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Heidi

by Johanna Spyri

Illustrated By Jessie Willcox Smith

CONTENTS

I Up the Mountain to Alm-Uncle
II At Home with Grandfather
III Out with the Goats
IV The Visit to Grandmother
V Two Visits and What Came of Them
VI A New Chapter about New Things

    Heidi Part II.

VII Fraulein Rottenmeier Spends an Uncomfortable Day
VIII There is Great Commotion in the Large House
IX Herr Sesemann Hears of Things that are New to Him
X Another Grandmother
XI Heidi Gains in One Way and Loses in Another
XII A Ghost in the House

    Heidi Part III.

XIII A Summer Evening on the Mountain
XIV Sunday Bells
XV Preparations for a journey
XVI A Visitor
XVII A Compensation
XVIII Winter in Dorfli

    Heidi Part IV.

XIX The Winter Continues
XX News from Distant Friends
XXI How Life went on at Grandfather's
XXII Something Unexpected Happens
XXIII "Good-bye Till We Meet Again"

HEIDI Part 1

CHAPTER I

UP THE MOUNTAIN TO ALM-UNCLE

    From the old and pleasantly situated village of Mayenfeld, afootpath winds through green and shady meadows to the foot of themountains, which on this side look down from their stern andlofty heights upon the valley below. The land grows graduallywilder as the path ascends, and the climber has not gone farbefore he begins to inhale the fragrance of the short grass andsturdy mountain-plants, for the way is steep and leads directlyup to the summits above.
   On a clear sunny morning in June two figures might be seenclimbing the narrow mountain path; one, a tall strong-lookinggirl, the other a child whom she was leading by the hand, andwhose little checks were so aglow with heat that the crimsoncolor could be seen even through the dark, sunburnt skin. Andthis was hardly to be wondered at, for in spite of the hot Junesun the child was clothed as if to keep off the bitterest frost.She did not look more than five years old, if as much, but whather natural figure was like, it would have been hard to say, forshe had apparently two, if not three dresses, one above theother, and over these a thick red woollen shawl wound round abouther, so that the little body presented a shapeless appearance,as, with its small feet shod in thick, nailed mountain-shoes, itslowly and laboriously plodded its way up in the heat. The twomust have left the valley a good hour's walk behind them, whenthey came to the hamlet known as Dorfli, which is situatedhalf-way up the mountain. Here the wayfarers met with greetingsfrom all sides, some calling to them from windows, some from opendoors, others from outside, for the elder girl was now in her oldhome. She did not, however, pause in her walk to respond to herfriends' welcoming cries and questions, but passed on withoutstopping for a moment until she reached the last of the scatteredhouses of the hamlet. Here a voice called to her from the door:"Wait a moment, Dete; if you are going up higher, I will comewith you."
   The girl thus addressed stood still, and the child immediatelylet go her hand and seated herself on the ground.
   "Are you tired, Heidi?" asked her companion.
   "No, I am hot," answered the child.
   "We shall soon get to the top now. - You must walk bravely on alittle longer, and take good long steps, and in another hour weshall be there," said Dete in an encouraging voice.
   They were now joined by a stout, good-natured-looking woman, whowalked on ahead with her old acquaintance, the two breaking forthat once into lively conversation about everybody and everythingin Dorfli and its surroundings, while the child wandered behindthem.
   "And where are you off to with the child?" asked the one who hadjust joined the party. "I suppose it is the child your sisterleft?"
   "Yes," answered Dete. "I am taking her up to Uncle, where shemust stay."
   "The child stay up there with Alm-Uncle! You must be out of yoursenses, Dete! How can you think of such a thing! The old man,however, will soon send you and your proposal packing off homeagain!"
   "He cannot very well do that, seeing that he is her grandfather.He must do something for her. I have had the charge of the childtill now, and I can tell you, Barbel, I am not going to give upthe chance which has just fallen to me of getting a good place,for her sake. It is for the grandfather now to do his duty byher."
   "That would be all very well if he were like other people,"asseverated stout Barbel warmly, "but you know what he is. Andwhat can he do with a child, especially with one so young! Thechild cannot possibly live with him. But where are you thinkingof going yourself?"
   "To Frankfurt, where an extra good place awaits me," answeredDete. "The people I am going to were down at the Baths lastsummer, and it was part of my duty to attend upon their rooms.They would have liked then to take me away with them, but I couldnot leave. Now they are there again and have repeated theiroffer, and I intend to go with them, you may make up your mind tothat!"
   "I am glad I am not the child!" exclaimed Barbel, with a gestureof horrified pity. "Not a creature knows anything about the oldman up there! He will have nothing to do with anybody, and neversets his foot inside a church from one year's end to another.When he does come down once in a while, everybody clears out ofthe way of him and his big stick. The mere sight of him, with hisbushy grey eyebrows and his immense beard, is alarming enough. Helooks like any old heathen or Indian, and few would care to meethim alone."
   "Well, and what of that?" said Dete, in a defiant voice, "he isthe grandfather all the same, and must look after the child. Heis not likely to do her any harm, and if he does, he will beanswerable for it, not I."
   "I should very much like to know," continued Barbel, in aninquiring tone of voice, "what the old man has on his consciencethat he looks as he does, and lives up there on the mountain likea hermit, hardly ever allowing himself to be seen. All kinds ofthings are said about him. You, Dete, however, must certainlyhave learnt a good deal concerning him from your sister--am I notright?"
   "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 aboutit."
   Now Barbel had for long past been most anxious to ascertainparticulars about Alm-Uncle, as she could not understand why heseemed to feel such hatred towards his fellow-creatures, andinsisted on living all alone, or why people spoke about him halfin whispers, as if afraid to say anything against him, and yetunwilling to take his Part. Moreover, Barbel was in ignorance asto why all the people in Dorfli called him Alm-Uncle, for hecould not possibly be uncle to everybody living there. As,however, it was the custom, she did like the rest and called theold man Uncle. Barbel had only lived in Dorfli since hermarriage, which had taken place not long before. Previous to thather home had been below in Prattigau, so that she was not wellacquainted with all the events that had ever taken place, andwith all the people who had ever lived in Dorfli and itsneighborhood. Dete, on the contrary, had been born in Dorfli, andhad lived there with her mother until the death of the latter theyear before, and had then gone over to the Baths at Ragatz andtaken service in the large hotel there as chambermaid. On themorning of this day she had come all the way from Ragatz with thechild, a friend having given them a lift in a hay-cart as far asMayenfeld. Barbel was therefore determined not to lose this goodopportunity of satisfying her curiosity. She put her arm throughDete's in a confidential sort of way, and said: "I know I canfind out the real truth from you, and the meaning of all thesetales that are afloat about him. I believe you know the wholestory. Now do just tell me what is wrong with the old man, and ifhe was always shunned as he is now, and was always such amisanthrope."
   "How can I possibly tell you whether he was always the same,seeing I am only six-and-twenty and he at least seventy years ofage; so you can hardly expect me to know much about his youth. IfI was sure, however, that what I tell you would not go the wholeround 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, somewhatoffended, "gossip has not reached such a dreadful pitch inPrattigau as all that, and I am also quite capable of holding mytongue when it is necessary."
   "Very well then, I will tell you--but just wait a moment," saidDete in a warning voice, and she looked back to make sure thatthe child was not near enough to hear all she was going torelate; but the child was nowhere to be seen, and must haveturned aside from following her companions some time before,while these were too eagerly occupied with their conversation tonotice it. Dete stood still and looked around her in alldirections. The footpath wound a little here and there, but couldnevertheless be seen along its whole length nearly to Dorfli; noone, however, was visible upon it at this moment.
   "I see where she is," exclaimed Barbel, "look over there!" andshe pointed to a spot far away from the footpath. "She isclimbing up the slope yonder with the goatherd and his goats. Iwonder why he is so late to-day bringing them up. It happenswell, however, for us, for he can now see after the child, andyou can the better tell me your tale."
   "Oh, as to the looking after," remarked Dete, "the boy need notput himself out about that; she is not by any means stupid forher five years, and knows how to use her eyes. She notices allthat is going on, as I have often had occasion to remark, andthis will stand her in good stead some day, for the old man hasnothing beyond his two goats and his hut."
   "Did he ever have more?" asked Barbel.
   "He? I should think so indeed," replied Dete with animation; "hewas owner once of one of the largest farms in Domleschg. He wasthe elder of two brothers; the younger was a quiet, orderly man,but nothing would please the other but to play the grandgentleman and go driving about the country and mixing with badcompany, strangers that nobody knew. He drank and gambled awaythe whole of his property, and when this became known to hismother and father they died, one shortly after the other, ofsorrow. The younger brother, who was also reduced to beggary,went off in his anger, no one knew whither, while Uncle himself,having nothing now left to him but his, bad name, alsodisappeared. For some time his whereabouts were unknown, thensome one found out that he had gone to Naples as a soldier; afterthat nothing more was heard of him for twelve or fifteen years.At the end of that time he reappeared in Domleschg, bringing withhim a young child, whom he tried to place with some of hiskinspeople. Every door, however, was shut in his face, for no onewished to have any more to do with him. Embittered by thistreatment, he vowed never to set foot in Domleschg again, and hethen came to Dorfli, where he continued to live with his littleboy. His wife was probably a native of the Grisons, whom he hadmet down there, and who died soon after their marriage. He couldnot have been entirely without money, for he apprenticed his son,Tobias, to a carpenter. He was a steady lad, and kindly receivedby every one in Dorfli. The old man was, however, still lookedupon with suspicion, and it was even rumoured that he had beenforced to make his escape from Naples, or it might have gonebadly with him, for that he had killed a man, not in fair fight,you understand, but in some brawl. We, however, did not refuse toacknowledge our relationship with him, my great-grandmother on mymother's side having been sister to his grandmother. So we calledhim Uncle, and as through my father we are also related to nearlyevery family in Dorfli, he became known all over the place asUncle, and since he went to live on the mountain side he has goneeverywhere by the name of Alm-Uncle."
   "And what happened to Tobias?" asked Barbel, who was listeningwith deep interest.
   "Wait a moment, I am coming to that, but I cannot tell youeverything at once," replied Dete. "Tobias was taught his tradein Mels, and when he had served. his apprenticeship he came backto Dorfli and married my sister Adelaide. They had always beenfond of one another, and they got on very well together afterthey were married. But their happiness did not last long. Herhusband met with his death only two years after their marriage, abeam falling upon him as he was working, and killing him on thespot. They carried him home, and when Adelaide saw the poordisfigured body of her husband she was so overcome with horrorand grief that she fell into a fever from which she neverrecovered. She had always been rather delicate and subject tocurious attacks, during which no one knew whether she was awakeor sleeping. And so two months after Tobias had been carried tothe grave, his wife followed him. Their sad fate was the talk ofeverybody far and near, and both in private and public thegeneral opinion was expressed that it was a punishment whichUncle had deserved for the godless life he had led. Some went sofar even as to tell him so to his face. Our minister endeavoredto awaken his conscience and exhorted him to repentance, but theold man grew only more wrathful and obdurate and would not speakto a soul, and every one did their best to keep out of his way.All at once we heard that he had gone to live up the Alm and didnot intend ever to come down again, and since then he has led hissolitary 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 theBaths to earn some money, I paid old Ursel, who lives in thevillage just above, to keep and look after the child. I stayed onat the Baths through the winter, for as I could sew and knit Ihad no difficulty in finding plenty of work, and early in thespring the same family I had waited on before returned fromFrankfurt, and again asked me to go back with them. And so weleave the day after to-morrow, and I can assure you, it is anexcellent place for me."
   "And you are going to give the child over to the old man upthere? It surprises me beyond words that you can think of doingsuch a thing, Dete," said Barbel, in a voice full of reproach.
   "What do you mean?" retorted Dete. "I have done my duty by thechild, and what would you have me do with it now? I cannotcertainly take a child of five years old with me to Frankfurt.But where are you going to yourself, Barbel; we are now half wayup the Alm?
   "We have just reached the place I wanted," answered Barbel. "Ihad something to say to the goatherd's wife, who does somespinning for me in the winter. So good-bye, Dete, and good luckto you!"
   Dete shook hands with her friend and remained standing whileBarbel went towards a small, dark brown hut, which stood a fewsteps away from the path in a hollow that afforded it someprotection from the mountain wind. The hut was situated half wayup the Alm, reckoning from Dorfli, and it was well that it wasprovided with some shelter, for it was so broken-down anddilapidated that even then it must have been very unsafe as ahabitation, for when the stormy south wind came sweeping over themountain, everything inside it, doors and windows, shook andrattled, and all the rotten old beams creaked and trembled. Onsuch days as this, had the goatherd's dwelling been standingabove on the exposed mountain side, it could not have escapedbeing blown straight down into the valley without a moment'swarning.
   Here lived Peter, the eleven-year-old boy, who every morning wentdown to Dorfli to fetch his goats and drive them up on to themountain, where they were free to browse till evening on thedelicious mountain plants.
   Then Peter, with his light-footed animals, would go running andleaping down the mountain again till he reached Dorfli, and therehe would give a shrill whistle through his fingers, whereupon allthe owners of the goats would come out to fetch home the animalsthat belonged to them. It was generally the small boys and girlswho ran in answer to Peter's whistle, for they were none of themafraid of the gentle goats, and this was the only hour of the daythrough all the summer months that Peter had any opportunity ofseeing his young friends, since the rest of his time was spentalone with the goats. He had a mother and a blind grandmother athome, it is true, but he was always obliged to start off veryearly in the morning, and only got home late in the evening fromDorfli, for he always stayed as long as he could talking andplaying with the other children; and so he had just time enoughat home, and that was all, to swallow down his bread and milk inthe morning, and again in the evening to get through a similarmeal, lie down in bed and go to sleep. His father, who had beenknown also as the goatherd, having earned his living as such whenyounger, had been accidentally killed while cutting wood someyears before. His mother, whose real name was Brigitta, wasalways called the goatherd's wife, for the sake of oldassociation, while the blind grandmother was just "grandmother"to all the old and young in the neighborhood.
   Dete had been standing for a good ten minutes looking about herin every direction for some sign of the children and the goats.Not a glimpse of them, however, was to be seen, so she climbed toa higher spot, whence she could get a fuller view of the mountainas it sloped beneath her to the valley, while, withever-increasing anxiety on her face and in her movements, shecontinued to scan the surrounding slopes. Meanwhile the childrenwere climbing up by a far and roundabout way, for Peter knew manyspots where all kinds of good food, in the shape of shrubs andplants, grew for his goats, and he was in the habit of leadinghis flock aside from the beaten track. The child, exhausted withthe heat and weight of her thick armor of clothes, panted andstruggled after him at first with some difficulty. She saidnothing, but her little eyes kept watching first Peter, as hesprang nimbly hither and thither on his bare feet, clad only inhis short light breeches, and then the slim-legged goats thatwent leaping over rocks and shrubs and up the steep ascents witheven greater ease. All at once she sat herself down on theground, and as fast as her little fingers could move, beganpulling off her shoes and stockings. This done she rose, unwoundthe hot red shawl and threw it away, and then proceeded to undoher frock. It was off in a second, but there was still another tounfasten, for Dete had put the Sunday frock on over the everydayone, to save the trouble of carrying it. Quick as lightning theeveryday frock followed the other, and now the child stood up,clad only in her light short-sleeved under garment, stretchingout her little bare arms with glee. She put all her clothestogether in a tidy little heap, and then went jumping andclimbing up after Peter and the goats as nimbly as any one of theparty. Peter had taken no heed of what the child was about whenshe 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 lookedback and saw the small heap of clothes lying on the ground, untilhis mouth stretched almost from ear to ear; he said nothing,however. The child, able now to move at her ease, began to enterinto conversation with Peter, who had many questions to answer,for his companion wanted to know how many goats he had, where hewas going to with them, and what he had to do when he arrivedthere. At last, after some time, they and the goats approachedthe hut and came within view of Cousin Dete. Hardly had thelatter caught sight of the little company climbing up towards herwhen she shrieked out: "Heidi, what have you been doing! What asight you have made of yourself! And where are your two frocksand the red wrapper? And the new shoes I bought, and the newstockings I knitted for you--everything gone! not a thing left!What can you have been thinking of, Heidi; where are all yourclothes?"
   The child quietly pointed to a spot below on the mountain sideand answered, "Down there." Dete followed the direction of herfinger; she could just distinguish something lying on the ground,with a spot of red on the top of it which she had no doubt wasthe woollen wrapper.
   "You good-for-nothing little thing!" exclaimed Dete angrily,"what could have put it into your head to do like that? What madeyou undress yourself? What do you mean by it?"
   "I don't want any clothes," said the child, not showing any signof repentance for her past deed.
   "You wretched, thoughtless child! have you no sense in you atall?" continued Dete, scolding and lamenting. "Who is going allthat way down to fetch them; it's a good half-hour's walk! Peter,you go off and fetch them for me as quickly as you can, and don'tstand there gaping at me, as if you were rooted to the ground!"
   "I am already past my time," answered Peter slowly, withoutmoving from the spot where he had been standing with his hands inhis pockets, listening to Dete's outburst of dismay and anger.
   "Well, you won't get far if you only keep on standing there withyour eyes staring out of your head," was Dete's cross reply; "butsee, you shall have something nice," and she held out a brightnew piece of money to him that sparkled in the sun. Peter wasimmediately up and off down the steep mountain side, taking theshortest cut, and in an incredibly short space of time hadreached the little heap of clothes, which he gathered up underhis arm, and was back again so quickly that even Dete was obligedto give him a word of praise as she handed him the promisedmoney. Peter promptly thrust it into his pocket and his facebeamed with delight, for it was not often that he was the happypossessor of such riches.
   You can carry the things up for me as far as Uncle's, as you aregoing the same way," went on Dete, who was preparing to continueher climb up the mountain side, which rose in a steep ascentimmediately behind the goatherd's hut. Peter willingly undertookto do this, and followed after her on his bare feet, with hisleft arm round the bundle and the right swinging his goatherd'sstick, while Heidi and the goats went skipping and jumpingjoyfully beside him. After a climb of more than three-quarters ofan hour they reached the top of the Alm mountain. Uncle's hutstood on a projection of the rock, exposed indeed to the winds,but where every ray of sun could rest upon it, and a full viewcould be had of the valley beneath. Behind the hut stood threeold fir trees, with long, thick, unlopped branches. Beyond theserose a further wall of mountain, the lower heights stillovergrown with beautiful grass and plants, above which werestonier slopes, covered only with scrub, that led gradually up tothe steep, bare rocky summits.
   Against the hut, on the side looking towards the valley, Unclehad put up a seat. Here he was sitting, his pipe in his mouth andhis hands on his knees, quietly looking out, when the children,the goats and Cousin Dete suddenly clambered into view. Heidi wasat the top first. She went straight up to the old man, put outher hand, and said, "Good-evening, Grandfather."
   "So, so, what is the meaning of this?" he asked gruffly, as hegave the child an abrupt shake of the hand, and gazed long andscrutinisingly at her from under his bushy eyebrows. Heidi staredsteadily back at him in return with unflinching gaze, for thegrandfather, with his long beard and thick grey eyebrows thatgrew together over his nose and looked just like a bush, was sucha remarkable appearance, that Heidi was unable to take her eyesoff him. Meanwhile Dete had come up, with Peter after her, andthe latter now stood still a while to watch what was going on.
   "I wish you good-day, Uncle," said Dete, as she walked towardshim, "and I have brought you Tobias and Adelaide's child. Youwill hardly recognise her, as you have never seen her since shewas a year old."
   "And what has the child to do with me up here?" asked the old mancurtly. "You there," he then called out to Peter, "be off withyour goats, you are none too early as it is, and take mine withyou."
   Peter obeyed on the instant and quickly disappeared, for the oldman had given him a look that made him feel that he did not wantto stay any longer.
   "The child is here to remain with you," Dete made answer. "Ihave, I think, done my duty by her for these four years, and nowit is time for you to do yours."
   "That's it, is it?" said the old man, as he looked at her with aflash in his eye. "And when the child begins to fret and whineafter you, as is the way with these unreasonable little beings,what am I to do with her then?"
   "That's your affair," retorted Dete. "I know I had to put up withher 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 Ihave to go and look after my own earnings, and you are the nextof kin to the child. If you cannot arrange to keep her, do withher as you like. You will be answerable for the result if harmhappens to her, though you have hardly need, I should think, toadd to the burden already on your conscience."
   Now Dete was not quite easy in her own conscience about what shewas doing, and consequently was feeling hot and irritable, andsaid more than she had intended. As she uttered her last words,Uncle rose from his seat. He looked at her in a way that made herdraw back a step or two, then flinging out his arm, he said toher in a commanding voice: "Be off with you this instant, and getback as quickly as you can to the place whence you came, and donot let me see your face again in a hurry."
   Dete did not wait to be told twice. "Good-bye to you then, and toyou too, Heidi," she called, as she turned quickly away andstarted to descend the mountain at a running pace, which she didnot slacken till she found herself safely again at Dorfli, forsome inward agitation drove her forwards as if a steam-engine wasat work inside her. Again questions came raining down upon herfrom all sides, for every one knew Dete, as well as allparticulars of the birth and former history of the child, and allwondered what she had done with it. From every door and windowcame voices calling: "Where is the child?" "Where have you leftthe child, Dete? and more and more reluctantly Dete made answer,Up there with Alm-Uncle!" "With Alm-Uncle, have I not told you soalready?"
   Then the women began to hurl reproaches at her; first one criedout, "How could you do such a thing!" then another, "To think ofleaving a helpless little thing up there,"--while again and againcame the words, "The poor mite! the poor mite!" pursuing her asshe went along. Unable at last to bear it any longer Dete ranforward as fast as she could until she was beyond reach of theirvoices. She was far from happy at the thought of what she haddone, for the child had been left in her care by her dyingmother. She quieted herself, however, with the idea that shewould be better able to do something for the child if she wasearning plenty of money, and it was a relief to her to think thatshe would soon be far away from all these people who were makingsuch a fuss about the matter, and she rejoiced further still thatshe was at liberty now to take such a good place.

