and blow away the snow, and 
 the warm sun would entice the blue and yellow flowers to show 
 their heads, and the long days out on the mountain would come 
 again, which seemed to Heidi the greatest joy 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, and Little Swan and 
 Bear would follow her like two faithful dogs, and give a loud 
 bleat of pleasure when they heard her voice. Twice during the 
 course of this last winter Peter had brought up a message from 
 the schoolmaster at Dbrfli, who sent word to Aim-Uncle that 
 he ought to send Heidi to school, as she was over the usual age, 
 and ought indeed to have gone the winter before. Uncle had 
 sent word back each time that the schoolmaster would find 
 him at home if he had anything he wished to say to him, but 
 that he did not intend to send Heidi to school, and Peter had 
 faithfully delivered his message. 
 
 When the March sun had melted the snow on the mountain- 
 side and the snowdrops were peeping out all over the valley, 
 
 [85] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 and the fir trees had shaken off their burden of snow and were 
 again merrily waving their branches in the air, Heidi ran back- 
 wards and forwards with delight first to the goat-shed then to 
 the fir trees, and then to the hut door, in order to let her grand- 
 father know how much larger a piece of green there was under 
 the trees, and then would run off to look again, for she could 
 hardly wait till everything was green and the full beautiful 
 summer had clothed the mountain with grass and flowers. As 
 Heidi was thus running about one sunny March morning, and 
 had just jumped over the water-trough for the tenth time at 
 least, she nearly fell backwards into it with fright, for there in 
 front of her, looking gravely at her, stood an old gentleman 
 dressed in black. When he saw how startled she was, he said in 
 a kind voice, "Don't be afraid of me, for I am very fond of 
 children. Shake hands! You must be the Heidi I have heard 
 of; where is your grandfather? " 
 
 "He is sitting by the table, making round wooden spoons," 
 Heidi informed him, as she opened the door. 
 
 He was the old village pastor from Dbrfli who had been a 
 neighbor of Uncle's when he lived down there, and had known 
 him well. He stepped inside the hut, and going up to the old 
 man, who was 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 the 
 visitor as he continued, " If you do not mind a wooden seat 
 there is one for you. " 
 
 The pastor sat down. "It is a long time since I have seen 
 you, neighbor, " he said. 
 
 [86] 
 
TWO VISITS AND WHAT CAME OF THEM 
 
 "Or I you," was the answer. 
 
 "I have come to-day to talk over something with you," 
 continued the pastor. "I think you know already what it is 
 that has brought me here," and as he spoke he looked towards 
 the child who was standing at the door, gazing with interest 
 and surprise at the stranger. 
 
 "Heidi, go off to the goats," said her grandfather. "You 
 take them 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 
 most certainly this last winter," said the pastor. " The school- 
 master sent you word about it, but you gave him no answer. 
 What are you thinking of doing with the child, neighbor? " 
 
 "I am thinking of not sending her to school," was the an- 
 swer. 
 
 The visitor, surprised, looked across at the old man, who was 
 sitting on his bench with his arms crossed and a determined 
 expression 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 
 and birds; 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. 
 If she learns no evil from these comrades of hers, she will at the 
 same time learn nothing; but she ought not to grow up in igno- 
 rance, and it is time she began her lessons. I have come now 
 that you may have leisure to think over it, and to arrange 
 about it during the summer. This is the last winter that she 
 must be allowed to run wild; next winter she must come regu- 
 larly to school every day." 
 
 [ 87 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 "She will do no such thing," said the old man with calm 
 determination. 
 
 "Do you mean that by no persuasion can you be brought to 
 see reason, and that you intend to stick obstinately to your 
 decision?" said the pastor, growing somewhat angry. "You 
 have been about the world, and must have seen and learnt 
 much, and I should have given you credit for more sense, 
 neighbor." 
 
 "Indeed," replied the old man, and there was a tone in his 
 voice that betrayed a growing irritation on his part too, " and 
 does the worthy pastor really mean that he would wish me 
 next winter to send a young child like that some miles down the 
 mountain on ice-cold mornings, through storm and snow, and 
 let her return at night when the wind is raging, when even one 
 like ourselves would run a risk of being blown down by it and 
 buried in the snow? And perhaps he may not have forgotten 
 the child's mother, Adelaide? She was a sleep-walker, and had 
 fits. Might not the child be attacked in the same way if obliged 
 to over-exert herself? And some one thinks they can come and 
 force me to send her? 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 friendly 
 tone of voice. " I see it would have been impossible to send the 
 child to school from here. But I perceive that the child is dear 
 to you; for her sake do what you ought to have done long ago: 
 come down into Dorfli and live again among your fellowrnen. 
 What sort of a life is this you lead, alone, and with bitter 
 thoughts towards God and man! If anything were to happen 
 
 [88] 
 
TWO VISITS AND WHAT CAME OF THEM 
 
 to you up here who would there be to help you? I cannot 
 think but what you must be half-frozen to death in this 
 hut in the winter, and I do not know how the child lives 
 through it!" 
 
 "The child has young blood in her veins and a good roof 
 over her head, and let me further tell the pastor, that I know 
 where wood is to be found, and when is the proper time to 
 fetch it; the pastor can go and look inside my wood-shed; the 
 fire is never out in my hut the whole winter through. As to 
 going to live below, that 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 down 
 there looking on you with dislike, it is not as bad as you think. 
 Believe me, neighbor; seek to make your peace with God, pray 
 for forgiveness where you need it, and then come and see how 
 differently people will look upon you, and how happy you may 
 yet be." 
 
 The pastor had risen and stood holding out his hand to the 
 old man as he added with renewed earnestness, " I will wager, 
 neighbor, that next winter you will be down among us again, 
 and we shall be good neighbors as of old. I should be very 
 grieved if any pressure had to be put upon you; give me your 
 hand and promise me that you will come and live with us 
 again and become reconciled to God and man." 
 
 Aim-Uncle gave the pastor his hand and answered him 
 calmly and firmly, "You mean well by me I know, but as to 
 that which you wish me to do, I say now what I shall continue 
 
 [89] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 to say, that I will not send the child to school nor come and live 
 among you. " 
 
 "Then God help you!" said the pastor, and he turned sadly 
 away and left the hut and went down the mountain. 
 
 Aim-Uncle was out of humor. When Heidi said as usual 
 that afternoon, "Can we go down to grandmother now?" he 
 answered, "Not to-day." He did not speak again the whole 
 of that day, and the following morning when Heidi again asked 
 the same question, he replied, "We will see. " But before the 
 dinner bowls had been cleared away another visitor arrived, 
 and this time it was Cousin Dete. She had a fine feathered 
 hat on her head, and a long trailing skirt to her dress which 
 swept the floor, and on the floor of a goatherd 's hut there are all 
 sorts of things that do not belong to a dress. 
 
 The grandfather looked her up and down without uttering a 
 word. But Dete was prepared with an exceedingly amiable 
 speech and began at once to praise the looks of the child. She 
 was looking so well she should hardly have known her again, 
 and it was evident that she had been happy and well-cared-for 
 with her grandfather; but she had never lost sight of the idea 
 of taking the child back again, for she well understood that the 
 little one must be much in his way, but she had not been able 
 to do it at first. Day and night, however, she had thought 
 over the means of placing the child somewhere, and that was 
 why she had come to-day, for she had just heard of something 
 that would be a lucky chance for Heidi beyond her most 
 ambitious hopes. Some immensely wealthy relatives of the 
 people she was serving, who had the most splendid house al- 
 most in Frankfurt, had an only daughter, young and an invalid, 
 
 [90] 
 
TWO VISITS AND WHAT CAME OF THEM 
 
 who was always obliged to go about in a wheeled chair; she was 
 therefore very much alone and had no one to share her lessons, 
 and so the little girl felt dull. Her father had spoken to Dete 's 
 mistress about finding a companion for her, and her mistress 
 was anxious to help in the matter, as she felt so sympathetic 
 about it. The lady-housekeeper had described the sort of 
 child they wanted, simple-minded and unspoilt, and not like 
 most of the children that one saw now-a-days. Dete had 
 thought at once of Heidi and had gone off without delay to see 
 the lady-housekeeper, and after Dete had given her a descrip- 
 tion of Heidi, she had immediately agreed to take her. And 
 no one could tell what good fortune there might not be in store 
 for Heidi, for if she was once with these people and they took a 
 fancy to her, and anything happened to their own daughter — 
 one could never tell, the child was so weakly — and they did not 
 feel they could live without a child, why then the most unheard- 
 of luck — 
 
 "Have you nearly finished what you had to say?" broke in 
 Aim-Uncle, who had allowed her to talk on uninterruptedly so 
 far. 
 
 "Ugh!" exclaimed Dete, throwing up her head in disgust, 
 "one would think I had been talking to you about the most 
 ordinary matter; why there is not one person in all Prattigau 
 who would not thank God if I were to bring them such a piece 
 of news as I am bringing you." 
 
 "You may take your news to anybody you like, I will have 
 nothing to 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 give you 
 
 [91] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 a bit of my mind. The child is now eight years old and 
 knows nothing, and you will not let her learn. You will not 
 send her to church or school, as I was told down in Dorfli, and 
 she is my own sister's child. I am responsible for what hap- 
 pens to her, and when there is such a good opening for a child, 
 as this which offers for Heidi, only a person who cares for no- 
 body and never wishes good to any one would think of not 
 jumping at it. But I am not going to give in, and that I tell 
 you; I have everybody in Dorfli on my side; there is not one 
 person there who will not take my part against you ; and I ad- 
 vise you to think well before bringing it into court, if that is 
 your intention; there are certain things which might be 
 brought up against you which you would not care to hear, for 
 when one has to do with law-courts there is a great deal raked 
 up that had been forgotten." 
 
 "Be silent!" thundered the Uncle, and his eyes flashed with 
 anger. "Go and be done with you! and never let me see you 
 again with your hat and feather, and such words on your 
 tongue as you come with to-day!" And with that he strode 
 out of the hut. 
 
 "You have made grandfather angry," said Heidi, and her 
 dark eyes had anything but a friendly expression in them as she 
 looked at Dete. 
 
 "He will soon be all right again; come now," said Dete 
 hurriedly, "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 
 any better than your grandfather; you will have all sorts of 
 
 [92] 
 
TWO VISITS AND WHAT CAME OF THEM 
 
 good things that you never dreamed of. " Then she went to 
 the cupboard and taking out Heidi's things rolled them up in a 
 bundle. "Come along now, there's your hat; it is very 
 shabby but will do for the 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's from the goats you have learnt to be so. Listen to me: 
 you saw your grandfather was angry and heard what he said, 
 that he did not wish to see us ever again ; he wants you now to 
 go away with me and you must not make him angrier still. 
 You can 't think how nice 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; your grandfather 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 you can come back here when you like. To-day we shall 
 go as far as Mayenfeld, and early to-morrow we shall start in 
 the train, and that will bring you home again in no time when 
 you wish it, for it goes as fast as the wind. " 
 
 Dete had now got the bundle under her arm and the child by 
 the hand, 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 
 he stole a holiday, for he could see no use in learning to read, 
 while to wander about a bit and look for stout sticks which 
 might be wanted some day he thought a far better employment. 
 
 [93] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 As Dete and Heidi neared the grandmother's hut they met 
 Peter coming round the corner; he had evidently been well re- 
 warded that day for his labors, for he was carrying an immense 
 bundle of long thick hazel sticks on his shoulders. He stood 
 still and stared at the two approaching figures; as they came 
 up to him, he exclaimed, "Where are you going, Heidi?" 
 
 "I am only just going over to Frankfurt for a little visit with 
 Dete," she replied; "but I must first run in to grandmother, 
 she will 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 
 by the hand. "You can go in when you come back, you must 
 come along now, " and she pulled the child on with her, fearing 
 that if she let her go in Heidi might take it into her head again 
 that she did not wish to come, and that the grandmother might 
 stand by her. Peter ran into the hut and banged against the 
 table with his bundle of sticks with such violence that every- 
 thing in the room shook, and his grandmother leaped up with a 
 cry of alarm from her spinning-wheel. Peter had felt that he 
 must give vent to his feelings somehow. 
 
 "What is the matter? What is the matter?" cried the 
 frightened old woman, while his mother, who had also started 
 up from her seat at the shock, said in her usual patient manner, 
 "What is it, Peter? why do you behave so roughly?" 
 
 "Because she is taking Heidi away," explained Peter. 
 
 "Who? who? where to, Peter, where to?" asked the grand- 
 mother, growing still more agitated; but even as she spoke she 
 guessed what had happened, for Brigitta had told her shortly 
 before that she had seen Dete going up to Aim-Uncle. The 
 
 [94] 
 
TWO VISITS AND WHAT CAME OF THEM 
 
 old woman rose hastily and with trembling hands opened the 
 window and called out beseechingly, "Dete, Dete, do not take 
 the child away from us ! 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 hand more firmly. Heidi struggled to get free, cry- 
 ing, "Grandmother is calling, I must go to her." 
 
 But Dete had no intention of letting the child go, and 
 quieted her as best she could; they must make haste now, she 
 said, or they would be too late and not able to go on the next 
 day to Frankfurt, and there the child would see how delightful 
 it was, and Dete was sure would not wish to go back when she 
 was once there. But if Heidi wanted to return home she 
 could do so at once, and then she could take something she 
 liked back to grandmother. This was a new idea to Heidi, 
 and it pleased her so much that Dete had no longer any diffi- 
 culty in getting her along. 
 
 After a few minutes' silence, Heidi asked, "What could I 
 take back to her?" 
 
 "We must think of something nice," answered Dete; "a 
 soft roll of white bread; she would enjoy that, for now she is 
 old she can hardly eat the hard, black bread. " 
 
 "No, she always gives it back to Peter, telling him it is too 
 hard, for I have seen her do it myself, " affirmed Heidi. "Do 
 let us make haste, for then perhaps we can get back soon from 
 Frankfurt, and I shall be able to give her the white bread to- 
 day. " And Heidi started off running so fast that Dete with 
 the bundle under her arm could scarcely keep up with her. 
 But she was glad, nevertheless, to get along so quickly, for 
 
 [95] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 they were nearing Dorfli, where her friends would probably 
 talk and question in a way that might put other ideas into 
 Heidi 's head. So she went on straight ahead through the vil- 
 lage, holding Heidi tightly by the hand, so that they might all 
 see that it was on the child 's account she was hurrying along 
 at such a rate. To all their questions and remarks she made 
 answer as she passed, "I can't stop now, as you see, I must 
 make haste with the child as we have yet some way to go." 
 
 "Are you taking her away?" "Is she running away from 
 Aim-Uncle? " " It 's a wonder she is still alive ! " " But what 
 rosy cheeks she has ! " Such were the words which rang out on 
 all sides, and Dete was thankful that she had not to stop and 
 give any distinct answers to them, while Heidi hurried eagerly 
 forward without saying a word. 
 
 From that day forward Aim-Uncle looked fiercer and more 
 forbidding than ever when he came down and passed through 
 Dorfli. He spoke to no one, and looked such an ogre as he 
 came along with his pack of cheeses on his back, his immense 
 stick in his hand, and his thick, frowning eyebrows, that the 
 women would call to their little ones, "Take care! get out of 
 Aim-Uncle's way or he may hurt you!" 
 
 The old man took no notice of anybody as he strode through 
 the village on his way to the valley below, where he sold his 
 cheeses and bought what bread and meat he wanted for him- 
 self. After he had passed the villagers all crowded together 
 looking after him, and each had something to say about him : 
 how much wilder he looked than usual, how now he would not 
 even respond to anybody's greeting, while they all agreed that 
 it was a great mercy the child had got away from him, and had 
 
 [96] 
 
TWO VISITS AND WHAT CAME OF THEM 
 
 they not all noticed how the child had hurried along as if 
 afraid that her grandfather might be following to take her 
 back? Only the blind grandmother would have nothing to say 
 against him, and told those who came to her to bring her work, 
 or take away what she had spun, how kind and thoughtful he 
 had been with the child, how good to her and her daughter, and 
 how many afternoons he had spent mending the house which, 
 but for his help, would certainly by this time have fallen down 
 over their heads. And all this was repeated down in Dorfli; 
 but most of the people who heard it said that grandmother was 
 too old to understand, and very likely had not heard rightly 
 what was said; as she was blind she was probably also deaf. 
 
 Aim-Uncle went no more now to the grandmother's house, 
 and it was well that he had made it so safe, for it was not 
 touched again for a long time. The days were sad again now 
 for the old blind woman, and not one passed but what she 
 would murmur complainingly, "Alas! all our happiness and 
 pleasure have gone with the child, and now the days are so 
 long and dreary ! Pray God, I see Heidi again once more before 
 I die!" 
 
 [97] 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 A NEW CHAPTER ABOUT NEW THINGS 
 
 IN her home at Frankfurt, Clara, the little daughter of Herr 
 Sesemann, was lying on the invalid couch on which she 
 spent her whole day, being wheeled in it from room to 
 room. Just now she was in what was known as the study, 
 where, to judge by the various things standing and lying about, 
 which added to the cosy appearance of the room, the family 
 was fond of sitting. A handsome bookcase with glass doors 
 explained why it was called the study, and here evidently the 
 little girl was accustomed to have her lessons. 
 
 Clara's little face was thin and pale, and at this moment her 
 two soft blue eyes were fixed on the clock, which seemed to her 
 to go very slowly this day, and with a slight accent of impa- 
 tience, which was very rare with her, she asked, "Isn't it time 
 yet, Fraulein Rottenmeier?" 
 
 This lady was sitting very upright at a small work-table, 
 busy with her embroidery. She had on a mysterious-looking 
 loose garment, a large collar or shoulder-cape that gave a cer- 
 tain solemnity to her appearance, which was enhanced by a 
 very lofty dome-shaped head-dress. For many years past, 
 since the mistress of the house had died, the housekeeping and 
 the superintendence of the servants had been entrusted by 
 Herr Sesemann to Fraulein Rottenmeier. He himself was often 
 away from home, and he left her in sole charge, with the condi- 
 
 [ 101 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 tion only that his little daughter should have a voice in all 
 matters, and that nothing should be done against her wish. 
 
 As Clara was putting her impatient question for the secozid 
 time, Dete and Heidi arrived at the front door, and the former 
 inquired of the coachman, who had just got down from his 
 box, if it was too late to see Fraulein Rottemneier. 
 
 "That's not my business," grumbled the coachman; "ring 
 the bell in the hall for Sebastian." 
 
 Dete did so, and Sebastian came downstairs; he looked 
 astonished when he saw her, opening his eyes till they were 
 nearly as big as the large round buttons on his coat. 
 
 "Is it too late for me to see Fraulein Rottenmeier?" Dete 
 asked again. 
 
 "That's not my business," answered the man; "ring that 
 other bell for the maid Tinette," and without troubling him- 
 self any farther Sebastian disappeared. 
 
 Dete rang again. This time Tinette appeared with a spotless 
 white cap perched on the top of her head and a mocking expres- 
 sion of face. 
 
 "What is it?" she called from the top of the stairs. Dete 
 repeated her question. Tinette disappeared, but soon came 
 back and called down again to Dete, " Come up, she is expect- 
 ing you." 
 
 Dete and Heidi went upstairs and into the study, Tinette 
 following. Dete remained standing politely near the door, still 
 holding Heidi tightly by the hand, for she did not know what 
 the child might take it into her head to do amid these new 
 surroundings. 
 
 Fraulein Rottenmeier rose slowly and went up to the little 
 
 [ 102 ] 
 
A NEW CHAPTER ABOUT NEW THINGS 
 
 new companion for the daughter of the house, to see what she 
 was like. She did not seem very pleased with her appearance. 
 Heidi was dressed in her plain little woollen frock, and her hat 
 was an old straw one bent out of shape. The child looked inno- 
 cently out from beneath it, gazing with unconcealed astonish- 
 ment at the lady's towering head dress. 
 
 "What is your name?" asked Fraulein Rottenmeier, after 
 scrutinizingly examining the child for some minutes, while 
 Heidi in 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 not christened that. What name did they give you when 
 you were baptized?" 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 she 
 is very unaccustomed to strangers," said Dete, who had given 
 Heidi a silent poke for making such an unsuitable answer. 
 " She is certainly not stupid nor yet saucy, she does not know 
 what it means even; she speaks exactly as she thinks. To-day 
 she is for the first time in a gentleman's house and she does not 
 know good manners; but she is docile and very willing to learn, 
 if the lady will kindly make excuses for her. She was christened 
 Adelaide, after her mother, my sister, who is now dead." 
 
 "Well, that's a name that one can pronounce," remarked 
 Fraulein Rottenmeier. "But I must tell you, Dete, that I am 
 astonished to see so young a child. I told you that I wanted a 
 companion of the same age as the young lady of the house, one 
 
 [ 103 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 who could share her lessons, and all her other occupations. 
 Fraulein Clara is now over twelve; what age is this child?" 
 
 "If the lady will allow me," began Dete again, in her usual 
 fluent manner, "I myself had lost count of her exact age; she is 
 certainly a little younger, but not much ; I cannot say precisely, 
 but I think she is ten, or thereabouts." 
 
 " Grandfather told me I was eight," put in Heidi. Dete gave 
 her another poke, but as the child had not the least idea why 
 she did so she was not at all confused. 
 
 "What — only eight!" cried Fraulein Rottenmeier angrily. 
 "Four years too young! Of what use is such a child! And 
 what have you learnt? 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 in- 
 formed her. 
 
 "Mercy upon us! you do not know how to read! Is it really 
 so?" exclaimed Fraulein Rottenmeier, greatly horrified. "Is 
 it possible — 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 a minute or two to recover from her shock, " this is 
 not at all the sort of companion you led me to suppose; how 
 could you think of bringing 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 
 thought she required; the lady described what she wished for, 
 
 [104] 
 
" I am never called anything; but Heidi." {Page io 5) 
 
A NEW CHAPTER ABOUT NEW THINGS 
 
 a child unlike all other children, and I could find no other to 
 suit, for the greater number I know are not peculiar, but one 
 very much the same as the other, and I thought this child 
 seemed as if made for the place. But I must go now, for my 
 mistress will be waiting for me; if the lady will permit I will 
 come again soon and see how she is getting on." And with a 
 bow Dete quickly left the room and ran downstairs. Fraulein 
 Rottenmeier stood for a moment taken aback and then ran 
 after Dete. If the child was to stop she had many things yet 
 to say and ask about her, and there the child was, and what 
 was more, Dete, as she plainly saw, meant to leave her there. 
 
 Heidi remained by the door where she had been standing 
 since she first came in. Clara had looked on during the inter- 
 view without speaking; 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 
 prompt answer. 
 
 "Then I shall always call you by that name," said Clara, 
 " it suits you. I have never heard it before, but neither have I 
 ever seen a child like you before. Have you always had that 
 short curly 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 white loaf," explained Heidi. 
 
 "Well, you are a funny child!" exclaimed Clara. "You 
 
 ' [105] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 were expressly sent for to come here and to remain with me 
 and share my lessons; there will be some fun about them now 
 as you cannot read, something new to do, for often they are 
 dreadfully dull, and I think the morning will never pass away. 
 You know my tutor comes every morning at about ten o'clock, 
 and then we go on with lessons till two, and it does seem such a 
 long time. Sometimes he takes up the book and holds it close 
 up to his face, as if he was very short-sighted, but I know it's 
 only because he wants so dreadfully to gape, and Fraulein 
 Rottenmeier takes her large handkerchief out also now and 
 then and covers her face with it, as if she was moved by what 
 we had been reading, but that is only because she is longing to 
 gape too. And I myself often want to gape, but I am obliged 
 to stop myself, for if Fraulein Rottenmeier sees me gaping she 
 runs off at once and fetches the cod-liver oil and says I must 
 have a dose, as I am getting weak again, and the cod-liver oil 
 is horrible, so I do my best not to gape. But now it will be 
 much more amusing, for I shall be able to lie and listen while 
 you learn to read." 
 
 Heidi shook her head doubtfully when she heard of learning 
 to read. 
 
 '"Oh, nonsense, Heidi, of course you must learn to read, 
 everybody must, and my tutor is very kind, and never cross, 
 and he will explain everything to you. But mind, when he 
 explains anything to you, you won't be able to understand; but 
 don't ask any questions, or else he will go on explaining and 
 you will understand less than ever. Later when you have 
 learnt more and know about things yourself, then you will 
 begin to understand what he meant." 
 
 [106] 
 
A NEW CHAPTER ABOUT NEW THINGS 
 
 Fraulein Rottenmeier now came back into the room ; she had 
 not been 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 unfit Heidi was as a companion for Clara; she really 
 did not know what to be about, or how to undo the mischief, 
 and it made her all the more angry that she herself was respon- 
 sible for it, having consented to Heidi being fetched. She ran 
 backwards and forwards in a state of agitation between the 
 study and the dining-room, and then began scolding Sebastian, 
 who was standing looking at the table he had just finished 
 laying to see that nothing was missing. 
 
 "You can finish your thoughts to-morrow morning; make 
 haste, or we 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 
 more mincing steps than usual, but she looked so pert that even 
 Fraulein Rottenmeier did not venture to scold her, which only 
 made her suppressed anger the greater. 
 
 "See that the room is prepared for the little girl who has just 
 arrived," 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 she turned away. 
 
 Meanwhile Sebastian had flung open the folding doors lead- 
 ing into the dining-room with rather more noise than he need, 
 for he was feeling furious, although he did not dare answer 
 back when Fraulein Rottenmeier spoke to him; he then went 
 up to Clara's chair to wheel her into the next room. As he was 
 
 [ 107 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 arranging the handle at the back preparatory to doing so, 
 Heidi went near and stood staring at him. Seeing her eyes 
 fixed upon him, he suddenly growled out, "Well, what is there 
 in me to stare at like that?" which he would certainly not have 
 done if he had been aware that Fraulein Rottenmeier was just 
 then entering the room. "You look so like Peter," answered 
 Heidi. The lady -housekeeper clasped 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 helped 
 Clara on to her chair. Fraulein Rottenmeier took the seat be- 
 side her and made a sign to Heidi to take the one opposite. 
 They were the only three at table, and as they sat far apart 
 there was plenty of room for Sebastian to hand his dishes. 
 Beside Heidi 's plate lay a nice white roll, and her eyes lighted 
 up with pleasure as she saw it. The resemblance which Heidi 
 had noticed had evidently awakened in her a feeling of confi- 
 dence towards Sebastian, for she sat as still as a mouse and with- 
 out moving until 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?" Sebastian nodded, throwing a side glance at Frau- 
 lein Rottenmeier to see what effect this request would have 
 upon her. Heidi immediately seized the roll and put it in her 
 pocket. Sebastian's face became convulsed, he was overcome 
 with inward laughter but knew his place too well to laugh 
 aloud. Mute and motionless he still remained standing beside 
 Heidi; it was not his duty to speak, nor to move away until 
 she had helped herself. Heidi looked wonderingly at him for a 
 
 [ 108 ] 
 
A NEW CHAPTER ABOUT NEW THINGS 
 
 minute or two, and then said, " Am I to eat some of that too? " 
 Sebastian nodded again. "Give me some then," she said, 
 looking calmly at her plate. At this Sebastian's command 
 of his countenance became doubtful, and the dish began to 
 tremble suspiciously in his hands. 
 
 "You can putthedish 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 I shall have to teach you the first rules of behavior, " con- 
 tinued the lady -housekeeper with a sigh. "I will begin by ex- 
 plaining to you how you are to conduct yourself at table, " and 
 she went on to give Heidi minute instructions as to all she was to 
 do. " And now, " she continued, " I must make you particularly 
 understand that you are not to speak to Sebastian at table or 
 at any other time, unless you have an order to give him, or a 
 necessary question to put to him; and then you are not to ad- 
 dress him as if he was some one belonging to you. Never let 
 me hear you speak to him in that way again ! It is the same with 
 Tinette, and for myself you are to address me as you hear others 
 doing. Clara must herself decide what you are to call her." 
 
 "Why, Clara, of course," put the latter. Then followed a 
 long list of rules as to general behavior, getting up and going to 
 bed, going in and out of the room, shutting the doors, keeping 
 everything tidy, during the course of which Heidi's eyes 
 gradually closed, for she had been up before five o'clock that 
 morning and had had a long journey. She leaned back in her 
 chair and fell fast asleep. Fraulein Rottenmeier having at last 
 come to the end of her sermonizing said, "Now remember what 
 J have said, Adelaide! Have you understood it all?" 
 \ [ 109 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 "Heidi has been asleep for ever so long," said Clara, her 
 face rippling all over with amusement, for she had not had such 
 an entertaining dinner for a long time. 
 
 "It is really insupportable what one has to go through with 
 this child," exclaimed Fraulein Rottenmeier, in great indigna- 
 tion, and she rang the bell so violently that Tinette and Sebas- 
 tian both came running in and nearly tumbling over one an- 
 other; but no noise was sufficient to wake Heidi, and it was 
 with difficulty they could rouse her sufficiently to get her along 
 to her bedroom, to reach which she had to pass first through 
 the study, then through Clara 's bedroom, then through Frau- 
 lein Rottenmeier 's sitting room, till she came to the corner room 
 that had been set apart for her. 
 
 [110] 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 FRlULEIN ROTTENMEIER SPENDS AN 
 UNCOMFORTABLE DAY 
 
 WHEN Heidi opened her eyes on her first morning 
 in Frankfurt she could not think where she was. 
 Then she rubbed them and looked about her. 
 She was sitting up in a high white bed, on one side of a large, 
 wide room, into which the light was falling through very, very 
 long white curtains; near the window stood two chairs covered 
 with large flowers, and then came a sofa with the same flowers, 
 in front of which was a round table; in the corner was a wash- 
 stand, with things upon it that Heidi had never seen in her life 
 before. But now all at once she remembered that she was in 
 Frankfurt; everything that had happened the day before came 
 back to her, and finally she recalled clearly the instructions that 
 had been given her by the lady-housekeeper, as far as she had 
 heard them. Heidi jumped out of bed and dressed herself; 
 then she ran first to one window and then another; she wanted 
 to see the sky and country outside; she felt like a bird in a cage 
 behind those great curtains. But they were too heavy for 
 her to put aside, so she crept underneath them to get to the 
 windows. But these again were so high that she could only 
 just get her head above the sill to peer out. Even then 
 she could not see what she longed for. In vain she went 
 first to one and then the other of the windows — she could 
 see nothing but walls and windows and again walls and win- 
 dows. Heidi felt quite frightened. It was still early, for Heidi 
 
 [113] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 was accustomed to get up early and run out at once to see how 
 everything was looking, if the sky was blue and if the sun was 
 already above the mountains, or if the fir trees were waving and 
 the flowers had opened their eyes. As a bird, when it first finds 
 itself in its bright new cage, darts hither and thither, trying 
 the bars in turn to see if it cannot get through them and fly 
 again into the open, so Heidi continued to run backwards and 
 forwards, trying to open first one and then the other of the 
 windows, for she felt she could not bear to see nothing but walls 
 and windows, and somewhere outside there must be the green 
 grass, and the last unmelted snows on the mountain slopes, 
 which Heidi so longed to see. But the windows remained im- 
 movable, try what Heidi would to open them, even endeavor- 
 ing to push her little fingers under them to lift them up ; but it 
 was all no use. When after a while Heidi saw that her efforts 
 were fruitless, she gave up trying, and began to think whether 
 she would not go out and round the house till she came to the 
 grass, but then she remembered that the night before she had 
 only seen stones in front of the house. At that moment a knock 
 came to the door, and immediately after Tinette put her head 
 inside and said, "Breakfast is ready. " Heidi had no idea what 
 an invitation so worded meant, and Tinette 's face did not en- 
 courage any questioning on Heidi 's part, but rather the reverse. 
 Heidi was sharp enough to read its expression, and acted ac- 
 cordingly. So she drew the little stool out from under the table, 
 put it in the corner and sat down upon it, and there silently 
 awaited what would happen next. Shortly after, with a good 
 deal of rustling and bustling, Fraulein Rottenmeier appeared, 
 who again seemed very much put out and called to Heidi, 
 
 [114] 
 
FRAULEIN rottenmeier 
 
 "What is the matter with you, Adelaide? Don't you under- 
 stand what breakfast is? Come along at once!" 
 
 Heidi had no difficulty in understanding now and followed 
 at once. Clara had been some time at the breakfast table and 
 she gave Heidi a kindly greeting, her face looking considerably 
 more cheerful than usual, for she looked forward to all kinds 
 of new things 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 re- 
 main with Clara until the tutor should arrive and lessons 
 begin. 
 
 As soon as the children were alone again, Heidi asked, 
 "How can one 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, nor I either, but when you see Sebastian you can ask 
 him to open one." 
 
 It was a great relief to Heidi to know that the windows could 
 be opened and that one could look out, for she still felt as if she 
 was shut up in prison. Clara now began to ask her questions 
 about her home, and Heidi was delighted to tell her all about 
 the mountain and the goats, and the flowery meadows which 
 were so dear to her. 
 
 Meanwhile her tutor had arrived; Fraulein Rottenmeier, 
 however, did not bring him straight into the study but drew 
 
 [ 115 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 him first aside into the dining-room, where she poured forth 
 her troubles and explained to him the awkward position in 
 which she was placed, and how it had all come about. It ap- 
 peared that she had written some time back to Herr Sesemann 
 to tell him that his daughter very much wished to have a 
 companion, and had added how desirable she thought it her- 
 self, as it would be a spur to Clara at her lessons and an amuse- 
 ment for her in her playtime. Fraulein Rottenmeier had 
 privately wished for this arrangement on her own behalf, as it 
 would relieve her from having always to entertain the sick girl 
 herself, which she felt at times was too much for her. The 
 father had answered that he was quite willing to let his daughter 
 have a companion, provided she was treated in every way like 
 his own child, as he would not have any child tormented or 
 put upon — "which was a very unnecessary remark," put in 
 Fraulein Rottenmeier, "for who wants to torment children!" 
 But now she went on to explain how dreadfully she had been 
 taken in about the child, and related all the unimaginable 
 things of which she had already been guilty, so that not only 
 would he have to begin with teaching her the ABC, but would 
 have to start with the most rudimentary instruction as regarded 
 everything to do with daily life. She could see only one way 
 out of this disastrous state of affairs, and that was for the tutor 
 to declare that it was impossible for the two to learn together 
 without detriment to Clara, who was so far ahead of the other; 
 that would be a valid excuse for getting rid of the child, and 
 Herr Sesemann would be sure to agree to the child being sent 
 home again, but she dared not do this without his order, since 
 he was awax*e that by this time the companion had arrived. 
 
 [116] 
 
FRAULEIN ROTTENMEIER 
 
 But the tutor was a cautious man and not inclined to take a 
 partial view of matters. He tried to calm Fraulein Rotten- 
 meier, and gave it as his opinion that if the little girl was back- 
 ward in some things she was probably advanced in others, and 
 a little regular teaching would soon set the balance right. 
 When Fraulein Rottenmeier saw that he was not ready to sup- 
 port her, and evidently quite ready to undertake teaching the 
 alphabet, she opened the study door, which she quickly shut 
 again as soon as he had gone through, remaining on the other 
 side herself, for she had a perfect horror of the ABC. She 
 walked up and down the dining-room, thinking over in her 
 own mind how the servants were to be told to address Adelaide. 
 The father had written that she was to be treated exactly like 
 his own daughter, and this would especially refer, she imagined, 
 to the servants. She was not allowed, however, a very long 
 interval of time for consideration, for suddenly the sound of a 
 frightful crash was heard in the study, followed by frantic cries 
 for Sebastian. She rushed into the room. There on the floor 
 lay in a confused heap books, exercise-books, inkstand, and 
 other articles with the table-cloth on the top, while from be- 
 neath them a dark stream of ink was flowing all across the floor. 
 Heidi had disappeared. 
 
 "Here's a state of things!" exclaimed Fraulein Rottenmeier, 
 wringing her hands. "Table-cloth, books, work-basket, every- 
 thing lying in the ink! It was that unfortunate child, I sup- 
 pose!" 
 
 The tutor was standing looking down at the havoc in distress; 
 there was certainly only one view to be taken of such a matter 
 as this and that an unfavorable one. Clara meanwhile appeared 
 
 [ 117 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 to find pleasure in such an unusual event and in watching the 
 results. "Yes, Heidi did it," she explained, "but quite by ac- 
 cident; she must on no account be punished; she jumped up in 
 such violent haste to get away that she dragged the table-cloth 
 along with her, and so everything went over. There were a 
 number of 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 about 
 anything! not the slightest idea that she ought to sit still and 
 listen while her lessons are going on. But where is the child 
 who has caused all this trouble? Surely she has not run away! 
 What would Herr Sesemann say to me?" She ran out of the 
 room and down the stairs. There, at the bottom, standing in 
 the open doorway, was Heidi, looking in amazement up and 
 down the street. 
 
 "What are you doing? What are you thinking of to run 
 away like that?" called Fraulein Rottenmeier. 
 
 "I heard the sound of the fir trees, but I cannot see where 
 they are, and now I cannot hear them any more," answered 
 Heidi, looking disappointedly in the direction whence the 
 noise of the passing carriages had reached her, and which to 
 Heidi had seemed like the blowing of the south wind in the 
 trees, so that in great joy of heart she had rushed out to look at 
 them. 
 
 "Fir trees! do you suppose we are in a wood? What ridicu- 
 lous ideas are these? Come upstairs and see the mischief you 
 have done!" 
 
 Heidi turned and followed Fraulein Rottenmeier upstairs; 
 she was quite astonished to see the disaster she had caused, for 
 
 [118] 
 
FRAULEIN rottenmeier 
 
 in her joy and haste to get to the fir trees she had been unaware 
 of having dragged everything after her. 
 
 " I excuse you doing this as it is the first time, but do not let 
 me know of you doing it a second time," said Fraulein Rot- 
 tenmeier, pointing to the floor. "During your lesson time you 
 are to sit still and attend. If you cannot do this I shall have to 
 tie you to your chair. Do you understand? " 
 
 "Yes," replied Heidi, "but I will certainly not move again," 
 for now she understood that it was a rule to sit still while she 
 was being taught. 
 
 Sebastian and Tinette were now sent for to clear up the 
 broken articles and put things in order again; the tutor said 
 good-morning and left, as it was impossible to do any more 
 lessons that day; there had been certainly no time for gaping 
 this morning. 
 
 Clara had to rest for a certain time during the afternoon, and 
 during this interval, as Fraulein Rottenmeier informed Heidi, 
 the latter might amuse herself as she liked. When Clara had 
 been placed on her couch after dinner, and the lady-house- 
 keeper had retired to her room, Heidi knew that her time had 
 come to choose her own occupation. It was just what she was 
 longing for, as there was something she had made up her mind 
 to do; but she would require some help for its accomplish- 
 ment, and in view of this she took her stand in the hall in 
 front of the dining-room door in order to intercept the person 
 she wanted. In a few minutes up came Sebastian from the 
 kitchen with a tray of silver tea-things, which he had to put 
 away in the dining-room cupboard. As he reached the top 
 stairs Heidi went up to him and addressed him in the for- 
 
 [119] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 mal manner she had been ordered to use by Fraulein Rotten- 
 meier. 
 
 Sebastian looked surprised and said somewhat curtly, 
 " What is it you want, miss? " 
 
 "I only wished to ask you something, but it is nothing bad 
 like this morning," said Heidi, anxious to conciliate him, for 
 she saw that Sebastian was rather in a cross temper, and quite 
 thought that it was on account of the ink she had spilt on the 
 floor. 
 
 "Indeed, and why, I should first like to know, do you ad- 
 dress me like 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, 
 who had seen nothing amusing in the conversation, but Se- 
 bastian, now he understood that -the child was only obeying 
 orders, added in a friendly 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 Heidi sub- 
 missively, for she had already noticed that whatever Fraulein 
 Rottenmeier said was law. "Then now I have three names," 
 she added with a sigh. 
 
 "What was it little miss wished to ask?" said Sebastian as 
 he went on into the dining-room to put away his silver. 
 
 " How can a window be opened? " 
 
 [ 120 ] 
 
FRAULEIN rottenmeier 
 
 "Why, like that!" and Sebastian flung up one of the large 
 windows. 
 
 Heidi ran to it, but she was not tall enough to see out, for 
 her head 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 stand on. 
 
 Heidi climbed up, and at last, as she thought, was going to 
 see what she had been longing for. But she drew back her head 
 with a look of great disappointment on her face. 
 
 "Why, there is nothing outside but the stony streets," she 
 said mournfully; " but if I went right round to the other side of 
 the house 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 
 church tower, 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, 
 down the steps and out into the street. Things were not, how- 
 ever, quite so easy as she thought. Looking from the window 
 the tower had appeared so close that she imagined she had 
 only to run over the road to reach it. But now, although she 
 ran along the whole length of the street, she still did not get any 
 nearer to it, and indeed soon lost sight of it altogether; she 
 turned down another street, and went on and on, but still no 
 tower. She passed a great many people, but they all seemed 
 in such a hurry that Heidi thought they had not time to tell 
 
 [ 121 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 her which way to go. Then suddenly at one of the street cor- 
 ners she saw a boy standing, carrying a hand-organ on his 
 back and a funny-looking animal on his arm. Heidi ran up to 
 him and said, "Where is the tower 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 
 held out his hand as he spoke. Heidi searched about in her 
 pockets and presently drew out a card on which was painted a 
 garland of beautiful red roses ; she looked at it first for a mo- 
 ment or two, for she felt rather sorry to part with it ; Clara had 
 only that morning made her a present of it — but then, to look 
 down into the valley and see all the lovely green slopes! 
 "There," said Heidi, 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 
 the card 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 
 
 [ 122] 
 
FRAULEIN rottenmeier 
 
 Heidi asked her companion what he was carrying on his back; 
 it was a hand-organ, he told her, which played beautiful music 
 when he turned the handle. All at once they found themselves 
 in front of an 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 
 fast closed 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 
 which she now pulled with all her might. "If I go up you 
 must stay down here, for I do not know the way back, and you 
 will have to show 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 
 open the heavy creaking door; an old man came out and at 
 first looked with surprise and then in anger at the children, as 
 he began scolding them: "What do you mean by ringing me 
 down like this? Can't you read what is written over the bell, 
 'For those who wish to go up the tower'? " 
 
 The boy said nothing but pointed his finger at Heidi. The 
 latter answered, "But I do want to go up the tower." 
 