CHAPTER II

AT HOME WITH GRANDFATHER

   As soon as Dete had disappeared the old man went back to hisbench, and there he remained seated, staring on the groundwithout uttering a sound, while thick curls of smoke floatedupward from his pipe. Heidi, meanwhile, was enjoying herself inher new surroundings; she looked about till she found a shed,built against the hut, where the goats were kept; she peeped in,and saw it was empty. She continued her search and presently cameto the fir trees behind the hut. A strong breeze was blowingthrough them, and there was a rushing and roaring in theirtopmost branches, Heidi stood still and listened. The soundgrowing fainter, she went on again, to the farther corner of thehut, and so round to where her grandfather was sitting. Seeingthat he was in exactly the same position as when she left him,she went and placed herself in front of the old man, and puttingher hands behind her back, stood and gazed at him. Hergrandfather looked up, and as she continued standing therewithout moving, "What is it you want?" he asked.
   "I want to see what you have inside the house," said Heidi.
   "Come then!" and the grandfather rose and went before her towardsthe hut.
   "Bring your bundle of clothes in with you," he bid her as she wasfollowing.
   "I shan't want them any more," was her prompt answer.
   The old man turned and looked searchingly at the child, whosedark eyes were sparkling in delighted anticipation of what shewas going to see inside. "She is certainly not wanting inintelligence," he murmured to himself. "And why shall you notwant them any more?" he asked aloud.
   "Because I want to go about like the goats with their thin lightlegs."
   "Well, you can do so if you like," said her grandfather, "butbring the things in, we must put them in the cupboard."

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

   Heidi did as she was told. The old man now opened the door andHeidi stepped inside after him; she found herself in a good-sizedroom, which covered the whole ground floor of the hut. A tableand a chair were the only furniture; in one corner stood thegrandfather's bed, in another was the hearth with a large kettlehanging above it; and on the further side was a large door in thewall--this was the cupboard. The grandfather opened it; insidewere his clothes, some hanging up, others, a couple of shirts,and some socks and handkerchiefs, lying on a shelf; on a secondshelf were some plates and cups and glasses, and on a higher onestill, a round loaf, smoked meat, and cheese, for everything thatAlm-Uncle needed for his food and clothing was kept in thiscupboard. Heidi, as soon as it was opened, ran quickly forwardand thrust in her bundle of clothes, as far back behind hergrandfather's things as possible, so that they might not easilybe found again. She then looked carefully round the room, andasked, "Where am I to sleep, grandfather?"
   "Wherever you like," he answered.
   Heidi was delighted, and began at once to examine all the nooksand corners to find out where it would be pleasantest to sleep.In the corner near her grandfather's bed she saw a short ladderagainst the wall; up she climbed and found herself in thehayloft. There lay a large heap of fresh sweet-smelling hay,while through a round window in the wall she could see right downthe valley.
   "I shall sleep up here, grandfather," she called down to him,"It's lovely, up here. Come up and see how lovely it is!"
   "Oh, I know all about it," he called up in answer.
   "I am getting the bed ready now," she called down again, as shewent busily to and fro at her work, "but I shall want you tobring me up a sheet; you can't have a bed without a sheet, youwant it to lie upon."
   "All right," said the grandfather, and presently he went to thecupboard, and after rummaging about inside for a few minutes hedrew out a long, coarse piece of stuff, which was all he had todo duty for a sheet. He carried it up to the loft, where he foundHeidi had already made quite a nice bed. She had put an extraheap of hay at one end for a pillow, and had so arranged it that,when in bed, she would be able to see comfortably out through theround window.
   "That is capital," said her grandfather; "now we must put on thesheet, but wait a moment first," and he went and fetched anotherlarge bundle of hay to make the bed thicker, so that the childshould not feel the hard floor under her--"there, now bring ithere." Heidi had got hold of the sheet, but it was almost tooheavy for her to carry; this was a good thing, however, as theclose thick stuff would prevent the sharp stalks of the hayrunning through and pricking her. The two together now spread thesheet over the bed, and where it was too long or too broad, Heidiquickly tucked it in under the hay. It looked now as tidy andcomfortable a bed as you could wish for, and Heidi stood gazingthoughtfully at her handiwork.
   "We have forgotten something now, grandfather," she said after ashort silence.
   "What's that?" he asked.
   A coverlid; when you get into bed, you have to creep in betweenthe sheets and the coverlid."
   "Oh, that's the way, is it? But suppose I have not got acoverlid?" said the old man.
   "Well, never mind, grandfather," said Heidi in a consoling toneof voice, "I can take some more hay to put over me," and she wasturning quickly to fetch another armful from the heap, when hergrandfather stopped her. "Wait a moment," he said, and he climbeddown the ladder again and went towards his bed. He returned tothe loft with a large, thick sack, made of flax, which he threwdown, 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 handswere not fitted for so heavy a job. Her grandfather came to herassistance, and when they had got it tidily spread over the bed,it all looked so nice and warm and comfortable that Heidi stoodgazing at it in delight. "That is a splendid coverlid," she said,"and the bed looks lovely altogether! I wish it was night, sothat I might get inside it at once."
   "I think we might have something to eat first," said thegrandfather, "what do you think?"
   Heidi in the excitement of bed-making had forgotten everythingelse; but now when she began to think about food she feltterribly hungry, for she had had nothing to eat since the pieceof bread and little cup of thin coffee that had been herbreakfast early that morning before starting on her long, hotjourney. So she answered without hesitation, "Yes, I think sotoo."
   "Let us go down then, as we both think alike," said the old man,and he followed the child down the ladder. Then he went up to thehearth, pushed the big kettle aside, and drew forward the littleone that was hanging on the chain, and seating himself on theround-topped, three-legged stool before the fire, blew it up intoa clear bright flame. The kettle soon began to boil, andmeanwhile the old man held a large piece of cheese on a long ironfork over the fire, turning it round and round till it wastoasted a nice golden yellow color on each side. Heidi watchedall that was going on with eager curiosity. Suddenly some newidea seemed to come into her head, for she turned and ran to thecupboard, and then began going busily backwards and forwards.Presently the grandfather got up and came to the table with a jugand the cheese, and there he saw it already tidily laid with theround loaf and two plates and two knives each in its right place;for Heidi had taken exact note that morning of all that there wasin the cupboard, and she knew which things would be wanted fortheir meal.
   "Ah, that's right," said the grandfather, "I am glad to see thatyou have some ideas of your own," and as he spoke he laid thetoasted cheese on a layer of bread, "but there is still somethingmissing."
   Heidi looked at the jug that was steaming away invitingly, andran quickly back to the cupboard. At first she could only see asmall bowl left on the shelf, but she was not long 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 andthe bowl and put them down on the table.
   "Good, I see you know how to set about things; but what will youdo for a seat?" The grandfather himself was sitting on the onlychair in the room. Heidi flew to the hearth, and dragging thethree-legged stool up to the table, sat herself down upon it.
   Well, you have managed to find a seat for yourself, I see, onlyrather a low one I am afraid," said the grandfather, "but youwould not be tall enough to reach the table even if you sat in mychair; 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 iton the chair, pushed it in front of Heidi on her littlethree-legged stool, so that she now had a table to herself. Thenhe brought her a large slice of bread and a piece of the goldencheese, and told her to eat. After which he went and sat down onthe corner of the table and began his own meal. Heidi lifted thebowl with both hands and drank without pause till it was empty,for the thirst of all her long hot journey had returned upon her.Then she drew a deep breath--in the eagerness of her thirst shehad not stopped to breathe--and put down the bowl.
   "Was the milk nice?" asked her grandfather.
   "I never drank any so good before," answered Heidi.
   "Then you must have some more," and the old man filled her bowlagain to the brim and set it before the child, who was nowhungrily beginning her bread having first spread it with thecheese, which after being toasted was soft as butter; the twotogether tasted deliciously, and the child looked the picture ofcontent as she sat eating, and at intervals taking furtherdraughts of milk. The meal being over, the grandfather wentoutside to put the goat-shed in order, and Heidi watched withinterest while he first swept it out, and then put fresh strawfor the goats to sleep upon. Then he went to the littlewell-shed, and there he cut some long round sticks, and a smallround board; in this he bored some holes and stuck the sticksinto them, and there, as if made by magic, was a three-leggedstool just like her grandfather's, only higher. Heidi stood andlooked 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 wasmade all of a minute," said the child, still lost in wonder andadmiration.
   "She understands what she sees, her eyes are in the right place,"remarked the grandfather to himself, as he continued his wayround the hut, knocking in a nail here and there, or making fastsome part of the door, and so with hammer and nails and pieces ofwood going from spot to spot, mending or clearing away whereverwork of the kind was needed. Heidi followed him step by step, hereyes attentively taking in all that he did, and everything thatshe saw was a fresh source of pleasure to her.
   And so the time passed happily on till evening. Then the windbegan to roar louder than ever through the old fir trees; Heidilistened with delight to the sound, and it filled her heart sofull of gladness that she skipped and danced round the old trees,as if some unheard of joy had come to her. The grandfather stoodand 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 thegoats came springing one after another, with Peter in theirmidst. Heidi sprang forward with a cry of joy and rushed amongthe flock, greeting first one and then another of her old friendsof the morning. As they neared the hut the goats stood still, andthen two of their number, two beautiful slender animals, onewhite and one brown, ran forward to where the grandfather wasstanding and began licking his hands, for he was holding a littlesalt which he always had ready for his goats on their returnhome. Peter disappeared with the remainder of his flock. Heiditenderly stroked the two goats in turn, running first to one sideof them and then the other, and jumping about in her glee at thepretty little animals. "Are they ours, grandfather? Are they bothours? Are you going to put them in the shed? Will they alwaysstay with us?"
   Heidi's questions came tumbling out one after the other, so thather grandfather had only time to answer each of them with "Yes,yes." When the goats had finished licking up the salt hergrandfather told her to go and fetch her bowl and the bread.
   Heidi obeyed and was soon back again. The grandfather milked thewhite goat and filled her basin, and then breaking off a piece ofbread, "Now eat your supper," he said, "and then go up to bed.Cousin Dete left another little bundle for you with a nightgownand other small things in it, which you will find at the bottomof the cupboard if you want them. I must go and shut up thegoats, so be off and sleep well."
   "Good-night, grandfather! good-night. What are their names,grandfather, what are their names?" she called out as she ranafter his retreating figure and the goats.
   "The white one is named Little Swan, and the brown one LittleBear," he answered.
   "Good-night, Little Swan, good-night, Little Bear!" she calledagain at the top of her voice, for they were already inside theshed. Then she sat down on the seat and began to eat and drink,but the wind was so strong that it almost blew her away; so shemade haste and finished her supper and then went indoors andclimbed up to her bed, where she was soon lying as sweetly andsoundly asleep as any young princess on her couch of silk.
   Not long after, and while it was still twilight, the grandfatheralso went to bed, for he was up every morning at sunrise, and thesun came climbing up over the mountains at a very early hourduring these summer months. The wind grew so tempestuous duringthe night, and blew in such gusts against the walls, that the huttrembled and the old beams groaned and creaked. It came howlingand wailing down the chimney like voices of those in pain, and itraged with such fury among the old fir trees that here and therea branch was snapped and fell. In the middle of the night the oldman got up. "The child will be frightened," he murmured halfaloud. He mounted the ladder and went and stood by the child'sbed.
   Outside the moon was struggling with the dark, fast-drivingclouds, which at one moment left it clear and shining, and thenext swept over it, and all again was dark. Just now themoonlight was falling through the round window straight on toHeidi's bed. She lay under the heavy coverlid, her cheeks rosywith sleep, her head peacefully resting on her little round arm,and with a happy expression on her baby face as if dreaming ofsomething pleasant. The old man stood looking down on thesleeping child until the moon again disappeared behind the cloudsand he could see no more, then he went back to bed.

CHAPTER III

OUT WITH THE GOATS

   Heidi was awakened early the next morning by a loud whistle; thesun was shining through the round window and failing in goldenrays on her bed and on the large heap of hay, and as she openedher eyes everything in the loft seemed gleaming with gold. Shelooked around her in astonishment and could not imagine for awhile where she was. But her grandfather's deep voice was nowheard outside, and then Heidi began to recall all that hadhappened: how she had come away from her former home and was nowon the mountain with her grandfather instead of with old Ursula.The latter was nearly stone deaf and always felt cold, so thatshe sat all day either by the hearth in the kitchen or by thesitting-room stove, and Heidi had been obliged to stay close toher, for the old woman was so deaf that she could not tell wherethe child was if out of her sight. And Heidi, shut up within thefour walls, had often longed to be out of doors. So she felt veryhappy this morning as she woke up in her new home and rememberedall the many new things that she had seen the day before andwhich she would see again that day, and above all she thoughtwith delight of the two dear goats. Heidi jumped quickly out ofbed and a very few minutes sufficed her to put on the clotheswhich she had taken off the night before, for there were not manyof them. Then she climbed down the ladder and ran outside thehut. There stood Peter already with his flock of goats, and thegrandfather was just bringing his two out of the shed to join theothers. Heidi ran forward to wish good-morning to him and thegoats.
   "Do you want to go with them on to the mountain?" asked hergrandfather. Nothing could have pleased Heidi better, and shejumped for joy in answer.
   "But you must first wash and make yourself tidy. The sun thatshines so brightly overhead will else laugh at you for beingdirty; see, I have put everything ready for you," and hergrandfather pointed as he spoke to a large tub full of water,which stood in the sun before the door. Heidi ran to it and begansplashing and rubbing, till she quite glistened with cleanliness.The grandfather meanwhile went inside the hut, calling to Peterto follow him and bring in his wallet. Peter obeyed withastonishment, and laid down the little bag which held his meagredinner.
   "Open it," said the old man, and inside it he put a large pieceof bread and an equally large piece of cheese, which made Peteropen his eyes, for each was twice the size of the two portionswhich he had for his own dinner.
   "There, now there is only the little bowl to add," continued thegrandfather, "for the child cannot drink her milk as you do fromthe goat; she is not accustomed to that. You must milk twobowlfuls for her when she has her dinner, for she is going withyou and will remain with you till you return this evening; buttake care she does not fall over any of the rocks, do you hear?"
   Heidi now came running in. "Will the sun laugh at me now,grandfather?" she asked anxiously. Her grandfather had left acoarse towel hanging up for her near the tub, and with this shehad so thoroughly scrubbed her face, arms, and neck, for fear ofthe sun, that as she stood there she was as red all over as alobster. He gave a little laugh.
   "No, there is nothing for him to laugh at now," he assured her."But I tell you what--when you come home this evening, you willhave to get right into the tub, like a fish, for if you run aboutlike the goats you will get your feet dirty. Now you can be off."
   She started joyfully for the mountain. During the night the windhad blown away all the clouds; the dark blue sky was spreadingoverhead, and in its midst was the bright sun shining down on thegreen slopes of the mountain, where the flowers opened theirlittle blue and yellow cups, and looked up to him smiling. Heidiwent running hither and thither and shouting with delight, forhere were whole patches of delicate red primroses, and there theblue gleam of the lovely gentian, while above them all laughedand nodded the tender-leaved golden cistus. Enchanted with allthis waving field of brightly-colored flowers, Heidi forgot evenPeter and the goats. She ran on in front and then off to theside, tempted first one way and then the other, as she caughtsight of some bright spot of glowing red or yellow. And all thewhile she was plucking whole handfuls of the flowers which sheput into her little apron, for she wanted to take them all homeand stick them in the hay, so that she might make her bedroomlook just like the meadows outside. Peter had therefore to be onthe alert, and his round eyes, which did not move very quickly,had more work than they could well manage, for the goats were aslively as Heidi; they ran in all directions, and Peter had tofollow whistling and calling and swinging his stick to get allthe runaways together again.
   "Where have you got to now, Heidi?" he called out somewhatcrossly.
   "Here," called back a voice from somewhere. Peter could see noone, for Heidi was seated on the ground at the foot of a smallhill thickly overgrown with sweet smelling prunella; the wholeair seemed filled with its fragrance, and Heidi thought she hadnever smelt anything so delicious. She sat surrounded by theflowers, drawing in deep breaths of the scented air.
   "Come along here!" called Peter again. "You are not to fall overthe rocks, your grandfather gave orders that you were not to doso."
   "Where are the rocks?" asked Heidi, answering him back. But shedid not move from her seat, for the scent of the flowers seemedsweeter to her with every breath of wind that wafted it towardsher.
   "Up above, right up above. We have a long way to go yet, so comealong! And on the topmost peak of all the old bird of, prey sitsand croaks."
   That did it. Heidi immediately sprang to her feet and ran up toPeter with her apron full of flowers.
   "You have got enough now," said the boy as they began climbing upagain together. "You will stay here forever if you go on picking,and if you gather all the flowers now there will be none forto-morrow."
   This last argument seemed a convincing one to Heidi, and moreoverher apron was already so full that there was hardly room foranother flower, and it would never do to leave nothing to pickfor another day. So she now kept with Peter, and the goats alsobecame more orderly in their behavior, for they were beginning tosmell the plants they loved that grew on the higher slopes andclambered up now without pause in their anxiety to reach them.The spot where Peter generally halted for his goats to pastureand where he took up his quarters for the day lay at the foot ofthe high rocks, which were covered for some distance up by bushesand 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. Havingclimbed as far as the halting-place, Peter unslung his wallet andput it carefully in a little hollow of the ground, for he knewwhat the wind was like up there and did not want to see hisprecious belongings sent rolling down the mountain by a suddengust. Then be 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 carefullyround the flowers laid it beside Peter's wallet inside thehollow; she then sat down beside his outstretched figure andlooked about her. The valley lay far below bathed in the morningsun. In front of her rose a broad snow-field, high against thedark-blue sky, while to the left was a huge pile of rocks oneither side of which a bare lofty peak, that seemed to pierce theblue, looked frowningly down upon, her. The child sat withoutmoving, her eyes taking in the whole scene, and all around was agreat stillness, only broken by soft, light puffs of wind thatswayed the light bells of the blue flowers, and the shining goldheads of the cistus, and set them nodding merrily on theirslender stems. Peter had fallen asleep after his fatigue and thegoats were climbing about among the bushes overhead. Heidi hadnever felt so happy in her life before. She drank in the goldensunlight, the fresh air, the sweet smell of the flowers, andwished for nothing better than to remain there forever. So thetime went on, while to Heidi, who had so often looked up from thevalley at the mountains above, these seemed now to have faces,and to be looking down at her like old friends. Suddenly sheheard a loud harsh cry overhead and lifting her eyes she saw abird, larger than any she had ever seen before, with great,spreading wings, wheeling round and round in wide circles, anduttering a piercing, croaking kind of sound above her.
   "Peter, Peter, wake up!" called out Heidi. "See, the great birdis there--look, look!"
   Peter got up on hearing her call, and together they sat andwatched the bird, which rose higher and higher in the blue airtill it disappeared behind the grey mountain-tops.
   "Where has it gone to?" asked Heidi, who had followed the bird'smovements with intense interest.
   "Home to its nest," said Peter.
   "Is his home right up there? Oh, how nice to be up so high! whydoes he make that noise?"
   "Because he can't help it," explained Peter.
   "Let us climb up there and see where his nest is," proposedHeidi.
   "Oh! oh! oh!" exclaimed Peter, his disapproval of Heidi'ssuggestion becoming more marked with each ejaculation, "why eventhe goats cannot climb as high as that, besides didn't Uncle saythat you were not to fall over the rocks?"
   Peter now began suddenly whistling and calling in such a loudmanner that Heidi could not think what was happening; but thegoats evidently understood his voice, for one after the otherthey came springing down the rocks until they were all assembledon the green plateau, some continuing to nibble at the juicystems, others skipping about here and there or pushing at eachother with their horns for pastime.
   Heidi jumped up and ran in and out among them, for it was new toher to see the goats playing together like this and her delightwas beyond words as she joined in their frolics; she madepersonal acquaintance with them all in turn, for they were likeseparate individuals to her, each single goat having a particularway of behavior of its own. Meanwhile Peter had taken the walletout of the hollow and placed the pieces of bread and cheese onthe ground in the shape of a square, the larger two on Heidi'sside and the smaller on his own, for he knew exactly which werehers and which his. Then he took the little bowl and milked somedelicious fresh milk into it from the white goat, and afterwardsset the bowl in the middle of the square. Now he called Heidi tocome, but she wanted more calling than the goats, for the childwas so excited and amused at the capers and lively games of hernew playfellows that she saw and heard nothing else. But Peterknew how to make himself heard, for he shouted till the veryrocks above echoed his voice, and at last Heidi appeared, andwhen she saw the inviting repast spread out upon the ground shewent skipping round it for joy.
   "Leave off jumping about, it is time for dinner," said Peter;"sit down now and begin."
   Heidi sat down. "Is the milk for me?" she asked, giving anotherlook of delight at the beautifully arranged square with the bowlas a chief ornament in the centre.
   "Yes," replied Peter, "and the two large pieces of bread andcheese are yours also, and when you have drunk up that milk, youare to have another bowlful from the white goat, and then it willbe my turn."

"You can have that. I have plenty."