 "What do you want up there?" said the old man. "Has 
 somebody sent you?" 
 
 "No," replied Heidi, "I only wanted to go up that I might 
 look down." 
 
 [ 123] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 "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 that he turned and was about to shut the door. But 
 Heidi took hold of his coat and said beseechingly, "Let me go 
 up, just once." 
 
 He looked around, and his mood changed as he saw her 
 pleading eyes; he took hold of her hand and said kindly, "Well, 
 if you really wish it so much, I will take you." 
 
 The boy sat down on the church steps to show that he was 
 content to wait where he was. 
 
 Hand in hand with the old man Heidi went up the many 
 steps of the tower; they became smaller and smaller as they 
 neared the top, and at last came one very narrow one, and 
 there they were at the end of their climb. The old man lifted 
 Heidi up that she might 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, dis- 
 appointed voice, "It is not at all what I thought." 
 
 "You see now, a child like you does not understand any- 
 thing about a view! Come along down and don't go ringing at 
 my bell again!" 
 
 He lifted her down and went on before her down the narrow 
 stairway. To the left of the turn where it grew wider stood the 
 door of the tower-keeper's room, and the landing ran out 
 beside it to the edge of the steep, slanting roof. At the far end 
 of this was a large basket, in front of which sat a big gray 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 stood 
 
 [124 ] 
 
FRlULEIN ROTTENMEIER 
 
 still and looked at her in astonishment, for she had never seen 
 such a monster cat before; there were whole armies of mice, 
 however, in the old tower, so the cat had no difficulty in catch- 
 ing half a dozen for her dinner every day. The old man, seeing 
 Heidi so struck with admiration, said, "She will not hurt you 
 while I am near; come, you can have a peep at the kittens." 
 
 Heidi went up to the basket and broke out into expressions 
 of delight. 
 
 "Oh, the sweet little things! the darling kittens," she kept 
 on saying, as she jumped from side to side of the basket so as 
 not to lose any of the droll gambols of the seven or eight little 
 kittens that were scrambling and rolling and falling over one 
 another. 
 
 "Would you like to have one?" said the old man, who 
 enjoyed watching the child's pleasure. 
 
 "For myself to keep?" said Heidi excitedly, who could 
 hardly believe such happiness was to be hers. 
 
 "Yes, of course, more than one if you like — in short, you can 
 take away the whole lot if you have room for them," for the 
 old man was only too glad to think he could get rid of his kit- 
 tens without more trouble. 
 
 Heidi could hardly contain herself for joy. There would be 
 plenty of room for them in the large house, and then how aston- 
 ished and delighted Clara would be when she saw the sweet 
 little kittens. 
 
 "But how can I take them with me?" asked Heidi, and was 
 going quickly to see how many she could carry away in her 
 hands, when the old cat sprang at her so fiercely that she 
 shrank back in fear. 
 
 [125] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 "I will take them for you if you will tell me where," said the 
 old man, stroking the cat to quiet her, for she was an old friend 
 of his that had lived with him in the tower for many years. 
 
 "To Herr Sesemann's, the big kouse where there is a gold 
 dog's head on the door, with a ring in its mouth," explained 
 Heidi. 
 
 Such full directions as these were not really needed by the 
 old man, who had had charge of the tower for many a long 
 year and knew every house far and near, and moreover Sebas- 
 tian was an acquaintance of his. 
 
 "I know the house, " he said, "but when shall I bring them, 
 and who 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 the 
 kittens. " 
 
 The old man wished now to go downstairs, but Heidi did 
 not know how to tear herself away from the amusing spectacle. 
 
 " If I could just take one or two away with me ! one for myself 
 and one for Clara, may I?" 
 
 "Well, wait a moment," said the man, and he drew the cat 
 cautiously away into his room, and leaving her by a bowl of 
 food came out again and shut the door. "Now take two of 
 them. " 
 
 Heidi 's eyes shone with delight. She picked up a white kitten 
 and another striped white and yellow, and put one in the right, 
 the other in the left pocket. Then she went downstairs. The 
 boy was still sitting outside on the steps, and as the old man 
 shut the door of the church behind them, she said, "Which is 
 our way to Herr Sesemann's house?" 
 
 [ 126 ] 
 
FRAULEIN rottenmeier 
 
 "I don't know," was the answer. 
 
 Heidi began a description of the front door and the steps and 
 the windows, but the boy only shook his head, and was not any 
 the wiser. 
 
 "Well, look here," continued Heidi, "from one window you 
 can see a very, very large gray house, and the roof runs like 
 this — " and Heidi drew a zig-zag line in the air with her 
 forefinger. 
 
 With this the boy jumped up, he was evidently in the habit 
 of guiding himself by similar landmarks. He ran straight off 
 with Heidi after him, and in a very short time they had reached 
 the door with the large dog 's head for the knocker. Heidi rang 
 the bell. 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 
 on the steps. 
 
 "Make haste, little miss," said Sebastian again; "go straight 
 into the dining-room, they are already at table; Fraulein Rot- 
 tenmeier looks like a loaded cannon. What could make the 
 little miss run off like that?" 
 
 Heidi walked into the room. The lady housekeeper did not 
 look up, Clara did not speak; there was an uncomfortable 
 silence. Sebastian pushed her chair up for her, and when she 
 was seated, Fraulein Rottenmeier, with a severe countenance, 
 sternly and solemnly addressed her: "I will speak with you 
 afterwards, Adelaide, only this much will I now say, that you 
 behaved in a most unmannerly and reprehensible way by run- 
 ning out of the house as you did, without asking permission, 
 
 [ 127] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 without any one knowing a word about it; and then to go 
 wandering about till this hour; I never heard of such behavior 
 before. " 
 
 "Miau!" came the answer back. 
 
 This was too much for the lady's temper; with raised voice 
 she exclaimed, "You dare, Adelaide, after your bad behavior, 
 to answer 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 
 voice was almost stifled with anger. "Get up and leave the 
 room. " 
 
 Heidi stood up frightened, and again made an attempt to ex- 
 plain. "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 say- 
 ing miau?" 
 
 "It isn't I, it's the kittens," Heidi was at last given time to 
 say. 
 
 "How! what! kittens!" shrieked Fraulein Rottenmeier. 
 " Sebastian ! Tinette ! Find the horrid little things ! take them 
 away!" And she rose and fled into the study and locked the 
 door, so as to make sure that she was safe from the kittens, 
 which to her were the most horrible things in creation. 
 
 Sebastian was obliged to wait a few minutes outside the door 
 to get over his laughter before he went into the room again. 
 He had, while serving Heidi, caught sight of a little kitten's 
 head peeping out of her pocket, and guessing the scene that 
 
 [128 ] 
 
FRAULEIN ROTTEN MEIER 
 
 would follow, had been so overcome with amusement at the 
 first miaus that he had hardly been able to finish handing the 
 dishes. The lady's distressed cries for help had ceased before 
 he had sufficiently regained his composure to go back into the 
 dining-room. It was all peace and quietness there now; Clara 
 had the kittens on her lap, and Heidi was kneeling beside her, 
 both laughing 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 
 Rottenmeier will not spy them out, for she is so afraid of them 
 that she will send them away at once; but we want to keep 
 them, and have them out whenever we are alone. Where can 
 you put them?" 
 
 "I will see to that," answered Sebastian willingly. "I will 
 make a bed in a basket and put it in some place where the lady 
 is not likely to go; you leave it to me." He set about the 
 work at once, sniggling to himself the while, for he guessed 
 there would be a further rumpus about this some day, and Se- 
 bastian was not without a certain pleasure in the thought of 
 Fraulein Rottenmeier being a little disturbed. 
 
 Not until some time had elapsed, and it was nearing the 
 hour for going to bed, did Fraulein Rottenmeier venture to 
 open the door a crack and call through, "Have you taken those 
 dreadful little animals away, Sebastian?" 
 
 He assured her twice that he had done so; he had been hang- 
 ing about the room in anticipation of this question, and now 
 quickly and quietly caught up the kittens from Clara 's lap and 
 disappeared with them. 
 
 The castigatory sermon which Fraulein Rottenmeier had 
 
 [129] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 held in reserve for Heidi was put off till the following day, as 
 she felt too exhausted now after all the emotions she had gone 
 through of irritation, anger, and fright, of which Heidi had un- 
 consciously been the cause. She retired without speaking, 
 Clara and Heidi following, happy in their minds at knowing 
 that the kittens were lying in a comfortable bed. 
 
 f 130 ] 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 
 THERE IS GREAT COMMOTION IN THE LARGE 
 
 HOUSE 
 
 SEBASTIAN had just shown the tutor into the study on 
 the following morning when there came another and 
 very loud ring at the bell, which Sebastian ran quickly 
 to answer. "Only Herr Sesemann rings like that," he said to 
 himself; "he must have returned home unexpectedly." he 
 pulled open the door, and there in front of him he saw a ragged 
 little boy carrying a hand-organ on his back. 
 
 "What's the meaning of this?" said Sebastian angrily. 
 " I '11 teach 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 polite 
 enough to say 'Miss Clara'? What do you want with her?" 
 continued Sebastian roughly. 
 
 "She owes me fourpence," explained the boy. 
 
 " You must be out of your mind ! And how do you know that 
 any young lady of that name lives here?" 
 
 " She owes me twopence for showing her the way there, and 
 twopence for showing her the way back. " 
 
 "See what a pack of lies you are telling! The young lady 
 never goes out, cannot even walk; be off and get back to where 
 you came 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 
 
 [133] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 street, and can describe her to you; she has short, curly black 
 hair, and black eyes, and wears a brown dress, and does not 
 talk quite like we do. " 
 
 "Oho!" thought Sebastian, laughing to himself, "the little 
 miss has evidently been up to more mischief. " Then, drawing 
 the boy inside he said aloud, "I understand now; come with me 
 and wait outside the door till I tell you to go in. Be sure you 
 begin playing your organ the instant you get inside the room; 
 the lady is very fond of music. " 
 
 Sebastian knocked at the study door, and a voice said, 
 "Come in." 
 
 "There is a boy outside who says he must speak to Miss 
 Clara herself, " Sebastian announced. 
 
 Clara was delighted at such an extraordinary and unexpected 
 message. 
 
 "Let him come in at once," replied Clara; "he must come 
 in, must he not," she added, turning to her tutor, "if he wishes 
 so particularly to see me?" 
 
 The boy was already inside the room, and according to Se- 
 bastian's directions immediately began to play his organ. 
 Fraulein Rottenmeier, wishing to escape the ABC, had re- 
 tired with her work to the dining-room. All at once she stopped 
 and listened. Did those sounds come up from the street? And 
 yet they seemed so near! But how could there be an organ 
 playing in the study? And yet — it surely was so. She rushed to 
 the other end of the long dining-room and tore open the door. 
 She could hardly believe her eyes. There, in the middle of the 
 study, stood a ragged boy turning away at his organ in the 
 most energetic manner. The tutor appeared to be making 
 
 [ 134 ] 
 
GREAT COMMOTION IN THE LARGE HOUSE 
 
 efforts to speak, but his voice could not be heard. Both chil- 
 dren were listening delightedly to the music. 
 
 "Leave off! leave off at once!" screamed Fraulein Rotten- 
 meier. But her voice was drowned by the music. She was 
 making a dash for the boy, when she saw something on the 
 ground crawling towards her feet — a dreadful dark object — a 
 tortoise. At this sight she jumped higher than she had for 
 many long years before, shrieking with all her might, "Sebas- 
 tian! Sebastian!" 
 
 The organ-player suddenly stopped, for this time her voice 
 had risen louder than the music. Sebastian was standing out- 
 side bent double with laughter, for he had been peeping to see 
 what was going on. By the time he entered the room Fraulein 
 Rottenmeier had sunk into a chair. 
 
 "Take them all out, boy and animal! Get them away at 
 once!" she commanded him. 
 
 Sebastian pulled the boy away, the latter having quickly 
 caught up the tortoise, and when he had got him outside he put 
 something 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 once 
 more; Fraulein Rottenmeier now took up her station in the 
 study in order by her presence to prevent any further dreadful 
 goings-on. 
 
 But soon another knock came to the door, and Sebastian 
 again stepped in, this time to say that some one had brought a 
 large basket with orders that it was to be given at once to Miss 
 Clara. 
 
 [135] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 "For me?" said Clara in astonishment, her curiosity very 
 much excited, " 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 the 
 basket is unpacked," said Fraulein Rottenmeier. 
 
 Clara could not conceive what was in it, and cast longing 
 glances towards it. In the middle of one of her declensions she 
 suddenly broke off and said to the tutor, "Mayn't I just give 
 one peep inside to see what is in it before I go on?" 
 
 "On some considerations I am for it, on others against it," 
 he began in answer; "for it, on the ground that if your whole 
 attention is directed to the basket — " but the speech remained 
 unfinished. The cover of the basket was loose, and at this 
 moment one, two, three, and then two more, and again more 
 kittens came suddenly tumbling on to the floor and racing 
 about the room in every direction, and with such indescribable 
 rapidity that it seemed as if the whole room was full of them. 
 They jumped over the tutor's boots, bit at his trousers, climbed 
 up Fraulein Rottenmeier 's dress, rolled about her feet, sprang 
 up on to Clara's couch, scratching, scrambling, and mewing: 
 it was a sad scene of confusion. Clara, meanwhile, pleased with 
 their gambols, kept on exclaiming, " Oh, the dear little things ! 
 how pretty they are! Look, Heidi, at this one; look, look, at 
 that one over there!" And Heidi in her delight kept running 
 after them first into one corner and then into the other. The 
 tutor stood up by the table not knowing what to do, lifting first 
 his right foot and then his left to get it away from the scramb- 
 ling, scratching kittens. Fraulein Rottenmeier was unable at 
 first to speak at all, so overcome was she with horror, and she 
 
 [ 136 ] 
 
GREAT COMMOTION IN THE LARGE HOUSE 
 
 did not dare rise from her chair for fear that all the dreadful 
 little animals should jump upon her at once. At last she found 
 voice to call loudly, "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 then carried them off to put with the other two. 
 
 To-day again there had been no opportunity for gaping. 
 Late that evening, when Fraulein Rottenmeier had somewhat 
 recovered from the 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 indigna- 
 tion and did not know at first how to express her anger. Then 
 she made a sign to Tinette and Sebastian to withdraw, and 
 turning to Heidi, who was standing by Clara's couch, quite 
 unable to understand of what sin she had been guilty, began 
 in a severe voice, — 
 
 "Adelaide, I know of only one punishment which will per- 
 haps make you alive to your ill conduct, for you are an utter 
 little barbarian, but we will see. if we cannot tame you so that 
 you shall not be guilty of such deeds again, by putting you in 
 a dark cellar with the rats and black beetles. " 
 
 Heidi listened in silence and surprise to her sentence, for she 
 had never seen a cellar such as was now described; the place 
 known at her grandfather's as the cellar, where the fresh made 
 cheeses and the new milk were kept, was a pleasant and invit- 
 ing place; neither did she know at all what rats and black 
 beetles were like. 
 
 [137] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 But now Clara interrupted in great distress. "No, no, 
 Fraulein Rottenmeier, you must wait till papa comes; he has 
 written to say that he will soon be home, and then I will tell 
 him everything, and he will say what is to be done with Heidi. " 
 
 Fraulein Rottenmeier could not do anything against this 
 superior authority, especially as the father was really expected 
 very shortly. She rose and said with some displeasure, "As you 
 will, Clara, but I too shall have something to say to Herr Sese- 
 mann. " And with that she left the room. 
 
 Two days now went by without further disturbance. Frau- 
 lein Rottenmeier, however, could not. recover her equanimity; 
 she was perpetually reminded by Heidi 's presence of the decep- 
 tion that had been played upon her, and it seemed to her that 
 ever since the 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 hang heavy during the lesson hours, for Heidi 
 was continually making a diversion of some kind or other. She 
 jumbled all her letters up together and seemed quite unable to 
 learn them, and when the tutor tried to draw her attention to 
 their different shapes, and to help her by showing her that this 
 was like a little horn, or that like a bird 's bill, she would suddenly 
 exclaim in a joyful voice, "That is a goat!" "That is a bird of 
 prey!" For the tutor's descriptions suggested all kinds of 
 pictures to her mind, but left her still incapable of the alphabet. 
 In the later afternoons Heidi always sat with Clara, and then 
 she would give the latter many and long descriptions of the 
 mountain and of her life upon it, and the burning longing to 
 return would become so overpowering that she always finished 
 
 [138] 
 
©DM?K 
 
 So Heidi had plenty of time from day to day to sit and picture how 
 
 everything at home was now turning green, and how the yellow 
 
 flowers were shining in the sun. (Page l 39) 
 
GREAT COMMOTION IN THE LARGE HOUSE 
 
 with the words, "Now I must go home! to-morrow I must 
 really go!" But Clara would try to quiet her, and tell Heidi 
 that she must wait till her father returned, and then they would 
 see what was to be done. And if Heidi gave in each time and 
 seemed quickly to regain her good spirits, it was because of a 
 secret delight she had in the thought that every day added 
 two more white rolls to the number she was collecting for 
 grandmother; for she always pocketed the roll placed beside 
 her plate at dinner and supper, feeling that she could not 
 bear to eat them, knowing that grandmother had no white 
 bread and could hardly eat the black bread, which was so hard. 
 After dinner Heidi had to sit alone in her room for a couple of 
 hours, for she understood now that she might not run about 
 outside at Frankfurt as she did on the mountain, and so she 
 did not attempt it. Any conversation with Sebastian in the 
 dining-room was also forbidden her, and as to Tinette, she kept 
 out of her way, and never thought of speaking to her, for Heidi 
 was quite aware that the maid looked scornfully at her and al- 
 ways spoke to her in a mocking voice. So Heidi had plenty of 
 time from day to day to sit and picture how everything at 
 home was now turning green, and how the yellow flowers were 
 shining in the sun, and how all around lay bright in the warm 
 sunshine, the snow and the rocks, and the whole wide valley, 
 and Heidi at times could hardly contain herself for the longing 
 to be back home again. And Dete had told her that she could 
 go home whenever she liked. So it came about one day that 
 Heidi felt she could not bear it any longer, and in haste she 
 tied all the rolls up in her red shawl, put on her straw hat, and 
 went downstairs. But just as she reached the hall-door she met 
 
 [ 139 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 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 
 from top to toe in blank astonishment, her eye resting particu- 
 larly on the red bundle. Then she broke out, — 
 
 "What have you dressed yourself like that for? What do 
 you mean by this? Have I not strictly forbidden you to go 
 running about in the streets? And here you are ready to start 
 off again, and going 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 away like that! What would Herr Sesemann say if he 
 knew ! Take care that he never hears of this ! And what is the 
 matter with his house, I should like to know! Have you not 
 been better treated than you deserved? Have you wanted for 
 a thing? Have you ever in your life before had such a house to 
 live in, such a table, or so 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 an ungrateful little thing; it's because you are too well 
 off and comfortable that you have nothing to do but think 
 what naughty thing you can do next!" 
 
 Then Heidi's feelings got the better of her, and she poured 
 forth her trouble. "Indeed I only want to go home, for if I 
 stay so long away Snowflake will begin crying again, and 
 grandmother is waiting for me, and Greenfinch will get beaten, 
 
 [ 140] 
 
GREAT COMMOTION IN THE LARGE HOUSE 
 
 because I am not there to give Peter any cheese, and I can never 
 see how the sun says good-night to the mountains; and if the 
 great bird were to fly over Frankfurt he would croak louder 
 than ever about people huddling all together and teaching each 
 other bad things, and not going to live up on the rocks, where 
 it is so much better." 
 
 "Heaven have mercy on us, the child is out of her mind!" 
 cried Fraulein Rottenmeier, and she turned in terror and went 
 quickly up the steps, running violently against Sebastian in 
 her hurry. "Go and bring that unhappy little creature in at 
 once," she ordered him, putting her hand to her forehead 
 which she had bumped 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 and 
 trembling all over with inward agitation. 
 
 "What, got into trouble again?" said Sebastian in a cheerful 
 voice; but when he looked more closely at Heidi and saw that 
 she did not move, he put his hand kindly on her shoulder, and 
 said, trying to comfort her, "There, there, don't take it to 
 heart so much; keep up your spirits, that is the great thing! 
 She has nearly 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; she ordered me to take you in." 
 
 Heidi now began mounting the stairs, but with a slow, crawl- 
 ing step, very unlike her usual manner. Sebastian felt quite 
 sad as he watched her, and as he followed her up he kept trying 
 to encourage her. "Don't you give in! don't let her make you 
 unhappy ! You keep up your courage ! Why we've got such a 
 
 [ 141 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 sensible little miss that she has never cried once since she was 
 here; many at that age cry a good dozen times a day. The 
 kittens are enjoying themselves very much up in their home; 
 they jump about all 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 the way, shall we?" 
 
 Heidi gave a little nod of assent, but in such a joyless manner 
 that it went to Sebastian's heart, and he followed her with 
 sympathetic eyes as she crept away to her room. 
 
 At supper that evening Fraulein Rottenmeier did not speak, 
 but she cast watchful looks towards Heidi as if expecting her at 
 any minute to break out in some extraordinary way; but Heidi 
 sat without moving or eating; all that she did was to hastily 
 hide her roll in her pocket. 
 
 When the tutor arrived next morning, Fraulein Rottenmeier 
 drew him privately aside, and confided her fear to him that the 
 change of air and the new mode of life and unaccustomed sur- 
 roundings had turned Heidi's head; then she told him of the 
 incident of the day before, and of Heidi's strange speech. But 
 the tutor assured her she need not be in alarm; he had already 
 become aware that the child was somewhat eccentric, but other- 
 wise quite right in her mind, and he was sure that, with careful 
 treatment and education, the right balance would be restored, 
 and it was this he was striving after. He was the more con- 
 vinced of this by what he now heard, and by the fact that he 
 had so far failed to teach her the alphabet, Heidi seeming un- 
 able to understand the letters. 
 
 Fraulein Rottenmeier was considerably relieved by his 
 words, and released the tutor to his work. In the course of the 
 
 [142] 
 
GREAT COMMOTION IN THE LARGE HOUSE 
 
 afternoon the remembrance of Heidi's appearance the day be- 
 fore, as she was starting out on her travels, suddenly returned 
 to the lady, and she made up her mind that she would supple- 
 ment the child's clothing with various garments from Clara's 
 wardrobe, so as to give her a decent appearance when Herr 
 Sesemann returned. She confided her intention to Clara, who 
 was quite willing to have her make over any number of dresses 
 and hats for Heidi; so the lady went upstairs to overhaul the 
 child's belongings and see what was to be kept and what thrown 
 away. She returned, however, in the course of a few minutes 
 with an expression of horror upon her face. 
 
 "What is this, Adelaide, that I find in your wardrobe!" she 
 exclaimed. "I never heard of any one doing such a thing 
 before! In a cupboard meant for clothes, Adelaide, what do I 
 see at the bottom but a heap of rolls ! Will you believe it, Clara, 
 bread in a wardrobe! a whole pile of bread! Tinette," she called 
 to that young woman, who was in the dining-room, "go up- 
 stairs and take away all those rolls out of Adelaide's cupboard 
 and the old straw hat on the table." 
 
 "No! no!" screamed Heidi. "I must keep the hat, and the 
 rolls are for grandmother," and she was rushing to stop Tin- 
 ette when Fraulein Rottenmeier took hold of her. "You will 
 stop here, and all that bread and rubbish shall be taken to the 
 place they belong to," she said in a determined tone as she 
 kept her hand on the child to prevent her running forward. 
 
 Then Heidi in despair flung herself down on Clara's couch 
 and broke into a wild fit of weeping, her crying becoming 
 louder and more full of distress every minute, while she kept 
 on sobbing out at intervals, "Now grandmother's bread is all 
 
 [143] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 gone! They were all for grandmother, and now they are taken 
 away, and grandmother won't have one," and she wept as if 
 her heart would break. Fraulein Rottenmeier ran out of the 
 room. Clara was distressed and alarmed at the child's crying. 
 "Heidi, Heidi," she said imploringly, "pray do not cry so! 
 listen to me; don't be so unhappy; look now, I promise you that 
 you shall have just as many rolls, or more, all fresh and new to 
 take to grandmother when 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 would 
 never have been able to leave off crying at all if it had not been 
 for Clara's promise, which comforted her. But to make sure 
 that she could depend upon it she kept on saying to Clara, her 
 voice broken with her gradually subsiding sobs, "Will you 
 give me as many, quite as many, as I had for grandmother?" 
 And Clara assured her each time that she would give her as 
 many, "or more," she added, "only be happy again." 
 
 Heidi appeared at supper with her eyes red with weeping, 
 and when she saw her roll she could not suppress a sob. But 
 she made an effort to control herself, for she knew she must sit 
 quietly at table. Whenever Sebastian could catch her eye this 
 evening he made all sorts of strange signs, pointing to his own 
 head and then to hers, and giving little nods as much as to say, 
 "Don't you be unhappy! I have got it all safe for you." 
 
 When Heidi was going to get into bed that night she found 
 her old straw hat lying under the counterpane. She snatched 
 it up with delight, made it more out of shape still in her joy, 
 and then, after wrapping a handkerchief round it, she stuck it 
 in a corner of the cupboard as far back as she could. 
 
 [ 144] 
 
GREAT COMMOTION IN THE LARGE HOUSE 
 
 It was Sebastian who had hidden it there for her; he had been 
 in the dining-room when Tinette was called, and had heard all 
 that went on with the child and the latter's loud weeping. So 
 he followed Tinette, and when she came out of Heidi's room 
 carrying the rolls and the hat, he caught up the hat and said, 
 "I will see to this old thing." He was genuinely glad to have 
 been able to save it for Heidi, and that was the meaning of his 
 encouraging signs to her at supper. 
 
 [145] 
 
^^a^^Tii^s^^^.^imiiimsssssm^^s^ss^&^^^^fff 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 
 HERR SESEMANN HEARS OF THINGS WHICH ARE 
 
 NEW TO HIM 
 
 a FEW days after these events there was great commo- 
 
 /.% tion and much running up and down stairs in Herr 
 -^- -^"Sesemann's house. The master had just returned, and 
 Sebastian and Tinette were busy carrying up one package after 
 another from the carriage, for Herr Sesemann always brought 
 back a lot of pretty things for his home. He himself had not 
 waited to do anything before going in to see his daughter. 
 Heidi was sitting beside her, for it was late afternoon, when 
 the two were always together. Father and daughter greeted 
 each other with warm affection, for they were deeply attached 
 to one another. Then he held out his hand to Heidi, who had 
 stolen away into the corner, and said kindly to her, " And this 
 is our little Swiss girl; come and shake hands with me! That's 
 right! Now, tell me, are Clara and you good friends with one 
 another, or do you get angry and quarrel, and then cry and 
 make it up, and then start quarreling again on the next occa- 
 sion?" 
 
 "No, Clara, is always kind to me," answered Heidi. 
 
 "And Heidi," put in Clara quickly, "has not once tried to 
 quarrel." 
 
 "That's all right, I am glad to hear it," said her father, as 
 he rose from his chair. "But you must excuse me, Clara, for I 
 want my dinner; I have had nothing to eat all day. Afterwards 
 I will show you all the things I have brought home with me." 
 
 [ 149 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 He found Fraulein Rottenmeier in the dining-room superin- 
 tending the preparation for his meal, and when he had taken 
 his place she sat down opposite to him, looking the very em- 
 bodiment of bad news, so that he turned to her and said, "What 
 am I to expect, Fraulein Rottenmeier? You greet me with an 
 expression of countenance that quite frightens me. What is 
 the matter? Clara seems cheerful enough." 
 
 "Herr Sesemann," began the lady in a solemn voice, "it is 
 a matter which concerns Clara; we have been frightfully im- 
 posed upon." 
 
 "Indeed, in what way?" asked Herr Sesemann as he went 
 on calmly drinking 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 were well behaved and nicely brought up about her, I 
 thought I would look for a little Swiss girl, as I hoped to find 
 such a one as I have 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 
 earth if she wanted to go anywhere," remarked Herr Sese- 
 mann, "otherwise they would have been given wings instead 
 of feet." 
 
 "Ah, Herr Sesemann, you know what I mean," continued 
 Fraulein Rottenmeier. "I mean one so at horns among the 
 living creatures of the high, pure mountain regions, that she 
 would be like some idealistic being from another world among 
 us. 
 
 "And what could Clara do with such an idealistic being as 
 you describe, Fraulein Rottenmeier?" 
 
 [150] 
 
SESEMANN'S RETURN 
 
 "I am not joking, Herr Sesemann, the matter is a more 
 serious one than you think; I have been shockingly, disgrace- 
 fully imposed upon." 
 
 "But how? what is there shocking and disgraceful? I see noth- 
 ing shocking in the child," remarked Herr Sesemann quietly. 
 
 "If you only knew of one thing she has done, if you only 
 knew of the kind of people and animals she has brought into 
 the house during 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 
 would be past understanding if it were not that at times she is 
 evidently not in her right mind." 
 
 Herr Sesemann had attached very little importance to what 
 was told him up till now — but not in her right mind ! that was 
 more serious and might be prejudicial to his own child. Herr 
 Sesemann looked very narrowly at the lady opposite to assure 
 himself that the mental aberration was not on her side. At that 
 moment the door opened and the tutor was announced. 
 
 "Ah! here is some one," exclaimed Herr Sesemann, "who 
 will help to clear up matters for me. Take a seat," he con- 
 tinued, as he held out his hand to the tutor. "You will drink a 
 cup of coffee with me — no ceremony, I pray ! And now tell me, 
 what is the matter with this child that has come to be a com- 
 panion to my daughter? What is this strange thing I hear 
 about her bringing animals into the house, and is she in her 
 right senses?" 
 
 The tutor felt he must begin with expressing his pleasure at 
 
 [ 151 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 Herr Sesemann's return, and with explaining that he had come 
 in on purpose to give him welcome, but Herr Sesemann begged 
 him to explain without delay the meaning of all he had heard 
 about Heidi. The tutor started in his usual style. "If I must 
 give my opinion about this little girl, I should like first to state 
 that, if on one side, there is a lack of development which has 
 been caused by the more or less careless way in which she has 
 been brought up, or rather, by the neglect of her education 
 when young, and by the solitary life she has led on the moun- 
 tain, which is not wholly to be condemned; on the contrary, 
 such a life has undoubtedly some advantages in it, if not 
 allowed to overstep a certain limit of time — " 
 
 "My good friend," interrupted Herr Sesemann, "you are 
 giving yourself more trouble than you need. I only want to 
 know if the child has caused you alarm by any animals she has 
 brought into the house, and what your opinion is altogether as 
 to her being a fit 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 a 
 certain inexperience of the ways of society, owing to the un- 
 civilized life she led up to the time of her removal to Frankfurt, 
 on the other hand she is endowed with certain good qualities, 
 and, taken on the whole — " 
 
 " Excuse me, my dear sir, do not disturb yourself, but I must 
 — I think my daughter will be wanting me," and with that 
 Herr Sesemann quickly left the room and took care not to 
 return. He sat himself down beside his daughter in the study, 
 and then turning to Heidi, who had risen, "Little one, will you 
 fetch me," he began, and then paused, for he could not think 
 
 [ 152] 
 
SESEMANN'S RETURN 
 
 what to ask for, but he wanted to get the child out of the room 
 for a little while, "fetch me — fetch me a glass of water." 
 
 "Fresh water?" asked Heidi. 
 
 "Yes — yes — as fresh as you can get it," he answered. 
 Heidi disappeared on the spot. 
 
 "And now, my dear little Clara," he said, drawing his chair 
 nearer and laying her hand in his, "answer my questions 
 clearly and intelligibly: what kind of animals has your little 
 companion brought into the house, and why does Fraulein 
 Rottenmeier think that she is not always in her right mind?" 
 
 Clara had no difficulty in answering. The alarmed lady had 
 spoken to her also about Heidi's wild manner of talking, but Clara 
 had not been able to put a meaning to it. She told her father 
 everything about the tortoise and the kittens, and explained to 
 him what Heidi had said the day Fraulein Rottenmeier had 
 been put in such a fright. Herr Sesemann laughed heartily at 
 her recital. "So you do not want me to send the child home 
 again," 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, for something fresh happens every day, and it used to be 
 so dull, and she has always so much to tell me." 
 
 "That's all right then — and here comes your little friend. 
 Have you brought me some nice fresh water?" he asked as 
 Heidi handed him 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 there 
 were such a lot of people at the first pump; so I went further 
 
 [ 153 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 down 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 kind regards to Herr Sesemann." 
 
 "You have had quite a successful expedition," said Herr 
 Sesemann laughing, "and who was the gentleman?" 
 
 "He was passing, and when he saw me he stood still and 
 said, 'As you have a glass will you give me a drink? to whom 
 are you taking the water?' and when I said, 'To Herr Sese- 
 mann, ' he laughed very much, and then he gave me that mes- 
 sage for you, and also 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 a gold thing hanging from it with a large red stone, and a 
 horse's head at the top of his stick." 
 
 "It's the doctor — my old friend the doctor," exclaimed 
 Clara and her father at the same moment, and Herr Sesemann 
 smiled to himself at the thought of what his friend's opinion 
 must have been of this new way of satisfying his thirst for 
 water. 
 
 That evening when Herr Sesemann and Fraulein Rotten- 
 meier were alone, settling the household affairs, he informed 
 her that he intended to keep Heidi ; he found the child in a per- 
 fectly right state of mind, and his daughter liked her as a com- 
 panion. "I desire, therefore," he continued, laying stress upon 
 his words, " that the child shall be in every way kindly treated, 
 and that her peculiarities shall not be looked upon as crimes. 
 
 [ 154 ] 
 
SESEMANN'S RETURN 
 
 If you find her too much for you alone, I can hold out a pros- 
 pect of help, for I am shortly expecting my mother here on a 
 long visit, and she, as you know, can get on with anybody, 
 whatever they may be like." 
 
 "Oh yes, I know," replied Fraulein Rottenmeier, but there 
 was no tone of relief in her voice as she thought of the coming 
 help. 
 
 Herr Sesemann was only home for a short time; he left for 
 Paris again before the fortnight was over, comforting Clara, 
 who could not bear that he should go from her again so soon, 
 with the prospect of her grandmother's arrival, which was to 
 take place in a few days' time. Herr Sesemann had indeed only 
 just gone when a letter came from Frau Sesemann, announcing 
 her arrival on the following day, and stating the hour when she 
 might be expected, in order that a carriage should be sent to 
 meet her at the station. Clara was overjoyed, and talked so 
 much about her grandmother that evening, that Heidi began 
 also to call her "grandmamma," which brought down on her a 
 look of displeasure from Fraulein Rottenmeier; this, however, 
 had no particular effect on Heidi, for she was accustomed now 
 to being continually in that lady's black books. But as she was 
 going to her room that night, Fraulein Rottenmeier waylaid 
 her, and drawing her into her own, gave her strict injunctions 
 as to how she was to address Frau Sesemann when she arrived ; 
 on no account was she to call her "grandmamma," but always 
 to say "madam " to her. " Do you understand? " said the lady, 
 as she saw a perplexed expression on Heidi's face. The latter 
 had not understood, but seeing the severe expression of the 
 lady's face she did not ask for more explanation. 
 
 [155] 
 
CHAPTER X 
 ANOTHER GRANDMOTHER 
 
 THERE was much expectation and preparation about the 
 house on the following evening, and it was easy to see 
 that the lady who was coming was one whose opinion 
 was highly thought of, and for whom everybody had a great re- 
 spect. Tinette had a new white cap on her head, and Sebastian 
 collected all the footstools he could find and placed them in con- 
 venient spots, so that the lady might find one ready to her feet 
 whenever she chose to sit. Fraulein Rottenmeier went about 
 surveying everything, very upright and dignified, 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 
 Tinette and Sebastian ran down the steps, followed with a 
 slower and more stately step by the lady, who advanced to 
 greet the guest. Heidi had been sent up to her room and or- 
 dered to remain there until called down, as the grandmother 
 would certainly like to see Clara alone first. Heidi sat herself 
 down in a corner and repeated her instructions over to herself. 
 She had not to wait long before Tinette put her head in and 
 said abruptly, "Go downstairs into the study." 
 
 Heidi had not dared to ask Fraulein Rottenmeier again how 
 she was to address the grandmother : she thought the lady had 
 perhaps made a mistake, for she had never heard any one 
 called by other than their right name. As she opened the study 
 
 [ 159 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 door she heard a kind voice say, "Ah, here comes the child! 
 Come along in and let me have a good look at you." 
 
 Heidi walked up to her and said very distinctly in her 
 clear voice, "Good-evening," and then wishing to follow 
 her instructions called her what would be in English "Mrs. 
 Madam." 
 
 "Well!" said the grandmother, laughing, "is that how they 
 address people in your home on the mountain?" 
 
 "No," replied Heidi gravely, "I never knew any one with 
 that name before." 
 
 "Nor I either," laughed the grandmother again as she patted 
 Heidi's cheek. "Never mind! when I am with the children I 
 am always grandmamma; you won't forget that name, will 
 
 "No, no," Heidi assured her, "I often used to say it at 
 home." 
 
 "I understand," said the grandmother, with a cheerful little 
 nod of the head. Then she looked more closely at Heidi, giving 
 another nod from time to time, and the child looked back at her 
 with steady, serious eyes, for there was something kind and 
 warm-hearted about this newcomer that pleased Heidi, and 
 indeed everything to do with the grandmother attracted her, so 
 that she could not turn her eyes away. She had such beautiful 
 white hair, and two long lace ends hung down from the cap on 
 her head and waved gently about her face every time she 
 moved, as if a soft breeze were blowing round her, which gave 
 Heidi a peculiar feeling of pleasure. 
 
 "And what is your name, child?" the grandmother now 
 
 asked. 
 
 [160 1 
 
ANOTHER GRANDMOTHER 
 
 "I am always called Heidi; but as I am now to be called 
 Adelaide, I will try and take care—" Heidi stopped short, for 
 she felt a little guilty; she had not yet grown accustomed to 
 this name; she continued not to respond when Fraulein Rot- 
 tenmeier suddenly addressed her by it, and the lady was at this 
 moment entering the room. 
 
 "Frau Sesemann will no doubt agree with me," she in- 
 terrupted, "that it was necessary to choose a name that 
 could be pronounced easily, if only for the sake of the ser- 
 vants." 
 
 "My worthy Rottenmeier," replied Frau Sesemann, "if a 
 person is called 'Heidi' and has grown accustomed to that 
 name, I call her by the same, and so let it be." 
 
 Fraulein Rottenmeier was always very much annoyed that 
 the old lady continually addressed her by her surname only; 
 but it was no use minding, for the grandmother always went her 
 own way, and so there was no help for it. Moreover the grand- 
 mother was a keen old lady, and had all her five wits about her, 
 and she knew what was going on in the house as soon as she 
 entered it. 
 
 When on the following day Clara lay down as usual on her 
 couch after dinner, the grandmother sat down beside her for a 
 few minutes and closed her eyes, then she got up again as 
 lively as ever, and trotted off into the dining-room. No one 
 was there. "She is asleep, I suppose," she said to herself, and 
 then going up to Fraulein Rottenmeier' s room she gave a loud 
 knock at the door. She waited a few minutes and then Fraulein 
 Rottenmeier opened the door and drew back in surprise at this 
 unexpected visit. 
 
 [ 161 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 "Where is the child, and what is she doing all this time? 
 That is what I came to ask," said Frau Sesemann. 
 
 " She is sitting in her room, where she could well employ her- 
 self if she had the least idea of making herself useful; but you 
 have no idea, Frau Sesemann, of the out-of-the-way things this 
 child imagines and does, things which I could hardly repeat in 
 good society." 
 
 "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 I 
 did, in good society! Go and fetch the child and bring her to 
 my room; I have some pretty books with me that I should like 
 to give her." 
 
 "That is just the misfortune," said Fraulein Rottenmeier 
 with a despairing gesture, "what use are books to her? She has 
 not been able to learn her ABC even, all the long time she has 
 been here; it is quite impossible to get the least idea of it into 
 her head, and that the tutor himself will tell you; if he had not 
 the patience of an angel he would have given up teaching her 
 long ago." 
 
 "That is very strange," said Frau Sesemann, "she does not 
 look to me like a child who would be unable to learn her 
 alphabet. However, bring her now to me, she can at least 
 amuse herself with the pictures in the books." 
 
 Fraulein Rottenmeier was prepared with some further re- 
 marks, but the grandmother had turned away and gone quickly 
 towards her own room. She was surprised at what she had been 
 told about Heidi's incapacity for learning, and determined to 
 find out more concerning this matter, not by inquiries from the 
 tutor, however, although she esteemed him highly for his up- 
 
 [162] 
 
ANOTHER GRANDMOTHER 
 
 Tightness of character; she had always a friendly greeting for 
 him, but always avoided being drawn into conversation with 
 him, for she found his style of talk somewhat wearisome. 
 
 Heidi now appeared and gazed with open-eyed delight and 
 wonder at the beautiful colored pictures in the books which the 
 grandmother gave her to look at. All of a sudden, as the latter 
 turned over one of the pages to a fresh picture, the child gave a 
 cry. 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 green 
 pasture, full of young animals, some grazing and others nib- 
 bling at the shrubs. In the middle was a shepherd leaning upon 
 his staff and looking on at his happy flock. The whole scene was 
 bathed in golden light, for the sun was just sinking below the 
 horizon. 
 
 The grandmother laid her hand kindly on Heidi's. "Don't 
 cry, dear child, don't cry," she said, "the picture has reminded 
 you perhaps of something. But see, there is a beautiful tale to 
 the picture which I will tell you this evening. And there are 
 other nice tales of all kinds to read and to tell again. But now 
 we must have a little talk together, so dry your tears and come 
 and stand in front of me, so that I may see you well — there, 
 now we are happy again." 
 
 But it was some little time before Heidi could overcome her 
 sobs. The grandmother gave her time to recover herself, saying 
 cheering 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 
 
 [163] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 getting on in your school-time; do you like your lessons, and 
 have you learnt a great deal?" 
 
 "Oh no!" replied Heidi, sighing, "but I knew beforehand 
 that it was 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 
 and tried and could not learn it." 
 
 "Peter must be a very odd boy then! But listen, Heidi, 
 we must not always go by what Peter says, we must try for 
 ourselves. I am certain that you did not give all your at- 
 tention to the tutor when he was trying to teach you your 
 letters." 
 
 "It's of no use," said Heidi in the tone of one who was ready 
 to endure what could not be cured. 
 
 "Listen to what I have to say," continued the grandmother. 
 "You have not been able to learn your alphabet because you 
 believed what Peter said ; but now you must believe what I tell 
 you — and I tell you that you can learn to read in a very little 
 while, as many other children do, who are made like you and 
 not like Peter. And now hear what comes after — you see that 
 picture with the shepherd and the animals — well, as soon as you 
 are able to read you shall have that book for your own, and 
 then you will know all about the sheep and the goats, and what 
 the shepherd did, and the wonderful things that happened to 
 him, just as if some one were telling you the whole tale. You 
 will like to hear about all that, won't you?" 
 
 Heidi had listened with eager attention to the grandmother's 
 
 [ 164 ] 
 
ANOTHER GRANDMOTHER 
 
 words and now with a sigh exclaimed, "Oh, if only I could read 
 
 ■ r 
 
 now! 
 
 "It won't take you long now to learn, that I can see; and 
 now we must go down to Clara; bring the books with you." 
 And hand in hand the two returned to the study. 
 
 Since the day when Heidi had so longed to go home, and 
 Fraulein Rottenmeier had met her and scolded her on the 
 steps, and told her how wicked and ungrateful she was to try 
 and run away, and what a good thing it was that Herr Sese- 
 mann knew nothing about it, a change had come over the 
 child. She had at last understood that day that she could not 
 go home when she wished, as Dete had told her, but that she 
 would have to stay on in Frankfurt for a long, long time, per- 
 haps for ever. She had also understood that Herr Sesemann 
 would think it ungrateful of her if she wished to leave, and she 
 believed that the grandmother and Clara would think the 
 same. So there was nobody to whom she dared confide her 
 longing to go home, for she would not for the world have given 
 the grandmother, who was so kind to her, any reason for being 
 as angry with her as Fraulein Rottenmeier had been. But the 
 weight of trouble on the little heart grew heavier and heavier; 
 she could no longer eat her food, and every day she grew a little 
 paler. She lay awake for long hours at night, for as soon as she 
 was alone and everything was still around her, the picture of 
 the mountain with its sunshine and flowers rose vividly before 
 her eyes; and when at last she fell asleep it was to dream of the 
 rocks and the snowfield turning crimson in the evening light, 
 and waking in the morning she would think herself back at the 
 hut and prepare to run joyfully out into the sun — and then — 
 
 [ 165 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 there was her large bed, and here she was in Frankfurt far, far 
 away from home. And Heidi would often lay her face down on 
 the pillow and weep long and quietly so that no one might hear 
 her. 
 
 Heidi's unhappiness did not escape the grandmother's notice. 
 She let some days go by to see if the child grew brighter and 
 lost her downcast appearance. But as matters did not mend, 
 and she saw that many mornings Heidi had evidently been cry- 
 ing before she came downstairs, she took her again into her 
 room one day, and drawing the child to her said, " Now tell me, 
 Heidi, what is the matter; are you in trouble?" 
 
 But Heidi, afraid if she told the truth that the grandmother 
 would think her ungrateful, and would then leave off being so 
 kind to her, answered, "I can't tell you." 
 
 "Well, could you tell Clara about it?" 
 
 "Oh, no, I cannot tell any one," said Heidi in so positive a 
 tone, and with a look of such trouble on her face, that the 
 grandmother felt full of pity for the child. 
 
 "Then, dear child, let me tell you what to do: you know that 
 when we are in great trouble, and cannot speak about it to any- 
 body, we must turn to God and pray Him to help, for He can 
 deliver us from every care that oppresses us. You under- 
 stand that, do you not? You say your prayers every eve- 
 ning to the dear God in Heaven, and thank Him for all He 
 has done for you, and pray Him to keep you from all evil, do 
 vou not?" 
 
 "No, I never say any prayers," answered Heidi. 
 
 "Have you never been taught to pray, Heidi? do you not 
 
 know even what it means?" 
 
 [166] 
 
ANOTHER GRANDMOTHER 
 
 "I used to say prayers with the first grandmother, but that is 
 a long time ago, and I have forgotten them." 
 
 "That is the reason, Heidi, that you are so unhappy, because 
 you know no one who can help you. Think what a comfort it is 
 when the heart is heavy with grief to be able at any moment to 
 go and tell everything to God, and pray Him for the help that 
 no one else can give us. And He can help us and give us every- 
 thing that will make us happy again." 
 
 A sudden gleam of joy came into Heidi's eyes. "May I 
 tell Him everything, everything?" 
 
 "Yes, everything, Heidi, everything." 
 
 Heidi drew her hand away, which the grandmother was 
 holding affectionately between her own, and said quickly, 
 "May I go?" 
 
 "Yes, of course," was the answer, and Heidi ran out of the 
 room into her own, and sitting herself on a stool, folded her 
 hands together and told God about everything that was mak- 
 ing her so sad and unhappy, and begged Him earnestly to help 
 her and to let her go home to her grandfather. 
 
 It was about a week after this that the tutor asked Frau 
 Sesemann's permission for an interview with her, as he wished 
 to inform her of a remarkable thing that had come to pass. So 
 she invited him to her room, and as he entered she held out her 
 hand in greeting, and pushed a chair towards him. "I am 
 pleased to see you," she said, "pray sit down and tell me what 
 brings you here; nothing bad, no complaints, I hope?" 
 
 "Quite the reverse," began the tutor. "Something has hap- 
 pened that I had given up hoping for, and which no one, know- 
 ing what has gone before, could have guessed, for, according to 
 
 [167] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 all expectations, that which has taken place could only be 
 looked upon as a miracle, and yet it really has come to pass and 
 in the most extraordinary manner, quite contrary to all that 
 one could anticipate — " 
 
 "Has the child Heidi really learnt to read at last?" put in 
 Frau Sesemann. 
 
 The tutor looked at the lady in speechless astonishment. At 
 last he spoke again. " It is indeed truly marvelous, not only be- 
 cause she never seemed able to learn her ABC, even after all 
 my full explanations, and after spending unusual pains upon 
 her, but because now she has learnt it so rapidly, just after I 
 had made up my mind to make no further attempts at the im- 
 possible but to put the letters as they were before her without 
 any dissertation on their origin and meaning, and now she has 
 as you might say learnt her letters over night, and started at 
 once to read correctly, quite unlike most beginners. And it is 
 almost as astonishing to me that you should have guessed such 
 an unlikely thing." 
 
 "Many unlikely things happen in life," said Frau Sesemann 
 with a pleased smile. "Two things coming together may pro- 
 duce a happy result, as, for instance, a fresh zeal for learning 
 and a new method of teaching, and neither does any harm. We 
 can but rejoice that the child has made such a good start and 
 hope for her future progress." 
 
 After parting with the tutor she went down to the study to 
 make sure of the good news. There, sure enough, was Heidi, 
 sitting beside Clara and reading aloud to her, evidently herself 
 very much surprised, and growing more and more delighted 
 with the new world that was now open to her as the black let- 
 
 [168] 
 
ANOTHER GRANDMOTHER 
 
 ters grew alive and turned into men and things and exciting 
 stories. That same evening Heidi found the large book with the 
 beautiful pictures lying on her plate when she took her place at 
 table, and when she looked questioningly at the grandmother, the 
 latter nodded kindly 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 forever," the grandmother assured 
 her. "To-morrow we will begin to read it." 
 
 "But you are not going home yet, Heidi, not for years," put 
 in Clara. "When grandmother goes away, I shall want you to 
 stay on with me." 
 
 When Heidi went to her room that night she had another 
 look at her book before going to bed, and from that day forth 
 her chief pleasure was to read the tales which belonged to the 
 beautiful pictures over and over again. If the grandmother 
 said, as they were sitting together in the evening, "Now Heidi 
 will read aloud to us," Heidi was delighted, for reading was no 
 trouble to her now, and when she read the tales aloud the scenes 
 seemed to grow more beautiful and distinct, and then grand- 
 mother would explain and tell her more about them still. 
 
 Still the picture she liked best was the one of the shepherd 
 leaning on his staff with his flock around him in the midst of the 
 green pasture, for he was now at home and happy, following his 
 father's sheep and goats. Then came the picture where he was 
 seen far away from his father's house, obliged to look after the 
 swine, and he had grown pale and thin from the husks which 
 were all he had to eat. Even the sun seemed here to be less 
 bright and everything looked gray and misty. But there was 
 
 [ 169 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 the third picture still to this tale : here was the old father with 
 outstretched arms running to meet and embrace his returning 
 and repentant son, who was advancing timidly, worn out and 
 emaciated and clad in a ragged coat. That was Heidi's favorite 
 tale, which she read over and over again, aloud and to herself, 
 and she was never tired of hearing the grandmother explain it 
 to her and Clara. But there were other tales in the book be- 
 sides, and what with reading and looking at the pictures the 
 days passed quickly away, and the time drew near for the 
 grandmother to return home. 
 
 [170] 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 
 HEIDI GAINS IN ONE WAY AND LOSES IN 
 ANOTHER 
 
 EVERY afternoon during her visit the grandmother went 
 and sat down for a few minutes beside Clara after 
 dinner, when the latter was resting, and Fraulein Rot- 
 tenmeier, probably for the same reason, had disappeared inside 
 her room ; but five minutes sufficed her, and then she was up 
 again, and Heidi was sent for to her room, and there she would 
 talk to the child and employ and amuse her in all sorts of ways. 
 The grandmother had a lot of pretty dolls, and she showed 
 Heidi how to make dresses and pinafores for them, so that 
 Heidi learnt how to sew and to make all sorts of beautiful 
 clothes for the little people out of a wonderful collection of 
 pieces that grandmother had by her of every describable and 
 lovely color. And then grandmother liked to hear her read 
 aloud, and the oftener Heidi read her tales the fonder she grew 
 of them. She entered into the lives of all the people she read 
 about so that they became like dear friends to her, and it de- 
 lighted her more and more to be with them. But still Heidi 
 never looked really happy, and her bright eyes were no longer 
 to be seen. It was the last week of the grandmother's visit. 
 She called Heidi into her room as usual one day after dinner, 
 and the child came with her book under her arm. The grand- 
 mother called her to come close, and then laying the book aside, 
 
 [ 173 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 said, "Now, child, tell me why you are not happy? Have you 
 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 
 and that you may be happy again?" 
 
 "No, I have left off praying." 
 
 "Do not tell me that, Heidi! Why have you left off pray- 
 mg? 
 
 "It is of no use, God does not listen," Heidi went on in an 
 agitated voice, "and I can understand that when there are so 
 many, many people in Frankfurt praying to Him every even- 
 ing that He cannot attend to them all, and He certainly has 
 not heard what 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. God is a good father to us all, and knows better than we 
 do what is good for us. If we ask Him for something that is 
 not good for us, He does not give it, but something better still, 
 if only we will continue to pray earnestly and do not run away 
 and lose our trust in Him. God did not think what you have 
 been praying for was good for you just now; but be sure He 
 heard you, for He can hear and see every one at the same time, 
 because He is a God and not a human being like you and me. 
 And because He thought it was better for you not to have at 
 once what you wanted, He said to Himself: Yes, Heidi shall 
 
 [ 174 ] 
 
GAINS AND LOSES 
 
 have what she asks for, but not until the right time comes, so 
 that she may be quite happy. If I do what she wants now, and 
 then one day she sees that it would have been better for her 
 not to have had her own way, she will cry and say, 'If only God 
 had not given me what I asked for! it is not so good as I ex- 
 pected ! ' And while God is watching over you, and looking to 
 see if you will trust Him and go on praying to Him every day, 
 and turn to Him for everything you want, you run away and 
 leave off saying your prayers, and forget all about Him. And 
 when God no longer hears the voice of one He knew among 
 those who pray to Him, He lets that person go his own way, 
 that he may learn how foolish he is. And then this one gets 
 into trouble, and cries, 'Save me, God, for there is none other 
 to help me,' and God says, 'Why did you go from Me; I could 
 not help you when you ran 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 ask Him to forgive you, and con- 
 tinue to pray and to trust Him, for you may be sure that He 
 will make everything right and happy for you, and then you 
 will be glad and lighthearted again." 
 
 Heidi had perfect confidence in the grandmother, and every 
 word she said sunk into her heart. 
 
 "I will go at once and ask God to forgive me, and I will never 
 forget 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 
 good time." 
 
 And Heidi ran away and prayed that she might always re- 
 member God, and that He would go on thinking about her. 
 
 [ 175 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 The day came for grandmother's departure — a sad one for 
 Clara and Heidi. But the grandmother was determined to 
 make it as much like a holiday as possible and not to let them 
 mope, and she kept them so lively and amused that they had 
 no time to think about their sorrow at her going until she really 
 drove away. Then the house seemed so silent and empty that 
 Heidi and Clara did not know what to do with themselves, and 
 sat during the remainder of the day like two lost children. 
 
 The next day, when the hour came for Clara and Heidi to be 
 together, the latter walked in with her book and proposed that 
 she should go on reading aloud every afternoon to Clara, if the 
 latter liked it. Clara agreed, and thought anyhow it would be 
 nice for that day, so Heidi began with her usual enthusiasm. 
 But the reading did not last long, for Heidi had hardly begun 
 a tale about a dying grandmother before she cried out, "O! 
 then grandmother is dead!" and burst into tears; for every- 
 thing she read was so real to her that she quite thought it was 
 the grandmother at home who had died, and she kept on ex- 
 claiming as her sobs increased, "She is dead, and I shall never 
 see her again, and she never had one of the white rolls!" 
 
 Clara did all she could to explain to Heidi that the story was 
 about quite a different grandmother; but even when at last she 
 had been able to convince Heidi of this, the latter continued to 
 weep inconsolably, for now she had awakened to the thought 
 that perhaps the grandmother, and even the grandfather also, 
 might die while she was so far away, and that if she did not go 
 home for a long time she would find everything there all silent 
 and dead, and there she would be all alone, and would never be 
 able to see the dear ones she loved any more. 
 
 [176] 
 
GAINS AND LOSES 
 
 Fraulein Rottenmeier had meanwhile come into the room, 
 and Clara explained to her what had happened. As Heidi con- 
 tinued her weeping, the lady, who was evidently getting im- 
 patient with her, went up to Heidi and said with decision, 
 "Now, Adelaide, that is enough of all this causeless lamenta- 
 tion. I will tell you once for all, if there are any more scenes 
 like this while you are reading, I shall take the book away from 
 you and shall not let you have it again. " 
 
 Her words had immediate effect on Heidi, who turned pale 
 with fear. The book was her one great treasure. She quickly 
 dried her tears and swallowed her sobs as best she could, so 
 that no further 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, so that Clara would look at her and say, 
 
 "What faces you are making, Heidi, I never saw anything 
 like it!" But the faces made no noise and did not offend Frau- 
 lein Rottenmeier, and Heidi, having overcome her fit of des- 
 pairing misery, would go quietly on for a while, and no one per- 
 ceived her sorrow. But she lost all her appetite, and looked so 
 pale and thin that Sebastian was quite unhappy when he 
 looked at her, and could not bear to see her refusing all the 
 nice dishes hehanded her. 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, Heidi hardly ate anything at all, and as soon as 
 she laid her head down at night the picture of home would rise 
 before her eyes, and she would weep, burying her face in the 
 pillow that her crying might not be heard. 
 
 [ 177 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 And so many weeks passed away. Heidi did not know if it 
 was winter or summer, for the walls and windows she looked 
 out upon showed no change, and she never went beyond the 
 house except on rare occasions, when Clara was well enough to 
 drive out, and then they only went a very little way, as Clara 
 could not bear the movement for long. So that on these 
 occasions they generally only saw more fine streets and large 
 houses and crowds of people; they seldom got anywhere be- 
 yond them, and grass and flowers, fir trees and mountains, were 
 still far away. Heidi's longing for the old familiar and beauti- 
 ful things grew daily stronger, so that now only to read a word 
 that recalled them to her remembrance brought her to the 
 verge of tears, which with difficulty she suppressed. So the 
 autumn and winter passed, and again the sun came shining 
 down on the white walls of the opposite houses, and Heidi 
 would think to herself that now the time had come for Peter to 
 go out again with the goats, to where the golden flowers of the 
 cistus were glowing in the sunlight, and all the rocks around 
 turned to fire at sunset. Heidi would go and sit in a corner of 
 her lonely room and put her hands up to her eyes that she 
 might not see the sun shining on the opposite wall; and then she 
 would remain without moving, battling silently with her ter- 
 rible home-sickness until Clara sent for her again. 
 
 [178] 
 
CHAPTER XII 
 A GHOST IN THE HOUSE 
 
 FOR some days past Fraulein Rottenmeier had gone 
 about rather silently and as if lost in thought. As twi- 
 light fell, and she passed from room to room, or along 
 the long corridors, she was seen to look cautiously behind her, 
 and into the dark corners, as if she thought some one was com- 
 ing silently behind her and might unexpectedly give her dress 
 a pull. Nor would she now go alone into some parts of the 
 house. If she visited the upper floor where the grand guest- 
 chambers were, or had to go down into the large mysterious 
 council-chamber, where every footstep echoed, and the old 
 senators with their big white collars looked down so solemnly 
 and immovably from their frames, she regularly called Tinette 
 to accompany her, in case, as she said, there might be some- 
 thing to carry up or down. Tinette on her side did exactly the 
 same; if she had business upstairs or down, she called Sebastian 
 to accompany her, and there was always something he must 
 help her with which she could not carry alone. More curious 
 still, Sebastian, also, if sent into one of the more distant rooms, 
 always called John to go with him in case he should want his 
 assistance in bringing what was required. And John readily 
 obeyed, although there was never anything to carry, and either 
 might well have gone alone; but he did not know how soon he 
 might want to ask Sebastian to do the same service for him. 
 And while these things were going on upstairs, the cook, who 
 
 [ 181 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 had been in the house for years, would stand shaking her head 
 over her pots and kettles, and sighing, "That ever I should live 
 to know such a thing." 
 
 For something very strange and mysterious was going on in 
 Herr Sesemann's house. Every morning, when the servants 
 went downstairs, they found the front door wide open, although 
 nobody could be seen far or near to account for it. During the 
 first few days that this happened every room and corner was 
 searched in great alarm, to see if anything had been stolen, for 
 the general idea was that a thief had been hiding in the house 
 and had gone off in the night with the stolen goods; but not a 
 thing in the house had been touched, everything was safe in its 
 place. The door was doubly locked at night, and for further 
 security the wooden bar was fastened across it; but it was no 
 good — next morning the door again stood open. The servants 
 in their fear and excitement got up extra early, but not so 
 early but what the door had been opened before they got down- 
 stairs, although everything and everybody around were still 
 wrapped in slumber, and the doors and windows of the ad- 
 joining houses all fast shut. At last, after a great deal of persua- 
 sion from Fraulein Rottenmeier, Sebastian and John plucked 
 up courage and agreed to sit up one night in the room next 
 to the large council-chamber and to watch and see what would 
 happen. Fraulein Rottenmeier looked up several weapons be- 
 longing to the master, and gave these and a bottle of spirits to 
 Sebastian, so that their courage might not faint if it came to a 
 fight. 
 
 On the appointed night the two sat down and began at once 
 to take some of the strengthening cordial, which at first 
 
 [182] 
 
A GHOST IN THE HOUSE 
 
 made them very talkative and then very sleepy, so that they 
 leaned back in their seats and became silent. As midnight 
 struck, Sebastian roused himself and called to his companion, 
 who, however, was not easy to wake, and kept rolling his head 
 first to one side and then the other and continuing to sleep. 
 Sebastian began to listen more attentively, for he was wide 
 awake now. Everything was still as a mouse, all sound had 
 died away from the streets even. He did not feel inclined to go 
 to sleep again, for the stillness was ghostly to him, and he was 
 afraid now to raise his voice to rouse John, so he shook him 
 gently to make him stir. At last, as one struck, John woke up, 
 and came back to the consciousness of why he was sitting in a 
 chair instead of lying in his bed. He now got up with a great 
 show of courage and said, " Come, Sebastain, we must go out- 
 side 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 
 open front door and put out the light which John held in his 
 hand. He started back, almost overturning Sebastian, whom 
 he clutched and pulled back into the room, and then shutting 
 the door quickly he turned the key as far as he could make it 
 go. Then he pulled out his matches and lighted his candle 
 again. Sebastian, in the suddenness of the affair, did not know 
 exactly what had happened, for he had not seen the open door 
 or felt the breeze behind John's broad figure. But now, as he 
 saw the latter in the light, he gave a cry of alarm, for John was 
 trembling all over and as white as a ghost. " What's the matter? 
 What did you see outside?" asked Sebastian sympathetically. 
 
 [183] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 "The door partly open," gasped John, "and a white figure 
 standing at the top of the steps — there it stood, and then all in 
 a minute it disappeared." 
 
 Sebastian felt his blood run cold. The two sat down close 
 to one another and did not dare move again till the morning 
 broke and the streets began to be alive again. Then they left 
 the room together, shut the front door, and went upstairs to 
 tell Fraulein Rottenmeier of their experience. She was quite 
 ready to receive them, for she had not been able to sleep at all 
 in the anxiety of waiting to hear their report. They had no 
 sooner given her details of the night's experience than she sat 
 down and wrote straight off to Herr Sesemann, who had never 
 received such a letter before in his life. She could hardly write, she 
 told him, for her fingers were stiff with fear, and Herr Sesemann 
 must please arrange to come back at once, for dreadful and 
 unaccountable things were taking place at home. Then she 
 entered into particulars of all that had happened, of how the 
 door was found standing open every morning, and how nobody 
 in the house now felt sure of their life in this unprotected state 
 of things, and how it was impossible to tell what terrible results 
 might follow on these mysterious doings. 
 
 Herr Sesemann answered that it was quite impossible for 
 him to arrange to leave his business and return home at once. 
 He was very much astonished at this ghost tale, but hoped by 
 this time the ghost had disappeared. If, however, it still con- 
 tinued to disturb the household, would Fraulein Rottenmeier 
 write to the grandmother 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 so that it would not venture again to haunt his 
 
 [ 184 ] 
 
A GHOST IN THE HOUSE 
 
 house. Fraulein Rottenmeier was not pleased with the tone of 
 this letter; she did not think the matter was treated seriously 
 enough. She wrote off without delay to Frau Sesemann, but 
 got no more satisfactory reply from that quarter, and some 
 remarks in the letter she considered were quite offensive. Frau 
 Sesemann wrote that she did not feel inclined to take the jour- 
 ney again from Holstein to Frankfurt because Rottenmeier 
 fancied she saw ghosts. There had never been a ghost in the 
 house since she had known it, and if there was one now it must 
 be a live one, with which Rottenmeier ought to be able to deal ; 
 if not she had better send for the watchman to help her. 
 
 Fraulein Rottenmeier, however, was determined not to pass 
 any more days in a state of fear, and she knew the right course 
 to pursue. She had as yet said nothing to the children of the 
 ghostly apparitions, for she knew if she did that the children 
 would not remain alone for a single moment, and that might 
 entail discomfort for herself. But now she walked straight off 
 into the study, and there, in a low, mysterious voice, told the two 
 children everything that had taken place. Clara immediately 
 screamed out that she could not remain another minute alone, 
 her father must come home, and Fraulein Rottenmeier must 
 sleep in her room at night, and Heidi too must not be left by 
 herself, for the ghost might do something to her. She insisted 
 that they should all sleep together in one room and keep a light 
 burning all night, and Tinette had better be in the next room, 
 and Sebastian and John come upstairs and spend the night in 
 the hall, so that they might call out and frighten the ghost the 
 instant they saw it appear on the steps. Clara, in short, grew 
 very excited, and Fraulein Rottenmeier had great difficulty in 
 
 [ 185 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 quieting her. She promised to write at once to her father, and 
 to have her bed put in her room, and not to be left alone for a 
 moment. They could not all sleep in the same room, but if 
 Heidi was frightened, why Tinette must go into her room. 
 But Heidi was far more frightened of Tinette than of ghosts, of 
 which the child had never before heard, so she assured the 
 others she did not mind the ghost, and would rather be alone 
 at night. 
 
 Fraulein Rottenmeier now sat down to write another letter 
 to Herr Sesemann, stating that these unaccountable things that 
 were going on in the house had so affected his daughter's deli- 
 cate constitution that the worst consequences might be ex- 
 pected. Epileptic fits and St. Vitus's dance often came on sud- 
 denly in cases like this, and Clara was liable to be attacked by 
 either if the cause of the general alarm was not removed. 
 
 The letter was successful, and two days later Herr Sesemann 
 stood at his front door and rang the bell in such a manner that 
 everybody came rushing from all parts of the house and stood 
 looking affrighted at everybody else, convinced that the ghost 
 was impudently beginning its evil tricks in daylight. Sebastian 
 peeped cautiously through a half -closed shutter; as he did so 
 there came another violent ring at the bell, which it was impos- 
 sible to mistake for anything but a very hard pull from a non- 
 ghostly hand. And Sebastian recognized whose hand it was, 
 and rushing pell-mell out of the room, fell heels over head 
 downstairs, but picked himself up at the bottom and flung 
 open the street door. Herr Sesemann greeted him abruptly and 
 went up without a moment's delay into his daughter's room. 
 Clara greeted him with a cry of joy, and seeing her so lively and 
 
 [ 186"] 
 
A GHOST IN THE HOUSE 
 
 apparently as well as ever, his face cleared, and the frown of 
 anxiety passed gradually away from it as he heard from his 
 daughter's own lips that she had nothing the matter with her, 
 and moreover was so 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 not 
 laugh yourself to-morrow morning, Herr Sesemann; what is 
 going on in the house points to some terrible thing that has 
 taken place 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 
 worthy ancestors. 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 
 Fraulein Rottenmeier were not on the best of terms, and he had 
 his ideas about this scare. 
 
 "Come here, lad," he said as Sebastian appeared, "and tell 
 me frankly — have you been playing at ghosts to amuse yourself 
 at Fraulein Rottenmeier' s expense?" 
 
 "No, on my honor, sir; pray, do not think it; I am very 
 uncomfortable about the matter myself," answered Sebastian 
 with unmistakable truthfulness. 
 
 "Well, if that is so, I will show you and John to-morrow 
 morning how ghosts look in the daylight. You ought to be 
 ashamed of yourself, Sebastian, a great strong lad like you, to 
 run away from a ghost! But now go and take a message to my 
 
 [187] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 old friend the doctor; give him my kind regards, and ask him 
 if he will come to me to-night at nine o'clock without fail; I 
 have come by express from Paris to consult him. I shall want 
 him to spend the night here, so bad a case is it; so he will 
 arrange accordingly. You understand?" 
 
 "Yes, sir," replied Sebastian, "I will see to the matter as you 
 wish." Then Herr Sesemann returned to Clara, and begged her 
 to have no more fear, as he would soon find out all about the 
 ghost and put an end to it. 
 
 Punctually at nine o'clock, after the children had gone to bed 
 and Fraulein Rottenmeier had retired, the doctor arrived. He 
 was a gray-haired man with a fresh face, and two bright, 
 kindly eyes. He looked anxious as he walked in, but, on catch- 
 ing sight of his patient, burst out laughing and clapped him on 
 the shoulder. "Well," he said, "you look pretty bad for a per- 
 son that I am to sit up with all night." 
 
 "Patience, friend," answered Herr Sesemann, "the one you 
 have to sit up for will look a good deal worse when we have 
 once caught him." 
 
 " So there is a sick person in the house, and one that has first 
 to be caught?" 
 
 "Much worse than that, doctor! a ghost in the house! My 
 house is haunted!" 
 
 The doctor laughed aloud. 
 
 "That's a nice way of showing sympathy, doctor!" con- 
 tinued Herr Sesemann. "It's a pity my friend Rottenmeier 
 cannot hear you. She is firmly convinced that some old mem- 
 ber of the family is wandering about the house doing penance 
 
 for some awful crime he committed." 
 
 [188] 
 
A GHOST IN THE HOUSE 
 
 "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 
 nightly opened by somebody, according to the testimony of the 
 combined household, and he had therefore provided two loaded 
 revolvers, so as to be prepared for anything that happened; for 
 either the whole thing was a joke got up by some friend of the 
 servants, just to alarm the household while he was away — and 
 in that case a pistol fired into the air would procure him a 
 wholesome fright — or else it was a thief, who, by leading every- 
 body at first to think there was a ghost, made it safe for himself 
 when he came later to steal, as no one would venture to run out 
 if they heard him, 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 in which Sebastian and John had kept watch. A bottle 
 of wine was placed on the table, for a little refreshment would 
 be welcome from time to time if the night was to be passed 
 sitting up. Beside it lay the two revolvers, and two good-sized 
 candles had also been lighted, for Herr Sesemann was deter- 
 mined not to wait for ghosts in any half light. 
 
 The door was shut close to prevent the light being seen in the 
 hall outside, which might frighten away the ghost. And now 
 the two gentlemen sat comfortably back in the arm-chairs and 
 began talking of all sorts of things, now and then pausing to 
 take a good draught of wine, and so twelve o'clock struck be- 
 fore they were aware. 
 
 "The ghost has got scent of us and is keeping away to-night," 
 said the doctor. 
 
 [189] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 "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 a sound about the house, nor in the street outside. Sud- 
 denly the doctor lifted his finger. 
 
 "Hush! Sesemann, don't you hear something?" 
 
 They both listened, and they distinctly heard the bar softly 
 pushed aside and then the key turned in the lock and the door 
 opened. 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, 
 and seizing one of the lights in his other hand, he followed the 
 doctor, who, armed in like manner with a light and a revolver, 
 went softly on in front. They stepped into the hall. The moon- 
 light was shining in through the open door and fell on a white 
 figure standing motionless in the doorway. 
 
 " Who is there? " thundered the doctor in a voice that echoed 
 through the hall, as the two men advanced with lights and 
 weapons towards the figure. 
 
 It turned and gave a low cry. There in her little white night- 
 gown stood Heidi, with bare feet, staring with wild eyes at the 
 lights and the revolvers, and trembling from head to foot like a 
 leaf in the wind. The two men looked at one another in surprise. 
 'Why, I believe it is your little water-carrier, Sesemann," 
 said the doctor. 
 
 " Child, what does this mean? " said Herr Sesemann. " What 
 did you want? why did you come down here?" 
 
 White with terror, and hardly able to make her voice heard, 
 Heidi answered, "I don't know." 
 
 [190] 
 
©DM?K 
 
 The moonlight was shining in through the open door and fell on a 
 white figure standing motionless in the doorway. (Page 190) 
 
A GHOST IN THE HOUSE 
 
 But now the doctor stepped forward. "This is a matter for 
 me to see to, Sesemann ; go back to your chair. I must take the 
 child upstairs to her bed." 
 
 And with that he put down his revolver and gently taking 
 the child by the hand led her upstairs. "Don't be frightened," 
 he said as they went up side by side, "it's nothing to be 
 frightened about; it's all right, only just go quietly." 
 
 On reaching Heidi's room the doctor put the candle down on 
 the table, and taking Heidi up in his arms laid her on the bed 
 and carefully covered her over. Then he sat down beside her 
 and waited until Heidi had grown quieter and no longer trem- 
 bled so violently. He took her hand and said in a kind, soothing 
 voice, "There, now you feel better, and now tell me where you 
 were wanting to go to?" 
 
 "I did not want to go anywhere," said Heidi. "I did not 
 know I went downstairs, but all at once I was there." 
 
 "I see, and had you been dreaming, so that you seemed to see 
 and hear something very distinctly?" 
 
 "Yes, I dream every night, and always about the same 
 things. I think I am back with the grandfather and I hear the 
 sound in the fir trees outside, and I see the stars shining so 
 brightly, and then I open the door quickly and run out, and it is 
 all so beautiful! But when I wake I am still in Frankfurt." 
 And Heidi struggled as she spoke to keep back the sobs which 
 seemed to choke 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 on 
 me here." 
 
 [191] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 "As if you had eaten something that would not go down." 
 
 "No, not like that; something heavy as if I wanted to cry 
 very much." 
 
 "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 no 
 further; the remembrance of the past, the excitement she had 
 just gone through, the long suppressed weeping, were too much 
 for the child's strength; the tears began to fall fast, and she 
 broke into 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 to sleep; it will be all right to-morrow." 
 
 Then he left the room and went downstairs to Herr Sese- 
 mann; when he was once more sitting in the arm-chair opposite 
 his friend, "Sesemann," he said, "let me first tell you that 
 your little charge is a sleep-walker; she is the ghost who has 
 nightly opened the front door and put your household into this 
 fever of alarm. Secondly, the child is consumed with home- 
 sickness, to such an extent that she is nearly a skeleton already, 
 and soon will be quite one; something must be done at once. 
 For the first trouble, due to her over-excited nerves, there is but 
 
 [192] 
 
A GHOST IN THE HOUSE 
 
 one remedy, to send her back to her native mountain air; and 
 for the second trouble there is also but one cure, and that the 
 same. So to-morrow the child must start for home; there you 
 have my prescription." 
 
 Herr Sesemann had arisen and now paced up and down the 
 room in the 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 place in my house and no one seen or known anything 
 about it! And you mean, doctor, that the child who came here 
 happy and healthy, I am to send back to her grandfather a 
 miserable little skeleton? I can't do it; you cannot dream of 
 my doing such a thing! Take the child in hand, do with her 
 what you will, and make her whole and sound, and then she 
 shall go home; but you must do something first." 
 
 "Sesemann," replied the doctor, "consider what you are 
 doing! This illness of the child's is not one to be cured with pills 
 and powders. The child has not a tough constitution, but if 
 you send 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 
 to him. 
 
 "If you put it so, doctor, there is assuredly only one way — 
 and the thing must be seen to at once." And then he and the 
 doctor walked up and down for a while arranging what to do, 
 after which the doctor said good-bye, for some time had passed 
 since they first sat down together, and as the master himself 
 opened the hall door this time the morning light shone down 
 through it into the house. 
 
 [193] 
 
CHAPTER XIII 
 A SUMMER EVENING ON THE MOUNTAIN 
 
 HERR SESEMANN, a good deal irritated and excited, 
 went quickly upstairs and along the passage to Frau- 
 lein Rottenmeier's room, and there gave such an 
 unusually loud knock at the door that the lady awoke from 
 sleep with a cry of alarm. She heard the master of the house 
 calling to her from the other side of the door, "Please make 
 haste and come down to me in the dining-room; we must make 
 ready for a journey at once." Fraulein Rottenmeier looked at 
 her clock; it was just half -past four; she had never got up so 
 early before in her life. What could have happened? What 
 with her curiosity and excitement she took hold of everything 
 the wrong way, and it was a case with her of more haste less 
 speed, for she kept on searching everywhere for garments 
 which she had already put on. 
 
 Meanwhile Herr Sesemann had gone on farther and rung the 
 bells in turn which communicated with the several servants' 
 rooms, causing frightened figures to leap out of bed, convinced 
 that the ghost had attacked the master and that he was calling 
 for help. One by one they made their appearance in the dining- 
 room, each with a more terrified face than the last, and were 
 astonished to see 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 carriage ready; Tinette was ordered to wake 
 
 [ 197 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 Heidi and get her dressed for a journey; Sebastian was hurried 
 off to the house where Dete was in service to bring the latter 
 round. Then Fraulein Rottenmeier, having at last accom- 
 plished her toilet, came down, with everything well adjusted 
 about her except her cap, which was put on hind side before. 
 Herr Sesemann put down her flurried appearance to the early 
 awakening he had caused her, and began without delay to give 
 her directions. She was to get out a trunk at 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 child might take 
 home proper apparel; but everything was to be done immedi- 
 ately, as there was no time for consideration. 
 
 Fraulein Rottenmeier stobd as if rooted to the spot and 
 stared in astonishment at Herr Sesemann. She had quite ex- 
 pected a long and private account of some terrible ghostly 
 experience of his during the night, which she would have 
 enjoyed hearing about in the broad daylight. Instead of this 
 there were these prosaic and troublesome directions, which 
 were so unexpected that she took some time to get over her 
 surprise and disappointment, and continued standing await- 
 ing further explanation. 
 
 But Herr Sesemann had no thought or time for explanations 
 and left her standing there while he went to speak to Clara. 
 As he anticipated, the unusual commotion in the house had 
 disturbed her, and she was lying and listening and wondering 
 what had happened. So he sat down and told her everything 
 that had occurred during the past night, and explained that 
 the doctor had given his verdict and pronounced Heidi to be 
 
 [ 198 ] 
 
A SUMMER EVENING ON THE MOUNTAIN 
 
 in a very highly strung state, so that her nightly wanderings 
 might gradually lead her farther and farther, perhaps even on to 
 the roof, which, of course, would be very dangerous for her. And 
 so they had decided to send her home at once, as he did not like 
 to take the responsibility of her remaining, and Clara would see 
 for herself that it was the only thing to do. Clara was very 
 much distressed, and at first made all kinds of suggestions for 
 keeping Heidi with her; but her father was firm, and promised 
 her, if she would be reasonable and make no further fuss, that 
 he would take her to Switzerland next summer. So Clara gave 
 in to the inevitable, only stipulating that the box might be 
 brought into her room to be packed, so that she might add 
 whatever she liked, and her father was only too pleased to let 
 her provide a nice outfit for the child. Meanwhile Dete had 
 arrived and was waiting in the hall, wondering what extra- 
 ordinary event had come to pass for her to be sent for at such 
 an unusual hour. Herr Sesemann informed her of the state 
 Heidi was in, and that he wished her that very day to take 
 her home. Dete was greatly disappointed, for she had not ex- 
 pected such a piece of news. She remembered Uncle's last 
 words, that he never wished to set eyes on her again, and it 
 seemed to her that to take back the child to him, after having 
 left it with him once and then taken it away again, was not a 
 safe or wise thing for her to do. So she excused herself to Herr 
 Sesemann with her usual flow of words; to-day and to-morrow 
 it would be quite impossible for her to take the journey, and 
 there was so much to do that she doubted if she could get off 
 on any of the following days. Herr Sesemann understood that 
 she was unwilling to go at all, and so dismissed her. Then he 
 
 [ 199 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 sent for Sebastian and told him to make ready to start; 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 to carry to the 
 grandfather, which would explain everything, and he himself 
 could come back by return. 
 
 "But there is one thing in particular which I wish you to 
 look after," said Herr Sesemann in conclusion, "and be sure 
 you attend 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 
 to providing rooms for the child and you. When there, go at 
 once into the child's room and see that the windows are all 
 firmly fastened so that they cannot be easily opened. After the 
 child is in bed, lock the door of her room on the outside, for the 
 child walks in her sleep and might run into danger in a strange 
 house if she went wandering downstairs and tried to open the 
 front door; so you understand? " 
 
 "Oh! then that was it?" exclaimed Sebastian, for now a 
 light was thrown on the ghostly visitations. 
 
 "Yes, that was it! and you are a coward, and you may tell 
 John he is the same, and the whole household a pack of idiots." 
 And with this Herr Sesemann went off to his study to write a 
 letter to Aim-Uncle. 
 
 Sebastian remained standing, feeling rather foolish. "If 
 only I had not let that fool of a John drag me back into the 
 room, and had gone after the little white figure, which I should 
 do certainly if I saw it now! " he kept on saying to himself; but 
 just now every corner of the room was clearly visible in the 
 daylight. 
 
 Meanwhile Heidi was standing expectantly dressed in her 
 
 [200] 
 
A SUMMER EVENING ON THE MOUNTAIN 
 
 Sunday frock waiting to see what would happen next, for Tin- 
 ette had only woke her up with a shake and put on her clothes 
 without a word of explanation. The little uneducated child 
 was far too much beneath 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 to-day, going at once." 
 
 "Home," murmured Heidi in a low voice, turning pale; she 
 was so overcome 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 
 made her a sign to do the same, " but now make a good break- 
 fast, and then off you go in the carriage." 
 
 But Heidi could not swallow a morsel though she tried to do 
 what she was told; she was in such a state of excitement that 
 she hardly knew if she was awake or dreaming, or if she would 
 again open her eyes to find herself in her nightgown at the 
 front door. 
 