   "And which do you get your milk from?" inquired Heidi.
   "From my own goat, the piebald one. But go on now with yourdinner," said Peter, again reminding her it was time to eat.Heidi now took up the bowl and drank her milk, and as soon as shehad put it down empty Peter rose and filled it again for her.Then she broke off a piece of her bread and held out theremainder, which was still larger than Peter's own piece,together with the whole big slice of cheese to her companion,saying, "You can have that, I have plenty."
   Peter looked at Heidi, unable to speak for astonishment, fornever in all his life could he have said and done like that withanything he had. He hesitated a moment, for he could not believethat Heidi was in earnest; but the latter kept on holding out thebread and cheese, and as Peter still did not take it, she laid itdown on his knees. He saw then that she really meant it; heseized the food, nodded his thanks and acceptance of her present,and then made a more splendid meal than he had known ever sincehe was a goat-herd. Heidi the while still continued to watch thegoats. "Tell me all their names," she said.
   Peter knew these by heart, for having very little else to carryin his head he had no difficulty in remembering them. So hebegan, telling Heidi the name of each goat in turn as he pointedit out to her. Heidi listened with great attention, and it wasnot long before she could herself distinguish the goats from oneanother and could call each by name, for every goat had its ownpeculiarities which could not easily be mistaken; only one had towatch them closely, and this Heidi did. There was the great Turkwith his big horns, who was always wanting to butt the others, sothat most of them ran away when they saw him coming and wouldhave nothing to do with their rough companion. Only Greenfinch,the slender nimble little goat, was brave enough to face him, andwould make a rush at him, three or four times in succession, withsuch agility and dexterity, that the great Turk often stood stillquite astounded not venturing to attack her again, for Greenfinchwas fronting him, prepared for more warlike action, and her hornswere sharp. Then there was little White Snowflake, who bleated insuch a plaintive and beseeching manner that Heidi already hadseveral times run to it and taken its head in her hands tocomfort it. Just at this moment the pleading young cry was heardagain, and Heidi jumped up running and, putting her arms roundthe little creature's neck, asked in a sympathetic voice, "Whatis it, little Snowflake? Why do you call like that as if introuble?" The goat pressed closer to Heidi in a confiding way andleft off bleating. Peter called out from where he wassitting--for he had not yet got to the end of his bread andcheese, "She cries like that because the old goat is not withher; she was sold at Mayenfeld the day before yesterday, and sowill not come up the mountain any more."
   "Who is the old goat?" called Heidi back.
   "Why, her mother, of course," was the answer.
   "Where is the grandmother?" called Heidi again.
   "She has none."
   "And the grandfather?"
   "She has none."
   "Oh, you poor little Snowflake!" exclaimed Heidi, clasping theanimal gently to her, "but do not cry like that any more; seenow, I shall come up here with you every day, so that you willnot be alone any more, and if you want anything you have only tocome to me."
   The young animal rubbed its head contentedly against Heidi'sshoulder, and no longer gave such plaintive bleats. Peter nowhaving finished his meal joined Heidi and the goats, Heidi havingby this time found out a great many things about these. She haddecided that by far the handsomest and best-behaved of the goatswere undoubtedly the two belonging to her grandfather; theycarried themselves with a certain air of distinction andgenerally went their own way, and as to the great Turk theytreated him with indifference and contempt.
   The goats were now beginning to climb the rocks again, eachseeking for the plants it liked in its own fashion, some jumpingover everything they met till they found what they wanted, othersgoing more carefully and cropping all the nice leaves by the way,the Turk still now and then giving the others a poke with hishorns. Little Swan and Little Bear clambered lightly up and neverfailed to find the best bushes, and then they would standgracefully poised on their pretty legs, delicately nibbling atthe leaves. Heidi stood with her hands behind her back, carefullynoting all they did.
   "Peter," she said to the boy who had again thrown himself down onthe ground, "the prettiest of all the goats are Little Swan andLittle Bear."
   "Yes, I know they are," was the answer. "Alm-Uncle brushes themdown and washes them and gives them salt, and he has the nicestshed for them."
   All of a sudden Peter leaped to his feet and ran hastily afterthe goats. Heidi followed him as fast as she could, for she wastoo eager to know what had happened to stay behind. Peter dashedthrough the middle of the flock towards that side of the mountainwhere the rocks fell perpendicularly to a great depth below, andwhere any thoughtless goat, if it went too near, might fall overand break all its legs. He had caught sight of the inquisitiveGreenfinch taking leaps in that direction, and he was only justin time, for the animal had already sprung to the edge of theabyss. All Peter could do was to throw himself down and seize oneof her hind legs. Greenfinch, thus taken by surprise, beganbleating furiously, angry at being held so fast and preventedfrom continuing her voyage of discovery. She struggled to getloose, and endeavored so obstinately to leap forward that Petershouted to Heidi to come and help him, for he could not get upand was afraid of pulling out the goat's leg altogether.
   Heidi had already run up and she saw at once the danger bothPeter and the animal were in. She quickly gathered a bunch ofsweet-smelling leaves, and then, holding them under Greenfinch'snose, said coaxingly, "Come, come, Greenfinch, you must not benaughty! Look, you might fall down there and break your leg, andthat would give you dreadful pain!"
   The young animal turned quickly, and began contentedly eating theleaves out of Heidi's hand. Meanwhile Peter got on to his feetagain and took hold of Greenfinch by the band round her neck fromwhich her bell was hung, and Heidi taking hold of her in the sameway on the other side, they led the wanderer back to the rest ofthe flock that had remained peacefully feeding. Peter, now he hadhis goat in safety, lifted his stick in order to give her a goodbeating as punishment, and Greenfinch seeing what was comingshrank back in fear. But Heidi cried out, "No, no, Peter, youmust not strike her; see how frightened she is!"
   "She deserves it," growled Peter, and again lifted his stick.Then Heidi flung herself against him and cried indignantly, "Youhave no right to touch her, it will hurt her, let her alone!"
   Peter looked with surprise at the commanding little figure, whosedark eyes were flashing, and reluctantly he let his stick drop."Well I will let her off if you will give me some more of yourcheese to-morrow," he said, for he was determined to havesomething to make up to him for his fright.
   "You shall have it all, to-morrow and every day, I do not wantit," replied Heidi, giving ready consent to his demand. "And Iwill give you bread as well, a large piece like you had to-day;but then you must promise never to beat Greenfinch, or Snowflake,or any of the goats."
   "All right," said Peter, "I don't care," which meant that hewould agree to the bargain. He now let go of Greenfinch, whojoyfully sprang to join her companions.
   And thus imperceptibly the day had crept on to its close, and nowthe sun was on the point of sinking out of sight behind the highmountains. Heidi was again sitting on the ground, silently gazingat the blue bell-shaped flowers, as they glistened in the eveningsun, for a golden light lay on the grass and flowers, and therocks above were beginning to shine and glow. All at once shesprang to her feet, "Peter! Peter! everything is on fire! All therocks are burning, and the great snow mountain and the sky! Olook, look! the high rock up there is red with flame! O thebeautiful, fiery snow! Stand up, Peter! See, the fire has reachedthe 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 topeel his stick; "but it is not really fire."
   "What is it then?" cried Heidi, as she ran backwards and forwardsto look first one side and then the other, for she felt she couldnot have enough of such a beautiful sight. "What is it, Peter,what is it?" she repeated.
   "It gets like that of itself," explained Peter.
   "Look, look!" cried Heidi in fresh excitement, "now they haveturned all rose color! Look at that one covered with snow, andthat with the high, pointed rocks! What do you call them?"
   "Mountains have not any names," he answered.
   "O how beautiful, look at the crimson snow! And up there on therocks there are ever so many roses! Oh! now they are turninggrey! Oh! oh! now all the color has died away! it's all gone,Peter." And Heidi sat down on the ground looking as full ofdistress as if everything had really come to an end.
   "It will come again to-morrow," said Peter. "Get up, we must gohome now." He whistled to his goats and together they all startedon their homeward way.
   "Is it like that every day, shall we see it every day when webring the goats up here?" asked Heidi, as she clambered down themountain at Peter's side; she waited eagerly for his answer,hoping that he would tell her it was so.
   "It is like that most days," he replied.
   "But will it be like that to-morrow for certain? Heidi persisted.
   "Yes, yes, to-morrow for certain," Peter assured her in answer.
   Heidi now felt quite happy again, and her little brain was sofull of new impressions and new thoughts that she did not speakany more until they had reached the hut. The grandfather wassitting under the fir trees, where he had also put up a seat,waiting as usual for his goats which returned down the mountainon this side.
   Heidi ran up to him followed by the white and brown goats, forthey knew their own master and stall. Peter called out after her,"Come with me again to-morrow! Good-night!" For he was anxiousfor more than one reason that Heidi should go with him the nextday.
   Heidi ran back quickly and gave Peter her hand, promising to gowith him, and then making her way through the goats she once moreclasped Snowflake round the neck, saying in a gentle soothingvoice, "Sleep well, Snowflake, and remember that I shall be withyou again to-morrow, so you must not bleat so sadly any more."Snowflake gave her a friendly and grateful look, and then wentleaping joyfully after the other goats.
   Heidi returned to the fir-trees. "O grandfather," she cried, evenbefore she had come up to him, "it was so beautiful. The fire,and the roses on the rocks, and the blue and yellow flowers, andlook what I have brought you!" And opening the apron that heldher flowers she shook them all out at her grandfather's feet. Butthe poor flowers, how changed they were! Heidi hardly knew themagain. They looked like dry bits of hay, not a single littleflower cup stood open. "O grandfather, what is the matter withthem?" exclaimed Heidi in shocked surprise, "they were not likethat this morning, why do they look so now?"
   "They like to stand out there in the sun and not to be shut up inan apron," said her grandfather.
   "Then I will never gather any more. But, grandfather, why did thegreat bird go on croaking so? she continued in an eager tone ofinquiry.
   "Go along now and get into your bath while I go and get somemilk; when we are together at supper I will tell you all aboutit."
   Heidi obeyed, and when later she was sitting on her high stoolbefore her milk bowl with her grandfather beside her, sherepeated her question, "Why does the great bird go on croakingand screaming down at us, grandfather?"
   "He is mocking at the people who live down below in the villages,because they all go huddling and gossiping together, andencourage one another in evil talking and deeds. He calls out,'If you would separate and each go your own way and come up hereand live on a height as I do, it would be better for you!' "There was almost a wildness in the old man's voice as he spoke,so that Heidi seemed to hear the croaking of the bird again evenmore distinctly.
   "Why haven't the mountains any names?" Heidi went on.
   "They have names," answered her grandfather, "and if you candescribe one of them to me that I know I will tell you what it iscalled."
   Heidi then described to him the rocky mountain with the two highpeaks so exactly that the grandfather was delighted. "Just so, Iknow it," and he told her its name. "Did you see any other?"
   Then Heidi told him of the mountain with the great snow-field,and how it had been on fire, and had, turned rosy-red and thenall of a sudden had grown quite pale again and all the color haddisappeared.
   "I know that one too," he said, giving her its name. "So youenjoyed being out with the goats?"
   Then Heidi went on to give him an account of the whole day, andof how delightful it had all been, and particularly described thefire that had burst out everywhere in the evening. And thennothing would do but her grandfather must tell how it came, forPeter knew nothing about it.
   The grandfather explained to her that it was the sun that did it."When he says good-night to the mountains he throws his mostbeautiful colors over them, so that they may not forget himbefore he comes again the next day."
   Heidi was delighted with this explanation, and could hardly bearto wait for another day to come that she might once more climb upwith the goats and see how the sun bid good-night to themountains. But she had to go to bed first, and all night sheslept soundly on her bed of hay, dreaming of nothing but ofshining mountains with red roses all over them, among which happylittle Snowflake went leaping in and out.

CHAPTER IV

THE VISIT TO GRANDMOTHER

   The next morning the sun came out early as bright as ever, andthen Peter appeared with the goats, and again the two childrenclimbed up together to the high meadows, and so it went on dayafter day till Heidi, passing her life thus among the grass andflowers, was burnt brown with the sun, and grew so strong andhealthy that nothing ever ailed her. She was happy too, and livedfrom day to day as free and lighthearted as the little birds thatmake their home among the green forest trees. Then the autumncame, and the wind blew louder and stronger, and the grandfatherwould say sometimes, "To-day you must stay at home, Heidi; asudden gust of the wind would blow a little thing like you overthe rocks into the valley below in a moment."
   Whenever Peter heard that he must go alone he looked veryunhappy, for he saw nothing but mishaps of all kinds ahead, anddid not know how he should bear the long dull day without Heidi.Then, too, there was the good meal he would miss, and besidesthat the goats on these days were so naughty and obstinate thathe had twice the usual trouble with them, for they had grown soaccustomed to Heidi's presence that they would run in everydirection and refuse to go on unless she was with them. Heidi wasnever unhappy, for wherever she was she found something tointerest or amuse her. She liked best, it is true, to go out withPeter up to the flowers and the great bird, where there was somuch to be seen, and so many experiences to go through among thegoats with their different characters; but she also found hergrandfather's hammering and sawing and carpentering veryentertaining, and if it should chance to be the day when thelarge round goat's-milk cheese was made she enjoyed beyondmeasure looking on at this wonderful performance, and watchingher grandfather, as with sleeves rolled back, he stirred thegreat cauldron with his bare arms. The thing which attracted hermost, however, was the waving and roaring of the three old firtrees on these windy days. She would run away repeatedly fromwhatever she might be doing, to listen to them, for nothingseemed so strange and wonderful to her as the deep mysterioussound in the tops of the trees. She would stand underneath themand look up, unable to tear herself away, looking and listeningwhile they bowed and swayed and roared as the mighty wind rushedthrough them. There was no longer now the warm bright sun thathad shone all through the summer, so Heidi went to the cupboardand got out her shoes and stockings and dress, for it was growingcolder every day, and when Heidi stood under the fir trees thewind blew through her as if she was a thin little leaf, but stillshe felt she could not stay indoors when she heard the brancheswaving outside.
   Then it grew very cold, and Peter would come up early in themorning blowing on his fingers to keep them warm. But he soonleft off coming, for one night there was a heavy fall of snow andthe next morning the whole mountain was covered with it, and nota single little green leaf was to be seen anywhere upon it. Therewas no Peter that day, and Heidi stood at the little windowlooking out in wonderment, for the snow was beginning again, andthe thick flakes kept falling till the snow was up to the window,and still they continued to fall, and the snow grew higher, sothat at last the window could not be opened, and she and hergrandfather were shut up fast within the hut. Heidi thought thiswas great fun and ran from one window to the other to see whatwould happen next, and whether the snow was going to cover up thewhole hut, so that they would have to light a lamp although itwas broad daylight. But things did not get as bad as that, andthe next day, the snow having ceased, the grandfather went outand shovelled away the snow round the house, and threw it intosuch great heaps that they looked like mountains standing atintervals on either side the hut. And now the windows and doorcould be opened, and it was well it was so, for as Heidi and hergrandfather were sitting one afternoon on their three-leggedstools before the fire there came a great thump at the doorfollowed by several others, and then the door opened. It wasPeter, who had made all that noise knocking the snow off hisshoes; he was still white all over with it, for he had had tofight his way through deep snowdrifts, and large lumps of snowthat had frozen upon him still clung to his clothes. He had beendetermined, however, not to be beaten and to climb up to 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 placedhimself as near the fire as he could without saying another word,but his whole face was beaming with pleasure at finding himselfthere. Heidi looked on in astonishment, for Peter was beginningto thaw all over with the warmth, so that he had the appearanceof a trickling waterfall.
   "Well, General, and how goes it with you?" said the grandfather,"now that you have lost your army you will have to turn to yourpen and pencil."
   "Why must he turn to his pen and pencil?" asked Heidiimmediately, full of curiosity.
   "During the winter he must go to school," explained hergrandfather, "and learn how to read and write; it's a bit hard,although useful sometimes afterwards. Am I not right, General?"
   "Yes, indeed," assented Peter.
   Heidi's interest was now thoroughly awakened, and she had so manyquestions to put to Peter about all that was to be done and seenand heard at school, and the conversation took so long that Peterhad time to get thoroughly dry. Peter had always great difficultyin putting his thoughts into words, and he found his share of thetalk doubly difficult to-day, for by the time he had an answerready to one of Heidi's questions she had already put two orthree more to him, and generally such as required a whole longsentence in reply.
   The grandfather sat without speaking during this conversation,only now and then a twitch of amusement at the corners of hismouth showed that he was listening.
   "Well, now, General, you have been under fire for some time andmust want some refreshment, come and join us," he said at last,and as he spoke he rose and went to fetch the supper out of thecupboard, and Heidi pushed the stools to the table. There wasalso now a bench fastened against the wall, for as he was nolonger alone the grandfather had put up seats of various kindshere and there. long enough to hold two persons, for Heidi had away of always keeping close to her grandfather whether he waswalking, sitting or standing. So there was comfortable place forthem all three, and Peter opened his round eyes very wide when hesaw what a large piece of meat Alm-Uncle gave him on his thickslice of bread. It was a long time since Peter had had anythingso nice to eat. As soon as the pleasant meal was over Peter beganto get ready for returning home, for it was already growing dark.He had said his "good-night" and his thanks, and was just goingout, when he turned again and said, "I shall come again nextSunday, this day week, and grandmother sent word that she wouldlike you to come and see her one day."
   It was quite a new idea to Heidi that she should go and payanybody a visit, and she could not get it out of her head; so thefirst thing she said to her grandfather the next day was, "I mustgo down to see the grandmother to-day; she will be expecting me."
   "The snow is too deep," answered the grandfather, trying to puther off. But Heidi had made up her mind to go, since thegrandmother had sent her that message. She stuck to her intentionand not a day passed but what in the course of it she said fiveor six times to her grandfather, "I must certainly go to-day, thegrandmother will be waiting for me."
   On the fourth day, when with every step one took the groundcrackled with frost and the whole vast field of snow was hard asice, Heidi was sitting on her high stool at dinner with thebright sun shining in upon her through the window, and againrepeated her little speech, "I must certainly go down to see thegrandmother to-day, or else I shall keep her waiting too long."
   The grandfather rose from table, climbed up to the hay-loft andbrought down the thick sack that was Heidi's coverlid, and said,"Come along then!" The child skipped out gleefully after him intothe glittering world of snow.
   The old fir trees were standing now quite silent, their branchescovered with the white snow, and they looked so lovely as theyglittered and sparkled in the sunlight that Heidi jumped for joyat the sight and kept on calling out, "Come here, come here,grandfather! The fir trees are all silver and gold!" Thegrandfather had gone into the shed and he now came out dragging alarge hand-sleigh along with him; inside it was a low seat, andthe sleigh could be pushed forward and guided by the feet of theone who sat upon it with the help of a pole that was fastened tothe side. After he had been taken round the fir trees by Heidithat he might see their beauty from all sides, he got into thesleigh and lifted the child on to his lap; then he wrapped her upin the sack, that she might keep nice and warm, and put his leftarm closely round her, for it was necessary to hold her tightduring the coming journey. He now grasped the pole with his righthand and gave the sleigh a push forward with his two feet. Thesleigh shot down the mountain side with such rapidity that Heidithought they were flying through the air like a bird, and shoutedaloud with delight. Suddenly they came to a standstill, and therethey were at Peter's hut. Her grandfather lifted her out andunwrapped her. "There you are, now go in, and when it begins togrow dark you must start on your way home again." Then he lefther and went up the mountain, pulling his sleigh after him.
   Heidi opened the door of the hut and stepped into a tiny roomthat looked very dark, with a fireplace and a few dishes on awooden shelf; this was the little kitchen. She opened anotherdoor, and now found herself in another small room, for the placewas not a herdsman's hut like her grandfather's, with one largeroom on the ground floor and a hay-loft above, but a very oldcottage, where everything was narrow and poor and shabby. A tablewas close to the door, and as Heidi stepped in she saw a womansitting at it, putting a patch on a waistcoat which Heidirecognised at once as Peter's. In the corner sat an old woman,bent with age, spinning. Heidi was quite sure this was thegrandmother, so she went up to the spinning-wheel and said,"Good-day, grandmother, I have come at last; did you think I wasa long time coming?"
   The woman raised her head and felt for the hand that the childheld out to her, and when she found it, she passed her own overit thoughtfully for a few seconds, and then said, "Are you thechild who lives up with Alm-Uncle, are you Heidi?"
   "Yes, yes," answered Heidi, "I have just come down in the sleighwith grandfather."
   "Is it possible! Why your hands are quite warm! Brigitta, didAlm-Uncle come himself with the child?"
   Peter's mother had left her work and risen from the table and nowstood looking at Heidi with curiosity, scanning her from head tofoot. "I do not know, mother, whether Uncle came himself; it ishardly likely, the child probably makes a mistake."
   But Heidi looked steadily at the woman, not at all as if in anyuncertainty, and said, "I know quite well who wrapped me in mybedcover and brought me down in the sleigh: it was grandfather."