 "Tell Sebastian to take plenty of provisions with him," 
 Herr Sesemann called out to Fraulein Rottenmeier, who just 
 then came into the room; "the child can't eat anything now, 
 
 [201] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 which is quite natural. Now run up to Clara and stay with her 
 till the carriage comes round," he added kindly, turning to 
 Heidi. 
 
 Heidi had been longing for this, and ran quickly upstairs. 
 An immense trunk was standing open in the middle of the 
 room. 
 
 "Come along, Heidi," cried Clara, as she entered; "see all 
 the things I have had put in for you — aren't you pleased? " 
 
 And she ran over a list of things, dresses and aprons and 
 handkerchiefs, and all kinds of working materials. "And look 
 here," she added, as she triumphantly held up a basket. 
 Heidi peeped in and jumped for joy, for inside it were twelve 
 beautiful round white rolls, all for grandmother. In their de- 
 light the children forgot that the time had come for them to 
 separate, 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 
 one could have packed that, as it lay under her pillow, for 
 Heidi had kept it by her night and day. This was put in the 
 basket with the rolls. Then she opened her wardrobe to look 
 for another treasure, which perhaps no one would have thought 
 of packing — and she was right — the old red shawl had been left 
 behind, Fraulein Rottenmeier not considering it worth putting 
 in with the other things. Heidi wrapped it round something 
 else which she laid on the top of the basket, so that the red 
 package was quite conspicuous. Then she put on her pretty 
 hat and left the room. The children could not spend much 
 time over their farewells, for Herr Sesemann was waiting to put 
 Heidi in the carriage. Fraulein Rottenmeier was waiting at the 
 
 [202] 
 
A SUMMER EVENING ON THE MOUNTAIN 
 
 top of the stairs to say good-bye to 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 with that thing. What can you 
 possibly want with it!" And then she said good-bye to the 
 child. Heidi did not dare take up her little bundle, but she 
 gave the master of the house an imploring look, as if her great- 
 est treasure had been taken from her. 
 
 "No, no," said Herr Sesemann in a very decided voice, "the 
 child shall take home with her whatever she likes, kittens and 
 tortoises, if it pleases her; we need not put ourselves out about 
 that, Fraulein Rottenmeier." 
 
 Heidi quickly picked up her bundle, with a look of joy and 
 gratitude. As she stood by the carriage door, Herr Sesemann 
 gave her his hand and said he hoped she would remember him 
 and Clara. He wished her a happy journey, and Heidi thanked 
 him for all his kindness, and added, "And please say good-bye 
 to the doctor for me and give him many, many thanks." For 
 she had not forgotten that he had said to her the night before, 
 "It will be all right to-morrow," and she rightly divined that he 
 had helped to make it so for her. Heidi was now lifted into the 
 carriage, and then the basket and the provisions were put in, 
 and finally Sebastian took his place. Then Herr Sesemann 
 called out once more, "A pleasant journey to you," and the 
 carriage rolled away. 
 
 Heidi was soon sitting in the railway carriage, holding her 
 basket tightly on her lap; she would not let it out of her hands 
 for a moment, for it contained the delicious rolls for grand- 
 mother; so she must keep it carefully, and even peep inside it 
 
 [203] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 from time to time to enjoy the sight of them. For many 
 hours she sat as still as a mouse; only now was she beginning 
 to realize that she was going home to the grandfather, the 
 mountain, the grandmother, and Peter, and pictures of all she 
 was going to see again rose one by one before her eyes; she 
 thought of how everything would look at home, but this 
 brought other thoughts to her mind, and all of a sudden she 
 said anxiously, "Sebastian, are you sure that grandmother on 
 the mountain is not dead?" 
 
 "No, no," said Sebastian, wishing to soothe her, "we will 
 hope not; she is sure to be alive still." 
 
 Then Heidi fell back on her own thoughts again. Now and 
 then she looked inside the basket, for the thing she looked 
 forward to most was laying all the rolls out on grandmother's 
 table. After a long silence she spoke again, "If only we could 
 know for certain that grandmother is alive!" 
 
 "Yes, yes," said Sebastian, half asleep; "she is sure to be 
 alive, there is no reason why she should be dead." 
 
 After a while sleep fell on Heidi too, and after her disturbed 
 night and early rising she slept so soundly that she did not 
 wake till Sebastian shook her by the arm and called to her, 
 "Wake up, wake up! we shall have to get out directly; we are 
 just in Basle!" 
 
 There was a further railway journey of many hours the next 
 day. Heidi again sat with her basket on her knee, for she 
 would not have given it up to Sebastian on any consideration; 
 to-day she never even opened her mouth, for her excitement, 
 which increased with every mile of the journey, kept her 
 speechless. All of a sudden, before Heidi expected it, a voice 
 
 [204 ] 
 
A SUMMER EVENING ON THE MOUNTAIN 
 
 called out, "Mayenfeld." She and Sebastian both jumped up, 
 the latter also taken by surprise. In another minute they were 
 both standing on the platform with Heidi's trunk, and the train 
 was steaming away down the valley. Sebastian looked after it 
 regretfully, for he preferred the easier mode of traveling to a 
 wearisome climb on foot, especially as there was danger no 
 doubt as well as fatigue in a country like this, where, according 
 to Sebastian's idea, everything and everybody were half sav- 
 age. He therefore looked cautiously to either side to see who 
 was a likely person to ask the safest way to Dorfli. 
 
 Just outside the station he saw a shabby -looking little cart 
 and horse which a broad-shouldered man was loading with 
 heavy sacks that had been brought by the train, so he went up 
 to him and asked 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 
 best way to avoid falling over the precipice, and also how a box 
 could be conveyed to Dorfli. The man looked at the box, 
 weighing it with his eye, and then volunteered if it was not too 
 heavy to take it on his own cart, as he was driving to Dorfli. 
 After some little interchange of words it was finally agreed that 
 the man should take both the child and the box to Dorfli, and 
 there find some one who could be sent on with Heidi up the 
 mountain. 
 
 "I can go by myself, I know the way well from Dorfli," put 
 in Heidi, who had been listening attentively to the conversa- 
 tion. Sebastian was greatly relieved at not having to do any 
 mountain climbing. He drew Heidi aside and gave her a thick 
 rolled parcel, and a letter for her grandfather; the parcel, he 
 
 [205 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 told her, was a present from Herr Sesernann, and she must put 
 it at the bottom of her basket under the rolls and be very care- 
 ful not to lose it, as Herr Sesernann would be very vexed if she 
 did, and never be the same to her again; so little miss was to 
 think well of what he said. 
 
 "I shall be sure not to lose it," said Heidi confidently, and 
 she at once put the roll and the letter at the bottom of her 
 basket. The trunk meanwhile had been hoisted into the cart, 
 and now Sebastian lifted Heidi and her basket on to the high 
 seat and shook hands with her; he then made signs to her to 
 keep her eye on the basket, for the driver was standing near and 
 Sebastian thought it better to be careful, especially as he knew 
 that he ought himself to have seen the child safely to her jour- 
 ney's end. The driver now swung himself up beside Heidi, and 
 the cart rolled away in the direction of the mountains, while 
 Sebastian, glad of having no tiring and dangerous journey on 
 foot before him, sat down in the station and awaited the return 
 train. 
 
 The driver of the car was the miller at Dorfli and was taking 
 home his sacks of flour. He had never seen Heidi, but like 
 everybody in Dorfli knew all about her. He had known her 
 parents, and felt sure at once that this was the child of whom he 
 had heard so much. He began to wonder why she had come 
 back, and as they drove along he entered into conversation 
 with her. "You are the child who lived with your grandfather, 
 Aim-Uncle, are you not?" 
 xes. 
 
 "Didn't they treat you well down there that you have come 
 back so soon?" 
 
 [206] 
 
A SUMMER EVENING ON THE MOUNTAIN 
 
 "Yes, it was not that; everything in Frankfurt is as nice as 
 it could be." 
 
 "Then why are you running home again?" 
 
 "Only because Herr Sesemann gave me leave, or else I 
 should not have come." 
 
 "If they were willing to let you stay, why did you not re- 
 main where you were better off than at home?" 
 
 "Because I would a thousand times rather be with grand- 
 father on the 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 
 around her and began to tremble with excitement, for she knew 
 every tree along the way, and there overhead were the high 
 jagged peaks of the mountain looking down on her like old 
 friends. And Heidi nodded back to them, and grew every 
 moment more wild with her joy and longing, feeling as if she 
 must jump down from the cart and run with all her might till 
 she reached the top. But she sat quite still and did not move, 
 although inwardly in such agitation. The clock was striking 
 five as they drove into Dorfli. A crowd of women and children 
 immediately surrounded the cart, for the box and the child 
 arriving with the miller had excited the curiosity of everybody 
 in the neighborhood, inquisitive to know whence they came 
 and whither they were going and to whom they belonged. As 
 the miller lifted Heidi down, she said hastily, "Thank you, 
 grandfather will send for the trunk," and was just going to run 
 off, when first one and then another of the bystanders caught 
 
 [207] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 hold of her, each one having a different question to put to her. 
 But Heidi pushed her way through them with such an expres- 
 sion of distress on her face that they were forced to let her go. 
 "You see," they said to one another, "how frightened she is, 
 and no wonder," and then they went on to talk of Aim-Uncle, 
 how much worse he had grown that last year, never speaking a 
 word and looking as if he would like to kill everybody he met, 
 and if the child had anywhere else to go to she certainly would 
 not run back to the old dragon's den. But here the miller inter- 
 rupted them, saying he knew more about it than they did, and 
 began telling them how a kind gentleman had brought her to 
 Mayenfeld and seen her off, and had given him his fare without 
 any bargaining, and extra money for himself; what was more, 
 the child had assured him that she had had everything she 
 wanted where she had been, and that it was her own wish to 
 return to her grandfather. This information caused great sur- 
 prise and was soon repeated all over Dorfli, and that evening 
 there was not a house in the place in which the astounding news 
 was not discussed, of how Heidi had of her own accord given up 
 a luxurious home to return to her grandfather. 
 
 Heidi climbed up the steep path from Dorfli as quickly as she 
 could; she was obliged, however, to pause now and again to 
 take breath, for the basket she carried was rather heavy, and 
 the way got steeper as she drew nearer the top. One thought 
 alone filled Heidi's mind, "Would she find the grandmother 
 sitting in her usual corner by the spinning-wheel, was she still 
 alive?" At last Heidi caught sight of the grandmother's house 
 in the hollow of the mountain and her heart began to beat; she 
 ran faster and faster and her heart beat louder and louder — and 
 
 [208] 
 
A SUMMER EVENING ON THE MOUNTAIN 
 
 now she had reached the house, but she trembled so she could 
 hardly open the door — and then she was standing inside, un- 
 able in her breathlessness to utter a sound. 
 
 "Ah, my God!" cried a voice from the corner, "that was 
 how Heidi used to run in; if only I could have her with me once 
 again! Who is there?" 
 
 "It's I, I, grandmother," cried Heidi as she ran and flung 
 herself on her knees beside the old woman, and seizing her 
 hands, clung to her, unable to speak for joy. And the grand- 
 mother herself could not say a word for some time, so unex- 
 pected was this happiness; but at last she put out her hand and 
 stroked Heidi's curly hair, and said, "Yes, yes, that is her hair, 
 and her voice; thank God that He has granted my prayer!" 
 And tears of joy fell from the blind eyes on to Heidi's hand. 
 "It is really you, Heidi; have you really come back to me?" 
 
 "Yes, grandmother, I am really here," answered Heidi in a 
 reassuring voice. " Do not cry, for I have really come back and 
 I am never going away again, and I shall come every day to see 
 you, 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 whole 
 twelve up on grandmother's lap. 
 
 "Ah, child! child! what a blessing you bring with you!" the 
 old woman exclaimed, as she felt and seemed never to come to 
 the end of the rolls. "But you yourself are the greatest bless- 
 ing, Heidi," and again she touched the child's hair and passed 
 her hand over her hot cheeks, and said, "Say something, child, 
 that I may hear your voice." 
 
 Then Heidi told her how unhappy she had been, thinking 
 
 [209] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 that the grandmother might die while she was away and would 
 never have her white rolls, and that then she would never, 
 never see her again. 
 
 Peter's mother now came in and stood for a moment over- 
 come with astonishment. "Why, it's Heidi," she exclaimed, 
 " and yet can it be? " 
 
 Heidi stood up, and Brigitta now could not say enough in her 
 admiration of the child's dress and appearance; she walked 
 round her, exclaiming all the while, "Grandmother, if you 
 could only see her, and see what a pretty frock she has on; you 
 would hardly know her again. And the hat with the feather in 
 it is yours too, I suppose? Put it on that I may see how you 
 look in it?" 
 
 "No, I would rather not," replied Heidi firmly. "You can 
 have it if you like; I do not want it; I have my own still." 
 And Heidi so 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 for- 
 gotten how her grandfather had called out to Dete that he 
 never wished to see her and her hat and feathers again, and this 
 was the reason she had so anxiously preserved her old hat, for 
 she had never ceased to think about going home to her grand- 
 father. But Brigitta told her not to be so foolish as to give it 
 away; she would not think of taking such a beautiful hat; if 
 Heidi did not want to wear it she might sell it to the school- 
 master's daughter in Dbrfli and get a good deal of money for it. 
 But Heidi stuck to her intention and hid the hat quietly in a 
 corner behind the grandmother's chair. Then she took off her 
 pretty dress and put her red shawl on over her under-petticoat, 
 
 [ 210 ] 
 
A SUMMER EVENING ON THE MOUNTAIN 
 
 which left her arms bare; and now she clasped the old woman's 
 hand. "I must go home to grandfather," she said, "but to- 
 morrow I shall come again. Good-night, grandmother." 
 
 "Yes, come again, be sure you come again to-morrow," 
 begged the grandmother, as she pressed Heidi's hands in hers, 
 unwilling to let her go. 
 
 " Why have you taken off that pretty dress? " asked Brigitta. 
 
 "Because I would rather go home to grandfather as I am or 
 else perhaps he would not know me; you hardly did at first." 
 
 Brigitta went with her to the door, and there said in rather a 
 mysterious voice, "You might have kept on your dress, he 
 would have known you all right; but you must be careful, for 
 Peter tells me that Aim-Uncle is always now in a bad temper 
 and never speaks." 
 
 Heidi bid her good-night and continued her way up the 
 mountain, her basket on her arm. All around her the steep 
 green slopes shone bright in the evening sun, and soon the 
 great gleaming snowfield up above came in sight. Heidi was 
 obliged to keep on pausing to look behind her, for the higher 
 peaks were behind her as she climbed. Suddenly a warm red 
 glow fell on the grass at her feet; she looked back again — she 
 had not remembered how splendid it was, nor seen anything to 
 compare to it in her dreams — for there the two high mountain 
 peaks rose into the air like two great flames, the whole snow- 
 field had turned crimson, and rosy-colored clouds floated in the 
 sky above. The grass upon the mountain-sides had turned to 
 gold, the rocks were all aglow, and the whole valley was bathed 
 in golden mist. And as Heidi stood gazing around her at all 
 this splendor the tears ran down her cheeks for very delight and 
 
 [ 211 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 happiness, and impulsively she put her hands together, and 
 lifting her eyes to heaven, thanked God aloud for having 
 brought her home, thanked Him that everything was as beau- 
 tiful as ever, more beautiful even than she had thought, and 
 that it was all hers again once more. And she was so overflow- 
 ing with joy and thankfulness that she could not find words to 
 thank Him enough. Not until the glory began to fade could she 
 tear herself away. Then she ran on so quickly that in a very 
 little while she caught sight of the tops of the fir trees above the 
 hut roof, then the roof itself, and at last the whole hut, and 
 there was grandfather sitting as in old days smoking his pipe, 
 and she could see the fir trees waving in the wind. Quicker 
 and quicker went her little feet, and before Aim-Uncle had 
 time to see who was coming, Heidi had rushed up to him, 
 thrown down her basket and flung her arms round his neck, 
 unable in the excitement of seeing him again to say more 
 than " Grandfather ! grandfather! grandfather ! " o ver and over 
 again. 
 
 And the old man himself said nothing. For the first time for 
 many years his eyes were wet, and he had to pass his hand 
 across them. Then he unloosed Heidi's arms, put her on his 
 knee, and after 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 grand lady. Did they send you away?" 
 
 "Oh, no, grandfather," said Heidi eagerly, "you must not 
 think that; they were all so kind — Clara, and grandmamma, 
 and Herr Sesemann. But you see, grandfather, I did not know 
 how to bear myself till I got home again to you. I used to 
 think I should die, for I felt as if I could not breathe; but I 
 
 [212] 
 
A SUMMER EVENING ON THE MOUNTAIN 
 
 never said anything because it would have been ungrateful. 
 And then suddenly one morning quite early Herr Sesemann 
 said to me — but I think it was partly the doctor's doing — but 
 perhaps it's all in the letter — " and Heidi jumped down and 
 fetched the roll and the letter and handed them both to her 
 grandfather. 
 
 "That belongs to you," said the latter, laying the roll down 
 on the bench beside him. Then he opened the letter, read it 
 through and without a word put it in his pocket. 
 
 "Do you think you can still drink milk with me, Heidi?" he 
 asked, taking the child by the hand to go into the hut. "But 
 bring your money with you; you can buy a bed and bed- 
 clothes and dresses for a couple of years with it." 
 
 "I am sure I do not want it," replied Heidi. "I have got a 
 bed already, and Clara has put such a lot of clothes in my box 
 that I shall never want any more." 
 
 "Take it and put it in the cupboard; you will want it some 
 day I have no doubt." 
 
 Heidi obeyed and skipped happily after her grandfather into 
 the house; she ran into all the corners, delighted to see every- 
 thing again, and then went up the ladder — but there she came 
 to a pause 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 be- 
 low. " I did not know that you were coming back ; come along 
 now and have your 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 she had never come across anything so delicious, and as she 
 
 [213] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 put down her bowl, she exclaimed, "Our milk tastes nicer than 
 anything else in the world, grandfather." 
 
 A shrill whistle was heard outside. Heidi darted out like a 
 flash of lightning. There were the goats leaping and springing 
 among the rocks, with Peter in their midst. When he caught 
 sight of Heidi he stood still with astonishment and gazed 
 speechlessly at her. Heidi called out, "Good-evening, Peter," 
 and then ran in among the goats. "Little Swan! Little Bear! 
 do you know me again? " And the animals evidently recognized 
 her voice at once, for they began rubbing their heads against 
 her and bleating loudly as if for joy, and as she called the other 
 goats by name one after the other, they all came scampering 
 towards her helter-skelter and crowding round her. The im- 
 patient Greenfinch sprang into the air and over two of her 
 companions in order to get nearer, and even the shy little 
 Snowflake butted the Great Turk out of her way in quite a 
 determined manner, which left him standing taken aback by 
 her boldness, and lifting his .beard in the air as much as to say, 
 You see who I am. 
 
 Heidi was out of her mind with delight at being among all her 
 old friends again; she flung her arms round the pretty little 
 Snowflake, stroked the obstreperous Greenfinch, while she her- 
 self was thrust at from all sides by the affectionate and confid- 
 ing goats; and so at last she got near to where Peter was still 
 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 
 now ran down and took Heidi's hand which she was holding 
 
 [214] 
 
A SUMMER EVENING ON THE MOUNTAIN 
 
 out in greeting, and immediately put the same question to her 
 which he had been in the habit of doing in the old days when 
 they returned 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 must go down to grandmother." 
 
 "I am glad you are back," said Peter, while his whole face 
 beamed with pleasure, and then he prepared to go on with his 
 goats; but he never had had so much trouble with them before, 
 for when at last, by coaxing and threats, he had got them all 
 together, and Heidi had gone off with an arm over either head 
 of her grandfather's two, the whole flock suddenly turned and 
 ran after her. Heidi had to go inside the stall with her two and 
 shut the door, or Peter would never have got home that night. 
 When Heidi went indoors after this she found her bed already 
 made up for her; the hay had been piled high for it and smelt 
 deliciously, for it had only just been got in, and the grand- 
 father 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 and mounted the ladder to see if Heidi was all right and 
 showing no signs of restlessness, and to feel that the hay he 
 had stuffed into the round window was keeping the moon from 
 shining too brightly upon her. But Heidi did not stir; she had 
 no need now to wander about, for the great burning longing of 
 her heart was satisfied; she had seen the high mountains and 
 rocks alight in the evening glow, she had heard the wind in the 
 fir trees, she was at home again on the mountain. 
 
 [215] 
 
CHAPTER XIV 
 SUNDAY BELLS 
 
 HEIDI was standing under the waving fir trees waiting 
 for her grandfather, who was going down with her to 
 grandmother's, and then on to Dorfli to fetch her 
 box. She was longing to know how grandmother had enjoyed 
 her white bread and impatient to see and hear her again; but 
 no time seemed weary to her now, for she could not listen long 
 enough to the familiar voice of the trees, or drink in too much 
 of the fragrance wafted to her from the green pastures where 
 the golden-headed flowers were glowing in the 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 Aim-Uncle made everything 
 clean and tidy inside and outside the house; he had devoted 
 his morning to this 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 see it. They parted at the grandmother's 
 cottage and Heidi ran in. The grandmother had heard her 
 steps approaching and greeted her as she crossed the threshold, 
 "Is it you, child? Have you come again? " 
 
 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 
 from her again. And now she had to tell Heidi how much she 
 had enjoyed the white bread, and how much stronger she felt 
 
 [219] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 already for having been able to eat it, and then Peter's mother 
 went on and said she was sure that if her mother could eat 
 like that for a week she would get back some of her strength, 
 but she was so afraid of coming to the end of the rolls, that she 
 had only eaten one as yet. Heidi listened to all Brigitta said, 
 and sat thinking for a while. Then she suddenly thought of a 
 way. 
 
 "I know, grandmother, what I will do," she said eagerly, 
 " I will write to Clara, and she will send me as many rolls again, 
 if not twice as many as you have already, for I had ever such a 
 large heap in the wardrobe, and when they were all taken away 
 she promised to give me as many back, and she would do so 
 I am sure." 
 
 "That is a good idea," said Brigitta; "but then, they would 
 get hard and stale. The baker in Dorfli makes the white rolls, 
 and if we could get some of those he has over now and then — 
 but I can only 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 glee- 
 fully, skipping about the room in her delight, "and I know 
 now what I will do with it. You must have a fresh white roll 
 every day, and two on Sunday, and Peter can bring them up 
 from Dorfli." 
 
 "No, no, child!" answered the grandmother, "I cannot let 
 you do that; the money was not given to you for that purpose; 
 you must give it to your grandfather, and he will tell you how 
 you are to spend it." 
 
 But Heidi was not to be hindered in her kind intentions, and 
 she continued to jump about, saying over and over again in a 
 
 [ 220 ] 
 
SUNDAY BELLS 
 
 tone of exultation, "Now, grandmother can have a roll every 
 day and will grow quite strong again — and, Oh, grandmother," 
 she suddenly exclaimed with an increase of jubilation in her 
 voice, "if you get strong everything will grow light again for 
 you; perhaps it's only because you are weak that it is dark." 
 The grandmother said nothing, she did not wish to spoil the 
 child's pleasure. As she went jumping about Heidi suddenly 
 caught sight of the grandmother's song book, and another 
 happy idea struck her, "Grandmother, I can also read now, 
 would you like me to read you one of your hymns from your 
 old book?" 
 
 "Oh, yes," said the grandmother, surprised and delighted; 
 " but can you really read, child, really?" 
 
 Heidi had climbed on to a chair and had already lifted down 
 the book, bringing a cloud of dust with it, for it had lain un- 
 touched on the shelf for a long time. Heidi wiped it, sat her- 
 self down on a stool beside the old woman, and asked her which 
 hymn she should read. 
 
 " What you like, child, what you like," and the grandmother 
 pushed her spinning-wheel aside and sat in eager expectation 
 waiting for Heidi to begin. Heidi turned over the leaves and 
 read a 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 expression as 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. 
 [221 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 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, 
 WTiere 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 inde- 
 scribable joy 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 
 verses as the grandmother, — 
 
 Joy shall be ours 
 In that garden blest, 
 W'here after storm 
 We find our rest — 
 I wait in peace — God's time is best. 
 [ 222 ] 
 
SUNDAY BELLS 
 
 "Ah, Heidi, that brings light to the heart! What a comfort 
 you have brought me ! " 
 
 And the old woman kept on repeating the glad words, while 
 Heidi beamed with happiness, and she could not take her eyes 
 away from the grandmother's face, which had never looked like 
 that before. She had no longer the old troubled expression, 
 but was alight with peace and joy as if she were already look- 
 ing with clear new eyes into the garden of Paradise. 
 
 Some one now knocked at the window and Heidi looked up 
 and saw her grandfather beckoning her to come home with him. 
 She promised the grandmother before leaving her that she 
 would be with her the next day, and even if she went out with 
 Peter she would only spend half the day with him, for the 
 thought that she might make it light and happy again for the 
 grandmother gave her the greatest pleasure, greater even than 
 being out on the sunny mountain with the flowers and goats. 
 As she was going out Brigitta ran to her with the frock and hat 
 she had left. Heidi put the dress over her arm, for, as she 
 thought to herself, the grandfather had seen that before, but 
 she obstinately refused to take back the hat; Brigitta could 
 keep it, for she should never put it on her head again. Heidi was 
 so full of her morning's doings that she began at once to tell 
 her grandfather all about them : how the white bread could be 
 fetched every day from Dorfli if there was money for it, and 
 how the grandmother had all at once grown stronger and hap- 
 pier, and light had come to her. Then she returned to the sub- 
 ject of the rolls. " If the grandmother won'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 two on Sunday?" 
 
 [223 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 "But how about the bed? " said her grandfather. "It would 
 be nice for you to have a proper bed, and there would then be 
 plenty for the bread." 
 
 But Heidi gave her grandfather no peace till he consented to 
 do what she wanted; she slept a great deal better, she said, on 
 her bed of hay than on her fine pillowed bed in Frankfurt. So 
 at last he said, " The money is yours, do what you like with it; 
 you can buy bread for grandmother for years to come with it." 
 
 Heidi shouted for joy at the thought that grandmother 
 would never need any more to eat hard black bread, and " Oh, 
 grandfather!" she said, "everything is happier now than it has 
 ever been in our lives before! " and she sang and skipped along, 
 holding her grandfather's hand as light-hearted as a bird. But 
 all at once she grew quiet and said, "If God had let me come 
 at once, as I prayed, then everything would have been differ- 
 ent, I should only have had a little bread to bring to grand- 
 mother, and I should not have been able to read, which is such 
 a comfort to her; but God has arranged it all so much better 
 than I knew how to; everything has happened just as the other 
 grandmother said it would. Oh, how glad I am that God did not 
 let me have at once all I prayed and wept for! And now I shall 
 always pray to God as she told me, and always thank Him, and 
 when He does not do anything I ask for I shall think to myself, 
 It's just like it was in Frankfurt: God, I am sure, is going to 
 do something better still. So we will pray every day, won't we, 
 grandfather, and never forget Him again, or else He may for- 
 get us. " 
 
 "And supposing one does forget Him? " said the grandfather 
 in a low voice. 
 
 [224] 
 
SUNDAY BELLS 
 
 "Then everything goes wrong, for God lets us then go where 
 we like, and when we get poor and miserable and begin te cry 
 about it no one pities us, but they say, You ran away from 
 God, and so God, who could have helped you, left you to your- 
 self." 
 
 "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 speak- 
 ing, then he said, as if following his own train of thought: 
 "And if it once is so, it is so always; no one can go back, and 
 he whom God 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 not heard that yet; but we shall be home directly 
 now, and then I will read it to you, and you will see how beautiful 
 it is." And in her eagerness Heidi struggled faster and faster 
 up the steep ascent, and they were no sooner at the top than 
 she let go her grandfather's hand and ran into the hut. The 
 grandfather slung the basket off his shoulders in which he had 
 brought up a part of the contents of the trunk which was too 
 heavy to carry up as it was. Then he sat down on his seat and 
 began thinking. 
 
 Heidi soon came running out with her book under her arm. 
 "That's right, grandfather," she exclaimed as she saw he had 
 already taken his seat, and in a second she was beside him and 
 had her book open at the particular tale, for she had read it so 
 often that the leaves fell open at it of their own accord. And 
 now in a sympathetic voice Heidi began to read of the son 
 when he was happily at home, and went out into the fields with 
 
 [225] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 his father's flocks, and was dressed in a fine cloak, and stood 
 leaning on his shepherd's staff watching as the sun went down, 
 just as he was to be seen in the picture. But then all at once he 
 wanted to have his own goods and money and to be his own 
 master, and so he asked his father to give him his portion, and 
 he left his home and went and wasted all his substance. And 
 when he had nothing left he hired himself out to a master who 
 had no flocks and fields like his father, but only swine to keep; 
 and so he was obliged to watch these, and he only had rags to 
 wear and a few husks to eat, such as the swine fed upon. And 
 then he thought of his old happy life at home and of how kindly 
 his father had treated him and how ungrateful he had been, and 
 he wept for sorrow and longing. And he thought to himself, 
 "I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, 'Father, 
 I am not worthy to be called thy son; make me as one of thy 
 hired servants. ' And when he was yet a great way off his 
 father saw him . . . Here Heidi paused in her reading. 
 "What do you think happens now, grandfather?" she said. 
 "Do you think the father is still angry and will say to him 'I 
 told you so!' Well, listen now to what comes next." His 
 father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his 
 neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, " Father, I have 
 sinned against heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy 
 to be called thy son." But the father said to his servants, 
 "Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring 
 on his hand and shoes on his feet: and bring hither the fatted 
 calf and kill it; and let us eat and be merry, for this my son 
 was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. And 
 
 they began to be merry." 
 
 [ 226 ] 
 
SUNDAY BELLS 
 
 "Isn't that a beautiful tale, grandfather?" said Heidi, as the 
 latter continued to sit without speaking, for she had expected 
 him to express pleasure and astonishment. 
 
 "You are right, Heidi; it is a beautiful tale," he replied, but 
 he looked so grave as he said it that Heidi grew silent herself 
 and sat looking quietly at her pictures. Presently she pushed 
 her book gently in front of him and said, " See how happy he is 
 there," and she pointed with her finger to the figure of the 
 returned prodigal, who was standing by his father clad in fresh 
 raiment as one of his own sons again. 
 
 A few hours later, as Heidi lay fast asleep in her bed, the 
 grandfather went up the ladder and put his lamp down near 
 her bed so that the light fell on the sleeping child. Her hands 
 were still folded as if she had fallen asleep saying her prayers, 
 an expression of peace and trust lay on the little face, and 
 something in it seemed to appeal to the grandfather, for he 
 stood a long time gazing down at her without speaking. At last 
 he too folded his hands, and with bowed head said in a low 
 vojce, " Father, I have sinned against heaven and before Thee 
 and am not worthy to be called Thy son." And two large tears 
 rolled down the old man's cheeks. 
 
 Early the next morning he stood in front of his hut and 
 gazed quietly around him. The fresh bright morning sun lay 
 on mountain and valley. The sound of a few early bells rang 
 up from the valley, and the birds were singing their morning 
 song in the fir trees. He stepped back into the hut and called 
 up, " Come along, Heidi ! the sun is up ! Put on your best frock, 
 for we are going to church together ! " 
 
 Heidi was not long getting ready; it was such an unusual 
 
 [ 227 ] * 
 
HEIDI 
 
 summons from her grandfather that she must make haste. 
 She put on her smart Frankfurt dress and soon went down, but 
 when she saw her grandfather she stood still, gazing at him in 
 astonishment. "Why, grandfather! " she exclaimed, "I never 
 saw you look like that before ! and the coat with the silver but- 
 tons! Oh, you do look 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 the mountain-side. The bells were ringing in every direc- 
 tion now, sounding louder and fuller as they neared the valley, 
 and Heidi listened to them with delight. "Hark at them, 
 grandfather! it's like a great festival!" 
 
 The congregation had already assembled and the singing had 
 begun when Heidi and her grandfather entered the church at 
 Dorfli and sat down at the back. But before the hymn was 
 over every one was nudging his neighbor and whispering, "Do 
 you see? Alm-Uacle is in church! " 
 
 Soon everybody in the church knew of Aim-Uncle's presence, 
 and the women kept on turning round to look and quite lost 
 their place in the singing. But everybody became more atten- 
 tive when the sermon began, for the preacher spoke with such 
 warmth and thankfulness that those present felt the effect of 
 his words, as if some great joy had come to them all. At the 
 close of the service Aim-Uncle took Heidi by the hand, and on 
 leaving the church made his way towards the pastor's house; 
 the rest of the congregation looked curiously after him, some 
 even following to see 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, 
 
 [228] 
 
)DM=K 
 
 The bells were ringing in every direction now, sounding louder and 
 fuller as thev neared the valley. (Page 228) 
 
SUNDAY BELLS 
 
 watching to see whether Aim-Uncle came out looking angry 
 and quarrelsome, or as if the interview had been a peaceful one, 
 for they could not imagine what had brought the old man 
 down, and what it all meant. Some, however, adopted a new 
 tone and expressed their opinion that Aim-Uncle was not so bad 
 after all as they thought, "for see how carefully he took the 
 little one by the hand." And others responded and said they 
 had always thought people had exaggerated about him, that 
 if he was so downright bad he would be afraid to go inside the 
 pastor's house. Then the miller put in his word, "Did I not 
 tell you so from the first? What child is there who would run 
 away from where she had plenty to eat and drink and every- 
 thing of the best, home to a grandfather who was cruel and 
 unkind, and of whom she was afraid? " 
 
 And so everybody began to feel quite friendly towards Aim- 
 Uncle, and the women now came up and related all they had 
 been told by Peter and his grandmother, and finally they all 
 stood there like people waiting for an old friend whom they had 
 long missed from among their number. 
 
 Meanwhile Aim-Uncle had gone into the pastor's house and 
 knocked at the study door. The latter came out and greeted 
 him, not as if he was surprised to see him, but as if he had quite 
 expected to see him there; he probably had caught sight of the 
 old man in church. He shook hands warmly with him, and Aim- 
 Uncle was unable at first to speak, for he had not expected such 
 a friendly reception. At last he collected himself and said, "I 
 have come to ask you, pastor, to forget the words I spoke to 
 you when you called on me, and to beg you not to owe me ill- 
 will for having been so obstinately set against your well-meant 
 
 [ 229 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 advice. You were right, and I was wrong, but I have now made 
 up my mind to follow your advice and to find a place for my- 
 self at Dorfli for the winter, for the child is not strong enough 
 to stand the bitter cold up on the mountain. And if the people 
 down here look askance at me, as at a person not to be trusted, 
 I know it is my own fault, and you will, I am sure, not do so." 
 The pastor's kindly eyes shone with pleasure. He pressed 
 the old man's hand in his, and said with emotion, "Neighbor, 
 you went into the right church before you came to mine; I am 
 greatly rejoiced. You will not repent coming to live with us 
 again; as for myself, you will always be welcome as a dear friend 
 and neighbor, and I look forward to our spending many a 
 pleasant winter evening together, for I shall prize your com- 
 panionship, and we will find some nice friends too for the little 
 one." And the pastor laid his hand kindly on the child's curly 
 head and took 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 if parting reluctantly from his best friend. 
 The door had hardly shut behind him before the whole congre- 
 gation now came forward to greet Aim-Uncle, every one striv- 
 ing to be the first to shake hands with him, and so many were 
 held out that Aim-Uncle did not know with which to begin; and 
 some said, "We are so pleased to see you among us again," 
 and another, "I have long been wishing we could have a talk 
 together again," and greetings of all kinds echoed from every 
 side, and when Aim-Uncle told them he was thinking of return- 
 ing to his old quarters in Dorfli for the winter, there was such a 
 general chorus of pleasure that any one would have thought he 
 
 [ 230 ] 
 
SUNDAY BELLS 
 
 was the most beloved person in all Dorfli, and that they had 
 hardly known how to live without him. Most of his friends ac- 
 companied him and Heidi some way up the mountain, and each 
 as they bid him good-bye made him promise that when he next 
 came down he would without fail come and call. As the old 
 man at last stood alone with the child, watching their 
 retreating figures, there was a light upon his face as if re- 
 flected from some inner sunshine of heart. Heidi, looking 
 up at him with her clear, steady eyes, said, "Grandfather, 
 you look nicer 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 
 thought possible; it is good to be at peace with God and man! 
 God was good to me when He sent you to my hut. ' ' 
 
 When they reached Peter's home the grandfather opened the 
 door and walked straight in. "Good-morning, grandmother," 
 he said. ' ' I think we shall have to do some more patching up 
 before the autumn winds come." 
 
 "Dear God, if it is not Uncle!" cried the grandmother in 
 pleased surprise. "That I should live to see such a thing! and 
 now I can thank 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, still holding his, "And I have something 
 on my heart I want to say, a prayer to make to you ! If I have 
 injured you in any way, do not punish me by sending the child 
 away again before I lie under the grass. Oh, you do not know 
 what that child is to me!" and she clasped the child to her, for 
 
 [231] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 Heidi had already taken her usual stand close to the grand- 
 mother. 
 
 "Have no fear, grandmother," said Uncle, in a reassuring 
 voice, "I shall not punish either you or myself by doing so. 
 We are all together now, and pray God we may continue so for 
 long." 
 
 Brigitta now drew the Uncle aside towards a corner of the 
 room and showed him the hat with the feathers, explaining to 
 him how it came there, and adding that of course she could not 
 take such a thing from a child. 
 
 But the grandfather looked towards Heidi without any dis- 
 pleasure of countenance and said, "The hat is hers, and if she 
 does not wish to wear it any more she has a right to say so and 
 to give it to you, so take it, pray." 
 
 Brigitta was highly delighted at this. "It is well worth more 
 than ten shillings!" she said as she held it up for further admir- 
 ation. "And what a blessing Heidi has brought home with her 
 from Frankfurt! I have thought sometimes that it might be 
 good to send Peter there for a little while; what do you think, 
 Uncle?" 
 
 A merry look came into the grandfather's eye. He thought 
 it would do Peter no harm, but he had better wait for a good 
 opportunity before starting. At this moment the subject of 
 their conversation himself rushed in, evidently in a great hurry, 
 knocking his head violently against the door in his haste, so 
 that everything in the room rattled. Gasping and breathless 
 he stood still after this and held out a letter. This was another 
 great event, for such a thing had never happened before; the 
 letter was addressed to Heidi and had been delivered at the 
 
 [232] 
 
SUNDAY BELLS 
 
 post-office in Dorfli. They all sat down round the table to hear 
 what was in it, for Heidi opened it at once and read it without 
 hesitation. The letter was from Clara. The latter wrote that 
 the house had been so dull since Heidi left that she did not 
 know how to bear herself, and she had at last persuaded her 
 father to take her to the baths at Ragatz in the coming autumn; 
 grandmamma had arranged to join them there, and they both 
 were looking forward to paying her and her grandfather a visit. 
 And grandmamma sent a further message to Heidi which was 
 that the latter had done quite right to take the rolls to the 
 grandmother, and so that she might not have to eat them dry, 
 she was sending some coffee, which was already on its way, and 
 grandmamma hoped when she came to the Aim in the autumn 
 that Heidi would take her to see her old friend. 
 
 There were exclamations of pleasure and astonishment on 
 hearing all this news, and so much to talk and ask about that 
 even the grandfather did not notice how the time was passing; 
 there was general delight at the thought of the coming days, 
 and even more at the meeting which had taken place on this 
 one, and the grandmother spoke and said, "The happiest of 
 all things is when an old friend comes and greets us as in 
 former times; the heart is comforted with the assurance that 
 some day everything that we have loved will be given back to 
 us. You will come soon again, uncle, and you child, to-mor- 
 row?" 
 
 The old man and Heidi promised her faithfully to do so; 
 then it was time to break up the party, and these two went back 
 up the mountain. As they had been greeted with bells when 
 they made their journey down in the morning, so now they 
 
 [233] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 were accompanied by the peaceful evening chimes as they 
 climbed to the hut, which had quite a Sunday -like appearance 
 as it stood bathed in the light of the low evening sun. 
 
 But when grandmamma comes next autumn there will be 
 many fresh joys and surprises both for Heidi and grandmother; 
 without doubt a proper bed will be put up in the hay -loft, for 
 wherever grandmamma steps in, there everything is soon in 
 right order, outside and in. 
 
 [234] 
 
mummsmsmtmtsma B aBB ^ s^asaiessssaR 
 
CHAPTER XV 
 PREPARATIONS FOR A JOURNEY 
 
 THE kind doctor who had given the order that Heidi was 
 to be sent home was walking along one of the broad 
 streets toward Herr Sesemann's house. It was a sunny 
 September morning, so full of light and sweetness that it 
 seemed as if everybody must rejoice. But the doctor walked 
 with his eyes fastened to the ground and did not once lift 
 them to the blue sky above him. There was an expression of 
 sadness on his face, formerly so cheerful, and his hair had 
 grown grayer since the spring. The doctor had had an only 
 daughter, who, after his wife's death, had been his sole and con- 
 stant companion, but only a few months previously death had 
 deprived him of his dear child, and he had never been the 
 same bright and cheery man since. 
 
 Sebastian opened the door to him, greeting him with every 
 mark of respectful civility, for the doctor was not only the 
 most cherished friend of the master and his daughter, but had 
 by his kindness won the hearts of the whole household. 
 
 "Everything as usual, Sebastian?" asked the doctor in his 
 pleasant voice as he preceded Sebastian up the stairs. 
 
 "I am glad you have come doctor," exclaimed Herr Sese- 
 mann as the latter entered. "We must really have another 
 talk over this Swiss journey; do you still adhere to your deci- 
 sion, even though Clara is decidedly improving in health?" 
 
 "My dear Sesemann, I never knew such a man as you!" 
 
 [237] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 said the doctor as he sat down beside his friend. I really " wish 
 your mother was here; everything would be clear and straight- 
 forward then and she would soon put things in right train. 
 You sent for me 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 Sese- 
 mann laid his hand imploringly on the doctor's shoulder — 
 " that I feel I have not the courage to refuse the child what I 
 have been promising her all along, and for months now she has 
 been living on the thought of it day and night. She bore this 
 last bad attack so patiently because she was buoyed up with 
 the hope that she should soon start on her Swiss journey, and 
 see her friend Heidi again; and now must I tell the poor child, 
 who has to give up so many pleasures, that this visit she has 
 so long looked forward to must also be cancelled? I really have 
 not the courage to do it." 
 
 "You must make up your mind to it, Sesemann," said the 
 doctor with authority, and as his friend continued silent and 
 dejected he went on after a pause, " Consider yourself how the 
 matter stands. Clara has not had such a bad summer as this 
 last one for years. Only the worst results would follow from 
 the fatigue of such a journey, and it is out of the question for 
 her. And then we are already in September, and although it 
 may still be warm and fine up there, it may just as likely be 
 already very cold. The days too are growing short, and as 
 Clara cannot spend the night up there she would only have a 
 two hours' visit at the outside. The journey from Ragatz 
 would take hours, for she would have to be carried up the 
 
 [238] 
 
PREPARATIONS FOR A JOURNEY 
 
 mountain in a chair. In short, Sesemann, it is impossible. 
 But I will go in with you and talk to Clara; she is a reasonable 
 child, and I will tell her what my plans are. Next May she 
 shall be taken to the baths and stay there for the cure until 
 it is quite hot weather. Then she can be carried up the 
 mountain from time to time, and when she is stronger she 
 will enjoy these excursions far more than she would now. 
 Understand, Sesemann, that if we want to give the child a 
 chance of recovery we must use the utmost care and watch- 
 fulness." 
 
 Herr Sesemann, who had listened to the doctor in sad and 
 submissive 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 replied 
 quietly. "But, friend, think of my trouble. You have still a 
 beloved 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 a solitary meal. And the child is happy and comfortable at 
 home too. If there is much that she has to give up, she has on 
 the other hand many advantages. No, Sesemann, you are not 
 so greatly to 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 his habit when deeply engaged in thought. Suddenly he 
 came to a pause 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 yourself for a while, and what do you think I pro- 
 
 [239 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 pose? That you shall take the journey and go and pay Heidi 
 a visit in our name. " 
 
 The doctor was taken aback at this sudden proposal and 
 wanted to make objections, but his friend gave him no time to 
 say anything. He was so delighted with his idea, that he seized 
 the doctor by the arm and drew him into Clara's room. The 
 kind doctor was always a welcome visitor to Clara, for he gen- 
 erally had something amusing to tell her. Lately, it is true, he 
 had been graver, but Clara knew the reason why and would 
 have given much to see him his old lively self again. She held 
 out her hand to him as he came up to her; he took a seat beside 
 her, and her father also drew up his chair, and taking Clara's 
 hand in his began to talk to her of the Swiss journey and how 
 he himself had looked forward to it. He passed as quickly as 
 he could over the main point that it was now impossible for 
 her to undertake it, for he dreaded the tears that would follow; 
 but he went on without pause to tell her of his new plan, and 
 dwelt on the great benefit it would be to his friend if he could 
 be persuaded to take this holiday. 
 
 The tears were indeed swimming in the blue eyes, although 
 Clara struggled to keep them down for her father's sake, but it 
 was a bitter disappointment to give up the journey, the thought 
 of which had been her only joy and solace during the lonely 
 hours of her long illness. She knew, however, that her father 
 would never refuse her a thing unless he was certain that it 
 would be harmful for her. So she swallowed her tears as well 
 as she could and turned her thoughts to the one hope still left 
 her. Taking the doctor's hand and stroking it, she said plead- 
 ingly — 
 
 [240] 
 
PREPARATIONS FOR A JOURNEY 
 
 "Dear doctor, you will go and see Heidi, won't you? and 
 then you can come and tell me all about it, what it is like up 
 there, and what Heidi and the grandfather, and Peter and 
 the goats do all day. I know them all so well! And then 
 you can take what I want to send to Heidi; I have thought 
 about it all, and also something for the grandmother. Do 
 pray go, dear doctor, and I will take as much cod liver oil as 
 you like." 
 
 Whether this promise finally decided the doctor it is impos- 
 sible to say, but it is certain that he smiled and said, — 
 
 "Then I must certainly go, Clara, for you will then get as 
 plump and strong as your father and I wish to see you. And 
 have you decided when I am to start?" 
 
 "To-morrow morning — early if possible," replied Clara. 
 
 "Yes, she is right," put in Herr Sesemann; "the sun is 
 shining and the sky is blue, and there is no time to be lost ; it is 
 a pity to miss a single one of these days on the mountain. " 
 
 The doctor could not help laughing. "You will be reproach- 
 ing me next for not being there already; well, I must go and 
 make arrangements for getting off. " 
 
 But Clara would not let him go until she had given him end- 
 less messages for Heidi, and had explained all he was to look at 
 so as to give her an exact description on his return. Her pres- 
 ents she would send round later, as Fraulein Rottenmeier 
 must first help her to pack them up; at that moment she was 
 out on one of her excursions into the town which always kept 
 her engaged for some time. The doctor promised to obey 
 Clara's directions in every particular; he would start some 
 time during the following day if not the first thing in the morn- 
 
 [ 241 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 ing, and would bring back a faithful account of his experiences 
 and of all he saw and heard. 
 
 The servants of a household have a curious faculty of divin- 
 ing what is going on before they are actually told about any- 
 thing. Sebastian and Tinette must have possessed this faculty 
 in a high degree, 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 cakes 
 which we have with coffee," said Clara, pointing to a box 
 which had been brought long before in preparation for this. 
 Tinette took it up, and carried it out, dangling it contemptu- 
 ously in her hand. 
 
 "Hardly worth the trouble I should have thought," she said 
 pertly 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 
 my greetings?" 
 
 "I see," said the doctor, "you know then already that I am 
 off on a journey?" 
 
 Sebastian hesitated and gave an awkward little cough. "I 
 am — I have — I hardly know myself Oh, yes, I remember; I 
 happened to pass through the dining-room and caught little 
 miss's name, and I put two and two together — and so I 
 thought—" 
 
 "I see, I see," smiled the doctor, "one can find out a great 
 many things by thinking. Good-bye till I see you again, Sebas- 
 tian, 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 
 
 [242] 
 
PREPARATIONS FOR A JOURNEY 
 
 prosecuting her walk any farther, and she was just returning 
 and had reached the door as he was coming out. The white 
 shawl she wore was so blown out by the wind that she looked 
 like a ship in full sail. The doctor drew back, but Fraulein 
 Rottenmeier had always evinced peculiar appreciation and 
 respect for this man, and she also drew back with exaggerated 
 politeness to let him pass. The two stood for a few seconds, 
 each anxious to make way for the other, but a sudden gust of 
 wind sent Fraulein Rottenmeier flying with all her sails almost 
 into the doctor's arms, and she had to pause and recover her- 
 self before she could shake hands with the doctor with becom- 
 ing decorum. She was put out at having been forced to enter in 
 so undignified a manner, but the doctor had a way of smooth- 
 ing people's ruffled feathers, and she was soon listening with her 
 usual composure while he informed her of his intended journey, 
 begging her in his most conciliatory voice to pack up the parcels 
 for Heidi as she alone knew how to pack. And then he took his 
 leave. 
 
 Clara quite expected to have a long tussle with Fraulein 
 Rottenmeier before she would get the latter to consent to send- 
 ing all the things that she had collected as presents for Heidi. 
 But this time she was mistaken, for Fraulein Rottenmeier was 
 in a more than usually good temper. She cleared the large 
 table so that all the things for Heidi could be spread out upon 
 it and packed under Clara's own eyes. It was no light job, for 
 the presents were of all shapes and sizes. First there was the 
 little warm cloak with a hood, which had been designed by 
 Clara herself, in order that Heidi during the coming winter 
 might be able to go and see grandmother when she liked, and 
 
 [ 243 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 not have to wait till her grandfather could take her wrapped up 
 in a sack to keep her from freezing. Then came a thick warm 
 shawl for the grandmother, in which she could wrap herself well 
 up and not feel the cold when the wind came sweeping in such 
 terrible gusts round the house. The next object was the large 
 box full of cakes; these were also for the grandmother, that she 
 might have something to eat with her coffee besides bread. An 
 immense sausage was the next article; this had been originally 
 intended for Peter, who never had anything but bread and 
 cheese, but Clara had altered her mind, fearing that in his de- 
 light he might eat it all up at once and make himself ill. So she 
 arranged to send it to Brigitta, who could take some for herself 
 and the grandmother and give Peter his portion out by degrees. 
 A packet of tobacco was a present for grandfather, who was 
 fond of his pipe as he sat resting in the evening. Finally there 
 was a whole lot of mysterious little bags, and parcels, and boxes, 
 which Clara had had especial pleasure in collecting, as each was 
 to be a joyful surprise for Heidi as she opened it. The work 
 came to an end at last, and an imposing-looking package lay on 
 the floor ready for transport. Praulein Rottenmeier looked at 
 it with satisfaction, lost in the consideration of the art of pack- 
 ing. Clara eyed it too with pleasure, picturing Heidi's exclama- 
 tions and jumps of joy and surprise when the huge parcel ar- 
 rived at the hut. 
 
 And now Sebastian came in, and lifting the package on to his 
 shoulder, carried it off to be forwarded at once to the doctor's 
 house. 
 
 [244] 
 
CHAPTER XVI 
 A VISITOR 
 
 THE early light of morning lay rosy red upon the moun- 
 tains, and a fresh breeze rustled through the fir trees and 
 set their ancient branches waving to and fro. The sound 
 awoke Heidi and she opened her eyes. The roaring in the trees 
 always stirred a strong emotion within her and seemed to 
 draw her irresistibly to them. So she jumped out of bed and 
 dressed herself as quickly as she could, but it took her some 
 time even then, for she was careful now to be always clean and 
 tidy. 
 
 When she went down her ladder she found her grandfather 
 had already left the hut. He was standing outside looking at 
 the sky and examining the landscape as he did every morning, 
 to see what sort of weather it was going to be. 
 
 Little pink clouds were floating over the sky, that was grow- 
 ing brighter and bluer with every minute, while the heights and 
 the meadow lands were turning gold under the rising sun, which 
 was just appearing above the topmost peaks. 
 
 "O how beautiful! how beautiful! Good-morning, grand- 
 father!" cried Heidi, running out. 
 
 "What, you are awake already, are you? " he answered, giv- 
 ing her a morning greeting. 
 
 Then Heidi ran round to the fir trees to enjoy the sound she 
 loved so well, and with every fresh gust of wind which came 
 roaring through their branches she gave a fresh jump and cry 
 of delight. 
 
 [247] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 Meanwhile the grandfather had gone to milk the goats; this 
 done he brushed and washed them, ready for their mountain 
 excursion, and brought them out of their shed. As soon as 
 Heidi caught sight of her two friends she ran and embraced 
 them, and they bleated in return, while they vied with each 
 other in showing their affection by poking their heads against 
 her and trying which could get nearest her, so that she was 
 almost crushed between them. But Heidi was not afraid of 
 them, and when the lively Little Bear gave rather too violent a 
 thrust, she only said, "No, Little Bear, you are pushing like 
 the Great Turk," and Little Bear immediately drew back his 
 head and left off his rough attentions, while Little Swan lifted 
 her head and put on an expression as much as to say, "No one 
 shall ever accuse me of behaving like the Great Turk." For 
 White Swan was a rather more distinguished 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 sur- 
 rounded by the whole flock, pushed this way and that by their 
 obstreperous greetings, but at last she managed to get through 
 them to where Snowflake was standing, for the young goat had 
 in vain striven to reach her. 
 
 Peter now gave a last tremendous whistle, in order to startle 
 the goats and drive them off, for he wanted to get near himself 
 to say something to Heidi. The goats sprang aside and he 
 came up to her. 
 
 "Can you come out with me to-day?" he asked, evidently 
 unwilling to hear her refuse. 
 
 "I am afraid I cannot, Peter," she answered. "I am expect- 
 
 [248] 
 
A VISITOR 
 
 ing them every minute from Frankfurt, and I must be at home 
 when they come." 
 
 "You have said the same thing for days now," grumbled 
 Peter. 
 
 "I must continue to say it till they come," replied Heidi. 
 "How can you think, Peter, that I would be away when they 
 came? As if I could do such a thing? " 
 
 "They would find Uncle at home," he answered with a 
 snarling voice. 
 
 But at this moment the grandfather's stentorian voice was 
 heard. "Why is the army not marching forward? Is it the 
 field-marshal who is missing or some of the troops?" 
 
 Whereupon Peter turned and went off, swinging his stick 
 round so that it whistled through the air, and the goats, who 
 understood the signal, started at full trot for their mountain 
 pasture, Peter following in their wake. 
 
 Since Heidi had been back with her grandfather things came 
 now and then into her mind of which she had never thought 
 in former days. So now, with great exertion, she put her bed in 
 order every morning, patting and stroking it till she had got it 
 perfectly smooth and flat. Then she went about the room 
 downstairs, put each chair back in its place, and if she found 
 anything lying about she put it in the cupboard. After that 
 she fetched a duster, climbed on a chair, and rubbed the table 
 till it shone again. When the grandfather came in later he 
 would look round well pleased and say to himself, "We look like 
 Sunday every day now; Heidi did not go abroad for nothing." 
 
 After Peter had departed and she and her grandfather had 
 breakfasted, Heidi began her daily work as usual, but she did 
 
 [249 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 not get on with it very fast. It was so lovely out of doors to-day, 
 and every minute something happened to interrupt her in her 
 work. Now it was a bright beam of sun shining cheerfully 
 through the open window, and seeming to say, "Come out, 
 Heidi, come out!" Heidi felt she could not stay indoors, and 
 she ran out in answer to the call. The sunlight lay sparkling 
 on everything around the hut and on all the mountains and 
 far away along the valley, and the grass slope looked so golden 
 and inviting that she was obliged to sit down for a few minutes 
 and look about her. Then she suddenly remembered that her 
 stool was left standing in the middle of the floor and that the 
 table had not been rubbed, and she jumped up and ran inside 
 again. But it was not long before the fir trees began their old 
 song; Heidi felt it in all her limbs, and again the desire to run 
 outside was irresistible, and she was off to play and leap to the 
 tune of the waving branches. The grandfather, who was busy 
 in his work-shed, stepped out from time to time smiling to 
 watch her at her gambols. He had just gone back to his work 
 on one of these occasions when Heidi called out, " Grandfather! 
 grandfather ! Come, come ! " 
 
 He stepped quickly out, almost afraid something had hap- 
 pened to the child, but he saw her running towards where the 
 mountain path descended, crying, "They are coming! they are 
 coming ! and the doctor is in front of them ! " 
 
 Heidi rushed forward to welcome her old friend, who held 
 out his hands in greeting to her. When she came up to him she 
 clung to his outstretched arm, and exclaimed in the joy of her 
 heart, "Good-morning, doctor, and thank you ever so many 
 times." 
 
 [250] 
 
A VISITOR 
 
 "God bless you, child! what have you got to thank me for?" 
 asked the doctor, smiling. 
 
 "For being at home again with grandfather," the child ex- 
 plained. 
 
 The doctor's face brightened as if a sudden ray of sunshine 
 had passed across it; he had not expected such a reception as 
 this. Lost in the sense of his loneliness he had climbed the 
 mountain without heeding how beautiful it was on every side, 
 and how more and more beautiful it became the higher he got. 
 He had quite thought that Heidi would have forgotten him; 
 she had seen so little of him, and he had felt rather like one 
 bearing a message of disappointment, anticipating no great 
 show of favor, coming as he did without the expected friends. 
 But instead, here was Heidi, her eyes dancing for joy, and full 
 of gratitude and affection, 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 you 
 live." 
 
 But Heidi still remained standing, looking down the path 
 with a questioning gaze. " Where are Clara and grandmother?" 
 she asked. 
 
 "Ah, now I have to tell you something which you will be as 
 sorry about as I am," answered the doctor. "You see, Heidi, 
 I have come alone. Clara was very ill and could not travel, and 
 so the grandmother stayed behind too. But next spring, when 
 the days grow warm and long again, they are coming here for 
 certain." 
 
 Heidi was greatly concerned; she could not at first bring her- 
 self to believe that what she had for so long been picturing to 
 
 [251] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 herself was not going to happen after all. She stood motionless 
 for a second or two, overcome by the unexpected disappoint- 
 ment. The doctor said nothing further; all around lay the sil- 
 ence — only the sighing of the fir trees could be heard from where 
 they stood. Then Heidi suddenly remembered why she had 
 run down there, and that the doctor had really come. She lifted 
 her eyes and saw the sad expression in his as he looked down at 
 her; she had never seen him with that look on his face when she 
 was in Frankfurt. It went to Heidi's heart; she could not bear 
 to see anybody unhappy, especially her dear doctor. No doubt 
 it was because Clara and grandmother could not come, and so 
 she began to think how best she might console him. 
 
 "Oh, it won't be very long to wait for spring, and then they 
 will be sure to come," she said in a reassuring voice. "Time 
 passes very quickly with us, and then they will be able to stay 
 longer when they are here, and Clara will be pleased at that. 
 Now let us go and find grandfather." 
 
 Hand in hand with her friend she climbed up to the hut. 
 She was so anxious to make the doctor happy again that she 
 began once more assuring him that the winter passed so quickly 
 on the mountain that it was hardly to be taken account of, and 
 that summer would be back again before they knew it, and 
 she became so convinced of the truth of her own words that 
 she called out quite cheerfully to her grandfather as they 
 approached, "They have not come to-day, but they will be 
 here in a very short time." 
 
 The doctor was no stranger to the grandfather, for the child 
 had talked to him so much about her friend. The old man held 
 out his hand to his guest in friendly greeting. Then the two 
 
 [252] 
 
A VISITOR 
 
 men sat down in front of the hut, and Heidi had her little place 
 too, for the doctor beckoned her to come and sit beside him. 
 The doctor told Uncle how Herr Sesemann had insisted on his 
 taking this journey, and he felt himself it would do him good as 
 he had not been quite the thing for a long time. Then he whis- 
 pered to Heidi that there was something being brought up the 
 mountain which had travelled with him from Frankfurt, and 
 which would give her even more pleasure than seeing the old 
 doctor. Heidi got into a great state of excitement on hearing 
 this, wondering what it could be. The old man urged the doctor 
 to spend as many of the beautiful autumn days on the moun- 
 tain as he could, and at least to come up whenever it was fine; 
 he could not offer him a lodging, as he had no place to put him; 
 he advised the doctor, however, not to go back to Ragatz, but 
 to stay at Dorfli, where there was a clean, tidy little inn. Then 
 the doctor could come up every morning, which would do him 
 no end of good, and if he liked, he, the grandfather, would act 
 as his guide to any part of the mountains he would like to see. 
 The doctor was delighted with this proposal, and it was settled 
 that it should be as the grandfather suggested. 
 
 Meanwhile the sun had been climbing up the sky, and it was 
 now noon. The wind had sunk and the fir trees stood motion- 
 less. The air was still wonderfully warm and mild for that 
 height, while a delicious freshness was mingled with the warmth 
 of the sun. 
 
 Aim-Uncle now rose and went indoors, returning in a few 
 minutes with a table which he placed in front of the seat. 
 
 "There, Heidi, now run in and bring us what we want for 
 the table," he said. "The doctor must take us as he finds us; 
 
 [253] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 if the food is plain, he will acknowledge that the dining-room 
 is pleasant." 
 
 "I should think so indeed," replied the doctor as he looked 
 down over 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 
 brought out everything she could find in the cupboard, for she 
 did not know how to be pleased enough that she could help to 
 entertain the doctor. The grandfather meanwhile had been 
 preparing the meal, and now appeared with a steaming jug of 
 milk and golden-brown toasted cheese. Then he cut some thin 
 slices from the meat he had cured himself in the pure air, and 
 the doctor enjoyed his dinner better than he had for a whole 
 year past. 
 
 "Our Clara must certainly come up here," he said, "it 
 would make her quite a different person, and if she ate for any 
 length of time as I have to-day, she would grow plumper than 
 any one has ever known her before. " 
 
 As he spoke a man was seen coming up the path carrying a 
 large package on his back. When he reached the hut he threw 
 it on the ground and drew in two or three good breaths of the 
 mountain air. 
 
 "Ah, here's what travelled with me from Frankfurt," said 
 the doctor, rising, and he went up to the package and began 
 undoing it, Heidi looking on in great expectation. After he 
 had released it from its heavy outer covering, "There, 
 child," he said, "now you can go on unpacking your treasures 
 yourself." 
 
 Heidi undid her presents one by one until they were all dis- 
 
 [254 ] 
 
A VISITOR 
 
 played; she could not speak the while for wonder and delight. 
 Not till the doctor went up to her again and opened the large 
 box to show Heidi the cakes that were for the grandmother to 
 eat with her coffee, did she at last give a cry of joy, exclaiming, 
 "Now grandmother will have nice things to eat," and she 
 wanted to pack everything up again and start at once to give 
 them to her. But the grandfather said he should walk down 
 with the doctor that evening and she could go with them and 
 take the things. Heidi now found the packet of tobacco which 
 she ran and gave to her grandfather; he was so pleased with it 
 that he immediately filled his pipe with some, and the two men 
 then sat down together again, the smoke curling up from their 
 pipes as they talked of all kinds of things, while Heidi con- 
 tinued to examine first one and then another of her presents. 
 Suddenly she ran up to them, and standing in front of the 
 doctor, waited till there was a pause in the conversation, and 
 then said, " No, the other thing has not given me more pleasure 
 than seeing you, doctor. " 
 
 The two men could not help laughing, and the doctor ans- 
 wered that 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 quar- 
 ters. The grandfather carried the cakes and the shawl and the 
 large sausage, and the doctor took Heidi's hand, so they all 
 three started down the mountain. Arrived at Peter's home 
 Heidi bid the others good-bye; she was to wait at grandmother's 
 till her grandfather, who was going on to Dorfli with his 
 guest, returned to fetch her. As the doctor shook hands with 
 her she asked, "Would you like to come out with the goats 
 
 [255 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 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 some 
 effort, managed to carry in the box of cakes; then she ran out 
 again and brought in the sausage — for her grandfather had put 
 the presents down by the door — and then a third time for the 
 shawl. She had placed them as close as she could to the grand- 
 mother, so that the latter might be able to feel them and un- 
 derstand what was there. The shawl she laid over the old 
 woman's knees. 
 
 "They are all from Frankfurt, from Clara and grand- 
 mamma," she explained to the astonished grandmother and 
 Brigitta, the latter having watched her dragging in all the 
 heavy things, unable to imagine what was happening. 
 
 "And you are very pleased with the cakes, aren't you, grand- 
 mother? taste how soft they are!" said Heidi over and over 
 again, to which the grandmother continued to answer, "Yes, yes, 
 Heidi, I should think so ! what kind people they must be ! " And 
 then she would pass her hand over the warm thick shawl and 
 add, " This will be beautiful for the cold winter ! I never thought 
 I should ever have such a splendid thing as this to put on." 
 
 Heidi could not help feeling some surprise at the grand- 
 mother seeming to take more pleasure in the shawl than the 
 cakes. Meanwhile Brigitta stood gazing at the sausage with 
 almost an expression of awe. She had hardly in her life seen 
 such a monster sausage, much less owned one, and she could 
 scarcely believe her eyes. She shook her head and said doubt- 
 fully, "I must ask Uncle what it is meant for." 
 
 [ 256 ] 
 
A VISITOR 
 
 But Heidi answered without hesitation, "It is meant for 
 eating, not for anything else." 
 
 Peter came tumbling in at this minute. "Uncle is just be- 
 hind me, he is coming — " he began, and then stopped short, 
 for his eye had caught sight of the sausage, and he was too 
 much taken aback to say more. But Heidi understood that her 
 grandfather was near and so said good-bye to grandmother. 
 The old man now never passed the door without going in to 
 wish the old woman good-day, and she liked to hear his foot- 
 step approaching, for he always had a cheery word for her. 
 But to-day it was growing late for Heidi, who was always up 
 with the lark, and the grandfather would never let her go to 
 bed after hours; so this evening he only called good-night 
 through the open door and started home at once with the child, 
 and the two climbed under the starlit sky back to their peace- 
 ful dwelling. 
 
 [257] 
 
ng^a^teiSiissHassaxsatiBss^^ses^i^Bsss^^jssss^i^^^m 
 
CHAPTER XVII 
 A COMPENSATION 
 
 THE next morning the doctor climbed up from Dorfli 
 with Peter and the goats. The kindly gentleman tried 
 now and then to enter into conversation with the boy, but 
 his attempts failed, for he could hardly get a word out of Peter 
 in answer to his questions. Peter was not easily persuaded to 
 talk. So the party silently made their way up to the hut, where 
 they found Heidi awaiting them with her two goats, all three as 
 fresh and lively as the morning sun among the mountains. 
 
 "Are you coming to-day?" said Peter, repeating the words 
 with which he daily greeted her, either in question or in sum- 
 mons. 
 
 " Of course I am, if the doctor is coming too, " replied Heidi. 
 
 Peter cast a sidelong glance at the doctor. The grandfather 
 now came out with the dinner bag, and after bidding good-day 
 to the doctor, he went up to Peter and slung it over his neck. 
 It was heavier than usual, for Aim-Uncle had added some meat 
 to-day, as he thought the doctor might like to have his lunch 
 out and eat it when the children did. Peter gave a grin, for he 
 felt sure there was something more than ordinary in it. 
 
 And so the ascent began. The goats as usual came thronging 
 around Heidi, each trying to be nearest her, until at last she 
 stood still and said, "Now you must go on in front and behave 
 properly, and not keep on turning back and pushing and pok- 
 ing me, for I want to talk to the doctor," and she gave Snow- 
 
 [261 1 
 
HEIDI 
 
 flake a little pat on the back and told her to be good and obedi- 
 ent. By degrees she managed to make her way out from among 
 them and joined the doctor, who took her by the hand. He had 
 no difficulty now in conversing with his companion, for Heidi 
 had a great deal to say about the goats and their peculiarities, 
 and about the flowers and the rocks and the birds, and so they 
 clambered on and reached their resting-place before they were 
 aware. Peter had sent a good many unfriendly glances towards 
 the doctor on the way up, which might have quite alarmed the 
 latter if he had happened to notice them, which, fortunately, 
 he did not. 
 
 Heidi now led her friend to her favorite spot where she was 
 accustomed to sit and enjoy the beauty around her; the doctor 
 followed her example and took his seat beside her on the warm 
 grass. Over the heights and over the far green valley hung the 
 golden glory of the autumn day. The great snowfield sparkled 
 in the bright sunlight, and the two gray rocky peaks rose in 
 their ancient majesty against the dark blue sky. A soft, light 
 morning breeze blew deliciously across the mountain, gently 
 stirring the bluebells that still remained of the summer's 
 wealth of flowers, their slender heads nodding cheerfully in the 
 sunshine. Overhead the great bird was flying round and round 
 in wide circles, but to-day he made no sound; poised on his 
 large wings he floated contentedly in the blue ether. Heidi 
 looked about her first at one thing and then at another. The 
 waving flowers, the blue sky, the bright sunshine, the happy 
 bird — everything was so beautiful ! so beautiful ! Her eyes were 
 alight with joy. And now she turned to her friend to see if he 
 too were enjoying the beauty. The doctor had been sitting 
 
 [262] 
 
A COMPENSATION 
 
 thoughtfully gazing around him. 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 sad heart up here, how may it be 
 healed so that it can rejoice in all this beauty? " 
 
 "Oh, but," exclaimed Heidi, "no one is sad up here, only in 
 Frankfurt. 
 
 The doctor smiled and then growing serious again he con- 
 tinued, "But supposing one is not able to leave all the sadness 
 behind at Frankfurt; can you tell me anything that will help 
 then?" 
 
 "When you do not know what more to do you must go and 
 tell everything 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 
 we say to Him then?" 
 
 Heidi sat pondering for a while; she was sure in her heart that 
 God could help out of every trouble. She thought over her 
 own experiences 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 going to bring out of the trouble, only we must 
 have patience and not run away. And then all at once 
 something happens and we see clearly ourselves that God has 
 had some good thought in His mind aU along; but because 
 we cannot see things beforehand, and only know how dread- 
 fully miserable we are, we think it is always going to be 
 so." 
 
 "That is a beautiful faith, child, and be sure you hold it 
 fast," replied the doctor. Then he sat on a while in silence, 
 
 [ 263 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 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 a shadow over his eyes that he cannot feel and enjoy the 
 beauty around him, while the heart grows doubly sad knowing 
 how beautiful it could be? Can you understand that? " 
 
 A pain shot through the child's young happy heart. The 
 shadow over the eyes brought to her remembrance the grand- 
 mother, who would never again be able to see the sunlight and 
 the beauty up here. This was Heidi's great sorrow, which re- 
 awoke each time she thought about the darkness. She did not 
 speak for a few minutes, 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 must say one of grandmother's hymns, which bring 
 the light back a little, and often make it so bright for her 
 that she is quite happy 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 gar- 
 den, and some of the verses of the long one, which are favorites 
 with her, and she always likes me to read them to her two or 
 three times over," replied Heidi. 
 
 "Well, say the verses to me then — I should like to hear 
 them too," and the doctor sat up in order to listen better. 
 
 Heidi put her hands together and sat collecting her thoughts 
 for a second or two: "Shall I begin at the verse that grand- 
 mother says gives her a feeling of hope and confidence?" 
 
 The doctor nodded his assent, and Heidi began, — 
 
 [264 ] 
 
A COMPENSATION 
 
 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 
 
 Hegiyes their heart's desire. 
 
 Heidi suddenly paused; she was not sure if the doctor was 
 still listening. He was sitting motionless with his hand before 
 his eyes. She thought he had fallen asleep; when he awoke, if 
 he wanted to hear more verses, she would go on. There was no 
 sound anywhere. The doctor sat in silence, but he was cer- 
 tainly not asleep. His thoughts had carried him back to a 
 long past time: he saw himself as a little boy standing by his 
 dear mother's chair; she had her arm round his neck and was 
 saying the very verses to him that Heidi had just recited — 
 words which he had not heard now for years. He could hear 
 his mother's voice and see her loving eyes resting upon him, 
 and as Heidi ceased the old dear voice seemed to be saying 
 other things to him; and the words he heard again must have 
 carried him far, far away, for it was a long time before he 
 stirred or took his hand from his eyes. When at last he roused 
 himself he met Heidi's eyes looking wonderingly at him. 
 
 [265 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 "Heidi," he said, taking the child's hand in his, "that was 
 a beautiful hymn of yours," and there was a happier ring in 
 his voice as he spoke. "We will come out here together an- 
 other day, and you will let me hear it again." 
 
 Peter meanwhile had had enough to do in giving vent to his 
 anger. It was now some days since Heidi had been out with 
 him, and when at last she did come, there she sat the whole 
 time beside the old gentleman, and Peter could not get a word 
 with her. He got into a terrible temper, and at last went and 
 stood some way back behind the doctor, where the latter could 
 not see him, and doubling his fist made imaginary hits at the 
 enemy. Presently he doubled both fists, and the longer Heidi 
 stayed beside the gentleman, the more fiercely did he threaten 
 with them. 
 
 Meanwhile the sun had risen to the height which Peter knew 
 pointed to the dinner hour. All of a sudden he called at the top 
 of his voice, "It's dinner time." 
 
 Heidi was rising to fetch the dinner bag so that the doctor 
 might eat his where he sat. But he stopped her, telling her he 
 was not hungry at all, and only cared for a glass of milk, as he 
 wanted to climb up a little higher. Then Heidi found that she 
 also was not hungry and only wanted milk, and she should like, 
 she said, to take the doctor up to the large moss-covered rock 
 where Greenfinch had nearly jumped down and killed herself. 
 So she ran and explained matters to Peter, telling him to go 
 and get milk for the two. Peter seemed hardly to understand. 
 " Who is going to eat what is in the bag then? " he asked. 
 
 "You can have it," she answered, "only first make haste 
 and get the milk." 
 
 [266] 
 
 ^ v 
 
A COMPENSATION 
 
 Peter had seldom performed any task more promptly, for he 
 thought of the bag and its contents, which now belonged to 
 him. As soon as the other two were sitting quietly drinking 
 their milk, he opened it, and quite trembled for joy at the sight 
 of the meat, and he was just putting his hand in to draw it out 
 when something seemed to hold him back. His conscience 
 smote him at the remembrance of how he had stood with his 
 doubled fists behind the 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 he jumped up and ran back to the spot where 
 he had stood before, and there held up his open hands as a sign 
 that he had no longer any wish to use them as fists, and kept 
 them up until he felt he had made amends for his past conduct. 
 Then he rushed back and sat down to the double enjoyment 
 of a clear conscience and an unusually satisfying meal. 
 
 Heidi and the doctor climbed and talked for a long while, 
 until the latter said it was time for him to be going back, and 
 no doubt Heidi would like to go and be with her goats. But 
 Heidi would not hear of this, as then the doctor would have to 
 go the whole way down the mountain alone. She insisted on 
 accompanying him 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 whole way she entertained him with accounts of this 
 thing and that, showing him the spots where the goats loved 
 best to feed, and others where in summer the flowers of all 
 colors grew in greatest abundance. She could give them all 
 their right names, for her grandfather had taught her these 
 during the summer months. But at last the doctor insisted on 
 her going back; so they bid each other good-night and the 
 
 [267] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 doctor continued his descent, turning now and again to look 
 back, and each time he saw Heidi standing on the same spot 
 and waving her hand to him. Even so in the old days had his 
 own dear little daughter watched him when he went from 
 home. 
 
 It was a bright, sunny autumn month. The doctor came up 
 to the hut every morning, and thence made excursions over the 
 mountain. Aim-Uncle accompanied him on some of his higher 
 ascents, when they climbed up to the ancient storm-beaten fir 
 trees and often disturbed the great bird which rose startled 
 from its nest, with the whirl of wings and croakings, very near 
 their heads. The doctor found great pleasure in his compan- 
 ion's conversation, and was astonished at his knowledge of the 
 plants that grew on the mountain: he knew the uses of them 
 all, from the aromatic fir trees and the dark pines with their 
 scented needles, to the curly moss that sprang up everywhere 
 about the roots of the trees and the smallest plant and tiniest 
 flower. He was as well versed also in the ways of the animals, 
 great and small, and had many amusing anecdotes to tell of 
 these dwellers in caves and holes and in the tops of the fir trees. 
 And so the time passed pleasantly and quickly for the doctor, 
 who seldom said good-bye to the old man at the end of the day 
 without adding, "I never leave you, friend, without having 
 learnt something new from you." 
 
 On some of the very finest days, however, the doctor would 
 wander out again with Heidi, and then the two would sit 
 together as on the first day, and the child would repeat 
 her hymns and tell the doctor things which she alone knew. 
 Peter sat at a little distance from them, but he was now 
 
 [268] 
 
A COMPENSATION 
 
 quite reconciled in spirit and gave vent to no angry panto- 
 mime. 
 
 September had drawn to its close, and now one morning the 
 doctor appeared looking less cheerful than usual. It was his 
 last day, he said, as he must return to Frankfurt, but he was 
 grieved at having to say good-bye to the mountain, where he 
 had begun to feel quite at home. Aim-Uncle, on his side, 
 greatly regretted the departure of his guest, and Heidi had 
 been now accustomed for so long to see her good friend every 
 day that she could hardly believe the time had suddenly come 
 to separate. She looked up at him in doubt, taken by surprise, 
 but there was no help, he must go. So he bid farewell to the old 
 man and asked that Heidi might go with him part of the return 
 way, and Heidi took his hand and went down the mountain 
 with him, still unable to grasp the idea that he was going for 
 good. After some distance the doctor stood still, and passing 
 his hand over the child's curly head said, "Now, Heidi, you 
 must go back, and I must say good-bye! If only 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 hesitat- 
 ingly, "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; the kind eyes looking down on her had tears in them. 
 Then the doctor tore himself away and quickly continued his 
 descent. 
 
 Heidi remained standing without moving. The friendly eyes 
 
 [ 269 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 with the tears in them had gone to her heart. All at once she 
 burst into tears and started running as fast as she could after 
 the departing figure, calling out in broken tones: "Doctor! 
 doctor!" 
 
 He turned round and waited till the child reached him. 
 The tears were streaming down her face and she sobbed out: 
 "I will come to Frankfurt with you now at once, and I will 
 stay with you as long as you like, only I must just run back and 
 tell grandfather." 
 
 The doctor laid his hand on her and tried to calm her excite- 
 ment. "No, no, dear child," he said kindly, "not now; you 
 must stay for the present under the fir trees, or I should have 
 you ill again. But hear now what I have to ask you. If I am 
 ever ill and alone, will you come then and stay with me? 
 May I know that there would then be some one to look after 
 me and care for me?" 
 
 "Yes, yes, I will come the very day you send for me, and I 
 love you nearly as much as grandfather," replied Heidi, who 
 had not yet 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 as long as a speck of him could be seen. As the doctor 
 turned for the last time and looked back at the waving Heidi 
 and the sunny mountain, he said to himself, " It is good to be 
 up there, good for body and soul, and a man might learn how 
 to be happy once more." 
 
 [270 
 
^^^wss&semsii)^sss«si«m^^euiim^ims^8&«^sgs^^^&isis) 
 
CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 WINTER IN DORFLI 
 
 THE snow was lying so high around the hut that the 
 windows looked level with the ground, and the door had 
 entirely disappeared from view. If Aim-Uncle had been 
 up there he would have had to do what Peter did daily, for 
 fresh snow fell every night. Peter had to get out of the window 
 of the sitting-room every morning, and if the frost had not 
 been very hard during the night, he immediately sank up to 
 his shoulders almost in the snow and had to struggle with 
 hands, feet, and head to extricate himself. Then his mother 
 handed him the large broom, and with this he worked hard 
 to make a way to the door. He had to be careful to dig the 
 snow well away, or else as soon as the door was opened the 
 whole soft mass would fall inside, or, if the frost was severe 
 enough, it would have made such a wall of ice in front of the 
 house that no one could have gone in or out, for the window 
 was only big enough for Peter to creep through. The fresh 
 snow froze like this in the night sometimes, and this was an 
 enjoyable time for Peter, for he would get through the window 
 on to the hard, smooth, frozen ground, and his mother would 
 hand him out the little sleigh, and he could then make his 
 descent to Dorfli along any route he chose, for the whole moun- 
 tain was nothing but one wide, unbroken sleigh road. 
 
 Aim-Uncle had kept his word and was not spending the 
 
 [273] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 winter in his old home. As soon as the first snow began to fall, 
 he had shut up the hut and the outside buildings and gone 
 down to Dorfli with Heidi and the goats. Near the church was 
 a straggling, half-ruined building, which had once been the 
 house of a person of consequence. A distinguished soldier had 
 lived there at one time; he had taken service in Spain and had 
 there performed many brave deeds and gathered much treas- 
 ure. When he returned home to Dorfli he spent part of his 
 booty in building a fine house, with the intention of living in it. 
 But he had been too long accustomed to the noise and bustle 
 of arms and the world to care for a quiet country life, and he 
 soon went off again, and this time did not return. When after 
 many long years it seemed certain that he was dead, a distant 
 relative took possession of the house, but it had already fallen 
 into disrepair, and he had no wish to rebuild it. So it was let 
 to poor people, who paid but a small rent, and when any part 
 of the building fell it was allowed to remain. This had now 
 gone on for many years. As long ago as when his son Tobias 
 was a child Aim-Uncle had rented the tumble-down old place. 
 Since then it had stood empty, for no one could stay in it who 
 had not some idea of how to stop up the holes and gaps and 
 make it habitable. Otherwise the wind and rain and snow 
 blew into the rooms, so that it was impossible even to keep a 
 candle alight, and the indwellers would have been frozen to 
 death during the long cold winters. Aim-Uncle, however, 
 knew how to mend matters. As soon as he made up his mind 
 to spend the winter in Dorfli he rented the old place and 
 worked during the autumn to get it sound and tight. In the 
 middle of October he and Heidi took up their residence there. 
 
 [274 ] 
 
WINTER IN DORFLI 
 
 On approaching the house from the back one came first into 
 an open space with a wall on either side, of which one was 
 half in ruins. Above this rose the arch of an old window 
 thickly overgrown with ivy, which spread over the remains of 
 a domed roof that had evidently been part of a chapel. A large 
 hall came next, which lay open, without doors, to the square 
 outside. Here also walls and roof only partially remained, and 
 indeed what was left of the roof looked as if it might fall at 
 any minute had it not been for two stout pillars that supported 
 it. Aim-Uncle had here put up a wooden partition and covered 
 the floor with straw, for this was to be the goats' house. End- 
 less passages led from this, through the rents of which the sky 
 as well as the fields and the road outside, could be seen at 
 intervals; but at last one came to a stout oak door that led 
 into a room that still stood intact. Here the walls and the 
 dark wainscoting remained as good as ever, and in the corner 
 was an immense stove reaching nearly to the ceiling, on the 
 white tiles of which were painted large pictures in blue. 
 These represented old castles surrounded with trees, and hunts- 
 men riding out with their hounds; or else a quiet lake scene, 
 with broad oak trees and a man fishing. A seat ran all round 
 the stove so that one could sit at one's ease and study the 
 pictures. These attracted Heidi's attention at once, and she 
 had no sooner arrived with her grandfather than she ran and 
 seated herself and began to examine them. But when she had 
 gradually worked herself round to the back, something else 
 diverted her attention. In the large space between the stove 
 and the wall four planks had been put together as if to make a 
 large receptacle for apples; there were no apples, however, 
 
 [275 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 inside, but something Heidi had no difficulty in recognizing, 
 for it was her very own bed, with its hay mattress and sheets, 
 and sack for a coverlid, just as she had it up at the hut. Heidi 
 clapped her hands for joy and exclaimed, "Oh, grandfather, 
 this is my room, how nice! But where are you going to sleep?" 
 