"Are you the child who lives up with Alm-Uncle
are you Heidi?"

   "There was some truth then perhaps in what Peter used to tell usof Alm-Uncle during the summer, when we thought he must bewrong," said grandmother; "but who would ever have believed thatsuch a thing was possible? I did not think the child would livethree weeks up there. What is she like, Brigitta?"
   The latter had so thoroughly examined Heidi on all sides that shewas we'll able to describe her to her mother.
   "She has Adelaide's slenderness of figure, but her eyes are darkand her hair curly like her father's and the old man's up there:she takes after both of them, I think."
   Heidi meanwhile had not been idle; she had made the round of theroom and looked carefully at everything there was to be seen. Allof a sudden she exclaimed, "Grandmother, one of your shutters isflapping backwards and forwards; grandfather would put a nail inand make it all right in a minute, or else it will break one ofthe panes some day; look, look, how it keeps on banging!"
   "Ah, dear child," said the old woman, "I am not able to see it,but I can hear that and many other things besides the shutter.Everything about the place rattles and creaks when the wind isblowing, and it gets inside through all the cracks and holes. Thehouse is going to pieces, and in the night, when the two othersare asleep, I often lie awake in fear and trembling, thinkingthat the whole place will give way and fall and kill us. Andthere is not a creature to mend anything for us, for Peter doesnot understand such work."
   "But why cannot you see, grandmother, that the shutter is loose.Look, there it goes again, see, that one there!" And Heidipointed to the particular shutter.
   "Alas, child, it is not only that I cannot see--I can see,nothing, nothing," said the grandmother in a voice oflamentation.
   "But if I were to go outside and put back the shutter so that youhad more light, then you could see, grandmother?"
   "No, no, not even then, no one can make it light for me again."
   "But if you were to go outside among all the white snow, thensurely you would find it light; just come with me, grandmother,and I will show you." Heidi took hold of the old woman's hand tolead her along, for she was beginning to feel quite distressed atthe thought of her being without light.
   "Let me be, dear child; it is always dark for me now; whether insnow or sun, no light can penetrate my eyes."
   "But surely it does in summer, grandmother," said Heidi, more andmore anxious to find some way out of the trouble, "when the hotsun is shining down again, and he says good-night to themountains, and they all turn on fire, and the yellow flowersshine like gold, then, you will see, it will be bright andbeautiful for you again."
   "Ah, child, I shall see the mountains on fire or the yellowflowers no more; it will never be light for me again on earth,never."
   At these words Heidi broke into loud crying. In her distress shekept on sobbing out, "Who can make it light for you again? Can noone do it? Isn't there any one who can do it?"
   The grandmother now tried to comfort the child, but it was noteasy to quiet her. Heidi did not often weep, but when she did shecould not get over her trouble for a long while. The grandmotherhad tried all means in her power to allay the child's grief, forit went to her heart to hear her sobbing so bitterly. At last shesaid, "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 canno longer see, and it is such a pleasure to me to listen to youwhile you talk. So come and sit beside me and tell me something;tell me what you do up there, and how grandfather occupieshimself. I knew him very well in old days; but for many years nowI have heard nothing of him, except through Peter, who never saysmuch."
   This was a new and happy idea to Heidi; she quickly dried hertears and said in a comforting voice, "Wait, grandmother, till Ihave told grandfather everything, he will make it light for youagain, I am sure, and will do something so that the house willnot fall; he will put everything right for you."
   The grandmother was silent, and Heidi now began to give her alively description of her life with the grandfather, and of thedays she spent on the mountain with the goats, and then went onto tell her of what she did now during the winter, and how hergrandfather was able to make all sorts of things, seats andstools, and mangers where the hay was put for Little Swan andLittle Bear, besides a new large water-tub for her to bathe inwhen the summer came, and a new milk-bowl and spoon, and Heidigrew more and more animated as she enumerated all the beautifulthings which were made so magically out of pieces of wood; shethen told the grandmother how she stood by him and watched all hedid, and how she hoped some day to be able to make the sameherself.
   The grandmother listened with the greatest attention, only fromtime to time addressing her daughter, "Do you hear that,Brigitta? Do you hear what she is saying about Uncle?"
   The conversation was all at once interrupted by a heavy thump onthe door, and in marched Peter, who stood stock-still, openinghis eyes with astonishment, when he caught sight of Heidi; thenhis face beamed with smiles as she called out, "Good-evening,Peter."
   "What, is the boy back from school already?" exclaimed thegrandmother in surprise. "I have not known an afternoon pass soquickly as this one for years. How is the reading getting on,Peter?
   "Just the same," was Peter's answer.
   The old woman gave a little sigh. "Ah, well," she said, "I hopedyou would have something different to tell me by this time, asyou are going to be twelve years old this February."
   "What was it that you hoped he would have to tell you?" askedHeidi, interested in all the grandmother said.
   "I mean that he ought to have learnt to read a bit by now,"continued the grandmother. "Up there on the shelf is an oldprayer-book, with beautiful songs in it which I have not heardfor a long time and cannot now remember to repeat to myself, andI hoped that Peter would soon learn enough to be able to read oneof them to me sometimes; but he finds it too difficult."
   "I must get a light, it is getting too dark to see," said Peter'smother, who was still busy mending his waistcoat. "I feel too asif the afternoon had gone I hardly know how."
   Heidi now jumped up from her low chair, and holding out her handhastily to the grandmother said, "Good-night, grandmother, if itis getting dark I must go home at once," and bidding good-bye toPeter and his mother she went towards the door But thegrandmother called out in an anxious voice, "Wait, wait, Heidi;you must not go alone like that, Peter must go with you; and takecare of the child, Peter, that she does not fall, and don't lether stand still for fear she should get frozen, do you hear? Hasshe got anything warm to put around her throat?"
   "I have not anything to put on," called back Heidi, "but I amsure I shall not be cold," and with that she ran outside and wentoff at such a pace that Peter had difficulty in overtaking her.The grandmother, still in distress, called out to her daughter,"Run after her, Brigitta; the child will be frozen to death onsuch a night as this; take my shawl, run quickly!"
   Brigitta ran out. But the children had taken but a few stepsbefore they saw the grandfather coming down to meet them, and inanother minute his long strides had brought him to their side.
   "That's right, Heidi; you have kept your word," said thegrandfather, and then wrapping the sack firmly round her helifted her in his arms and strode off with her up the mountain.Brigitta was just in time to see him do all this, and on herreturn to the hut with Peter expressed her astonishment to thegrandmother. The latter was equally surprised, and kept onsaying, "God be thanked that he is good to the child, God bethanked! Will he let her come to me again, I wonder! the childhas done me so much good. What a loving little heart it is, andhow merrily she tells her tale!" And she continued to dwell withdelight on the thought of the child until she went to bed, stillsaying now and again, "If only she will come again! Now I havereally something left in the world to take pleasure in." AndBrigitta agreed with all her mother said, and Peter nodded hishead in approval each time his grandmother spoke, saying, with abroad smile of satisfaction, "I told you so!"
   Meanwhile Heidi was chattering away to her grandfather frominside her sack; her voice, however, could not reach him throughthe many thick folds of her wrap, and as therefore it wasimpossible to understand a word she was saying, he called 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 beenreleased from her covering, at once began what she had to say,"Grandfather, to-morrow we must take the hammer and the longnails and fasten grandmother's shutter, and drive in a lot morenails in other places, for her house shakes and rattles allover."
   "We must, must we? who told you that?" asked her grandfather.
   "Nobody told me, but I know it for all that," replied Heidi, "foreverything is giving way, and when the grandmother cannot sleep,she lies trembling for fear at the noise, for she thinks thatevery minute the house will fall down on their heads; andeverything now is dark for grandmother, and she does not thinkany one can make it light for her again, but you will be able to,I am sure, grandfather. Think how dreadful it is for her to bealways 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 helpher; we will, won't we, grandfather?"
   The child was clinging to the old man and looking up at him intrustful confidence. The grandfather looked down at Heidi for awhile without speaking, and then said, "Yes, Heidi, we will dosomething to stop the rattling, at least we can do that; we willgo down about it to-morrow!"
   The child went skipping round the room for joy, crying out, "Weshall go to-morrow! we shall go to-morrow!"
   The grandfather kept his promise. On the following afternoon hebrought the sleigh out again, and as on the previous day, he setHeidi down at the door of the grandmother's hut and said, "Go innow, and when it grows dark, come out again." Then he put thesack in the sleigh and went round the house.
   Heidi had hardly opened the door and sprung into the room whenthe grandmother called out from her corner, "It's the childagain! here she comes!" and in her delight she let the threaddrop from her fingers, and the wheel stood still as she stretchedout both her hands in welcome. Heidi ran to her, and then quicklydrew the little stool close up to the old woman, and seatingherself 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 thehut and the grandmother gave such a start of alarm that shenearly upset the spinning-wheel, and cried in a trembling voice,"Ah, my God, now it is coming, the house is going to fall uponus!" But Heidi caught her by the arm, and said soothingly, "No,no, grandmother, do not be frightened, it is only grandfatherwith his hammer; he is mending up everything, so that you shan'thave such fear and trouble."
   "Is it possible! is it really possible! so the dear God has notforgotten us!" exclaimed the grandmother. "Do you hear, Brigitta,what that noise is? Did you hear what the child says? Now, as Ilisten, I can tell it is a hammer; go outside, Brigitta, and ifit is Alm-Uncle, tell him he must come inside a moment that I maythank him."
   Brigitta went outside and found Alm-Uncle in the act of fasteningsome heavy pieces of new wood along the wall. She stepped up tohim and said, "Good-evening, Uncle, mother and I have to thankyou for doing us such a kind service, and she would like to tellyou herself how grateful she is; I do not know who else wouldhave done it for us; we shall not forget your kindness, for I amsure--"
   "That will do," said the old man, interrupting her.
   I know what you think of Alm-Uncle without your telling me. Goindoors again, I can find out for myself where the mending iswanted."
   Brigitta obeyed on the spot, for Uncle had a way with him thatmade few people care to oppose his will. He went on knocking withhis hammer all round the house, and then mounted the narrow stepsto the roof, and hammered away there, until he had used up allthe nails he had brought with him. Meanwhile it had been growingdark, and he had hardly come down from the roof and dragged thesleigh out from behind the goat-shed when Heidi appeared outside.The grandfather wrapped her up and took her in his arms as he haddone the day before, for although he had to drag the sleigh upthe mountain after him, he feared that if the child sat in italone her wrappings would fall off and that she would be nearlyif not quite frozen, so he carried her warm and safe in his arms.
   So the winter went by. After many years of joyless life, theblind grandmother had at last found something to make her happy;her days were no longer passed in weariness and darkness, onelike the other without pleasure or change, for now she had alwayssomething to which she could look forward. She listened for thelittle tripping footstep as soon as day had come, and when sheheard the door open and knew the child was really there, shewould call out, "God be thanked, she has come again!" And Heidiwould sit by her and talk and tell her everything she knew in solively a manner that the grandmother never noticed how the timewent by, and never now as formerly asked Brigitta, "Isn't the daydone yet?" but as the child shut the door behind her on leaving,would exclaim, "How short the afternoon has seemed; don't youthink so, Brigitta?" And this one would answer, "I do indeed; itseems as if I had only just cleared away the mid-day meal." Andthe grandmother would continue, "Pray God the child is not takenfrom me, and that Alm-Uncle continues to let her come! Does shelook 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, andwhen at last she knew for certain that no one could make it lightfor her again, she was overcome with sorrow; but the grandmothertold her again that she felt the darkness much less when Heidiwas with her, and so every fine winter's day the child cametravelling down in her sleigh. The grandfather always took her,never raising any objection, indeed he always carried the hammerand sundry other things down in the sleigh with him, and many anafternoon was spent by him in making the goatherd's cottage soundand tight. It no longer groaned and rattled the whole nightthrough, and the grandmother, who for many winters had not beenable to sleep in peace as she did now, said she should neverforget what the Uncle had done for her.