 "Your room must be near the stove or you will freeze," he 
 replied, "but you can come and see mine too." 
 
 Heidi got down and skipped across the large room after her 
 grandfather, who opened a door at the farther end leading 
 into a smaller one, which was to be his bedroom. Then came 
 another door. Heidi pushed it open and stood amazed, for 
 here was an immense room like a kitchen, larger than any- 
 thing of the kind that Heidi had seen before. There was still 
 plenty of work for the grandfather before this room could be 
 finished, for there were holes and cracks in the walls through 
 which the wind whistled, and yet he had already nailed up so 
 many new planks that it looked as if a lot of small cupboards 
 had been set up round the room. He had, however, made the 
 large old door safe with many screws and nails, as a protection 
 against the outside air, and this was very necessary, for just 
 beyond was a mass of ruined buildings overgrown with tall 
 weeds, which made a dwelling-place for endless beetles and 
 lizards. 
 
 Heidi was very delighted with her new home, and by the 
 morning after their arrival she knew every nook and corner so 
 thoroughly that she could take Peter over it and show him all 
 that was to be seen; indeed, she would not let him go till he 
 had examined every single wonderful thing contained in it. 
 
 Heidi slept soundly in her corner by the stove, but every 
 
 [ 276 ] 
 
WINTER IN DORFLI 
 
 morning when she first awoke she still thought she was on the 
 mountain, and that she must run outside at once to see if the 
 fir trees were so quiet because their branches were weighed 
 down with the thick snow. She had to look about her for some 
 minutes before she felt quite sure where she was, and a certain 
 sensation of trouble and oppression would come over her as she 
 grew aware that she was not at home in the hut. But then she 
 would hear her grandfather's voice outside, attending to the 
 goats, and these would give one or two loud bleats, as if calling 
 to her to make haste and go to them, and then Heidi was happy 
 again, for she knew she was still at home, and she would jump 
 gladly out of bed and run out to the animals as quickly as she 
 could. On the fourth morning, as soon as she saw her grand- 
 father, she said, "I must go up to see grandmother to-day; she 
 ought not to be alone so long." 
 
 But the grandfather would not agree to this. "Neither to- 
 day nor to-morrow can you go," he said; "the mountain is 
 covered fathom-deep in snow, and the snow is still falling; the 
 sturdy Peter can hardly get along. A little creature like you 
 would soon be smothered 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 over the hard snow." " 
 
 Heidi did not like the thought of having to wait, but the days 
 were so busy that she hardly knew how they went by. 
 
 Heidi now went to school in Dorfii every morning and after- 
 noon, and eagerly set to work to learn all that was taught her. 
 She hardly ever saw Peter there, for as a rule he was absent. 
 The teacher was an easygoing man who merely remarked now 
 and then, "Peter is not turning up to-day again, it seems, but 
 
 [277] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 there is a lot of snow up on the mountain and I daresay he 
 cannot get along." Peter, however, always seemed able to 
 make his way through the snow in the evening when school 
 was over, and he then generally paid Heidi a visit. 
 
 At last, after some days, the sun again appeared and shone 
 brightly over the white ground, but he went to bed again 
 behind the mountains at a very early hour, as if he did not 
 find such pleasure in looking down on the earth as when 
 everything was green and flowery. But then the moon came 
 out clear and large and lit up the great white snowfield all 
 through the night, and the next morning the whole mountain 
 glistened and sparkled like a huge crystal. When Peter got 
 out of his window as usual, he was taken by surprise, for 
 instead of sinking into the soft snow he fell on the hard ground 
 and went sliding way down the mountainside like a sleigh 
 before he could stop himself. He picked himself up and tested 
 the hardness of the ground by stamping on it and trying with 
 all his might to dig his heels into it, but even then he could not 
 break off a single little splinter of ice; the Aim was frozen 
 hard as iron. This was just what Peter had been hoping for, 
 as he knew now that Heidi would be 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 off to school." "That's right, 
 go and learn all you can," said the grandmother encouragingly. 
 Peter crept through the window again — the door was quite 
 blocked by the frozen snow outside — pulling his little sleigh 
 after him, and in another minute was shooting down the 
 mountain. 
 
 [278] 
 
WINTER IN DORFLI 
 
 He went like lightning, and when he reached Dorfli, which 
 stood on the direct road to Mayenfeld, he made up his mind to 
 go on further, for he was sure he could not stop his rapid 
 descent without hurting himself and the sleigh too. So down 
 he still went till he reached the level ground, where the sleigh 
 came to a pause of its own accord. Then he got out and looked 
 round. The impetus with which he had made his journey down 
 had carried him some little way beyond Mayenfeld. He be- 
 thought himself that it was too late to get to school now, as 
 lessons would already have begun, and it would take him a 
 good hour to walk back to Dorfli. So he might take his time 
 about returning, which he did, and reached Dorfli just as 
 Heidi had got home from school and was sitting at dinner with 
 her grandfather. Peter walked in, and as on this occasion he 
 had something particular to communicate, he began without a 
 pause, exclaiming as he stood still in the middle of the room, 
 " She's got it now." 
 
 "Got it? what?" asked the Uncle. "Your words sound 
 quite warlike, general." 
 
 "The frost," explained Peter. 
 
 "Oh! then now I can go and see grandmother!" said Heidi 
 joyfully, for she had understood Peter's words at once. "But 
 why were you not at school then? You could have come down 
 in the sleigh," she added reproachfully, for it did not agree 
 with Heidi's ideas of good behavior to stay away when it was 
 possible to 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 deserters 
 get their ears pulled, as you know." 
 
 [ 279 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 Peter gave a tug to his cap in alarm, for there was no one of 
 whom he stood in so much awe as Aim-Uncle. 
 
 "And an army leader like yourself ought to be doubly 
 ashamed of running away," continued Aim-Uncle. "What 
 would you think of your goats if one went off this way and 
 another that, and refused to 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 a 
 beating for it, what would you say then?" 
 
 "Serve him right," was the answer. 
 
 "Good, then understand this: next time you let your sleigh 
 carry you past the school when you ought to be inside at your 
 lessons, come on to me afterwards and receive what you de- 
 serve." 
 
 Peter now understood the drift of the old man's questions 
 and that he was the boy who behaved like the unruly goats, 
 and he looked somewhat fearfully towards the corner to see if 
 anything happened to be there such as he used himself on such 
 occasions for the punishm it of his animals. 
 
 But now the grandfather suddenly said in a cheerful voice, 
 "Come and sit down and have something, and afterwards 
 Heidi shall go with you. Bring her back this evening and you 
 will find supper waiting for you here." 
 
 This unexpected turn of conversation set Peter grinning all 
 over with delight. He obeyed without hesitation and took his 
 seat beside Heidi. But the child could not eat any more in her 
 excitement at the thought of going to see grandmother. She 
 pushed the potatoes and toasted cheese which still stood on her 
 
 [280] 
 
WINTER IN DORFLI 
 
 plate towards him while Uncle was filling his plate from the 
 other 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 
 the cupboard and brought out the warm cloak Clara had sent 
 her; with this on and the hood drawn over her head, she was 
 all ready for her journey. She stood waiting beside Peter, and 
 as soon as his last mouthful had disappeared she said, " Come 
 along now." As the two walked together Heidi had much to 
 tell Peter of her two goats that had been so unhappy the first 
 day in their new stall that they would not eat anything, but 
 stood hanging their heads, not even rousing themselves to 
 bleat. And when she asked her grandfather the reason of this, 
 he told her it was with them as with her in Frankfurt, for it 
 was the first time in their lives they had come down from the 
 mountain. "And you don't know what that is, Peter, unless 
 you have felt it yourself," added Heidi. 
 
 The children had nearly reached their destination before 
 Peter opened his mouth ; he appeared to be so sunk in thought 
 that he hardly heard what was said to him. As they neared 
 home, however, he stood still and said in a somewhat sullen 
 voice, "I had rather go to school even than get what Uncle 
 threatened." 
 
 Heidi was of the same mind, and encouraged him in his good 
 intention. They found Brigitta sitting alone knitting, for the 
 grandmother was not very well and had to stay the day in bed 
 on account of the cold. Heidi had never before missed the old 
 figure in her place in the corner, and she ran quickly into the 
 next room. There lay grandmother on her little poorly covered 
 bed, wrapped up in her warm gray shawl. 
 
 [281 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 "Thank God," she exclaimed as Heidi came running in; the 
 poor old woman had had a secret fear at heart all through the 
 autumn, especially if Heidi was absent for any length of time, 
 for Peter had told her of a strange gentleman who had come 
 from Frankfurt, and who had gone out with them and always 
 talked to Heidi, and she had felt sure he had come to take her 
 away again. Even when she heard he had gone off alone, she 
 still had an idea that a messenger would be sent over from 
 Frankfurt to fetch the child. Heidi went up to the side of the 
 bed and said, "Are you very ill, grandmother?" 
 
 "No, no, child," answered the old woman reassuringly, 
 passing her hand lovingly over the child's head. "It's only the 
 frost that 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 
 back to 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 had detected that Heidi was frightened and was 
 anxious to set her mind at ease. 
 
 Her words comforted Heidi, who had in truth been greatly 
 distressed, for she had never before seen the grandmother ill in 
 bed. She now looked at the old woman seriously for a minute 
 or two, and then said, "In Frankfurt everybody puts on a 
 shawl to go 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 
 am so pleased with it, for my bedclothes are not very thick," 
 she answered. 
 
 "But, grandmother," continued Heidi, "your bed is not 
 
 [282] 
 
WINTER IN DORFLI 
 
 right, because it goes downhill at your head instead of 
 uphill." 
 
 "I know it, child, I can feel it," and the grandmother put up 
 her hand to the thin flat pillow, which was little more than a 
 board under her head, to make herself more comfortable; 
 "the pillow was never very thick, and I have lain on it now for 
 so many years that it has grown quite flat." 
 
 "Oh, if only I had asked Clara to let me take away my 
 Frankfurt bed," said Heidi. "I had three large pillows, one 
 above the other, so that I could hardly sleep, and I used to slip 
 down to try and find a flat place, and then I had to pull myself 
 up again, because it was proper to sleep there like that. Could 
 you sleep like that, grandmother?" 
 
 "Oh, yes! the pillows keep one warm, and it is easier to 
 breathe when the head is high," answered the grandmother, 
 wearily raising her head as she spoke as if trying to find a 
 higher resting-place. "But we will not talk about that, for I 
 have so much that other old sick people are without for which 
 I thank God; there is the nice bread I get every day, and 
 this warm wrap, and your visits, Heidi. Will you read me 
 something to-day?" 
 
 Heidi ran into the next room to fetch the hymn book. Then 
 she picked out the favorite hymns one after another, for she 
 knew them all by heart now, as pleased as the grandmother to 
 hear them again after so many days. The grandmother lay 
 with folded hands, 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 well again already? " 
 
 [283] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 "Yes, child, I have grown better while listening to you; read 
 it to 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 grows clearer, 
 Sees the goal to which it travels, 
 Gladly feels its home is nearer." 
 
 the grandmother repeated them once or twice to herself, with a 
 look of happy expectation on her face. And Heidi took equal 
 pleasure in them, for the picture of the beautiful sunny day of 
 her return home rose before her eyes, and she exclaimed joy- 
 fully, "Grandmother, I know exactly what it is like to go 
 home." The old woman did not answer, but she had heard 
 Heidi's words, and the expression that had made the child 
 think she was better remained on her face. 
 
 A little later Heidi said, "It is growing dark and I must go 
 home; I am glad to think that you are quite well again." 
 
 The grandmother took the child's hand in hers and held it 
 closely. "Yes," she said, "I feel quite happy again; even if I 
 have to go on lying here, I am content. No one knows what it 
 is to lie here alone day after day, in silence and darkness, with- 
 out hearing a voice or seeing a ray of light. Sad thoughts come 
 over me, and I do not feel sometimes as if I could bear it any 
 longer or as if it could ever be light again. But when you come 
 and read those words to me, then I am comforted and my heart 
 rejoices once more." 
 
 Then she let the child go, and Heidi ran into the next room, 
 and bid Peter come quickly, for it had now grown quite dark. 
 But when they got outside they found the moon shining down 
 
 [ 284 ] 
 
©DM^K 
 
 Down the mountain thev shot like two birds 
 darting through the air. (P^g? 285) 
 
\ 
 
WINTER IN DORFLI 
 
 on the white snow and everything as clear as in the daylight. 
 Peter got his sleigh, put Heidi at the back, he himself sitting 
 in front to guide, and down the mountain they shot like two 
 birds darting through the air. 
 
 When Heidi was lying that night on her high bed of hay, she 
 thought of the grandmother on her low pillow, and of all she 
 had said about the light and comfort that awoke in her when 
 she heard the hymns, and she thought : if I could read to her 
 every day, then I should go on making her better. But she 
 knew that it would be a week, if not two, before she would be 
 able to go up the mountain again. This was a thought of great 
 trouble to Heidi, and she tried hard to think of some way which 
 would enable the grandmother to hear the words she loved 
 every day. Suddenly an idea struck her, and she was so 
 delighted with it that she could hardly bear to wait for morn- 
 ing, so eager was she to begin carrying out her plan. All at 
 once she sat upright in her bed, for she had been so busy with 
 her thoughts that she had forgotten to say her prayers, and 
 she never now finished her day without saying them. 
 
 When she had prayed with all her heart for herself, her 
 grandfather and grandmother, she lay back again on the warm 
 soft hay- and slept soundly and peacefully till morning broke. 
 
 [285] 
 
CHAPTER XIX 
 THE WINTER CONTINUES 
 
 PETER arrived punctually at school the following day. 
 He had brought his dinner with him, for all the children 
 who lived at a distance regularly seated themselves at 
 mid-day on the tables, and resting their feet firmly on the 
 benches, spread out their meal on their knees and so ate their 
 dinner, while those living in Dorfli went home for theirs. 'Till 
 one o'clock they might all do as they liked, and then school 
 began again. When Peter had finished his lessons on the 
 days he attended school, he went over to Uncle's to see Heidi. 
 
 When he walked into the large room at Uncle's to-day, 
 Heidi immediately rushed forward and took hold of him, for it 
 was for Peter she had been waiting. "I've thought of some- 
 thing, Peter," s"he 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," 
 said Heidi in a very decided tone of voice. "Grandmamma in 
 Frankfurt said long ago that it was not true, and she told me 
 not to believe you." 
 
 [289 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 Peter looked rather taken aback at this piece of intelli- 
 gence. 
 
 "I will soon teach you to read, for I know how," continued 
 Heidi. "You must learn at once, and then you can read one or 
 two hymns 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 and kind, and to what Heidi had so much at heart, 
 aroused her anger. With flashing eyes she stood facing the boy 
 and said threateningly, "If you won't learn as I want you to, I 
 will tell you what will happen; you know your mother has 
 often spoken of sending you to Frankfurt, that you may learn 
 a lot of things, and I know where the boys there have to go to 
 school; Clara pointed out the great house to me when we were 
 driving together. And they don't only go when they are boys, 
 but have more lessons still when they are grown men. I have 
 seen them myself, and you mustn't think they have only one 
 kind teacher like we have. There are ever so many of them, all 
 in the school at the same time, and they are all dressed in 
 black, as if they were going to church, and have black hats on 
 their heads as high as that — " and Heidi held 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 to your turn you won't be able to read and will make 
 mistakes in your spelling. Then you'll see how they'll make 
 fun of you; even worse than Tinette, and you ought to have 
 seen what she was like when she was scornful." 
 
 [290] 
 
THE WINTER CONTINUES 
 
 "Well, I'll learn then," said Peter, half sorrowfully and half 
 angrily. 
 
 Heidi was instantly mollified. "That's right, then we'll be- 
 gin at once," she said cheerfully, and went busily to work on 
 the spot, dragging Peter to the table and fetching her books. 
 
 Among other presents Clara had sent Heidi a book which 
 the latter had decided, in bed the night before, would serve 
 capitally for teaching Peter, for it was an A B C book with 
 rhyming lines. And now the two sat together at the table 
 with their heads bent over the book, for the lesson had 
 begun. 
 
 Peter was made to spell out the first sentence two or three 
 times over, for Heidi wished him to get it correct and fluent. 
 At last she said, "You don't seem able to get it right, but I will 
 read it aloud to you once; when you know what it ought to be 
 you will find it easier." And she read out: — 
 
 ABC 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 
 you won't have to go." 
 
 Peter went at his task again and repeated the three letters so 
 many 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 
 
 [291 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 upon him, she thought she would prepare the ground a little 
 for the following lessons. 
 
 "Wait, and I will read you some of the next sentences," she 
 continued, "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 RSTbe quick about 
 
 Or worse will follow there's little doubt. 
 
 Heidi paused, for Peter was so quiet that she looked to see 
 what he was doing. These many secret threats and hints of 
 dreadful punishments had so affected him that he sat as if 
 petrified and stared at Heidi with horror-stricken eyes. Her 
 kind heart was moved at once, and she said, wishing to reassure 
 him, "You need not be afraid, Peter; come here to me every 
 evening, and if you learn 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't hurt you." 
 
 Peter promised, for the trepidation he had been in had made 
 him quite tame and docile. Lessons being finished for this day 
 he now went home. 
 
 [292] 
 
THE WINTER CONTINUES 
 
 Peter obeyed Heidi's instructions punctually, and every 
 evening went diligently to work to learn the following letters, 
 taking the sentences thoroughly to heart. The grandfather was 
 frequently in the room smoking his pipe comfortably while the 
 lesson was going on, and his face twitched occasionally as if he 
 was overtaken with a sudden fit of merriment. Peter was often 
 invited to stay to supper after the great exertion he had gone 
 through, which richly compensated him for the anguish of mind 
 he had suffered with the sentence for the day. 
 
 So the winter went by, and Peter really made progress with 
 his letters; but he went through a terrible fight each day with 
 the sentences. 
 
 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 
 diligent that day, as if under the impression that some one 
 would seize him suddenly by the collar and drag him where he 
 would rather not 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?" 
 asked Heidi. "A stick as thick almost as your arm, and if he 
 took that out, you might well say, look at the stick on the 
 wall." 
 
 [293] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 Peter knew that thick hazel stick, and immediately bent his 
 head over 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 
 cheese were kept and said crossly, "I never said that I should 
 forget the X." 
 
 "That's all right; if you don't forget it we can go on to 
 learn the 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 their 
 heads, and scorn and mockery in their faces rose up before his 
 mind's eye, and he threw himself with energy on the Y, not 
 letting it go till at last he knew it so thoroughly that he could 
 see what it was like even when he shut his eyes. 
 
 He arrived on the following day in a somewhat lofty frame 
 of mind, for there was now only one letter to struggle over, and 
 when 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 
 even where such people live." 
 
 "I assure you, Peter," replied Heidi, "grandfather knows all 
 
 [294] 
 
THE WINTER CONTINUES 
 
 about them. Wait a second and I will run and ask him, for he 
 is only over the way with the pastor." And she rose and ran 
 to the door to put her words into action, but Peter cried out in 
 a voice of agony, — 
 
 " Stop ! " for he already saw himself being carried off by Aim- 
 Uncle and the pastor and sent straight away to the Hottentots, 
 since as yet he did not know his last letter. His cry of fear 
 brought 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 
 know where the Hottentots lived and persisted that she should 
 ask her grandfather, but she gave in at last to Peter's despair- 
 ing entreaties. She insisted on his doing something in return, 
 and so not only had he to repeat his Z until it was so fixed in his 
 memory that he could never forget it again, but she began 
 teaching him to spell, and Peter really made a good start that 
 evening. So it went on from day to day. 
 
 The frost had gone and the snow was soft again, and more- 
 over fresh snow continually fell, so that it was quite three 
 weeks before Heidi could go to the grandmother again. So 
 much the more eagerly did she pursue her teaching so that 
 Peter might compensate for her absence by reading hymns to 
 the old woman. One evening he walked in home after leaving 
 Heidi, and as he entered 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?" 
 she called out. 
 
 [295] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 The grandmother had heard, and was already wondering 
 how such a thing could have come to pass. 
 
 "I must read one of the hymns now; Heidi told me to," he 
 went on to inform them. His mother hastily fetched the book, 
 and the grandmother lay in joyful expectation, for it was so 
 long since she had heard the good words. Peter sat down to the 
 table and began to read. His mother sat beside him listening 
 with surprise and exclaiming at the close of each verse, " Who 
 would have thought it possible!" 
 
 The grandmother did not speak though she followed the 
 words he read with strained attention. 
 
 It happened on the day following this that there was a read- 
 ing lesson in Peter's class. When it came to his turn, the 
 teacher said, — 
 
 "We must pass over Peter as usual, or will you try again 
 once more — I will not say to read, but to stammer through a 
 sentence." 
 
 Peter took the book and read off three lines without the 
 slightest 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 I been striving with unheard-of patience to teach you and 
 you have not hitherto been able to say your letters even. And 
 now, just as I had made up my mind not to waste any more 
 trouble upon you, you suddenly are able to read a consecutive 
 sentence properly and distinctly. How has such a miracle 
 come to pass in our days?" 
 
 [296] 
 
THE WINTER CONTINUES 
 
 "It was Heidi," answered Peter. 
 
 The teacher looked in astonishment towards Heidi, who was 
 sitting innocently on her bench with no appearance of any- 
 thing supernatural about her. He continued, "I have noticed 
 a change in you altogether, Peter. Whereas formerly you often 
 missed coming to school for a week, or even weeks at a time, 
 you have lately not stayed away a single day. Who has 
 wrought this change for good in you?" 
 
 "It was Uncle," answered Peter. 
 
 With increasing surprise the teacher looked from Peter to 
 Heidi and back again at Peter. 
 
 "We will try once more," he said cautiously, and Peter had 
 again to show off his accomplishment by reading another three 
 lines. There was no mistake about it — Peter could read. As 
 soon as school was over the teacher went over to the pastor to 
 tell him this piece of news, and to inform him of the happy 
 result of Heidi'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 
 the grandmother never asked for it. His mother Brigitta could 
 not get over her surprise at her son's attainment, and when the 
 reader was in bed would often express her pleasure at it. 
 "Now he has learnt to read there is no knowing what may be 
 made of him yet." 
 
 On one of these occasions the grandmother answered, "Yes, 
 it is good for him to have learnt something, but I shall indeed 
 be thankful when spring is here again and Heidi can come; 
 they are not like the same hymns when Peter reads them. 
 So many words seem missing, and I try to think what they 
 
 [ 297] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 ought to be and then I lose the sense, and so the hymns do not 
 come home to my heart as when Heidi reads them." 
 
 The truth was that Peter arranged to make his reading as 
 little troublesome for himself as possible. When he came upon 
 a word that he thought was too long or difficult in any other 
 way, he left 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 to his grandmother. And so it came about that 
 most of the principal words were missing in the hymns that 
 Peter read aloud. 
 
 [298] 
 
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CHAPTER XX 
 NEWS FROM DISTANT FRIENDS 
 
 IT was the month of May. From every height the full fresh 
 streams of spring were flowing down into the valley. The 
 clear warm sunshine lay upon the mountain, which had 
 turned green again. The last snows had disappeared and the 
 sun had already coaxed many of the flowers to show their 
 bright heads above the grass. Up above the gay young wind of 
 spring was singing through the fir trees, and shaking down the 
 old dark needles to make room for the new bright green ones 
 that were soon to deck out the trees in their spring finery. 
 Higher up still the great bird went circling round in the blue 
 ether as of old, while the golden sunshine lit up the grand- 
 father's hut, and all the ground about it was warm and dry 
 again so that one might sit out where one liked. Heidi was at 
 home again on the mountain, running backwards and forwards 
 in her accustomed way, not knowing which spot was most 
 delightful. Now she stood still to listen to the deep, mysterious 
 voice of the wind, as it blew down to her from the mountain 
 summits, coming nearer and nearer and gathering strength as 
 it came, till it broke with force against the fir trees, bending 
 and shaking them, and seeming to shout for joy, so that she too, 
 though blown about like a feather, felt she must join in the 
 chorus of exulting sounds. Then she would run round again to 
 the sunny space in front of the hut, and seating herself on the 
 
 [301] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 ground would peer closely into the short grass to see how many 
 little flower cups were open or thinking of opening. She 
 rejoiced with all the myriad little beetles and winged insects 
 that jumped and crawled and danced in the sun, and drew in 
 deep draughts of the spring scents that rose from the newly 
 awakened earth, and thought the mountain was more beautiful 
 than ever. All the tiny living creatures must be as happy as 
 she, for it seemed to her there were little voices all round her 
 singing and humming in joyful 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 
 old familiar sound she had known from the beginning of her 
 life up here. Suddenly she jumped up and ran round, for she 
 must know what her grandfather was doing. In front of the, 
 shed door already stood a finished new chair, and a second was 
 in course of construction 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 one is 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 you think, grandfather, that perhaps Fraulein Rotten- 
 meier will not come with them?" 
 
 "Well, I cannot say just yet," replied her grandfather, "but 
 it will be safer to make one so that we can offer her a seat if 
 she does." 
 
 Heidi looked thoughtfully at the plain wooden chair without 
 arms as if trying to imagine how Fraulein Rottenmeier and 
 
 [302] 
 
NEWS FROM DISTANT FRIENDS 
 
 a chair of this sort would suit one another. After a few min- 
 utes' contemplation, "Grandfather," she said, shaking her 
 head doubtfully, "I don't think she would be able to sit on 
 that." 
 
 "Then we will invite her on the couch with the beauti- 
 ful green turf feather-bed," was her grandfather's quiet 
 rejoinder. 
 
 While Heidi was pausing to consider what this might be, 
 there approached from above a whistling, calling, and other 
 sounds which Heidi immediately recognized. She ran out and 
 found herself surrounded by her four-footed friends. They 
 were apparently as pleased as she was to be among the heights 
 again, for they leaped about and bleated for joy, pushing 
 Heidi this way and that, each anxious to express his delight 
 with some sign of affection. But Peter sent them flying to right 
 and left, for he had something to give to Heidi. When he at 
 last got up to her he handed her a letter. 
 
 "There!" he exclaimed, leaving the further explanation of 
 the matter 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 
 been given him the evening before by the postman at Dorfli, 
 and Peter had put it into his empty bag. That morning he had 
 stuffed his bread and cheese on the top of it, and had forgotten 
 it when he fetched Aim-Uncle's two goats; only when he had 
 
 [303] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 finished his bread and cheese at mid-day and was searching in 
 the bag for any last crumbs did he remember the letter which 
 lay at the bottom. 
 
 Heidi read the address carefully; then she ran back to 
 the shed holding out her letter to her grandfather in high 
 glee. "From Frankfurt! 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 
 against the door post, as he felt he could follow Heidi's reading 
 better if firmly supported from behind, and so stood prepared 
 to listen. 
 
 "Dearest Heidi, — Everything is packed and we shall start 
 now in two or three days, as soon as papa himself is ready to 
 leave; he is not coming with us, as he has first to go to Paris. 
 The doctor comes every day, and as soon as he is inside the 
 door, he cries, ' Off now as quickly as you can, off to the moun- 
 tain.' He is most impatient about our going. You cannot 
 think how much he enjoyed himself when he was with you! 
 He has called nearly every day this winter, and each time he 
 has come into my room and said he must tell me about every- 
 thing again. And then he sits down and describes all he did 
 with you and the grandfather, and talks of the mountains and 
 the flowers and of the great silence up there far above all towns 
 and the villages, and of the fresh delicious air, and often adds, 
 'No one can help getting well up there.' He himself is quite a 
 different man since his visit, and looks quite young again and 
 happy, which he had not been for a long time before. Oh, 
 
 [304 ] 
 
NEWS FROM DISTANT FRIENDS 
 
 how I am looking forward to seeing everything and to being 
 with you on the mountain, and to making the acquaintance 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 to 
 Dbrfli, and every fine day I shall be carried up the mountain in 
 my chair and spend the day with you. Grandmamma is travel- 
 ling with me and will remain with me; she also is delighted at 
 the thought of paying you a visit. But just imagine, Fraulein 
 Rottenmeier refuses to come with us. Almost every day grand- 
 mamma says to her, 'Well, how about this Swiss journey, my 
 worthy Rottenmeier? Pray say if you really would like to come 
 with us.' But she always thanks grandmamma very politely 
 and says she has quite made up her mind. I think I know what 
 has done it : Sebastian gave such a frightful description of the 
 mountain, of how the rocks were so overhanging and dangerous 
 that at any minute you might fall into a crevasse, and how it 
 was such steep climbing that you feared at every step to go 
 slipping to the bottom, and that goats alone could make their 
 way up without fear of being killed. She shuddered when she 
 heard him tell of all this, and since then she has not been so 
 enthusiastic about Switzerland as she was before. Fear has 
 also taken possession of Tinette, and she also refuses to come. 
 So grandmamma and I will be alone; Sebastian will go with us 
 as far as Ragatz and then return here. 
 
 "I can hardly bear waiting till I see you again. Good-bye, 
 dearest Heidi; grandmamma sends you her best love and all 
 good wishes. — Your affectionate friend, 
 
 "Clara." 
 [305 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 Peter, as soon as the conclusion of the letter had been 
 reached, left his reclining position and rushed out, twirling his 
 stick in the air in such a reckless fashion that the frightened 
 goats fled down the mountain before him with higher and 
 wider leaps than usual. Peter followed at full speed, his stick 
 still raised in air in a menacing manner as if he was longing to 
 vent his fury on some invisible foe. This foe was indeed the 
 prospect of the arrival of the Frankfurt visitors, the thought 
 of whom filled him with exasperation. 
 
 Heidi was so full of joyful anticipation that she determined 
 to seize the first possible moment next day to go down and tell 
 grandmother who was coming, and also particularly who was 
 not coming. These details would be of great interest to her, for 
 grandmother knew well all the persons named from Heidi's 
 description, and had entered with deep sympathy into all that 
 the child had told her of her life and surroundings in Frankfurt. 
 Heidi paid her visit in the early afternoon, for she could now 
 go alone again; the sun was bright in the heavens and the days 
 were growing longer, and it was delightful to go racing down 
 the mountain over the dry ground, with the brisk May wind 
 blowing from behind, and speeding Heidi on her way a little 
 more quickly than her legs alone would have carried her. 
 
 The grandmother was no longer confined to her bed. She 
 was back in her corner at her spinning-wheel, but there was an 
 expression on her face of mournful anxiety. Peter had come in 
 the evening before brimful of anger and had told about the 
 large party who were coming up from Frankfurt, and he did 
 not know what other things might happen after that; and the 
 old woman had not slept all night, pursued by the old thought 
 
 [306] 
 
NEWS FROM DISTANT FRIENDS 
 
 of Heidi being taken from her. Heidi ran in, and taking her 
 little stool, immediately sat down by grandmother and began 
 eagerly pouring out all her news, growing more excited with her 
 pleasure as she went on. But all of a sudden she stopped short 
 and said anxiously, " What is the matter, grandmother, aren't 
 you a bit pleased with what I am telling you?" 
 
 "Yes, yes, of course, child, since it gives you so much pleas- 
 ure," she answered, trying to look more cheerful. 
 
 "But I can see all the same that something troubles you. 
 Is it because 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 
 to reassure her. "Just give me your hand that I may feel sure 
 you are there. No doubt it would be the best thing for you, 
 although I feel I could scarcely survive it." 
 
 "I do not want anything of the best if you could scarcely 
 survive it," said Heidi, in such a determined tone of voice that 
 the grandmother's fears increased as she felt sure the people 
 from Frankfurt were coming to take Heidi back with them, 
 since now she was well again they naturally wished to have her 
 with them once more. But she was anxious to hide her trouble 
 from Heidi if possible, as the latter was so sympathetic that she 
 might refuse perhaps to go away, and that would not be right. 
 She sought for help, but not for long, for she knew of only one. 
 
 "Heidi," she said, "there is something that would comfort 
 me and calm my thoughts; read me the hymn beginning : 'All 
 things will work for good.'" 
 
 Heidi found the place at once and read out in her clear 
 young voice: 
 
 [307] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 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 the 
 grandmother, and the deep expression of trouble passed from 
 her face. Heidi looked at her thoughtfully for a minute or two 
 and then said, "Healing means that which cures everything 
 and makes everybody 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 
 to God's good purpose. Read the verse again, that we may re- 
 member it well and not forget it again." 
 
 And Heidi read the words over two or three times, for she 
 also found pleasure in this assurance of all things being ar- 
 ranged for the best. 
 
 When the evening came, Heidi returned home up the moun- 
 tain. The stars came out overhead one by one, so bright and 
 sparkling that each seemed to send a fresh ray of joy into her 
 heart; she was obliged to pause continually to look up, and as 
 the whole sky at last grew spangled with them she spoke aloud, 
 "Yes, I understand now why we feel so happy, and are not 
 afraid about anything, because God knows what is good and 
 beautiful for us." And the stars with their glistening eyes 
 continued to nod to her till she reached home, where she 
 found her grandfather also standing and looking up at them, 
 for they had seldom been more glorious than they were this 
 night. 
 
 Not only were the nights of this month of May so clear and 
 
 [308 ] 
 
NEWS FROM DISTANT FRIENDS 
 
 bright, but the days as well; the sun rose every morning into 
 the cloudless sky, as undimmed in its splendor as when it sank 
 the evening before, and the grandfather would look out early 
 and exclaim with astonishment, "This is indeed a wonderful 
 year of sun; it will make all the shrubs and plants grow apace; 
 you will have to see, general, that your army does not get out 
 of hand from overfeeding." And Peter would swing his stick 
 with an air of assurance and an expression on his face as much 
 as to say, "I'll see to that." 
 
 So May passed, everything growing greener and greener, and 
 then came the month of June, with a hotter sun and long, light 
 days, that brought the flowers out all over the mountain, so 
 that every spot was bright with them and the air full of their 
 sweet scents. This month too was drawing to its close when 
 one day Heidi, having finished her domestic duties, ran out 
 with the intention of paying first a visit to the fir trees, and 
 then going up higher to see if the bush of rock roses was yet in 
 bloom, for its flowers were so lovely when standing open in the 
 sun. But just as she was turning the corner of the hut, she 
 gave such a loud cry that her grandfather came running out of 
 the shed to see what had happened. 
 
 "Grandfather, grandfather!" she cried, beside herself with 
 excitement. "Come here! look! look!" 
 
 The old man was by her side by this time and looked in the 
 direction 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 a girl well wrapped up in shawls; then followed a 
 horse, mounted by a stately looking lady, who was looking 
 
 [309 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 about her with great interest and talking to the guide who 
 walked beside her; then a reclining chair, which was being 
 pushed up by another man, it having evidently been thought 
 safer to send the invalid to whom it belonged up the steep path 
 in a sedan chair. The procession wound 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 
 with joy. And sure enough it was the party from Frankfurt; 
 the figures came nearer and nearer, and at last they had actu- 
 ally arrived. The men in front put down their burden, Heidi 
 rushed forward, and the two children embraced each other with 
 mutual delight. Grandmamma having also reached the top, 
 dismounted, and gave Heidi an affectionate greeting, before 
 turning to the grandfather, who had meanwhile come up to wel- 
 come his guests. There was no constraint about the meeting, 
 for they both knew each other perfectly well from hearsay and 
 felt like old acquaintances. 
 
 After the first words of greeting had been exchanged grand- 
 mamma broke out into lively expressions of admiration. 
 "What a magnificent residence you have, Uncle! I could 
 hardly have believed it was so beautiful! A king might well 
 envy you! And how well my little Heidi looks — like a wild 
 rose!" she continued, drawing the child towards her and strok- 
 ing her fresh pink cheeks. "I don't know which way to look 
 first, it is all so lovely ! What do you say to it, Clara, what do 
 you say?" 
 
 Clara was gazing round entranced; she had never imagined, 
 much less seen, anything so beautiful. She gave vent to her 
 
 [310] 
 
NEWS FROM DISTANT FRIENDS 
 
 delight in cries of joy. "Oh, grandmamma," she said, "I 
 should like to remain here for ever." 
 
 The grandfather had meanwhile drawn up the invalid chair 
 and spread some of the wraps over it; he now went up to 
 Clara. 
 
 "Supposing we carry the little daughter now to her accus- 
 tomed chair; I think she will be more comfortable — the 
 traveling sedan is rather hard," he said, and without waiting 
 for any one to help him he lifted the child in his strong 
 arms and laid her gently down on her own couch. He then 
 covered her over carefully and arranged her feet on the 
 soft cushion, as if he had never done anything all his life 
 but attend on cripples. The grandmamma looked on with 
 surprise. 
 
 "My dear Uncle," she exclaimed, "if I knew where you had 
 learned to nurse I would at once send all the nurses I know to 
 the same place that they might handle their patients in like 
 manner. How do you come to know so much?" 
 
 Uncle smiled. "I know more from experience than training," 
 he answered, but as he spoke the smile died away and a look 
 of sadness passed over his face. The vision rose before him of a 
 face of suffering that he had known long years before, the face 
 of a man lying crippled on his couch of pain, and unable to 
 move a limb. The man had been his captain during the fierce 
 fighting in Sicily; he had found him lying wounded and had 
 carried him away, and after that the captain would suffer no 
 one else near him, and Uncle had stayed and nursed him till 
 his sufferings ended in death. It all came back to Uncle now, 
 and it seemed natural to him to attend on the sick Clara and 
 
 [311] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 to show her all those kindly attentions with which he had been 
 once so familiar. 
 
 The sky spread blue and cloudless over the hut and the fir 
 trees and far above over the high rocks, the gray summits of 
 which glistened in the sun. Clara could not feast her eyes 
 enough on all the beauty around her. 
 
 "Oh, Heidi, if only I could walk about with you," she said 
 longingly, "if I could but go and look at the fir trees and at 
 everything I know so well from your description, although I 
 have never been here before." 
 
 Heidi in response put out all her strength, and after a slight 
 effort, managed to wheel Clara's chair quite easily round the 
 hut to the fir trees. There they paused. Clara had never seen 
 such trees before, with their tall, straight stems, and long thick 
 branches growing thicker and thicker till they touched the 
 ground. Even the grandmamma, who had followed the chil- 
 dren, was astonished at the sight of them. She hardly knew 
 what to admire most in these ancient trees : the lofty tops ris- 
 ing in their full green splendor towards the sky, or the pillar- 
 like stems, with their straight and gigantic boughs, that spoke 
 of such antiquity of age, of such long years during which they 
 had looked down upon the valley below, where men came and 
 went, and all things were continually changing, while they 
 stood undisturbed and changeless. 
 
 Heidi had now wheeled Clara on to the goat shed, and had 
 flung open the door, so that Clara might have a full view of all 
 that was inside. There was not much to see just now as its 
 indwellers were absent. Clara lamented to her grandmother 
 that they would have to leave early before the goats came 
 
 [312] 
 
NEWS FROM DISTANT FRIENDS 
 
 home. "I should so like to have seen Peter and his whole 
 flock." 
 
 "Dear child, let us enjoy all the beautiful things that we can 
 see, and not think about those that we cannot," grandmamma 
 replied as she followed the chair which Heidi was pushing 
 further on. 
 
 "Oh, the flowers ! " exclaimed Clara. "Look at the bushes of 
 red flowers, and all the nodding blue bells ! Oh, if I could but 
 get out 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 
 on her lap. "If you could come up higher to where the goats 
 are feeding, then you would indeed see something! Bushes on 
 bushes of the red centaury, and ever so many more of the blue 
 bell-flowers; and then the bright yellow rock roses, that gleam 
 like pure gold, and all crowding together in the one spot. And 
 then there are others with the large leaves that grandfather 
 calls Bright Eyes, and the brown ones with little round heads 
 that smell so delicious. Oh, it is beautiful up there, and if you 
 sit down among them you never want to get up again, every- 
 thing looks and smells so lovely!" 
 
 Heidi's eyes sparkled with the remembrance of what she was 
 describing; she was longing herself to see it all again, and Clara 
 caught her enthusiasm and looked back at her with equal long- 
 ing in her soft blue eyes. 
 
 "Grandmamma, do you think I could get up there? Is it 
 possible for me to go?" she asked eagerly. "If only I could 
 walk, climb about everywhere with you, Heidi!" 
 
 [313] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 "I am sure I could push you up, the chair goes so easily," 
 said Heidi, and in proof of her words, she sent the chair at 
 such a pace round the corner that it nearly went flying down 
 the mountainside. Grandmamma being at hand, however, 
 stopped it in time. 
 
 The grandfather, meantime, had not been idle. He had by 
 this time put the table and extra chairs in front of the seat, so 
 that they might all sit out here and eat the dinner that was 
 preparing inside. The milk and the cheese were soon ready, and 
 then the company sat down in high spirits to their mid-day 
 meal. 
 