CHAPTER V

TWO VISITS AND WHAT CAME OF THEM

   Quickly the winter passed, and still more quickly the bright gladsummer, and now another winter was drawing to its close. Heidiwas still as light-hearted and happy as the birds, and lookedforward with more delight each day to the coming spring, when thewarm south wind would roar through the fir trees and blow awaythe snow, and the warm sun would entice the blue and yellowflowers to show their heads, and the long days out on themountain would come again, which seemed to Heidi the greatest joythat the earth could give. Heidi was now in her eighth year; shehad learnt all kinds of useful things from her grandfather; sheknew how to look after the goats as well as any one, and LittleSwan and Bear would follow her like two faithful dogs, and give aloud bleat of pleasure when they heard her voice. Twice duringthe course of this last winter Peter had brought up a messagefrom the schoolmaster at Dorfli, who sent word to Alm-Uncle thathe ought to send Heidi to school, as she was over the usual age,and ought indeed to have gone the winter before. Uncle had sentword back each time that the schoolmaster would find him at homeif he had anything he wished to say to him, but that he did notintend to send Heidi to school, and Peter had faithfullydelivered his message.
   When the March sun had melted the snow on the mountain side andthe snowdrops were peeping out all over the valley, and the firtrees had shaken off their burden of snow and were again merrilywaving their branches in the air, Heidi ran backwards andforwards with delight first to the goat-shed then to thefir-trees, and then to the hut-door, in order to let hergrandfather know how much larger a piece of green there was underthe trees, and then would run off to look again, for she couldhardly wait till everything was green and the full beautifulsummer had clothed the mountain with grass and flowers. As Heidiwas thus running about one sunny March morning, and had justjumped over the water-trough for the tenth time at least, shenearly fell backwards into it with fright, for there in front ofher, looking gravely at her, stood an old gentleman dressed inblack. 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. Shakehands! You must be the Heidi I have heard of; where is yourgrandfather?"
   "He is sitting by the table, making round wooden spoons," Heidiinformed him, as she opened the door.
   He was the old village pastor from Dorfli who had been a neighborof Uncle's when he lived down there, and had known him well. Hestepped inside the hut, and going up to the old man, who wasbending 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 visitoras he continued, "If you do not mind a wooden seat there is onefor you."
   The pastor sat down. "It is a long time since I have seen you,neighbor," he said.
   "Or I you," was the answer.
   "I have come to-day to talk over something with you," continuedthe pastor. "I think you know already what it is that has broughtme here," and as he spoke he looked towards the child who wasstanding at the door, gazing with interest and surprise at thestranger.
   "Heidi, go off to the goats," said her grandfather. You take thema little salt and stay with them till I come."
   Heidi vanished on the spot.
   "The child ought to have been at school a year ago, and mostcertainly this last winter," said the pastor. "The schoolmastersent you word about it, but you gave him no answer. What are youthinking of doing with the child, neighbor?"
   "I am thinking of not sending her to school," was the answer.
   The visitor, surprised, looked across at the old man, who wassitting on his bench with his arms crossed and a determinedexpression about his whole person.
   "How are you going to let her grow up then?" he asked.
   "I am going to let her grow up and be happy among the goats andbirds; with them she is safe, and will learn nothing evil."
   "But the child is not a goat or a bird, she is a human being. Ifshe learns no evil from these comrades of hers, she will at thesame time learn nothing; but she ought not to grow up inignorance, and it is time she began her lessons. I have come nowthat you may have leisure to think over it, and to arrange aboutit during the summer. This is the last winter that she must beallowed to run wild; next winter she must come regularly toschool every day."
   "She will do no such thing," said the old man with calmdetermination.
   "Do you mean that by no persuasion can you be brought to seereason, and that you intend to stick obstinately to yourdecision?" said the pastor, growing somewhat angry. "You havebeen about the world, and must have seen and learnt much, and Ishould have given you credit for more sense, neighbor."
   "Indeed," replied the old man, and there was a tone in his voicethat betrayed a growing irritation on his part too, "and does theworthy pastor really mean that he would wish me next winter tosend a young child like that some miles down the mountain onice-cold mornings through storm and snow, and let her return atnight when the wind is raging, when even one like ourselves wouldrun a risk of being blown down by it and buried in the snow? Andperhaps he may not have forgotten the child's mother, Adelaide?She was a sleep-walker, and had fits. Might not the child beattacked in the same way if obliged to over-exert herself? Andsome one thinks they can come and force me to send her? I will gobefore all the courts of justice in the country, and then weshall see who will force me to do it!"
   "You are quite right, neighbor," said the pastor in a friendlytone of voice. "I see it would have been impossible to send thechild to school from here. But I perceive that the child is dearto you; for her sake do what you ought to have done long ago:come down into Dorfli and live again among your fellowmen. Whatsort of a life is this you lead, alone, and with bitter thoughtstowards God and man! If anything were to happen to you up herewho would there be to help you? I cannot think but what you mustbe half-frozen to death in this hut in the winter, and I do notknow how the child lives through it!"
   "The child has young blood in her veins and a good roof over herhead, and let me further tell the pastor, that I know where woodis to be found, and when is the proper time to fetch it; thepastor can go and look inside my wood-shed; the fire is never outin my hut the whole winter through. As to going to live belowthat is far from my thoughts; the people despise me and I them;it is therefore best for all of us that we live apart.""No, no, it is not best for you; I know what it is you lack,"said the pastor in an earnest voice. "As to the people down therelooking on you with dislike, it is not as bad as you think.Believe me, neighbor; seek to make your peace with God, pray forforgiveness where you need it, and then come and see howdifferently people will look upon you, and how happy you may yetbe."
   The pastor had risen and stood holding out his hand to the oldman as he added with renewed earnestness, "I will wager,neighbor, that next winter you will be down among us again, andwe shall be good neighbors as of old. I should be very grieved ifany pressure had to be put upon you; give me your hand andpromise me that you will come and live with us again and becomereconciled to God and man."
   Alm-Uncle gave the pastor his hand and answered him calmly andfirmly, "You mean well by me I know, but as to that which youwish me to do, I say now what I shall continue to say, that Iwill not send the child to school nor come and live among you."
   "Then God help you!" said the pastor, and he turned sadly awayand left the hut and went down the mountain.
   Alm-Uncle was out of humor. When Heidi said as usual thatafternoon, "Can we go down to grandmother now?" he answered, "Notto-day." He did not speak again the whole of that day, and thefollowing morning when Heidi again asked the same question, hereplied, "We will see." But before the dinner bowls had beencleared away another visitor arrived, and this time it was CousinDete. She had a fine feathered hat on her head, and a longtrailing skirt to her dress which swept the floor, and on thefloor of a goatherd's hut there are all sorts of things that donot belong to a dress.
   The grandfather looked her up and down without uttering a word.But Dete was prepared with an exceedingly amiable speech andbegan at once to praise the looks of the child. She was lookingso well she should hardly have known her again, and it wasevident that she had been happy and well-cared for with hergrandfather; but she had never lost sight of the idea of takingthe child back again, for she well understood that the little onemust be much in his way, but she had not been able to do it atfirst. Day and night, however, she had thought over the means ofplacing the child somewhere, and that was why she had cometo-day, for she had just heard of something that would be a luckychance for Heidi beyond her most ambitious hopes. Some immenselywealthy relatives of the people she was serving, who had the mostsplendid house almost in Frankfurt, had an only daughter, youngand an invalid, who was always obliged to go about in a wheeledchair; she was therefore very much alone and had no one to shareher lessons, and so the little girl felt dull. Her father hadspoken to Dete's mistress about finding a companion for her, andher mistress was anxious to help in the matter, as she felt sosympathetic about it. The lady-housekeeper had described the sortof child they wanted, simple-minded and unspoilt, and not likemost of the children that one saw now-a-days. Dete had thought atonce of Heidi and had gone off without delay to see thelady-housekeeper, and after Dete had given her a description ofHeidi, she had immediately agreed to take her. And no one couldtell what good fortune there might not be in store for Heidi, forif she was once with these people and they took a fancy to her,and anything happened to their own daughter--one could nevertell, the child was so weakly--and they did not feel they couldlive without a child, why then the most unheard of luck--
   "Have you nearly finished what you had to say? broke inAlm-Uncle, who had allowed her to talk on uninterruptedly so far.
   "Ugh!" exclaimed Dete, throwing up her head in disgust, "onewould think I had been talking to you about the most ordinarymatter; why there is not one person in all Prattigau who wouldnot thank God if I were to bring them such a piece of news as Iam bringing you."
   "You may take your news to anybody you like, I will have nothingto do with it."
   But now Dete leaped up from her seat like a rocket and cried, "Ifthat is all you have to say about it, why then I will give you abit of my mind. The child is now eight years old and knowsnothing, and you will not let her learn. You will not send her tochurch or school, as I was told down in Dorfli, and she is my ownsister's child. I am responsible for what happens to her, andwhen there is such a good opening for a child, as this whichoffers for Heidi, only a person who cares for nobody and neverwishes good to any one would think of not jumping at it. But I amnot going to give in, and that I tell you; I have everybody inDorfli on my side; there is not one person there who will nottake my part against you; and I advise you to think well beforebringing it into court, if that is your intention; there arecertain things which might be brought up against you which youwould not care to hear, for when one has to do with law-courtsthere is a great deal raked up that had been forgotten."
   "Be silent!" thundered the Uncle, and his eyes flashed withanger. "Go and be done with you! and never let me see you againwith your hat and feather, and such words on your tongue as youcome with today!" And with that he strode out of the hut.
   "You have made grandfather angry," said Heidi, and her dark eyeshad anything but a friendly expression in them as she looked atDete.
   "He will soon be all right again; come now," said Dete hurriedly,"and show me where your clothes are."
   "I am not coming," said Heidi.
   "Nonsense," continued Dete; then altering her tone to onehalf-coaxing, half-cross, "Come, come, you do not understand anybetter than your grandfather; you will have all sorts of goodthings that you never dreamed of." Then she went to the cupboardand taking out Heidi's things rolled them up in a bundle. "Comealong now, there's your hat; it is very shabby but will do forthe present; put it on and let us make haste off."
   "I am not coming," repeated Heidi.
   "Don't be so stupid and obstinate, like a goat; I suppose it'sfrom the goats you have learnt to be so. Listen to me: you sawyour grandfather was angry and heard what he said, that he didnot wish to see us ever again; he wants you now to go away withme and you must not make him angrier still. You can't think hownice it is at Frankfurt, and what a lot of things you will see,and if you do not like it you can come back again; yourgrandfather will be in a good temper again by that time."
   "Can I return at once and be back home again here this evening?"asked Heidi.
   "What are you talking about, come along now! I tell you that youcan come back here when you like. To-day we shall go as far asMayenfeld, and early to-morrow we shall start in the train, andthat will bring you home again in no time when you wish it, forit goes as fast as the wind."
   Dete had now got the bundle under her arm and the child by thehand, and so they went down the mountain together.
   As it was still too early in the year to take his goats out,Peter continued to go to school at Dorfli, but now and again hestole a holiday, for he could see no use in learning to read,while to wander about a bit and look for stout sticks which mightbe wanted some day he thought a far better employment. As Deteand Heidi neared the grandmother's hut they met Peter cominground the corner; he had evidently been well rewarded that dayfor his labors, for he was carrying an immense bundle of longthick hazel sticks on his shoulders. He stood still and stared atthe two approaching figures; as they came up to him, heexclaimed, "Where are you going, Heidi?"
   "I am only just going over to Frankfurt for a little visit withDete," she replied; "but I must first run in to grandmother, shewill be expecting me."
   "No, no, you must not stop to talk; it is already too late," saidDete, holding Heidi, who was struggling to get away, fast by thehand. "You can go in when you come back, you must come alongnow," and she pulled the child on with her, fearing that if shelet her go in Heidi might take it into her head again that shedid not wish to come, and that the grandmother might stand byher. Peter ran into the hut and banged against the table with hisbundle of sticks with such violence that everything in the roomshook, and his grandmother leaped up with a cry of alarm from herspinning-wheel. Peter had felt that he must give vent to hisfeelings somehow.
   "What is the matter? What is the matter?" cried the frightenedold woman, while his mother, who had also started up from herseat at the shock, said in her usual patient manner, "What 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 grandmother,growing still more agitated; but even as she spoke she guessedwhat had happened, for Brigitta had told her shortly before thatshe had seen Dete going up to Alm-Uncle. The old woman rosehastily and with trembling hands opened the window and called outbeseechingly, "Dete, Dete, do not take the child away from us! donot take her away!"
   The two who were hastening down the mountain heard her voice, andDete evidently caught the words, for she grasped Heidi's handmore firmly. Heidi struggled to get free, crying, "Grandmother iscalling, I must go to her."
   But Dete had no intention of letting the child go, and quietedher as best she could; they must make haste now, she said, orthey would be too late and not able to go on the next day toFrankfurt, and there the child would see how delightful it was,and Dete was sure would not wish to go back when she was oncethere. But if Heidi wanted to return home she could do so atonce, and then she could take something she liked back tograndmother. This was a new idea to Heidi, and it pleased her somuch that Dete had no longer any difficulty in getting her along.
   After a few minutes' silence, Heidi asked, "What could I takeback to her?"
   "We must think of something nice," answered Dete; "a soft roll ofwhite bread; she would enjoy that, for now she is old she canhardly eat the hard, black bread."
   "No, she always gives it back to Peter, telling him it is toohard, for I have seen her do it myself," affirmed Heidi. "Do letus make haste, for then perhaps we can get back soon fromFrankfurt, and I shall be able to give her the white breadto-day." And Heidi started off running so fast that Dete with thebundle under her arm could scarcely keep up with her. But she wasglad, nevertheless, to get along so quickly, for they werenearing Dorfli, where her friends would probably talk andquestion in a way that might put other ideas into Heidi's head.So she went on straight ahead through the village, holding Heiditightly by the hand, so that they might all see that it was onthe child's account she was hurrying along at such a rate. To alltheir questions and remarks she made answer as she passed "Ican't stop now, as you see, I must make haste with the child aswe have yet some way to go."
   "Are you taking her away?" "Is she running away from Alm-Uncle?""It's a wonder she is still alive!" "But what rosy cheeks shehas!" Such were the words which rang out on all sides, and Detewas thankful that she had not to stop and give any distinctanswers to them, while Heidi hurried eagerly forward withoutsaying a word.
   From that day forward Alm-Uncle looked fiercer and moreforbidding than ever when he came down and passed through Dorfli.He spoke to no one, and looked such an ogre as he came along withhis pack of cheeses on his back, his immense stick in his hand,and his thick, frowning eyebrows, that the women would call totheir little ones, "Take care! get out of Alm-Uncle's way or hemay hurt you!"
   The old man took no notice of anybody as he strode through thevillage on his way to the valley below, where he sold his cheesesand bought what bread and meat he wanted for himself. After hehad passed the villagers all crowded together looking after him,and each had something to say about him; how much wilder helooked than usual, how now he would not even respond to anybody'sgreeting, while they all agreed that it was a great mercy thechild had got away from him, and had they not all noticed how thechild had hurried along as if afraid that her grandfather mightbe following to take her back? Only the blind grandmother wouldhave nothing to say against him, and told those who came to herto bring her work, or take away what she had spun, how kind andthoughtful he had been with the child, how good to her and herdaughter, and how many afternoons he had spent mending the housewhich, but for his help, would certainly by this time have fallendown over their heads. And all this was repeated down in Dorfli;but most of the people who heard it said that grandmother was tooold to understand, and very likely had not heard rightly what wassaid; as she was blind she was probably also deaf.
   Alm-Uncle went no more now to the grandmother's house, and it waswell that he had made it so safe, for it was not touched againfor a long time. The days were sad again now for the old blindwoman, and not one passed but what she would murmurcomplainingly, "Alas! all our happiness and pleasure have gonewith the child, and now the days are so long and dreary! PrayGod, I see Heidi again once more before I die!"

CHAPTER VI

A NEW CHAPTER ABOUT NEW THINGS

   In her home at Frankfurt, Clara, the little daughter of HerrSesemann, was lying on the invalid couch on which she spent herwhole day, being wheeled in it from room to room. Just now shewas in what was known as the study, where, to judge by thevarious things standing and lying about, which added to the cosyappearance of the room, the family was fond of sitting. Ahandsome bookcase with glass doors explained why it was calledthe study, and here evidently the little girl was accustomed tohave her lessons.
   Clara's little face was thin and pale, and at this moment her twosoft blue eyes were fixed on the clock, which seemed to her to govery slowly this day, and with a slight accent of impatience,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, busywith her embroidery. She had on a mysterious-looking loosegarment, a large collar or shoulder-cape that gave a certainsolemnity to her appearance, which was enhanced by a very loftydome-shaped head dress. For many years past, since the mistressof the house had died, the housekeeping and the superintendenceof the servants had been entrusted by Herr Sesemann to FrauleinRottenmeier. He himself was often away from home, and he left herin sole charge, with the condition only that his little daughtershould have a voice in all matters, and that nothing should bedone against her wish.
   As Clara was putting her impatient question for the second time,Dete and Heidi arrived at the front door, and the former inquiredof the coachman, who had just got down from his box, if it wastoo late to see Fraulein Rottenmeier.
   "That's not my business," grumbled the coachman; "ring the bellin the hall for Sebastian."
   Dete did so, and Sebastian came downstairs; he looked astonishedwhen he saw her, opening his eyes till they were nearly as big asthe large round buttons on his coat.
   "Is it too late for me to see Fraulein Rottenmeier?" Dete askedagain.
   "That's not my business," answered the man; "ring that other bellfor the maid Tinette," and without troubling himself any fartherSebastian disappeared.
   Dete rang again. This time Tinette appeared with a spotless whitecap perched on the top of her head and a mocking expression offace.
   "What is it?" she called from the top of the stairs. Deterepeated her question. Tinette disappeared, but soon came backand called down again to Dete, "Come up, she is expecting you."
   Dete and Heidi went upstairs and into the study, Tinettefollowing. Dete remained standing politely near the door, stillholding Heidi tightly by the hand, for she did not know what thechild might take it into her head to do amid these newsurroundings.
   Fraulein Rottenmeier rose slowly and went up to the little newcompanion for the daughter of the house, to see what she waslike. She did not seem very pleased with her appearance. Heidiwas dressed in her plain little woollen frock, and her hat was anold straw one bent out of shape. The child looked innocently outfrom beneath it, gazing with unconcealed astonishment at thelady's towering head dress.
   "What is your name?" asked Fraulen Rottenmeier, afterscrutinisingly examining the child for some minutes, while Heidiin return kept her eyes steadily fixed upon the lady.
   "Heidi," she answered in a clear, ringing voice.
   "What? what? that's no Christian name for a child; you were notchristened that. What name did they give you when you werebaptized?" continued Frauleln Rottenmeier.
   "I do not remember," replied Heidi.
   "What a way to answer!" said the lady, shaking her head. "Dete,is the child a simpleton or only saucy?"
   "If the lady will allow me, I will speak for the child, for sheis very unaccustomed to strangers," said Dete, who had givenHeidi a silent poke for making such an unsuitable answer. "She iscertainly not stupid nor yet saucy, she does not know what itmeans even; she speaks exactly as she thinks. To-day she is forthe first time in a gentleman's house and she does not know goodmanners; but she is docile and very willing to learn, if the ladywill 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 FrauleinRottenmeier. "But I must tell you, Dete, that I am astonished tosee so young a child. I told you that I wanted a companion of thesame age as the young lady of the house, one who could share herlessons, and all her other occupations. Fraulein Clara is nowover twelve; what age is this child?"
   "If the lady will allow me," began Dete again, in her usualfluent manner, "I myself had lost count of her exact age; she iscertainly a little younger, but not much; I cannot say precisely,but I think she is ten, or thereabouts."
   "Grandfather told me I was eight," put in Heidi. Dete gave heranother poke, but as the child had not the least idea why she didso she was not at all confused.
   "What--only eight!" cried Fraulein Rottenmeier angrily. "Fouryears too young! Of what use is such a child! And what have youlearnt? What books did you have to learn from?"
   "None," said Heidi.
   "How? what? How then did you learn to read?" continued the lady.
   "I have never learnt to read, or Peter either," Heidi informedher.
   "Mercy upon us! you do not know how to read! Is it really so?"exclaimed Fraulein Rottenmeier, greatly horrified. "Is itpossible--not able to read? What have you learnt then?"
   "Nothing," said Heidi with unflinching truthfulness.
   "Young woman," said the lady to Dete, after having paused for aminute or two to recover from her shock, "this is not at all thesort of companion you led me to suppose; how could you think ofbringing me a child like this?"
   But Dete was not to be put down so easily, and answered warmly,"If the lady will allow me, the child is exactly what I thoughtshe required; the lady described what she wished for, a childunlike all other children, and I could find no other to suit, forthe greater number I know are not peculiar, but one very much thesame as the other, and I thought this child seemed as if made forthe place. But I must go now, for my mistress will be waiting forme; if the lady will permit I will come again soon and see howshe is getting on." And with a bow Dete quickly left the room andran downstairs. Fraulein Rottenmeier stood for a moment takenaback and then ran after Dete. If the child was to stop she hadmany things yet to say and ask about her, and there the childwas, and what was more, Dete, as she plainly saw, meant to leaveher there.
   Heidi remained by the door where she had been standing since shefirst came in. Clara had looked on during the interview withoutspeaking; now she beckoned to Heidi and said, "Come here!"
   Heidi went up to her.
   "Would you rather be called Heidi or Adelaide? asked Clara.
   "I am never called anything but Heidi," was the child's promptanswer.
   "Then I shall always call you by that name," said Clara, "itsuits you. I have never heard it before, but neither have I everseen a child like you before. Have you always had that shortcurly hair?"
   "Yes, I think so," said Heidi.
   "Are you pleased to come to Frankfurt? went on Clara.
   "No, but I shall go home to-morrow and take grandmother a whiteloaf," explained Heidi.
   "Well, you are a funny child!" exclaimed Clara. "You wereexpressly sent for to come here and to remain with me and sharemy lessons; there will be some fun about them now as you cannotread, something new to do, for often they are dreadfully dull,and I think the morning will never pass away. You know my tutorcomes every morning at about ten o'clock, and then we go on withlessons till two, and it does seem such a long time. Sometimes hetakes up the book and holds it close up to his face, as if he wasvery short-sighted, but I know it's only because he wants sodreadfully to gape, and Fraulein Rottenmeier takes her largehandkerchief out also now and then and covers her face with it,as if she was moved by what we had been reading, but that is onlybecause she is longing to gape too. And I myself often want togape, but I am obliged to stop myself, for if FrauleinRottenmeier sees me gaping she runs off at once and fetches thecod-liver oil and says I must have a dose, as I am getting weakagain, and the cod-liver oil is horrible, so I do my best not togape. But now it will be much more amusing, for I shall be ableto lie and listen while you learn to read."

"I am never called anything but Heidi."

   Heidi shook her head doubtfully when she heard of learning toread.
   "Oh, nonsense, Heidi, of course you must learn to read, everybodymust, and my tutor is very kind, and never cross, and he willexplain everything to you. But mind, when he explains anything toyou, you won't be able to understand; but don't ask anyquestions, or else he will go on explaining and you willunderstand less than ever. Later when you have learnt more andknow about things yourself, then you will begin to understandwhat he meant."
   Fraulein Rottenmeier now came back into the room; she had notbeen able to overtake Dete, and was evidently very much put out;for she had wanted to go into more details concerning the child,and to convince Dete how misleading she had been, and how unfitHeidi was as a companion for Clara; she really did not know whatto be about, or how to undo the mischief, and it made her all themore angry that she herself was responsible for it, havingconsented to Heidi being fetched. She ran backwards and forwardsin a state of agitation between the study and the dining-room,and then began scolding Sebastian, who was standing looking atthe table he had just finished laying to see that nothing wasmissing.
   "You can finish your thoughts to-morrow morning; make haste, orwe shall get no dinner to-day at all."
   Then hurrying out she called Tinette, but in such an ill-temperedvoice that the maid came tripping forward with even more mincingsteps than usual, but she looked so pert that even FrauleinRottenmeier did not venture to scold her, which only made hersuppressed anger the greater.
   "See that the room is prepared for the little girl who has justarrived," said the lady, with a violent effort at self-control."Everything is ready; it only wants dusting."
   "It's worth my troubling about," said Tinette mockingly as sheturned away.
   Meanwhile Sebastian had flung open the folding doors leading intothe dining-room with rather more noise than he need, for he wasfeeling furious, although he did not dare answer back whenFraulein Rottenmeier spoke to him; he then went up to Clara'schair to wheel her into the next room. As he was arranging thehandle at the back preparatory to doing so, Heidi went near andstood staring at him. Seeing her eyes fixed upon him, he suddenlygrowled out, "Well, what is there in me to stare at like that?"which he would certainly not have done if he had been aware thatFraulein Rottenmeier was just then entering the room. "You lookso like Peter," answered Heidi. The lady-housekeeper clasped herhands in horror. "Is it possible!" she stammered half-aloud, "sheis now addressing the servant as if he were a friend! I nevercould have imagined such a child!"
   Sebastian wheeled the couch into the dining-room and helped Claraon to her chair. Fraulein Rottenmeier took the seat beside herand made a sign to Heidi to take the one opposite. They were theonly three at table, and as they sat far apart there was plentyof room for Sebastian to hand his dishes. Beside Heidi's platelay a nice white roll, and her eyes lighted up with pleasure asshe saw it. The resemblance which Heidi had noticed had evidentlyawakened in her a feeling of confidence towards Sebastian, forshe sat as still as a mouse and without moving until he came upto her side and handed her the dish of fish; then she looked atthe roll and asked, "Can I have it?" Sebastian nodded, throwing aside glance at Fraulein Rottenmeier to see what effect thisrequest would have upon her. Heidi immediately seized the rolland put it in her pocket. Sebastian's face became convulsed, hewas overcome with inward laughter but knew his place too well tolaugh aloud. Mute and motionless he still remained standingbeside Heidi; it was not his duty to speak, nor to move awayuntil she had helped herself. Heidi looked wonderingly at him fora minute or two, and then said, "Am I to eat some of that too?"Sebastian nodded again. "Give me some then," she said, lookingcalmly at her plate. At this Sebastian's command of hiscountenance became doubtful, and the dish began to tremblesuspiciously in his hands.
   "You can put the dish on the table and come back presently," saidFraulein Rottenmeier with a severe expression of face. Sebastiandisappeared on the spot. "As for you, Adelaide, I see I shallhave to teach you the first rules of behavior," continued thelady-housekeeper with a sigh. "I will begin by explaining to youhow you are to conduct yourself at table," and she went on togive Heidi minute instructions as to all she was to do. "Andnow," she continued, "I must make you particularly understandthat you are not to speak to Sebastian at table, or at any othertime, unless you have an order to give him, or a necessaryquestion to put to him; and then you are not to address him as ifhe was some one belonging to you. Never let me hear you speak tohim in that way again! It is the same with Tinette, and formyself you are to address me as you hear others doing. Clara mustherself decide what you are to call her."
   "Why, Clara, of course," put the latter. Then followed a longlist of rules as to general behavior, getting up and going tobed, going in and out of the room, shutting the doors, keepingeverything tidy, during the course of which Heidi's eyesgradually closed, for she had been up before five o'clock thatmorning and had had a long journey. She leant back in her chairand fell fast asleep. Fraulein Rottenmeier having at last come tothe end of her sermonizing said, "Now remember what I have said,Adelaide! Have you understood it all?"
   "Heidi has been asleep for ever so long," said Clara, her facerippling all over with amusement, for she had not had such anentertaining dinner for a long time.
   "It is really insupportable what one has to go through with thischild," exclaimed Fraulein Rottenmeier, in great indignation, andshe rang the bell so violently that Tinette and Sebastian bothcame running in and nearly tumbling over one another; but nonoise was sufficient to wake Heidi, and it was with difficultythey could rouse her sufficiently to get her along to herbedroom, to reach which she had to pass first through the study,then through Clara's bedroom, then through Fraulein Rottenmeier'ssitting-room, till she came to the corner room that had been setapart for her.