 Grandmamma was enchanted, as the doctor had been, with 
 their dining-room, whence one could see far along the valley, 
 and far over the mountains to the farthest stretch of blue sky. 
 A light wind blew refreshingly over them as they sat at table, 
 and the rustling of the fir trees made a festive accompaniment 
 to the repast. 
 
 "I never enjoyed anything as much as this. It is really 
 superb!" cried grandmamma two or three times over; and 
 then suddenly, in a tone of surprise, "Do I really see you tak- 
 ing a second piece of toasted cheese, Clara!" 
 
 There, sure enough, was a second golden-colored slice of 
 cheese on Clara's plate. 
 
 "Oh, it does taste so nice, grandmamma — better than all the 
 dishes we have at Ragatz," replied Clara, as she continued eat- 
 ing with appetite. 
 
 "That's right, eat what you can!" exclaimed Uncle. "It's 
 the mountain air which makes up for the deficiencies of the 
 kitchen." 
 
 [314] 
 
NEWS FROM DISTANT FRIENDS 
 
 And so the meal went on. Grandmamma and Aim-Uncle 
 got on very well together, and their conversation became more 
 and more lively. They were so thoroughly agreed in their 
 opinions of men and things and the world in general that they 
 might have been taken for old cronies. The time passed mer- 
 rily, and then grandmamma looked towards the west and 
 said, — 
 
 "We must soon get ready to go, Clara, the sun is a good way 
 down; the men will be here directly with the horse and sedan." 
 
 Clara's face fell and she said beseechingly, "Oh, just another 
 hour, grandmamma, or two hours. We haven't seen inside the 
 hut yet, or Heidi's bed, or any of the other things. If only the 
 day was ten hours long!" 
 
 "Well, that is not possible," said grandmamma, but she her- 
 self was anxious to see inside the hut, so they all rose from the 
 table and Uncle wheeled Clara's chair to the door. But there 
 they came to a standstill, for the chair was much too broad to 
 pass through the door. Uncle, however, soon settled the diffi- 
 culty by lifting Clara in his strong arms and carrying her inside. 
 
 Grandmamma went all round and examined the household 
 arrangements, and was very much amused and pleased at their 
 orderliness and the cozy appearance of everything. "And this 
 is your bedroom up here, Heidi, is it not?" she asked, as with- 
 out trepidation she mounted the ladder to the hay -loft. "Oh, 
 it does smell sweet, what a healthy place to sleep in." She went 
 up to the round window and looked out, and grandfather fol- 
 lowed up with Clara in his arms, Heidi springing up after them. 
 Then they all stood and examined Heidi's wonderful hay-bed, 
 and grandmamma looked thoughtfully at it and drew in from 
 
 [315] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 time to time fragrant draughts of the hay-perfumed air, while 
 Clara was charmed beyond words with Heidi's sleeping apart- 
 ment. 
 
 "It is delightful for you up here, Heidi! You can look from 
 your bed straight into the sky, and then such a delicious smell 
 all round you! and outside the fir trees waving and rustling! I 
 have never 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, your little granddaughter might remain up here, and I am 
 sure she would grow stronger. You have brought up all kinds 
 of shawls and covers 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 no fear, for I will see to that." 
 
 Clara and Heidi were as overjoyed at 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 
 give words to the thought that was in my own mind. I was 
 only asking myself whether a stay up here might not be the 
 very thing she wanted. But then the trouble, the inconven- 
 ience to yourself! And you speak of nursing and looking after 
 her as if it was a mere nothing! I thank you sincerely, I thank 
 you from my whole heart, Uncle." And she took his hand and 
 gave it a long and grateful shake, which he returned with a 
 pleased expression of countenance. 
 
 Uncle immediately set to work to get things ready. He car- 
 ried Clara back to her chair outside, Heidi following, not 
 knowing how to jump high enough into the air to express her 
 
 [316] 
 
NEWS FROM DISTANT FRIENDS 
 
 contentment. Then he gathered up a whole pile of shawls and 
 furs and said, smiling, "It is a good thing that grandmamma 
 came up well provided for a winter's campaign; we shall be 
 able to make good use of these." 
 
 "Foresight is a virtue," responded the lady, amused, "and 
 prevents many misfortunes. If we have made the journey over 
 your mountains without meeting with storms, winds and cloud- 
 bursts, we can only be thankful, which we are, and my pro- 
 vision against these disasters now comes in usefully, as you 
 say." 
 
 The two had meanwhile ascended to the hay -loft and begun 
 to prepare a bed; there were so many articles piled one over 
 the other that when finished it looked like a regular little 
 fortress. Grandmamma passed her hand carefully over it to 
 make sure there were no bits of hay sticking out. "If there's a 
 bit that can come through it will," she said. The soft mattress, 
 however, was so smooth and thick that nothing could pene- 
 trate it. Then they went down again, well satisfied, and found 
 the children laughing and talking together and arranging all 
 they were going to do from morning till evening as long as 
 Clara stayed. The next question was how long she was to re- 
 main, and first grandmamma was asked, but she referred them 
 to the grandfather, who gave it as his opinion that she ought 
 to make the trial of the mountain air for at least a month. The 
 children clapped their hands for joy, for they had not ex- 
 pected to be together for so long a time. 
 
 The bearers and the horse and guide were now seen ap- 
 proaching; the former were sent back at once, and grand- 
 mamma prepared to mount for her return journey. 
 
 [317] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 "It's not saying good-bye, grandmamma," Clara called out 
 "for you will come up now and then and see how we are getting 
 on, and we shall so look forward to your visits, shan't we, 
 Heidi?" 
 
 Heidi, who felt that life this day had been crowded with 
 pleasures, could only respond to Clara with another jump of 
 joy. 
 
 Grandmamma being now seated on her sturdy animal, Uncle 
 took the bridle to lead her down the steep mountain path; she 
 begged him not to come far with her, but he insisted on seeing 
 her safely as far as Dorfli, for the way was precipitous and not 
 without danger for the rider, he said. 
 
 Grandmamma did not care to stay alone in Dorfli, and there- 
 fore decided to return to Ragatz, and thence to make excur- 
 sions up the mountain from time to time. 
 
 Peter came down with his goats before Uncle had returned. 
 As soon as the animals caught sight of Heidi they all came 
 flocking towards her, and she, as well as Clara on her couch, 
 were soon surrounded by the goats, pushing and poking their 
 heads one over the other, while Heidi introduced each in turn 
 by its name to her friend Clara. 
 
 It was not long before the latter had made the long-wished- 
 for acquaintance of little Snowflake, the lively Greenfinch, and 
 the well-behaved goats belonging to grandfather, as well as of 
 the many others, including the Grand Turk. Peter meanwhile 
 stood apart looking on, and casting somewhat unfriendly 
 glances towards Clara. 
 
 When the two children called out, "Good-evening, Peter," 
 he made no answer, but swung up his stick angrily, as if want- 
 
 [318] 
 
(D.MEK 
 
 Heidi introduced each in turn by its name to 
 her friend Clara. {Page 318) 
 
NEWS FROM DISTANT FRIENDS 
 
 ing to cut the air in two, and then ran off with his goats after 
 him. 
 
 The climax to all the beautiful things that Clara had already 
 seen upon the mountain came at the close of the day. 
 
 As she lay on the large soft bed in the hay loft, with Heidi 
 near her, she looked out through the round open window right 
 into the middle of the shining clusters of stars, and she ex- 
 claimed in delight, 
 
 "Heidi, it's just as if we were in a high carriage and were 
 going to drive straight into heaven." 
 
 "Yes, and do you know why the stars are so happy and look 
 down and 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 
 arranges everything for us, so that we need have no more fear 
 or trouble and may be quite sure that all things will come 
 right in the end. That's why they are so happy, and they nod 
 to us because they want us to be happy too. But then we must 
 never forget to pray, 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 is going to happen." 
 
 The two children now sat up and said their prayers, and then 
 Heidi put her head down on her little round arm and fell off to 
 sleep at once, but Clara lay awake some time, for she could not 
 get over the wonder of this new experience of being in bed up 
 here among the stars. She had indeed seldom seen a star, for 
 she never went outside the house at night, and the curtains at 
 home were always drawn before the stars came out. Each time 
 she closed her eyes she felt she must open them again to see if 
 
 [319] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 the two very large stars were still looking in, and nodding to her 
 as Heidi said they did. There they were, always in the same 
 place, and Clara felt she could not look long enough into their 
 bright sparkling faces, until at last her eyes closed of their own 
 accord, and it was only in her dreams that she still saw the two 
 large friendly stars shining down upon her. 
 
 [320] 
 
iE22S£33tfegS!SS3Sii«9:£SSre^ 
 
CHAPTER XXI 
 HOW LIFE WENT ON AT GRANDFATHER'S 
 
 THE sun had just risen above the mountains and was 
 shedding its first golden rays over the hut and the valley 
 below. Aim-Uncle, as was his custom, had been standing 
 in a quiet and devout attitude for some little while, watching 
 the light mists gradually lifting, and the heights and valley 
 emerging from their 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 
 and wood and hill lay bathed in golden light. 
 
 Uncle now stepped back into the hut and went softly up the 
 ladder. Clara had just opened her eyes and was looking with 
 wonder at the bright sunlight that shone through the round 
 window and danced and sparkled about her bed. She could 
 not at first think what she was looking at or where she was. 
 Then she caught sight of Heidi sleeping beside her, and now 
 she heard the grandfather's cheery voice asking her if she had 
 slept well and was feeling rested. She assured him she was not 
 tired, and that when she had once fallen asleep she had not 
 opened her eyes again all night. The grandfather was satisfied 
 at this and immediately began to attend upon her with so much 
 gentleness and understanding that it seemed as if his chief 
 calling had been to look after sick children. 
 
 [323 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 Heidi now awoke and was surprised to see Clara dressed, and 
 already in the grandfather's arms ready to be carried down. 
 She must be up too, and she went through her toilette with 
 lightning-like speed. She ran down the ladder and out of the 
 hut, and there further astonishment awaited her, for grand- 
 father had been busy the night before after they were in bed. 
 Seeing that it was impossible to get Clara's chair through the 
 hut-door, he had taken down two of the boards at the side of 
 the shed and made an opening large enough to admit the chair; 
 these he left loose so that they could be taken away and put up 
 at pleasure. He was at this moment wheeling Clara out into 
 the sun; he left her in front of the hut while he went to look 
 after the goats, and Heidi ran up to her friend. 
 
 The fresh morning breeze blew round the children's faces, 
 and every fresh puff brought a waft of fragrance from the fir 
 trees. Clara drew it in with delight and lay back in her chair 
 with an unaccustomed feeling of health and comfort. 
 
 It was the first time in her life that she had been out in the 
 open country at this early hour and felt the fresh morning 
 breeze, and the pure mountain air was so cool and refreshing 
 that every breath she drew was a pleasure. And then the 
 bright sweet sun, which was not hot and sultry up here, but lay 
 soft and warm on her hands and on the grass at her feet. 
 Clara had not imagined that it would be like this on the 
 mountain. 
 
 "Oh, Heidi, if only I could stay up here forever with you," 
 she exclaimed happily, turning in her chair from side to side 
 that she might drink in the air and sun from all quarters. 
 
 "Now you see that it is just what I told you," replied Heidi 
 
 [324] 
 
HOW LIFE WENT ON AT GRANDFATHER'S 
 
 delighted; "that it is the most beautiful thing in the world to 
 be up here with grandfather." 
 
 The latter at that moment appeared coming from the goat 
 shed and bringing two small foaming bowls of snow-white 
 milk — one for Clara and one for Heidi. 
 
 "That will do the little daughter good," he said, nodding to 
 Clara; "it is from Little Swan and will make her strong. To 
 your health, child! drink it up." 
 
 Clara had never tasted goat's milk before; she hesitated and 
 smelt it before putting it to her lips, but seeing how Heidi 
 drank hers up without hesitating, and how much she seemed to 
 like it, Clara did the same, and drank till there was not a drop 
 left, for she too found it delicious, tasting just as if sugar and 
 cinnamon had been mixed with it. 
 
 "To-morrow we will drink two," said the grandfather, who 
 had looked on with satisfaction at seeing her follow Heidi's 
 example. 
 
 Peter now arrived with the goats, and while Heidi was receiv- 
 ing her usual crowded morning greetings, Uncle drew Peter 
 aside to speak to him, for the goats bleated so loudly and con- 
 tinuously in their wish to express their joy and affection that no 
 one could be heard near them. 
 
 "Attend to what I have to say," he said. "From to-day be 
 sure you let Little Swan go where she likes. She has an in- 
 stinct where to find the best food for herself, and so if she wants 
 to climb higher, you follow her, and it will do the others no 
 harm if they go too; on no account bring her back. A little 
 more climbing won't hurt you, and in this matter she probably 
 knows better than you what is good for her; I want her to give 
 
 [325 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 as fine milk as possible. Why are you looking over there as if 
 you wanted to eat somebody? Nobody will interfere with you. 
 So now be off and remember what I say." 
 
 Peter was accustomed to give immediate obedience to Uncle, 
 and he marched off with his goats, but with a turn of the head 
 and roll of the eye that showed he had some thought in reserve. 
 The goats carried Heidi along with them a little way, which 
 was what Peter wanted. "You will have to come with them," 
 he called to her, "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 as 
 long as Clara is with me. Grandfather, however, has promised 
 to go up the mountain with both of us one day." 
 
 Heidi had now extricated herself from the goats and she ran 
 back to Clara. Peter doubled his fists and made threatening 
 gestures towards the invalid on her couch, and then climbed up 
 some distance without pause until he was out of sight, for he 
 was afraid Uncle might have seen him, and he did not care 
 to know what Uncle might have thought of the fists. 
 
 Clara and Heidi had made so many plans for themselves that 
 they hardly knew where to begin. Heidi suggested that they 
 should first write to grandmamma, to whom they had promised 
 to send word every day, for grandmamma had not felt sure 
 whether it would in the long run suit Clara's health to remain 
 up the mountain, or if she would continue to enjoy herself 
 there. With daily news of her granddaughter she could stay on 
 without anxiety at Ragatz, and be ready to go to Clara at a 
 moment's notice. 
 
 "Must we go indoors to write?" asked Clara, who agreed to 
 
 [ 826 ] ' 
 
HOW LIFE WENT ON AT GRANDFATHER'S 
 
 Heidi's proposal but did not want to move from where she was, 
 as it was so much nicer outside. Heidi was prepared to arrange 
 everything. She ran in and brought out her school-book and 
 writing things and her own little stool. She put her reading 
 book and copy book on Clara's knees, to make a desk for her to 
 write upon, and she herself took her seat on the stool and sat 
 to the bench, and then they both began writing to grand- 
 mamma. But Clara paused after every sentence to look about 
 her; it was too beautiful for much letter writing. The breeze 
 had sunk a little, and now only gently fanned her face and 
 whispered lightly through the fir trees. Little winged insects 
 hummed and danced around her in the clear air, and a great 
 stillness lay over the far, wide, sunny pasture lands. Lofty and 
 silent rose the high mountain peaks above her, and below lay 
 the whole broad valley full of quiet peace. Only now and again 
 the call of some shepherd-boy rang out through the air, and 
 echo answered softly from the rocks. The morning passed, the 
 children hardly knew how, and now grandfather came with the 
 mid-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 open air. Then Heidi pushed Clara's chair under the fir 
 trees, for they had agreed to spend the afternoon under their 
 shade and there tell each other all that had happened since 
 Heidi left Frankfurt. If everything had gone on there as usual 
 in a general way, there were still all kinds of particular things 
 to tell Heidi about the various people who composed the Sese- 
 mann household, and who were all so well known to Heidi. 
 So they sat and chatted under the trees, and the more lively 
 
 [327] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 grew their conversation, the more loudly sang the birds over- 
 head, as if wishing to take part in the children's gossip, which 
 evidently pleased them. So the hours flew by and all at once, 
 as it seemed, the evening had come with the returning Peter, 
 who still scowled and looked angry. 
 
 " Good-night, Peter," called out Heidi, as she saw he had no 
 intention of stopping to speak. 
 
 "Good-night, Peter," called out Clara in a friendly voice. 
 Peter took no notice and went surlily on with his goats. 
 
 As Clara saw the grandfather leading away Little Swan to 
 milk her, she was suddenly taken with a longing for another 
 bowlful of the fragrant milk, and waited impatiently for it. 
 
 "Isn't it curious, Heidi," she said, astonished at herself, "as 
 long as I can remember I have only eaten because I was obliged 
 to, and everything used to seem to taste of cod-liver oil, and I 
 was always wishing there was no need to eat or drink ; and now 
 I am longing for grandfather to bring me the milk." 
 
 "Yes, I know what it feels like," replied Heidi, who remem- 
 bered the many days in Frankfurt when all her food used to 
 seem to stick in her throat. Clara, however, could not under- 
 stand it; the fact was that she had never in her life before 
 spent a whole day in the open air, much less in such high, life- 
 giving mountain air. When grandfather at last brought her 
 the evening milk, she drank it up so quickly that she had 
 emptied her bowl before Heidi, and then she asked for a little 
 more. The grandfather went inside with both the children's 
 bowls, and when he brought them out again full he had some- 
 thing else to add to their supper. He had walked over that 
 afternoon to a herdsman's house, where the sweetly tasting 
 
 [328] 
 
HOW LIFE WENT ON AT GRANDFATHER'S 
 
 butter was made, and had brought home a large pat, some of 
 which he had now spread thickly on two good slices of bread. 
 He stood and watched with pleasure while Clara and Heidi ate 
 their appetizing meal with childish hunger and enjoyment. 
 
 That night, when Clara lay down in her bed and prepared to 
 watch the stars, her eyes would not keep open, and she fell 
 asleep as soon as Heidi and slept soundly all night — a thing she 
 never remembered having done before. The following day and 
 the day after passed in the same pleasant fashion, and the third 
 day there came a surprise for the children. Two stout porters 
 came up the mountain, each carrying a bed on his shoulders 
 with bedding of all kinds and two beautiful new white cover- 
 lids. The men also had a letter with them from grandmamma, 
 in which she said that these were for Clara and Heidi, and that 
 Heidi in future was always to sleep in a proper bed, and when 
 she went down to Dorfli in the winter she was to take one with 
 her and leave the other at the hut, so that Clara might always 
 know there was a bed ready for her when she paid a visit to the 
 mountain. She went on to thank the children for their long 
 letters and encouraged them to continue writing daily, so that 
 she might be able to picture all they were doing. 
 
 So the grandfather went up and threw back the hay from 
 Heidi's bed on to the great heap, and then with his help the 
 beds were transported to the loft. He put them close to one 
 another so that 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 and stars. 
 
 Meanwhile grandmamma down at Ragatz was rejoicing at 
 the excellent news of the invalid which reached her daily from 
 
 [329 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 the mountain. Clara found the life more charming each day 
 and could not say enough of the kindness and care which the 
 grandfather lavished upon her, nor of Heidi's lively and amus- 
 ing companionship, for the latter was more entertaining even 
 than when in Frankfurt with her, and Clara's first thought 
 when she woke each morning was, "Oh, how glad I am to be 
 here still." 
 
 Having such fresh assurances each day that all was going 
 well with Clara, grandmamma thought she might put off her 
 visit to the children a little longer, for the steep ride up and 
 down was somewhat of a fatigue to her. 
 
 The grandfather seemed to feel an especial sympathy for this 
 little invalid charge, for he tried to think of something fresh 
 every day to help forward her recovery. He climbed up the 
 mountain every afternoon, higher and higher each day, and 
 came home in the evening with a large bunch of leaves which 
 scented the air with a mingled fragrance as of carnations and 
 thyme, even from afar. He hung it up in the goat shed, and the 
 goats on their return were wild to get at it, for they recognized 
 the smell. But Uncle did not go climbing after rare plants to 
 give the goats the pleasure of eating them without any trouble 
 of finding them; what he gathered was for Little Swan alone, 
 that she might give extra fine milk, and the effect of the extra 
 feeding was shown in the way she flung her head in the air with 
 ever-increasing frolicsomeness, and in the bright glow of her 
 eye. 
 
 Clara had now been on the mountain for three weeks. For 
 some days past the grandfather, each morning after carrying 
 her down, had said, "Won't the little daughter try if she can 
 
 [330] 
 
HOW LIFE WENT ON AT GRANDFATHER'S 
 
 stand for a minute or two?" And Clara had made the effort 
 in order to please him, but had clung to him as soon as her feet 
 touched the ground, exclaiming that it hurt her so. He let her 
 try a little longer, however, each day. 
 
 It was many years since they had had such a splendid sum- 
 mer among the mountains. Day after day there were the same 
 cloudless sky and brilliant sun; the flowers opened wide their 
 fragrant blossoms, and everywhere the eye was greeted with a 
 glow of color; and when the evening came the crimson light 
 fell on mountain peaks and on the great snow field, till at last 
 the sun sank in a sea of golden flame. 
 
 And Heidi never tired of telling Clara of all this, for only 
 higher up could the full glory of the colors be rightly seen ; and 
 more particularly did she dwell on the beauty of the spot on 
 the higher slope of the mountain, where the bright golden rock- 
 roses grew in masses, and the blue flowers were in such numbers 
 that the very grass seemed to have turned blue, while near 
 these were whole bushes of the brown blossoms, with their 
 delicious scent, so that you never wanted to move again when 
 you once sat down among them. 
 
 She had just been expatiating on the flowers as she sat with 
 Clara under the fir trees one evening, and had been telling her 
 again of the wonderful light from the evening sun, when such 
 an irrepressible longing came over her to see it all once more 
 that she 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-mor- 
 row? Oh, it is so lovely up there now!" 
 
 "Very well," he answered, "but if I do, the little daughter 
 
 [331 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 must do something to please me: she must try her best again 
 this evening to stand on her feet." 
 
 Heidi ran back with the good news to Clara, and the latter 
 promised to try her very best as the grandfather wished, for 
 she looked forward immensely to the next day's excursion. 
 Heidi was so pleased and excited that she called out to Peter as 
 soon as she caught sight of him that evening, — 
 
 "Peter, Peter, we are all coming out with you to-morrow and 
 are going to stay up there the whole day." 
 
 Peter, cross as a bear, grumbled some reply, and lifted his 
 stick to give Greenfinch a blow for no reason in particular, but 
 Greenfinch saw the movement, and with a leap over Snow- 
 flake's back 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 
 of delightful anticipation of the morrow; they were so full of 
 their plans that they agreed to keep awake all night and talk 
 over them until they might venture to get up. But their heads 
 had no sooner touched their soft pillows than the conversation 
 suddenly ceased, and Clara fell into a dream of an immense 
 field, which looked the color of the sky, so thickly inlaid was it 
 with blue bell-shaped flowers; and Heidi heard the great bird 
 of prey calling to her from the heights above, "Come! come! 
 come!" 
 
 [332] 
 
"VWW' ffi l " ' mnm'miiam Miwn& aBxeiBBeggs 
 
CHAPTER XXII 
 SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS 
 
 UNCLE went out early the next morning to see what 
 kind of a day it was going to be. There was a reddish 
 gold light over the higher peaks; a light breeze spring- 
 ing up and the branches of the fir trees moved gently to and fro 
 —the sun was on its way. 
 
 The old man stood and watched the green slopes under the 
 higher peaks gradually growing brighter with the coming day 
 and the dark shadows lifting from the valley, until at first a 
 rosy light filled its hollows, and then the morning gold flooded 
 every height and depth — the sun had risen. 
 
 Uncle wheeled the chair out of the shed ready for the coming 
 journey, and then went in to call the children and tell them 
 what a lovely sunrise it was. 
 
 Peter came up at this moment. The goats did not gather 
 round him so trustfully as usual, but seemed to avoid him 
 timidly, for Peter had reached a high pitch of anger and bitter- 
 ness, and was laying about him with his stick very unneces- 
 sarily, and where it fell the blow was no light one. For weeks 
 now he had not had Heidi all to himself as formerly. When 
 he came up in the morning the invalid child was always already 
 in her chair and Heidi fully occupied with her. And it was the 
 same thing over again when he came down in the evening. She 
 had not come out with the goats once this summer, and now 
 
 [335] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 to-day she was only coming in company with her friend and 
 the chair, and would stick by the latter's side the whole time. 
 It was the thought of this which was making him particularly 
 cross this morning. There stood the chair on its high wheels; 
 Peter seemed to see something proud and disdainful about it, 
 and he glared at it as at an enemy that had done him harm and 
 was likely to do him more still to-day. He glanced round — 
 there was no sound anywhere, no one to see him. He sprang 
 forward like a wild creature, caught hold of it, and gave it a 
 violent and angry push in the direction of the slope. The chair 
 rolled swiftly forward and in another minute had disappeared. 
 Peter now sped up the mountain as if on wings, not pausing 
 till he was well in shelter of a large blackberry bush, for he had 
 no wish to be seen by Uncle. But he was anxious to see what 
 had become of the chair, and his bush was well placed for that. 
 Himself hidden, he could watch what happened below and see 
 what Uncle did without being discovered himself. So he looked, 
 and there he saw his enemy running faster and faster down hill, 
 then it turned head over heels several times, and finally, after 
 one great bound, rolled over and over to its complete destruc- 
 tion. The pieces flew in every direction — feet, arms, and torn 
 fragments of the padded seat and bolster — and Peter experi- 
 enced a feeling of such unbounded delight at the sight that he 
 leaped in the air, laughing aloud and stamping for joy; then he 
 took a run round, jumping over bushes on the way, only to 
 return to the same spot and fall into fresh fits of laughter. He 
 was beside himself with satisfaction, for he could see only good 
 results for himself in this disaster to his enemy. Now Heidi's 
 friend would be obliged to go away, for she would have no 
 
 [336] 
 
SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS 
 
 means of going about, and when Heidi was alone again she 
 would come out with him as in the old days, and everything 
 would go on in the proper way again. But Peter did not con- 
 sider, or did not know, that when we do a wrong 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 stood wide open, the two loose planks having been taken 
 down, and it was quite light inside. Heidi looked into every 
 corner and ran from one end to the other, and then stood still 
 wondering what could have happened to the chair. Grand- 
 father now came up. 
 
 "How is this, have you wheeled the chair away, Heidi?" 
 
 "I have been looking everywhere for it, grandfather; you 
 said it was standing ready outside," and she again searched 
 each corner of the shed with her eyes. 
 
 At that moment the wind, which had risen suddenly, blew 
 open the shed door and sent it banging back against the wall. 
 
 "It must have been the wind, grandfather," exclaimed 
 Heidi, and her eyes grew anxious at this sudden discovery. 
 "Oh! if it has blown the chair all the way down to Dorfli we 
 shall not get it back in time, and shall not be able to go." 
 
 "If it has rolled as far as that it will never come back, for it 
 is in a hundred pieces by now," said the grandfather, going 
 round the corner and looking down. "But it's a curious thing 
 to have happened!" he added as he thought over the matter, 
 for the chair would have had to turn a corner before starting 
 down hill. 
 
 "Oh, I am sorry," lamented Clara, "for we shall not be able 
 
 [337] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 to go to-day, or perhaps any other day. I shall have to go 
 home, I suppose, if I have no chair. Oh, I am so sorry, I am so 
 sorry ! 
 
 But Heidi looked towards her grandfather with her usual 
 expression of confidence. 
 
 "Grandfather, you will be able to do something, won't you, 
 so that it need not be as Clara says, and so that she is not 
 obliged to go home?" 
 
 "Well, for the present we will go up the mountain as we had 
 arranged, and then later on we will see what can be done," he 
 answered, much to the children's delight. 
 
 He went indoors, fetched out a pile of shawls, and laying 
 them on the sunniest spot he could find set Clara down upon 
 them. Then he fetched the children's morning milk and had 
 out his two goats. 
 
 "Why is Peter not here yet?" thought Uncle to himself, for 
 Peter's whistle had not been sounded that morning. The 
 grandfather now took Clara up on one arm, and the shawls on 
 the other. 
 
 "Now then we will start," he said; " the goats can come with 
 us. 
 
 Heidi was pleased at this and walked on after her grand- 
 father with an arm over either of the goats' necks, and the 
 animals were so overjoyed to have her again that they nearly 
 squeezed her flat between them out of sheer affection. When 
 they reached the spot where the goats usually pastured they 
 were surprised to find them already feeding there, climbing 
 about the rocks, and Peter with them, lying his full length on 
 the ground. 
 
 [338] 
 
 o x 
 
SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS 
 
 "I'll teach you another time to go by like that, you lazy 
 rascal ! What do you mean by it? " Uncle called to him. 
 
 Peter, recognizing the voice, jumped up like a shot. " No one 
 was up," he answered. 
 
 "Have you seen anything of the chair?" asked the grand- 
 father. 
 
 "Of what chair?" called Peter back in answer in a morose 
 tone of voice. 
 
 Uncle said no more. He spread the shawls on the sunny 
 slope, and setting Clara upon them asked if she was comfort- 
 able. 
 
 "As comfortable as in my chair," she said, thanking him, 
 "and this seems the most beautiful spot. Oh Heidi, it is lovely, 
 it is lovely ! " she cried, looking round her with delight. 
 
 The grandfather prepared to leave them. They would now 
 be safe and happy together, he said, and when it was time for 
 dinner Heidi was to go and fetch the bag from the shady hollow 
 where he had 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 would come and fetch them towards evening; he 
 must now be off to see after the chair and ascertain what had 
 become of it. 
 
 The sky was dark blue, and not a single cloud was to be seen 
 from one horizon to the other. The great snowfield overhead 
 sparkled as if set with thousands and thousands of gold and 
 silver stars. The two gray mountain peaks lifted their lofty 
 heads against the sky and looked solemnly down upon the 
 valley as of old; the great bird was poised aloft in the clear blue 
 air, and the mountain wind came over the heights and blew 
 
 [339] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 refreshingly around the children as they sat on the sunlit 
 slope. It was all indescribably enjoyable to Clara and Heidi. 
 Now and again a young goat came and lay down beside them; 
 Snowflake came oftenest, putting her little head down near 
 Heidi, and only moving because another goat came and drove 
 her away. Clara had learned to know them all so well that she 
 never mistook one for the other now, for each had an expression 
 and ways of its own. And the goats had also grown familiar 
 with Clara and would rub their heads against her shoulder, 
 which was always a sign of acquaintanceship and goodwill. 
 
 Some hours went by, and Heidi began to think that she 
 might just go over to the spot where all the flowers grew to see 
 if they were fully blown and looking as lovely as the year 
 before. Clara could not go until grandfather came back that 
 evening, when the flowers probably would be already closed. 
 The longing to go became stronger and stronger, till she felt 
 she could not resist it. 
 
 "Would you think me unkind, Clara," she said rather hesi- 
 tatingly, "if I left you for a few minutes? I should run there 
 and back very quickly. I want so to see how the flowers are 
 looking — but wait — " for an idea had come into Heidi's head. 
 She ran and picked a bunch or two of green leaves, and then 
 took hold of Snowflake and led her up to Clara. 
 
 "There, now you will not be alone," said Heidi, giving the 
 goat a little push to show her she was to lie down near Clara, 
 which the animal quite understood. Heidi threw the leaves 
 into Clara's lap, and the latter told her friend to go at once to 
 look at the flowers as she was quite happy to be left with the 
 goat; she liked this new experience. Heidi ran off, and Clara 
 
 [340 ] 
 
SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS 
 
 began to hold out the leaves one by one to Snowflake, who 
 snoozled up to her new friend in a confiding manner and slowly 
 ate the leaves from her hand. It was easy to see that Snow- 
 flake enjoyed this peaceful and sheltered way of feeding, for 
 when with the other goats she had much persecution to endure 
 from the larger and stronger ones of the flock. And Clara 
 found a strange new pleasure in sitting all alone like this on the 
 mountainside, her only companion a little goat that looked 
 to her for protection. She suddenly felt a great desire to be her 
 own mistress and to be able to help others, instead of herself 
 being always dependent as she was now. Many thoughts, 
 unknown to her before, came crowding into her mind, and a 
 longing to go on living in the sunshine, and to be doing some- 
 thing that would bring happiness to another, as now she was 
 helping to make the goat happy. An unaccustomed feeling of 
 joy took possession of her, as if everything she had ever known 
 or felt became all at once more beautiful, and she seemed to 
 see 'all things in a new light, and so strong was the sense of this 
 new beauty and happiness that she threw her arms round the 
 little goat's neck, and exclaimed, "Oh, Snowflake, how delight- 
 ful it is up here ! if only I could stay on forever with you beside 
 me!" 
 
 Heidi had meanwhile reached her field of flowers, and as she 
 caught sight of it she uttered a cry of joy. The whole ground 
 in front of her was. a mass of shimmering gold, where the cistus 
 flowers spread their yellow blossoms. Above them waved whole 
 bushes of the deep blue bell-flowers; while the fragrance that 
 arose from the whole sunlit expanse was as if the rarest balsam 
 had been flung over it. The scent, however, came from the 
 
 [ 341 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 small brown flowers, the little round heads of which rose 
 modestly here and there among the yellow blossoms. Heidi 
 stood and gazed and drew in the delicious air. Suddenly she 
 turned round and reached 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 this evening 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 I am. Oh, if only 
 I could walk!" 
 
 Heidi looked round as if in search of something, some new 
 idea had evidently come into her head. Peter was sitting up 
 above looking down on the two children. He had been sitting 
 and staring before him in the same way for hours, as if he could 
 not make out what he saw. He had destroyed the chair so that 
 the friend might not be able to move anywhere and that her 
 visit might come to an end, and then a little while after she 
 had appeared right up here under his very nose with Heidi 
 beside her. He thought his eyes must deceive him, and yet 
 there she was and no mistake about it. 
 
 Heidi now looked up to where he was sitting and called out 
 in a peremptory 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 
 must come here and help me; make haste and come down," 
 she called again in an urgent voice. 
 
 "I shall do nothing of the kind," was the answer. 
 
 [342] 
 
SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENED 
 
 Heidi ran some way up the slope towards him, and then 
 pausing called again, her eyes ablaze with anger, "If you 
 don't come at once, Peter, I will do something to you that you 
 won't like; I mean what I say." 
 
 Peter felt an inward throe at these words, and a great fear 
 seized him. He had done something wicked which he wanted 
 no one to know about, and so far he had thought himself safe. 
 But now Heidi spoke exactly as if she knew everything, and 
 whatever she did know she would tell her grandfather, and 
 there was no one he feared so much as this latter person. Sup- 
 posing he were to suspect what had happened about the chair ! 
 Peter's anguish of mind grew more acute. He stood up and 
 went down to where Heidi was awaiting him. 
 
 "I am coming and you won't do what you said." 
 
 Peter appeared now so submissive with fear that Heidi felt 
 quite sorry for him and answered assuringly, "No, no, of 
 course not; come along with me, there is nothing to be afraid of 
 in what I want you to do. " 
 
 As soon as they got to Clara, Heidi gave her orders: Peter 
 was to take hold of her under the arms on one side and she on 
 the other, and together they were to lift her up. This first 
 movement was successfully carried through, but then came the 
 difficulty. As Clara could not even stand, how were they to 
 support her and get her along? Heidi was too small for her 
 arm to serve Clara to lean upon. 
 
 "You must put one arm well around my neck — so, and put 
 the other through Peter's and lean firmly upon it, then we 
 shall be able to carry you." 
 
 Peter, however, had never given his arm to any one in his 
 
 [343] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 life. Clara put hers in his, but he kept his own hanging 
 down straight beside him like a stick. 
 
 "That's not the way, Peter," said Heidi in an authoritative 
 voice. "You must put your arm out in the shape of a ring, and 
 Clara must put hers through it and lean her weight upon you, 
 and whatever you do, don't let your arm give way; like that I 
 am sure we shall be able to manage." 
 
 Peter did as he was told, but still they did not get on very 
 well. Clara was not such a light weight, and the team did not 
 match 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 drew 
 them quickly back. 
 
 "Put your foot down firmly once," suggested Heidi, "I am 
 sure it will hurt you less after that." 
 
 " Do you think so? " said Clara hesitatingly, but she followed 
 Heidi's advice and ventured one firm step on the ground and 
 then another; she called out a little as she did it; then she lifted 
 her 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 
 all at once she called out, "I can do it, Heidi! look! look! I 
 can make proper steps ! " 
 
 And Heidi cried out with even greater delight, "Can you 
 really make steps, can you really walk? really walk by your- 
 self? Oh, if only grandfather were here!" and she continued 
 gleefully to exclaim, "You can walk now, Clara, you can 
 walk!" 
 
 [344] 
 
" Put vour foot down firmly once," suggested Heidi. 
 {Page 344) 
 

SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS 
 
 Clara still held on firmly to her supports, but with every 
 step she felt safer on her feet, as all three became aware, and 
 Heidi was beside herself with joy. 
 
 "Now we shall be able to come up here together every day, 
 and go just where we like; and you will be able all your life to 
 walk about as I do, and not have to be pushed in a chair, and 
 you will get quite strong and well. It is the greatest happiness 
 we could have had ! " 
 
 And Clara heartily agreed, for she could think of no greater 
 joy in the world than to be strong and able to go about like 
 other people, and no longer to have to lie from day to day in 
 her invalid chair. 
 
 They had not far to go to reach the field of flowers, and 
 could already catch sight of the cistus flowers glowing gold in 
 the sun. As they came to the bushes of the blue bell-flowers, 
 with sunny, 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 
 down in 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, and beyond the gleaming patches of the cistus flowers 
 and the red centaury, while the sweet scent of the brown blos- 
 soms and of the fragrant prunella enveloped her as she sat. 
 Everything was so lovely ! so lovely ! And Heidi, who was beside 
 her, thought she had never seen it so perfectly beautiful up 
 here before, and she did not know herself why she felt so glad 
 at heart that she longed to shout for joy. Then she suddenly 
 remembered that Clara was cured; that was the crowning 
 
 [ 345 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 delight of all that made life so delightful in the midst of all this 
 surrounding beauty. Clara sat silent, overcome with the 
 enchantment of all that her eye rested upon, and with the 
 anticipation of all the happiness that was now before her. 
 There seemed hardly room in her heart for all her joyful emo- 
 tions, and these and the ecstasy aroused by the sunlight and 
 the scent of the flowers, held her dumb. 
 
 Peter also lay among the flowers without moving or speaking, 
 for he was fast asleep. The breeze came blowing softly and 
 caressingly from behind the sheltering rocks, and passed 
 whisperingly through the bushes overhead. Heidi got up now 
 and then to run about, for the flowers waving in the warm 
 wind seemed to smell sweeter and to grow more thickly which- 
 ever way she went, and she felt she must sit down at each 
 fresh spot to enjoy the sight and scent. So the hours went by. 
 
 It was long past noon when a small troop of goats advanced 
 solemnly towards the plain of flowers. It was not a feeding 
 place of theirs, for they did not care to graze on flowers. They 
 looked like an embassy arriving, with Greenfinch as their 
 leader. They had evidently come in search of their companions 
 who had left them in the lurch, and who had, contrary to all 
 custom, remained away so long, for the goats could tell the 
 time without mistake. As soon as Greenfinch caught sight of 
 the three missing friends amid the flowers she set up an extra 
 loud bleat, whereupon all the others joined in a chorus of 
 bleats, and the whole company came trotting towards the 
 children. Peter woke up, rubbing his eyes, for he had been 
 dreaming that he saw the chair again with its beautiful red 
 padding standing whole and uninjured before the grand- 
 
 [ 346 ] 
 
SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS 
 
 father's door, and indeed just as lie awoke he thought he was 
 looking at the brass-headed nails that studded it all round, but 
 it was only the bright yellow flowers beside him. He experi- 
 enced again a dreadful fear of mind that he had lost in this 
 dream of the uninjured chair. Even though Heidi had promised 
 not to do anything, there still remained the lively dread that 
 his deed might be found out in some other way. He allowed 
 Heidi to do what she liked with him, for he was reduced to such 
 a state of low spirits and meekness that he was ready to give 
 his help to Clara without murmur or resistance. 
 
 When all three had got back to their old quarters Heidi ran 
 and brought forward the bag, and proceeded to fulfil her 
 promise, for her threat of the morning had been concerned 
 with Peter's dinner. She had seen her grandfather putting in 
 all sorts of good things, and had been pleased to think of Peter 
 having a large share of them, and she had meant him to under- 
 stand when he refused at first to help her that he would get 
 nothing for his dinner, but Peter's conscience had put another 
 interpretation upon her words. Heidi took the food out of the 
 bag and divided it into three portions, and each was of such a 
 goodly size that she thought to herself, "There will be plenty 
 of ours left for him to have more still." 
 
 She gave the other two their dinners and sat down with her 
 own beside Clara, and they all three ate with a good appetite 
 after their great exertions. 
 
 It ended as Heidi had expected, and Peter got as much food 
 again as his own share with what Clara and Heidi had over 
 from theirs after they had both eaten as much as they wanted. 
 Peter ate up every bit of food to the last crumb, but there was 
 
 [ 347 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 something wanting to his usual enjoyment of a good dinner, 
 for every mouthful he swallowed seemed to choke him, and he 
 felt something gnawing inside him. 
 
 They were so late at their dinner that they had not long to 
 wait after they had finished before grandfather came up to 
 fetch them. Heidi rushed forward to meet him as soon as he 
 appeared, as she wanted to be the first to tell him the good 
 news. She was so excited that she could hardly get her words 
 out when she did get up to him, but he soon understood, and a 
 look of extreme pleasure came into his face. He hastened up to 
 where Clara was sitting and said 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 
 and giving her his right to lean upon, made her walk a little 
 way, which she did with less trembling and hesitation than 
 before now that she had such a strong arm round her. 
 
 Heidi skipped along beside her in triumphant glee, and the 
 grandfather 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 
 off down the mountain path, for he was anxious to get her 
 indoors that she might rest after her unusual fatigue. 
 
 When Peter got to Dbrfli that evening he found a large group 
 of people collected round a certain spot, pushing one another 
 and looking over each other's shoulders in their eagerness to 
 catch sight of something lying on the ground. Peter thought 
 he should like to see too, and poked and elbowed till he made 
 his way through. 
 
 There it lay, the thing he had wanted to see. Scattered about 
 
 [348 ] 
 
 
SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS 
 
 the grass were the remains of Clara's chair; part of the back 
 and the middle bit, and enough of the red padding and the 
 bright nails to show how magnificent the chair had been when 
 it was entire. 
 
 "I was here when the men passed carrying it up," said the 
 baker who was standing near Peter. "I'll bet any one that it 
 was worth twenty-five pounds at least. I cannot think how 
 such an accident could have happened." 
 
 "Uncle said the wind might perhaps have done it," remarked 
 one of the women, who could not sufficiently admire the red 
 upholstery. 
 
 "It's a good job that no one but the wind did it," said the 
 baker again, "or he might smart for it! No doubt the gentle- 
 man in Frankfurt when he hears what has happened will make 
 all inquiries about it. I am glad for myself that I have not been 
 seen up the mountain for a good two years, as suspicion is 
 likely to fall on any one who was about up there at the time." 
 
 Many more opinions were passed on the matter, but Peter 
 had heard enough. He crept quietly away out of the crowd and 
 then took to his heels and ran up home as fast as he could, as 
 if he thought some one was after him. The baker's words had 
 filled him with fear and trembling. He was sure now that any 
 day a constable might come over from Frankfurt and inquire 
 about the destruction of the chair, and then everything would 
 come out, and he would be seized and carried off to Frankfurt 
 and there put in prison. The whole picture of what was coming 
 was clear before him, and his hair stood on end with terror. 
 
 He reached home in this disturbed state of mind. He would 
 not open his mouth in reply to anything that was said to him; 
 
 [349 ] 
 
 \ 
 
HEIDI 
 
 he would not eat his potatoes; all he did was to creep off to bed 
 as quickly as possible and hide under the bedclothes and groan. 
 
 "Peter has been eating sorrel again, and is evidently in pain 
 by the way he is groaning," said Brigitta. 
 
 "You must give him a little more bread to take with him; 
 give him a bit of mine to-morrow," said the grandmother sym- 
 pathizingly. 
 
 As the children lay that night in bed looking out at the stars 
 Heidi said, "I have been thinking all day what a happy thing 
 it is that God does not give us what we ask for, even when we 
 pray and 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 
 might go home at once, and because I was not allowed to I 
 thought God had forgotten me. And now you see, if I had 
 come away at first when I wanted to, you would never have 
 come here, and would never have got well." 
 
 Clara had in her turn become thoughtful. "But, Heidi," 
 she began again, "in that case we ought never to pray for any- 
 thing, as God always intends something better for us than we 
 know or wish for." 
 
 "You must not think it is like that, Clara," replied Heidi 
 eagerly. "We must go on praying for everything, for every- 
 thing, so that God may know we do not forget that it all comes 
 from Him. If we forget God, then He lets us go our own way 
 and we get into trouble; grandmamma told me so. And if He 
 does not give us what we ask for we must not think that He 
 
 [350 ] 
 
 / 
 
SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS 
 
 has not heard us and leave off praying, but we must still pray 
 and say, I am sure, dear God, that Thou art keeping some- 
 thing better for me, and I will not be unhappy, for I know that 
 Thou wilt make everything right in the end." 
 
 "How did you learn all that? " asked Clara. 
 
 " Grandmamma explained it to me first of all, and then, when 
 it all 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 
 to thank God to-night that you can walk now, and that He has 
 made us so happy." 
 
 "Yes, Heidi, I am sure you are right, and I am glad you 
 reminded me; I almost forgot my prayers for very joy." 
 
 Both children said their prayers, and each thanked God in 
 her own way for the blessing He had bestowed on Clara, who 
 had for so long lain weak and ill. 
 
 The ndxt morning the grandfather suggested that they 
 should now write to the grandmamma and ask her if she would 
 not come and pay them a visit, as they had something new to 
 show her. But the children had another plan in their heads, for 
 they wanted to prepare a great surprise for grandmamma. 
 Clara was first to have more practice in walking so that she 
 might be able to go a little way by herself; above all things 
 grandmamma was not to have a hint of it. They asked the 
 grandfather how long he thought this would take, and when he 
 told them about a week or less, they immediately sat down and 
 wrote a pressing invitation to grandmamma, asking her to 
 come soon, but no word was said about there being anything 
 new to see. 
 
 The following days were some of the most joyous that Clara 
 
 [351] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 had spent on the mountain. She awoke each morning with a 
 happy voice within her crying, "I am well now! I am well 
 now! I shan't have to 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 was able to go a longer distance. The movement gave her 
 such an appetite that the grandfather cut his bread and butter 
 a little thicker each day, and was well pleased to see it disap- 
 pear. He now brought out with it a large jugful of the foaming 
 milk and filled her little bowl over and over again. And so 
 another week went by and the day came which was to bring 
 grandmamma up the mountain for her second visit. 
 
 [352] 
 
CHAPTER XXIII 
 "GOOD-BYE TILL WE MEET AGAIN" 
 
 GRANDMAMMA wrote the day before her arrival to 
 let the children know that they might expect her with- 
 out fail. Peter brought up the letter early the follow- 
 ing morning. Grandfather and the children were already out- 
 side and the goats were awaiting him, shaking their heads 
 frolicsomely in the fresh morning air, while the children 
 stroked them and wished them a pleasant journey up the 
 mountain. Uncle stood near, looking now at the fresh faces of 
 the children, now at his well-kept goats, with a smile on his 
 face, evidentlywell pleased with the sight of both. 
 
 As Peter neared the group his steps slackened, and the 
 instant he had handed the letter to Uncle he turned quickly 
 away as if frightened, and as he went he gave a hasty glance 
 behind him, as if the thing he feared was pursuing him, and 
 then he gave a leap and ran off up the mountain. 
 
 "Grandfather," said Heidi, who had been watching him 
 with astonished eyes, "why does Peter always behave now like 
 the Great Turk when he thinks somebody is after him with a 
 stick; he turns and shakes his head and goes off with a bound 
 just like that?" 
 
 "Perhaps Peter fancies he sees the stick which he so well 
 deserves coming after him," answered grandfather. 
 
 Peter ran up the first slope without a pause; when he was 
 well out of sight, however, he stood still and looked suspici- 
 ously about him. Suddenly he gave a jump and looked behind 
 
 [ 355 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 him with a terrified expression, as if some one had caught hold 
 of him by the nape of the neck; for Peter expected every minute 
 that the police-constable from Frankfurt would leap out upon 
 him from behind some bush or hedge. The longer his suspense 
 lasted, the more frightened and miserable he became; he did 
 not know a moment's peace. 
 
 Heidi now set about tidying the hut, as grandmamma must 
 find everything clean and in good order when she arrived. 
 
 Clara looked on amused and interested to watch the busy 
 Heidi at her work. 
 
 So the morning soon went by, and grandmamma might now 
 be expected at any minute. The children dressed themselves and 
 went and sat together outside on the seat ready to receive her. 
 
 Grandfather joined them, that they might see the splendid 
 bunch of blue gentians which he had been up the mountain to 
 gather, and the children exclaimed with delight at the beauty 
 of the flowers as they shone in the morning sun. The grand- 
 father then carried them indoors. Heidi jumped up from time 
 to time to see if there was any sign of grandmamma's approach. 
 
 At last she saw the procession winding up the mountain just 
 in the order she had expected. First, there was the guide, then 
 the white horse with grandmamma mounted upon it, and last 
 of all the porter with a heavy bundle on his back, for grand- 
 mamma would not think of going up the mountain without a 
 full supply of wraps and rugs. 
 
 Nearer and nearer wound the procession; at last it reached 
 the top and grandmamma was there looking down on the 
 children from her horse. She no sooner saw them, however, 
 sitting side by side, than she began quickly dismounting, 
 
 [ 356 ] 
 
 
"GOOD-BYE TILL WE MEET AGAIN" 
 
 as she cried out in a shocked tone of voice, "Why is this? 
 why are you not lying in your chair, Clara? What are you 
 all thinking about?" But even before she had got close to 
 them she threw up her hands in astonishment, exclaiming 
 further, "Is it really you, dear child? Why, your cheeks 
 have grown quite round and rosy! I should hardly have 
 known you again!" And she was hastening forward to em- 
 brace her, when Heidi slipped down from the seat, and Clara, 
 leaning on her shoulder, the two children began walking along 
 quite coolly and naturally. Then indeed grandmamma was 
 surprised, or rather alarmed, 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 
 beside Heidi — and now the two children turned and came 
 towards her with beaming faces and rosy cheeks. Laughing 
 and crying she ran to them and embraced first Clara and then 
 Heidi, and then Clara again, unable to speak for joy. All at 
 once she caught sight of Uncle standing by the seat and looking 
 on smiling at the meeting. She took Clara's arm in hers, and 
 with continual expressions of delight at the fact that the child 
 could now really walk about with her, she went up to the old 
 man, and then letting go Clara's arm she seized his hands. 
 
 " My dear Uncle ! my dear Uncle ! how much we have to thank 
 you for! 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 I drink, and how nice it is ! " 
 
 [357] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 "I can see that by your cheeks, child," answered grand- 
 mamma. "I really should not have known you; you have 
 grown quite strong and plump, and taller too; I never hoped or 
 expected to see you look like that. I cannot take my eyes off 
 you, for I can hardly yet believe it. But now I must telegraph 
 without delay to my son in Paris, and tell him he must come 
 here at once. I shall not say why; it will be the greatest happi- 
 ness he has ever known. My dear Uncle, how can I send a 
 telegram; have you dismissed the men yet?" 
 
 "They have gone," he answered, "but if you are in a hurry 
 I will fetch Peter, and he can take it for you." 
 
 Grandmamma thanked him, for she was anxious that the 
 good news should not be kept from her son a day longer than 
 was possible. 
 
 So Uncle went aside a little way and blew such a resounding 
 whistle through his fingers that he awoke a responsive echo 
 among the rocks far overhead. He had not to wait many 
 minutes before Peter came running down in answer, for he 
 knew the sound of 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 with instructions to take it down at once to the post- 
 office at Dbrfli; Uncle would settle for the payment later, as 
 it was not safe to give Peter too much to look after. 
 
 Peter went off with the paper in his hand, feeling some relief 
 of mind for the present, for as Uncle had not whistled for him 
 in order to give him up it was evident that no policeman had 
 yet arrived. 
 
 So now they could all sit down in peace to their dinner round 
 
 [358] 
 
 7 /) 
 
"GOOD-BYE TILL WE MEET AGAIN" 
 
 the table in front of the hut, and grandmamma was given a de- 
 tailed account of all that had taken place. How grandfather 
 had made Clara try first to stand and then to move her feet a 
 little every day, and how they had settled for the day's excur- 
 sion up the mountain and the chair had been blown away. 
 How Clara's desire to see the flowers had induced her to take 
 the first walk, and so by degrees one thing had led to another. 
 The recital took some time, for grandmamma continually in- 
 terrupted it with fresh exclamations of surprise and thankful- 
 ness: "It hardly seems possible! I can scarcely believe it is 
 not all a dream ! Are we really awake, and are all sitting here 
 by the mountain hut, and is that round-faced, healthy -looking 
 child my poor little, white, sickly Clara?" 
 
 And Clara and Heidi could not get over their delight at the 
 success of the surprise they had so carefully arranged for grand- 
 mamma 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 his mother he got into the train one sunny morning 
 and traveled that day to Basle; the next morning he continued 
 his journey, for a great longing had seized him to see his little 
 daughter from whom he had been separated the whole summer. 
 He arrived at Ragatz a few hours after his mother had left. 
 When he heard that she had that very day started for the 
 mountain, he immediately hired a carriage and drove off to 
 Mayenfeld; here he found that he could if he liked drive on as 
 far as Dorfli, which he did, as he thought the walk up from that 
 place would be as long as he cared for. 
 
 Herr Sesemann found he was right, for the climb up the 
 
 [359] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 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 one where Peter lived half way up, for the path had 
 been described to him over and over again. 
 
 There were traces of climbers to be seen on all sides; the 
 narrow footpaths seemed to run in every direction, and Herr 
 Sesemann began to wonder if he was on the right one, and 
 whether the hut lay perhaps on the other side of the mountain. 
 He looked round to see if any one was in sight of whom he 
 could ask the way; but far and wide there was not a soul to be 
 seen or a sound to be heard. Only at moments the mountain 
 wind whistled through the air, and the insects hummed in the 
 sunshine or a happy bird sang out from the branches of a 
 solitary larch tree. Herr Sesemann stood still for a while to let 
 the cool Alpine wind blow on his hot face. But now some one 
 came running down the mountainside — it was Peter with the 
 telegram in his hand. He ran straight down the steep slope, not 
 following the path on which Herr Sesemann was standing. As 
 soon as the latter caught sight of him he beckoned to him to 
 come. Peter advanced towards him slowly and timidly, with a 
 sort of sidelong movement, as if he could only move one leg 
 properly and had to drag the other after him. 
 
 "Hurry up, lad," called Herr Sesemann, and when Peter was 
 near enough, "Tell me," he said, "is this the way to the hut 
 where the old man and the child Heidi live, and where the 
 visitors from Frankfurt are staying?" 
 
 A low sound of fear was the only answer he received, as Peter 
 turned to run away in such precipitous haste that he fell head 
 over heels several times, and went rolling and bumping down 
 
 [360 ] 
 
"GOOD-BYE TILL WE MEET AGAIN" 
 
 the slope in involuntary bounds, just in the same way as the 
 chair, only that Peter fortunately did not fall to pieces as that 
 had done. Only i he telegram came to grief, and that was torn 
 into fragments and flew away. 
 
 "How extraordinarily timid these mountain dwellers are!" 
 thought Herr Sesemann to himself, for he quite believed that 
 it was the sight of a stranger that had made such an impression 
 on this unsophisticated child of the mountains. 
 
 After watching Peter's violent descent towards the valley for 
 a few 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 at inter- 
 vals in a most remarkable manner. 
 
 But this was not the most terrible part of his sufferings at 
 the moment, for far worse was the fear and horror that pos- 
 sessed him, feeling sure, as he did now, that the policeman had 
 really come over for him from Frankfurt. He had no doubt at 
 all that the stranger who had asked him the way was the very 
 man himself. Just as he had rolled to the edge of that last high 
 slope above Dorfli he was caught in a bush, and at last able to 
 keep himself from falling any farther. He lay still for a second 
 or two to recover himself, and to think over matters. 
 
 "Well done! another of you come bumping along like this!" 
 said a voice close to Peter, "and which of you to-morrow is the 
 wind going to send rolling down like a badly sewn sack of 
 potatoes?" It was the baker, who stood there laughing. He 
 had been strolling out to refresh himself after his hot day's 
 work, and had watched with amusement as he saw Peter come 
 rolling over and over in much the same way as the chair. 
 
 [361] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 Peter was on his feet in a moment. He had received a fresh 
 shock. Without once looking behind him he began hurrying up 
 the slope again. He would have liked best to go home and creep 
 into bed, so as to hide himself, for he felt safest when there. 
 But he had left the goats up above, and Uncle had given him 
 strict injunctions to make haste back so that they might not be 
 left too 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 was no help for it, he had to go back, and Peter went on 
 groaning and limping. He could run no more, for the anguish of 
 mind he had been through, and the bumping and shaking he 
 had received, were beginning to tell upon him. And so with lag- 
 ging steps and groans he 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 
 continued his climb with renewed courage, and at last, after a 
 long and exhausting walk, he came in sight of his goal. There, 
 only a little distance farther up, stood the grandfather's home, 
 with the dark tops of the fir trees waving above its roof. 
 
 Herr Sesemann was delighted to have come to the last steep 
 bit of his journey; in another minute or two he would be with 
 his little daughter, and he pleased himself with the thought of 
 her surprise. But the company above had seen his approaching 
 figure and recognized who it was, and they were preparing 
 something he little expected as a surprise on their part. 
 
 As he stepped on to the space in front of the hut two figures 
 came towards him. One a tall girl with fair hair and pink 
 cheeks, leaning on Heidi, whose dark eyes were dancing with 
 joy. Herr Sesemann suddenly stopped, staring at the two chil- 
 
 [362] 
 
"GOOD-BYE TILL WE MEET AGAIN" 
 
 dren, and all at once the tears started to his eyes. What mem- 
 ories arose in his heart! Just so had Clara's mother looked, the 
 fair-haired girl with the delicate pink-and-white complexion. 
 Herr Sesemann did not know if he was awake or dreaming. 
 
 "Don't you know me, papa?" called Clara to him, her face 
 beaming with 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 true 
 what I see?" And the delighted father stepped back to look 
 full at her again, and to make sure that the picture would not 
 vanish before his eyes. 
 
 "Are you my little Clara, really my little Clara?" he kept 
 on saying, then he clasped her in his arms again, and again put 
 her away from him that he might look and make sure it was she 
 who stood before him. 
 
 And now grandmamma came up, anxious for a sight of her 
 son's happy face. 
 
 "Well, what do you say now, dear son?" she exclaimed. 
 "You have given us a pleasant surprise, but it is nothing in 
 comparison to what we have prepared for you, you must con- 
 fess," and she gave her son an affectionate kiss as she spoke. 
 "But now," she went on, "you must come and pay your re- 
 spects to Uncle, who is our chief benefactor." 
 
 "Yes, indeed, and with the little inmate of our own house, 
 our little Heidi, too," said Herr Sesemann, shaking Heidi by 
 the hand. "Well? are you still well and happy in your moun- 
 tain home? but I need not ask, no Alpine rose could look more 
 blooming. I am glad, child, it is a pleasure to me to see you so." 
 
 [363 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 And Heidi looked up with equal pleasure into Herr Sese- 
 mann's kind face. How good he had always been to her ! And 
 that he should find such happiness awaiting him up here on the 
 mountain made her heart beat with gladness. 
 
 Grandmamma now led her son to introduce him to Uncle, 
 and while the two men were shaking hands and Herr Sesemann 
 was expressing his heartfelt thanks and boundless astonish- 
 ment to the old man, grandmamma wandered round to the 
 back to see the old fir trees again. 
 
 Here another unexpected sight met her gaze, for there, under 
 the trees where the long branches had left a clear space on the 
 ground, stood a great bush of the most wonderful dark blue 
 gentians, as fresh and shining as if they were growing on the 
 spot. 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 
 this pleasure for me? It is perfectly wonderful!" 
 
 The children ran up. 
 
 "No, no, I did not put them there," said Heidi, "but I know 
 who did." 
 
 "They grow just like that on the mountain, grandmamma, 
 only if anything they look more beautiful still," Clara put in; 
 "but guess who brought those down to-day," and as she spoke 
 she gave such a pleased smile that the grandmother thought for 
 a moment the child herself must have gathered them. But that 
 was hardly possible. 
 
 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 be- 
 
 [364 ] 
 
"GOOD-BYE TILL WE MEET AGAIN" 
 
 side Uncle in front of the hut, and he was trying to slip by un- 
 observed. But grandmamma had seen and recognized him, and 
 suddenly the thought struck her that it might be Peter who had 
 brought the flowers and that he was now trying to get away 
 unseen, feeling shy about it; but she could not let him go off 
 like that, he must have some little reward. 
 
 "Come along, boy; come here, do not be afraid," she called 
 to him. 
 
 Peter stood still, petrified with fear. After all he had gone 
 through that day he felt he had no longer any power of resis- 
 tance left. All he could think was, "It's all up with me now." 
 Every hair of his head stood on end, and he stepped forth 
 from behind the fir trees, his face pale and distorted with 
 terror. 
 
 "Courage, boy," said grandmamma in her effort to dispel 
 his shyness, "tell me now straight out without hesitation, was 
 it you who did it?" 
 
 Peter did not lift his eyes and therefore did not see at what 
 grandmamma was pointing. But he knew that Uncle was 
 standing at the corner of the hut, fixing him with his gray eyes, 
 while beside him stood the most terrible person that Peter 
 could conceive — the police-constable from Frankfurt. Quaking 
 inevery limb, and with trembling lips he muttered a low, "Yes." 
 
 "Well, and what is there dreadful about that?" said grand- 
 mamma. 
 
 " Because — because — it is all broken to pieces and no one can 
 put it together again." Peter brought out his words with diffi- 
 culty, and his knees knocked together so that he could hardly 
 stand. 
 
 [365 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 Grandmamma went up to Uncle. "Is that poor boy a little 
 out of his mind?" she asked sympathizingly. 
 
 "Not in the least," Uncle assured her, "it is only that he was 
 the wind that sent the chair rolling down the slope, and he is 
 expecting his well-deserved punishment." 
 
 Grandmamma found this hard to believe, for in her opinion 
 Peter did not look an entirely bad boy, nor could he have any 
 reason for destroying such a necessary thing as the chair. But 
 Uncle had only given expression to the suspicion that he had 
 from the moment the accident happened. The angry looks 
 which Peter had from the beginning cast at Clara, and the 
 other signs of his dislike to what had been taking place on the 
 mountain, had not escaped Uncle's eye. Putting two and two 
 together he had come to the right conclusion as to the cause of 
 the disaster, and he therefore spoke without hesitation when he 
 accused Peter. The lady broke into lively expostulations on 
 hearing this. 
 
 "No, no, dear Uncle, we will not punish the poor boy any 
 further. One must be fair to him. Here are all these strangers 
 from Frankfurt who come and carry away Heidi, his one sole 
 possession, and a possession well worth having too, and he is 
 left to sit alone day after day for weeks, with nothing to do but 
 brood over his wrongs. No, no, let us be fair to him; his anger 
 got the upper hand and drove him to an act of revenge — a fool- 
 ish one, I own, but then we all behave foolishly when we are 
 angry." And saying this she went back to Peter, who still stood 
 frightened and trembling. She sat down on the seat under the 
 fir trees and called him to her kindly, — 
 
 " Come here, boy, and stand in front of me, for I have some- 
 
 [ 366 ] 
 
"GOOD-BYE TILL WE MEET AGAIN" 
 
 thing to say to you. Leave off shaking and trembling, for I 
 want you to listen to me. You sent the chair rolling down the 
 mountain so that 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 knew that you deserved to be punished for it, and 
 in order to escape this you have been doing all you can to hide 
 the truth from everybody. But be sure of this, Peter: that 
 those who do wrong make a mistake when they think no one 
 knows anything about it. For God sees and hears everything, 
 and when the wicked doer tries to hide what he has done, then 
 God wakes up a little watchman that He places inside us all 
 when we are born and who sleeps on quietly till we do some- 
 thing wrong. And the little watchman has a small goad in his 
 hand, and when he wakes up he keeps on pricking us with it, 
 so that we have not a moment's peace. And the watchman 
 torments us still further, for he keeps on calling out, ' Now you 
 will be found out ! Now they will drag you off to punishment ! ' 
 And so we pass our life in fear and trouble, and never know a 
 moment's happiness or peace. Have you not felt something 
 like that lately, Peter?" 
 
 Peter gave a contrite nod of the head, as one who knew all 
 about it, for grandmamma had described his own feelings 
 exactly. 
 
 "And you calculated wrongly also in another way," con- 
 tinued grandmamma, "for you see the harm you intended has 
 turned out for the best for those you wished to hurt. As Clara 
 had no chair to go in and yet wanted so much to see the flow- 
 ers, she made the effort to walk, and every day since she has 
 been walking better and better, and if she remains up here she 
 
 [367] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 will in time be able to go up the mountain every day, much 
 oftener than she would have done in her chair. So you see, 
 Peter, God is able to bring good out of evil for those whom you 
 meant to injure, and you who did the evil were left to suffer 
 the unhappy consequences of it. Do you thoroughly under- 
 stand all I have said to you, Peter? If so, do not forget my 
 words, and whenever you feel inclined to do anything wrong, 
 think of the little watchman inside you with his goad and his 
 disagreeable voice. Will you remember all this?" 
 
 "Yes, I will," answered Peter, still very subdued, for he did 
 not yet know how the matter was going to end, as the police 
 constable was still standing with the Uncle. 
 
 "That's right, and now the thing is over and done for," said 
 grandmamma. "But I should like you to have something for a 
 pleasant reminder of the visitors from Frankfurt. Can you tell 
 me anything that you have wished very much to have? What 
 would you like best as a present?" 
 
 Peter lifted his head at this, and stared open-eyed at grand- 
 mamma. Up to the last minute he had been expecting some- 
 thing dreadful to happen, and now he might have anything 
 that he wanted. His mind seemed all of a whirl. 
 
 "I mean what I say," went, on grandmamma. "You shall 
 choose what you would like to have as a remembrance from the 
 Frankfurt visitors, and as a token that they will not think any 
 more of the wrong thing you did. Now do you understand me, 
 boy?" 
 
 The fact began at last to dawn upon Peter's mind that he 
 had no further punishment to fear, and that the kind lady 
 sitting in front of him had delivered him from the police con- 
 
 [ 368 ] 
 
"GOOD-BYE TILL WE MEET AGAIN" 
 
 stable. He suddenly felt as if the weight of a mountain had 
 fallen off him. He had also by this time awakened to the 
 further conviction that it was better to make a full confession 
 at once of anything he had done wrong or had left undone, and 
 so he said, "And I lost the paper, too." 
 
 Grandmamma had to consider a moment what he meant, 
 but soon recalled his connection with her telegram, and an- 
 swered kindly, 
 
 "You are a good boy to tell me! Never conceal anything 
 you have done wrong, and then all will come right again. And 
 now what would you like me to give you?" 
 
 Peter grew almost giddy with the thought that he could have 
 anything in the world that he wished for. He had a vision of 
 the yearly fair at Mayenfeld with the glittering stalls and all 
 the lovely things that he had stood gazing at for hours, without 
 a hope of ever possessing one of them, for Peter's purse never 
 held more than a halfpenny, and all these fascinating objects 
 cost double that amount. There were the pretty little red 
 whistles that he could use to call his goats, and the splendid 
 knives with rounded handles, known as toad-strikers, with 
 which one could do such famous work among the hazel bushes. 
 
 Peter remained pondering; he was trying to think which of 
 these two desirable objects he should best like to have, and he 
 found it difficult to decide. Then a bright thought occurred to 
 him; he would then be able to think over the matter between 
 now and next year's fair. 
 
 "A penny," answered Peter, who was no longer in doubt. 
 
 Grandmamma could not help laughing. "That is not an ex- 
 travagant request. Come here then!" and she pulled out her 
 
 [ 369 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 purse and put four bright round shillings in his hand and then 
 laid some pennies on top of it. "We will settle our accounts at 
 once," she continued, "and I will explain them to you. I have 
 given you as many pennies as there are weeks in the year, and 
 so every Sunday throughout 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 hear- 
 ing 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 down 
 in my will. Do you hear, my son? and you are to put it down 
 in yours 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 
 he was not dreaming, and then said, "Thank God!" 
 
 And he went off running and leaping with more even than 
 his usual agility, and this time managed to keep his feet, for it 
 was not fear, but joy such as he had never known before in his 
 life, that now sent him flying up the mountain. All trouble and 
 trembling had disappeared, and he was to have a penny every 
 week for life. 
 
 As later, after dinner, the party were sitting together chat- 
 ting, Clara drew her father a little aside, and said with an 
 eagerness that had been unknown to the little tired invalid, 
 
 " Oh, papa, if you only knew all that grandfather has done for 
 me from day to day ! I cannot reckon his kindnesses, but I shall 
 never forget them as long as I live! And I keep on thinking 
 what I could do for him, or what present I could make him that 
 would give him half as much pleasure as he has given me." 
 
 [370 ] 
 
"GOOD-BYE TILL WE MEET AGAIN" 
 
 "That is just what I wish most myself, Clara," replied her 
 father, whose face grew happier each time he looked at his 
 little daughter. "I have been also thinking how we can best 
 show our gratitude to our good benefactor." 
 
 Herr Sesemann now went over to where Uncle and grand- 
 mamma were engaged 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. 
 You will believe me when I tell you that I have known no real 
 happiness for years past. What worth to me were money and 
 property when they were unable to make my poor child well 
 and happy? 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 me now, in what way can I show my gratitude to you? 
 I can never repay all you have done, but whatever is in my 
 power to do is at your service. Speak, friend, and tell me what 
 I can do?" 
 
 Uncle had listened to him quietly, with a smile of pleasure on 
 his face as he looked at the happy father. 
 
 "Herr Sesemann," he replied in his dignified way, "believe 
 me that 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 for all you have said, but I have need of nothing; I 
 have enough for myself 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 in life." 
 
 "Speak, dear friend, and tell me what it is," said Herr Sese- 
 mann entreatingly. 
 
 [ 371 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 "I am growing old," Uncle went on, "and shall not be here 
 much longer. I have nothing to leave the child when I die, and 
 she has no relations, except one person who will always like to 
 make what profit out of her she can. If you could promise me 
 that Heidi shall never have to go and earn her living among 
 strangers, then you would richly reward me for all I have done 
 for your child." 
 
 "There could never be any question of such a thing as that, 
 my dear friend," said Herr Sesemann quickly. "I look upon 
 the child as our own. Ask my mother, my daughter; you may 
 be sure that they will never allow the child to be left in any one 
 else's care! But if it will make you happier I give you here my 
 hand upon it. I promise you : Heidi shall never have to go and 
 earn her living among strangers ; I will make provision against 
 this both during my life and after. But now I have something 
 else to say. Independent of her circumstances, the child is 
 totally unfitted to live a life away from home; we found out 
 that when she was with us. But she has made friends, and 
 among them I know one who is at this moment in Frankfurt; 
 he is winding up his affairs there, that he may be free to go 
 where he likes and take his rest. I am speaking of my friend, 
 the doctor, who came over here in the autumn and who, having 
 well considered your advice, intends to settle in this neighbor- 
 hood, for he has never felt so well and happy anywhere as in 
 the company of you and Heidi. So you 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, 
 shaking Uncle's hand warmly as she spoke, to show how sin- 
 
 f 372 1 
 
" 
 
 "GOOD-BYE TILL WE MEET AGAIN" 
 
 cerely she echoed her son's wish. Then putting her arm round 
 Heidi, who was standing near, she drew the child to her. 
 
 "And I have a question to ask you too, dear Heidi. Tell me 
 if there is anything you particularly wish for." 
 
 "Yes, there is," answered Heidi promptly, looking up de- 
 lightedly at grandmamma. 
 
 "Then tell me at once, dear, what it is." 
 
 "I want to have the bed I slept in at Frankfurt with the high 
 pillows and the thick coverlid, and then grandmother will not 
 have to lie with her head down hill and hardly able to breathe, 
 and she will be warm enough under the coverlid not to have to 
 wear her shawl in bed to prevent her freezing to death." 
 
 In her eagerness to obtain what she had set her heart upon 
 Heidi hardly gave herself time to get out all she had to say, and 
 did not 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 to remind me. In the midst of our own happiness we for- 
 get too often that which we ought to remember before all 
 things. When God has shown us some special mercy we should 
 think at once of those who are denied so many things. I will 
 telegraph to Frankfurt at once! Fraulein Rottenmeier shall 
 pack up the bed this very day, and it will be here in two days' 
 time. God willing, grandmother shall soon be sleeping com- 
 fortably upon it." 
 
 Heidi skipped round grandmamma in her glee, and then 
 stopping all of a sudden, said quickly, "I must make haste 
 down and tell grandmother, and she will be in trouble too at 
 my not having been to see her for such a long time." For she 
 
 [ 373 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 felt she could not wait another moment before carrying the 
 good news down to grandmother, and, moreover, the recollec- 
 tion came to her of the distress the old woman was in when she 
 last saw her. 
 
 "No, no, Heidi, what can you be thinking of?" said her 
 grandfather reprovingly. "You can't be running backwards 
 and forwards like that when you have visitors." 
 
 But grandmamma interfered on Heidi's behalf. "The child 
 is not so far wrong, Uncle," she said, "and poor grandmother 
 has too long been deprived of Heidi for our sakes. Let us all go 
 down to her together. I believe my horse is waiting for me and 
 I can ride down from there, and as soon as I get to Dorfli the 
 message shall be sent off. What do you think of my plan, son? " 
 
 Herr Sesemann had not yet had time to speak of his travel- 
 ing plans, so he begged his mother to wait a few moments that 
 he might tell her what he proposed doing. 
 
 Herr Sesemann had been arranging that he and his mother 
 should make a little tour in Switzerland, first ascertaining if 
 Clara was in a fit state to go some part of the way with them. 
 But now he would have the full enjoyment of his daughter's 
 company, and that being so he did not want to miss any of 
 these beautiful days of later summer, but to start at once on 
 the journey that he now looked forward to with such additional 
 pleasure. And so he proposed that they should spend the night 
 in Dorfli and that next day he should come and fetch Clara, 
 then they would all three 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, 
 
 [ 374 ] 
 
"GOOD-BYE TILL WE MEET AGAIN" 
 
 however, at the prospect of the journey, and no time was al- 
 lowed her to give way to lamentation. 
 
 Grandmamma had already taken Heidi by the hand, pre- 
 paratory to leading the way, when she suddenly turned. "But 
 what is to become of Clara?" she asked, remembering all at 
 once that the child could not yet take so long a walk. She gave 
 a nod of satisfaction as she saw that Uncle had already taken 
 Clara up in his arms and was following her with sturdy strides. 
 Herr Sesemann brought up the rear, and so they all started 
 down the mountain. 
 
 Heidi kept jumping for joy as she and grandmamma walked 
 along side by side, and grandmamma asked all about grand- 
 mother, how she lived, and what she did, especially in the 
 winter when it was so cold. And Heidi gave her a minute 
 account of everything, for she knew all that went on at grand- 
 mother's, and told her how grandmother sat crouching in her 
 corner and trembling with cold. She was able to give her exact 
 particulars of what grandmother had and had not to eat. 
 Grandmamma listened with interest and sympathy until 
 they came to Grandmother's. Brigitta was just hanging 
 out Peter's second shirt in the sun, so that he might have 
 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, evi- 
 dently all returning home again," she informed the old woman. 
 "Uncle is with them, carrying the sick child." 
 
 "Alas! is it really to be so then?" sighed the grandmother. 
 "And you saw Heidi with them? Then they are taking her 
 
 [375] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 away. If only she could come and put her hand in mine again ! 
 If I could but hear her voice once more!" 
 
 At this moment the door flew open and Heidi sprang across 
 to the corner and threw her arms round grandmother. 
 
 "Grandmother! grandmother! my bed is to be sent from 
 Frankfurt with all the three pillows and the thick coverlid; 
 grandmamma says it will be here in two days." Heidi could not 
 get out her words quickly enough, for she was impatient to see 
 grandmother's great joy at the news. The latter smiled, but 
 said a little sadly, — 
 
 "She must indeed be a good kind lady, and I ought to be 
 glad to think she is taking you with her, but I shall not outlive 
 it long." 
 
 "What is this I hear? Who has been telling my good grand- 
 mother such tales?" exclaimed a kindly voice, and grand- 
 mother felt her hand taken and warmly pressed, for grand- 
 mamma had followed Heidi in and heard all that was said. 
 "No, no, there is no thought of such a thing! Heidi is going to 
 stay with you and make you happy. We want to see her again, 
 but we shall come to her. We hope to pay a visit to the Aim 
 every year, for we have good cause to offer up especial thanks 
 to God upon this spot where so great a miracle has been 
 wrought upon our child." 
 
 And now grandmother's face was lighted up with genuine 
 happiness, and she pressed Frau Sesemann's hand over and 
 over again, unable to speak her thanks, while two large tears of 
 joy rolled down her aged cheeks. And Heidi saw the glad 
 change come over grandmother's face, and she too now was 
 
 entirely happy. 
 
 [ 376 ] 
 
"GOOD-BYE TILL WE MEET AGAIN" 
 
 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't the bed from Frankfurt sent to make you well?" 
 
 "Yes, Heidi, and many, many other good things too, which 
 God has sent me," said the grandmother, deeply moved. "I 
 did not think it possible that there were so many kind people, 
 ready to trouble themselves about a poor old woman and to do 
 so much for her. Nothing strengthens our belief in a kind 
 heavenly Father who never forgets even the least of His crea- 
 tures so much as to know that there are such people, full of 
 goodness and pity for a poor useless creature such as I am." 
 
 " My good grandmother," said Frau Sesemann, interrupting 
 her, "we are all equally poor and helpless in the eyes of God, 
 and all have equal need that He should not forget us. But now 
 we must say good-bye, but only till we meet again, for when 
 we pay our next year's visit to the Aim you will be the first 
 person we shall come and see; meanwhile we shall not forget 
 you." And Frau Sesemann took grandmother's hand again and 
 shook it in farewell. 
 
 But grandmother would not let her off even then without 
 more words of gratitude, and without calling down on her 
 benefactress and all belonging to her every blessing that God 
 had to bestow. 
 
 At last Herr Sesemann and his mother were able to continue 
 their journey downwards, while Uncle carried Clara back 
 home, with Heidi beside him, so full of joy of what was coming 
 for grandmother that every step was a jump. 
 
 But there were many tears shed the following morning by the 
 departing Clara, who wept to say good-bye to the beautiful 
 
 [377] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 mountain home where she had been happier than ever in her 
 life before. Heidi did her best to comfort her. "Summer will 
 be here again in no time," she said, "and then you will come 
 again, and it will be nicer still, for you will be able to walk 
 about from the beginning. We can then go out every day with 
 the goats up to where the flowers grow, and enjoy ourselves 
 from the moment you arrive." 
 
 Herr Sesemann had come as arranged to fetch his little 
 daughter away, and was just now standing and talking with 
 Uncle, for they had much to say to one another. Clara felt 
 somewhat consoled by Heidi's words, and wiped away her 
 tears. 
 
 "Be sure you say good-bye for me to Peter and the goats, 
 and especially to Little Swan. I wish I could give Little Swan 
 a present, for she has helped so much to make me strong." 
 
 "Well, you can if you like," replied Heidi, "send her a little 
 salt; you know how she likes to lick some out of grandfather's 
 hand when she comes home at night." 
 
 Clara was delighted at this idea. "Oh, then I shall send a 
 hundred pounds of salt from Frankfurt, for I want her to have 
 something as a remembrance of me." 
 
 Herr Sesemann now beckoned to the children as it was time 
 to be off. Grandmamma's white horse had been brought up for 
 Clara, as she was no longer obliged to be carried in a chair. 
 
 Heidi ran to the far edge of the slope and continued to wave 
 her hand to Clara until the last glimpse of horse and rider had 
 disappeared. 
 
 And now the bed has arrived, and grandmother is sleeping so 
 soundly all night that she is sure to grow stronger. 
 
 [378] 
 
"GOOD-BYE TILL WE MEET AGAIN" 
 
 Grandmamma, moreover, has not forgotten how cold the 
 winter is on the mountain. She has sent a large parcel of warm 
 clothing of every description, so that grandmother can wrap 
 herself round and round, and will certainly not tremble with 
 cold now as she sits in her corner. 
 
 There is a great deal of building going on at Dbrfli. The 
 doctor has arrived, and, for the present, is occupying his old 
 quarters. His friends have advised him to buy the old house 
 that Uncle and Heidi live in during the winter, which had evi- 
 dently, judging from the height of the rooms and the magnifi- 
 cent stove with its artistically painted tiles, been a fine gentle- 
 man's place at one time. The doctor is having this part of the 
 old house rebuilt for himself, the other part being repaired for 
 Uncle and Heidi, for the doctor is aware that Uncle is a man 
 of independent spirit, who likes to have a house to himself. 
 Quite at the back a warm and well-walled stall is being put up 
 for the two goats, and there they will pass their winter in com- 
 fort. 
 
 The doctor and Uncle are becoming better friends every day, 
 and as they walk about the new buildings to see how they are 
 getting on, their thoughts continually turn to Heidi, for the 
 chief pleasure to each in connection with the house is that they 
 will have the light-hearted little child with them there. 
 
 "Dear friend," said the doctor on one of these occasions as 
 they were standing together, "you will see this matter in the 
 same light as I do, I am sure. I share your happiness in the 
 child as if, next to you, I was the one to whom she most closely 
 belonged, but I wish also to share all responsibilities concern- 
 ing her and to do my best for the child. I shall then feel I have 
 
 [379 ] 
 
HEIDI 
 
 my rights in her, and shall look forward to her being with me 
 and caring for me in my old age, which is the one great wish of 
 my heart. She will have the same claims upon me as if she 
 were my own child, and I shall provide for her as such, and so 
 we shall be able to leave her without anxiety when the day 
 comes that 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 greatly 
 moved he was and how glad and grateful he felt. 
 
 Heidi and Peter were at this moment sitting with grand- 
 mother, 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, 
 hardly able to breathe in their eagerness not to miss a word. 
 
 And how much there was to tell of all the events that had 
 taken place that last summer, for they had not had many op- 
 portunities of meeting since then. 
 
 And it was difficult to say which of the three looked the 
 happiest at being together again, and at the recollection of all 
 the wonderful things that had happened. Mother Brigitta's 
 face was perhaps the happiest of all, as now, with the help of 
 Heidi's explanation, she was able to understand for the first 
 time the history of Peter's weekly penny for life. 
 
 Then at last the grandmother spoke, "Heidi, read me one of 
 the hymns ! I feel I can do nothing for the remainder of my life 
 but thank the Father in Heaven for all the mercies He has 
 shown us!" 
 
 [380] 
 
▼;•£-*.- *-