CHAPTER VII

FRAULEIN ROTTENMEIER SPENDS AN UNCOMFORTABLE DAY

   When Heidi opened her eyes on her first morning in Frankfurt shecould not think where she was. Then she rubbed them and lookedabout her. She was sitting up in a high white bed, on one side ofa large, wide room, into which the light was falling throughvery, very long white curtains; near the window stood two chairscovered with large flowers, and then came a sofa with the sameflowers, in front of which was a round table; in the corner was awashstand, with things upon it that Heidi had never seen in herlife before. But now all at once she remembered that she was inFrankfurt; everything that had happened the day before came backto her, and finally she recalled clearly the instructions thathad been given her by the lady-housekeeper, as far as she hadheard them. Heidi jumped out of bed and dressed herself; then sheran first to one window and then another; she wanted to see thesky and country outside; she felt like a bird in a cage behindthose great curtains. But they were too heavy for her to putaside, so she crept underneath them to get to the window. Butthese again were so high that she could only just get her headabove the sill to peer out. Even then she could not see what shelonged for. In vain she went first to one and then the other ofthe windows--she could see nothing but walls and windows andagain walls and windows. Heidi felt quite frightened. It wasstill early, for Heidi was accustomed to get up early and run outat once to see how everything was looking, if the sky was blueand if the sun was already above the mountains, or if the firtrees were waving and the flowers had opened their eyes. As abird, when it first finds itself in its bright new cage, dartshither and thither, trying the bars in turn to see if it cannotget through them and fly again into the open, so Heidi continuedto run backwards and forwards, trying to open first one and thenthe other of the windows, for she felt she could not bear to seenothing but walls and windows, and somewhere outside there mustbe the green grass, and the last unmelted snows on the mountainslopes, which Heidi so longed to see. But the windows remainedimmovable, try what Heidi would to open them, even endeavoring topush her little fingers under them to lift them up; but it wasall no use. When after a while Heidi saw that her efforts werefruitless, she gave up trying, and began to think whether shewould not go out and round the house till she came to the grass,but then she remembered that the night before she had only seenstones in front of the house. At that moment a knock came to thedoor, and immediately after Tinette put her head inside and said,"Breakfast is ready." Heidi had no idea what an invitation soworded meant, and Tinette's face did not encourage anyquestioning on Heidi's part, but rather the reverse. Heidi wassharp enough to read its expression, and acted accordingly. Soshe drew the little stool out from under the table, put it in thecorner and sat down upon it, and there silently awaited whatwould happen next. Shortly after, with a good deal of rustlingand bustling Fraulein Rottenmeier appeared, who again seemed verymuch put out and called to Heidi, "What is the matter with you,Adelheid? Don't you understand what breakfast is? Come along atonce!"
   Heidi had no difficulty in understanding now and followed atonce. Clara had been some time at the breakfast table and shegave Heidi a kindly greeting, her face looking considerably morecheerful than usual, for she looked forward to all kinds of newthings happening again that day. Breakfast passed off quietly;Heidi eat her bread and butter in a perfectly correct manner, andwhen the meal was over and Clara wheeled back into the study,Fraulein Rottenmeier told her to follow and remain with Clarauntil the tutor should arrive and lessons begin.
   As soon as the children were alone again, Heidi asked, "How canone see out from here, and look right down on to the ground?"
   "You must open the window and look out," replied Clara amused.
   "But the windows won't open," responded Heidi sadly.
   "Yes, they will," Clara assured her. "You cannot open them, nor Ieither, 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 beopened and that one could look out, for she still felt as if shewas shut up in prison. Clara now began to ask her questions abouther home, and Heidi was delighted to tell her all about themountain and the goats, and the flowery meadows which were sodear to her.
   Meanwhile her tutor had arrived; Fraulein Rottenmeier, however,did not bring him straight into the study but drew him firstaside into the dining-room, where she poured forth her troublesand explained to him the awkward position in which she wasplaced, and how it had all come about. It appeared that she hadwritten some time back to Herr Sesemann to tell him that hisdaughter very much wished to have a companion, and had added howdesirable she thought it herself, as it would be a spur to Claraat her lessons and an amusement for her in her playtime. FrauleinRottenmeier had privately wished for this arrangement on her ownbehalf, as it would relieve her from having always to entertainthe sick girl herself, which she felt at times was too much forher. The father had answered that he was quite willing to let hisdaughter have a companion, provided she was treated in every waylike his own child, as he would not have any child tormented orput upon which was a very unnecessary remark," put in FrauleinRottenmeier, "for who wants to torment children!" But now shewent on to explain how dreadfully she had been taken in about thechild, and related all the unimaginable things of which she hadalready been guilty, so that not only would he have to begin withteaching her the A B C, but would have to start with the mostrudimentary instruction as regarded everything to do with dailylife. She could see only one way out of this disastrous state ofaffairs, and that was for the tutor to declare that it wasimpossible for the two to learn together without detriment toClara, who was so far ahead of the other; that would be a validexcuse for getting rid of the child, and Herr Sesemann would besure to agree to the child being sent home again, but she darednot do this without his order, since he was aware that by thistime the companion had arrived. But the tutor was a cautious manand not inclined to take a partial view of matters. He tried tocalm Fraulein Rottenmeier, and gave it as his opinion that if thelittle girl was backward in some things she was probably advancedin others, and a little regular teaching would soon set thebalance right. When Fraulein Rottenmeier saw that he was notready to support her, and evidently quite ready to undertaketeaching the alphabet, she opened the study door, which shequickly shut again as soon as he had gone through, remaining onthe other side herself, for she had a perfect horror of the A BC. She walked up and down the dining-room, thinking over in herown mind how the servants were to be told to address Adelaide.The father had written that she was to be treated exactly likehis own daughter, and this would especially refer, she imagined,to the servants. She was not allowed, however, a very longinterval of time for consideration, for suddenly the sound of afrightful crash was heard in the study, followed by frantic criesfor Sebastian. She rushed into the room. There on the floor layin a confused heap, books, exercise-books, inkstand, and otherarticles with the table-cloth on the top, while from beneath thema dark stream of ink was flowing all across the floor. Heidi haddisappeared.
   "Here's a state of things!" exclaimed Fraulein Rottenmeier,wringing her hands. "Table-cloth, books, work-basket, everythinglying in the ink! It was that unfortunate child, I suppose!"
   The tutor was standing looking down at the havoc in distress;there was certainly only one view to be taken of such a matter asthis and that an unfavorable one. Clara meanwhile appeared tofind pleasure in such an unusual event and in watching theresults. "Yes, Heidi did it," she explained, "but quite byaccident; she must on no account be punished; she jumped up insuch violent haste to get away that she dragged the tableclothalong with her, and so everything went over. There were a numberof vehicles passing, that is why she rushed off like that;perhaps she has never seen a carriage."
   "Is it not as I said? She has not the smallest notion aboutanything! not the slightest idea that she ought to sit still andlisten while her lessons are going on. But where is the child whohas caused all this trouble? Surely she has not run away! Whatwould Herr Sesemann say to me?" She ran out of the room and downthe stairs. There, at the bottom, standing in the open door-way,was Heidi, looking in amazement up and down the street.
   "What are you doing? What are you thinking of to run away likethat?" called Fraulein Rottenmeier.
   "I heard the sound of the fir trees, but I cannot see where theyare, and now I cannot hear them any more," answered Heidi,looking disappointedly in the direction whence the noise of thepassing carriages had reached her, and which to Heidi had seemedlike the blowing of the south wind in the trees, so that in greatjoy of heart she had rushed out to look at them.
   "Fir trees! do you suppose we are in a wood? What ridiculousideas are these? Come upstairs and see the mischief you havedone!"
   Heidi turned and followed Fraulein Rottenmeier upstairs; she wasquite astonished to see the disaster she had caused, for in herjoy and haste to get to the fir trees she had been unaware ofhaving dragged everything after her.
   "I excuse you doing this as it is the first time, but do not letme know you doing it a second time," said Fraulein Rottenmeier,pointing to the floor. "During your lesson time you are to sitstill and attend. If you cannot do this I shall have to tie youto your chair. Do you understand?"
   "Yes," replied Heidi, "but I will certainly not move again," fornow she understood that it was a rule to sit still while she wasbeing taught.
   Sebastian and Tinette were now sent for to clear up the brokenarticles and put things in order again; the tutor saidgood-morning and left, as it was impossible to do any morelessons that day; there had been certainly no time for gapingthis morning.
   Clara had to rest for a certain time during the afternoon, andduring this interval, as Fraulein Rottenmeier informed Heidi, thelatter might amuse herself as she liked. When Clara had beenplaced on her couch after dinner, and the lady-housekeeper hadretired to her room, Heidi knew that her time had come to chooseher own occupation. It was just what she was longing for, asthere was something she had made up her mind to do; but she wouldrequire some help for its accomplishment, and in view of this shetook her stand in the hall in front of the dining-room door inorder to intercept the person she wanted. In a few minutes upcame Sebastian from the kitchen with a tray of silver tea-things,which he had to put away in the dining-room cupboard. As hereached the top stairs Heidi went up to him and addressed him inthe formal manner she had been ordered to use by FrauleinRottenmeier.
   Sebastian looked surprised and said somewhat curtly, "What is ityou want, miss?"
   "I only wished to ask you something, but it is nothing bad likethis morning," said Heidi, anxious to conciliate him, for she sawthat Sebastian was rather in a cross temper, and quite thoughtthat it was on account of the ink she had spilt on the floor.
   "Indeed, and why, I should first like to know, do you address melike that?" replied Sebastian, evidently still put out.
   "Fraulein Rottenmeier told me always to speak to you like that,"said Heidi.
   Then Sebastian laughed, which very much astonished Heidi, who hadseen nothing amusing in the conversation, but Sebastian, now heunderstood that the child was only obeying orders, added in afriendly voice, "What is it then that miss wants?"
   It was now Heidi's turn to be a little put out, and she said, "Myname 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 submissively,for she had already noticed that whatever Fraulein Rottenmeiersaid was law. "Then now I have three names," she added with asigh.
   "What was it little miss wished to ask?" said Sebastian as hewent on into the dining-room to put away his silver.
   "How can a window be opened?"
   "Why, like that!" and Sebastian flung up one of the largewindows.
   Heidi ran to it, but she was not tall enough to see out, for herhead only reached the sill.
   "There, now miss can look out and see what is going on below,"said Sebastian as he brought her a high wooden stool to stand on.
   Heidi climbed up, and at last, as she thought, was going to seewhat she had been longing for. But she drew back her head with alook of great disappointment on her face.
   "Why, there is nothing outside but the stony streets," she saidmournfully; "but if I went right round to the other side of thehouse what should I see there, Sebastian?"
   "Nothing but what you see here," he told her.
   "Then where can I go to see right away over the whole valley?"
   "You would have to climb to the top of a high tower, a churchtower, like that one over there with the gold ball above it. Fromthere you can see right away ever so far."
   Heidi climbed down quickly from her stool, ran to the door, downthe steps and out into the street. Things were not, however,quite so easy as she thought. Looking from the window the towerhad appeared so close that she imagined she had only to run overthe road to reach it. But now, although she ran along the wholelength of the street, she still did not get any nearer to it, andindeed soon lost sight of it altogether; she turned down anotherstreet, and went on and on, but still no tower. She passed agreat many people, but they all seemed in such a hurry that Heidithought they had not time to tell her which way to go. Thensuddenly at one of the street corners she saw a boy standing,carrying a hand-organ on his back and a funny-looking animal onhis arm. Heidi ran up to him and said, Where is the tower withthe gold ball on the top?"
   "I don't know," was the answer.
   "Who can I ask to show me?" she asked again.
   "I don't know."
   "Do you know any other church with a high tower?"
   "Yes, I know one."
   "Come then and show it me."
   "Show me first what you will give me for it," and the boy heldout his hand as he spoke. Heidi searched about in her pockets andpresently drew out a card on which was painted a garland ofbeautiful red roses; she looked at it first for a moment or two,for she felt rather sorry to part with it; Clara had only thatmorning made her a present of it--but then, to look down into thevalley 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 thecard back in her pocket.
   "Money."
   "I have none, but Clara has; I am sure she will give me some; howmuch do you want?"
   "Twopence."
   "Come along then."
   They started off together along the street, and on the way Heidiasked her companion what he was carrying on his back; it was ahand-organ, he told her, which played beautiful music when heturned the handle. All at once they found themselves in front ofan old church with a high tower; the boy stood still, and said,"There it is."
   "But how shall I get inside?" asked Heidi, looking at the fastclosed doors.
   "I don't know," was the answer.
   "Do you think that I can ring as they do for Sebastian?"
   "I don't know."
   Heidi had by this time caught sight of a bell in the wall whichshe now pulled with all her might. "If I go up you must stay downhere, for I do not know the way back, and you will have to showme."
   "What will you give me then for that?"
   "What do you want me to give you?"
   "Another twopence."
   They heard the key turning inside, and then some one pulled openthe heavy creaking door; an old man came out and at first lookedwith surprise and then in anger at the children, as he beganscolding them: "What do you mean by ringing me down like this?Can't you read what is written over the bell, 'For those who wishto go up the tower'?"
   The boy said nothing but pointed his finger at Heidi. The latteranswered, "But I do want to go up the tower."
   "What do you want up there?" said the old man. Has somebody sentyou?"
   "No," replied Heidi, "I only wanted to go up that I might lookdown."
   "Get along home with you and don't try this trick on me again, oryou may not come off so easily a second time," and with that heturned and was about to shut the door. But Heidi took hold of hiscoat and said beseechingly, "Let me go up, just once."
   He looked around, and his mood changed as he saw her pleadingeyes; he took hold of her hand and said kindly, "Well, if youreally wish it so much, I will take you."
   The boy sat down on the church steps to show that he was contentto wait where he was.
   Hand in hand with the old man Heidi went up the many steps of thetower; they became smaller and smaller as they neared the top,and at last came one very narrow one, and there they were at theend of their climb. The old man lifted Heidi up that she mightlook out of the open window.
   "There, now you can look down," he said.
   Heidi saw beneath her a sea of roofs, towers, and chimney-pots;she quickly drew back her head and said in a sad, disappointedvoice, "It is not at all what I thought."
   "You see now, a child like you does not understand anything abouta view! Come along down and don't go ringing at my bell again!"
   He lifted her down and went on before her down the narrowstairway. To the left of the turn where it grew wider stood thedoor of the tower-keeper's room, and the landing ran out besideit to the edge of the steep slanting roof. At the far end of thiswas a large basket, in front of which sat a big grey cat, thatsnarled as it saw them, for she wished to warn the passers-bythat they were not to meddle with her family. Heidi stood stilland looked at her in astonishment, for she had never seen such amonster cat before; there were whole armies of mice, however, inthe old tower, so the cat had no difficulty in catching half adozen for her dinner every day. The old man seeing Heidi sostruck with admiration said, "She will not hurt you while I amnear; come, you can have a peep at the kittens."
   Heidi went up to the basket and broke out into expressions ofdelight.
   "Oh, the sweet little things! the darling kittens," she kept onsaying, as she jumped from side to side of the basket so as, notto lose any of the droll gambols of the seven or eight littlekittens that were scrambling and rolling and falling over oneanother.
   "Would you like to have one?" said the old man, who enjoyedwatching the child's pleasure.
   "For myself to keep?" said Heidi excitedly, who could hardlybelieve such happiness was to be hers.
   "Yes, of course, more than one if you like--in short, you cantake away the whole lot if you have room for them," for the oldman was only too glad to think he could get rid of his kittenswithout more trouble.
   Heidi could hardly contain herself for joy. There would be plentyof room for them in the large house, and then how astonished anddelighted Clara would be when she saw the sweet little kittens.
   "But how can I take them with me?" asked Heidi, and was goingquickly to see how many she could carry away in her hands, whenthe old cat sprang at her so fiercely that she shrank back infear.
   "I will take them for you if you will tell me where," said theold man, stroking the cat to quiet her, for she was an old friendof his that had lived with him in the tower for many years.
   "To Herr Sesemann's, the big house where there is a gold dog'shead on the door, with a ring in its mouth," explained Heidi.
   Such full directions as these were not really needed by the oldman, who had had charge of the tower for many a long year andknew every house far and near, and moreover Sebastian was anacquaintance of his.
   "I know the house," he said, "but when shall I bring them, andwho shall I ask for?--you are not one of the family, I am sure."
   "No, but Clara will be so delighted when I take her the kittens."
   The old man wished now to go downstairs, but Heidi did not knowhow to tear herself away from the amusing spectacle.
   "If I could just take one or two away with me! one for myself andone for Clara, may I?"
   "Well, wait a moment," said the man, and he drew the catcautiously away into his room, and leaving her by a bowl of foodcame out again and shut the door. "Now take two of them."
   Heidi's eyes shone with delight. She picked up a white kitten andanother striped white and yellow, and put one in the right, theother in the left pocket. Then she went downstairs. The boy wasstill sitting outside on the steps, and as the old man shut thedoor of the church behind them, she said, "Which is our way toHerr Sesemann's house?"
   "I don't know," was the answer.
   Heidi began a description of the front door and the steps and thewindows, but the boy only shook his head, and was not any thewiser.
   "Well, look here," continued Heidi, "from one window you can seea very, very large grey house, and the roof runs like this--" andHeidi drew a zigzag line in the air with her forefinger.
   With this the boy jumped up, he was evidently in the habit ofguiding himself by similar landmarks. He ran straight off withHeidi after him, and in a very short time they had reached thedoor with the large dog's head for the knocker. Heidi rang thebell. Sebastian opened it quickly, and when he saw it was Heidi,"Make haste! make haste," he cried in a hurried voice.
   Heidi sprang hastily in and Sebastian shut the door after her,leaving the boy, whom he had not noticed, standing in wonder onthe steps.
   "Make haste, little miss," said Sebastian again; "go straightinto the dining-room, they are already at table; FrauleinRottenmeier looks like a loaded cannon. What could make thelittle miss run off like that?"
   Heidi walked into the room. The lady housekeeper did not look up,Clara did not speak; there was an uncomfortable silence.Sebastian pushed her chair up for her, and when she was seatedFraulein Rottenmeier, with a severe countenance, sternly andsolemnly addressed her: "I will speak with you afterwards,Adelheid, only this much will I now say, that you behaved in amost unmannerly and reprehensible way by running out of the houseas you did, without asking permission, without any one knowing aword about it; and then to go wandering about till this hour; Inever heard of such behavior before."
   "Miau!" came the answer back.
   This was too much for the lady's temper; with raised voice sheexclaimed, "You dare, Adelheid, after your bad behavior, toanswer me as if it were a joke?"
   "I did not--" began Heidi--"Miau! miau!"
   Sebastian almost dropped his dish and rushed out of the room.
   "That will do," Fraulein Rottenmeier tried to say, but her voicewas almost stifled with anger. "Get up and leave the room."
   Heidi stood up frightened, and again made an attempt to explain."I really did not--" "Miau! miau! miau!"
   "But, Heidi," now put in Clara, "when you see that it makesFraulein Rottenmeier angry, why do you keep on saying miau?"
   "It isn't I, it's the kittens," Heidi was at last given time tosay.
   "How! what! kittens!" shrieked Fraulein Rottenmeier. "Sebastian!Tinette! Find the horrid little things! take them away!" And sherose and fled into the study and locked the door, so as to makesure that she was safe from the kittens, which to her were themost horrible things in creation.
   Sebastian was obliged to wait a few minutes outside the door toget over his laughter before he went into the room again. He had,while serving Heidi, caught sight of a little kitten's headpeeping out of her pocket, and guessing the scene that wouldfollow, had been so overcome with amusement at the first miausthat he had hardly been able to finish handing the dishes. Thelady's distressed cries for help had ceased before he hadsufficiently regained his composure to go back into thedining-room. It was all peace and quietness there now, Clara hadthe kittens on her lap, and Heidi was kneeling beside her, bothlaughing and playing with the tiny, graceful little animals.
   "Sebastian," exclaimed Clara as he came in, "you must help us;you must find a bed for the kittens where Fraulein Rottenmeierwill not spy them out, for she is so afraid of them that she willsend them away at once; but we want to keep them, and have themout whenever we are alone. Where can you put them?"
   "I will see to that," answered Sebastian willingly. "I will makea bed in a basket and put it in some place where the lady is notlikely to go; you leave it to me." He set about the work at once,sniggling to himself the while, for he guessed there would be afurther rumpus about this some day, and Sebastian was not withouta certain pleasure in the thought of Fraulein Rottenmeier being alittle disturbed.
   Not until some time had elapsed, and it was nearing the hour forgoing to bed, did Fraulein Rottenmeier venture to open the door acrack and call through, "Have you taken those dreadful littleanimals away, Sebastian?"
   He assured her twice that he had done so; he had been hangingabout the room in anticipation of this question, and now quicklyand quietly caught up the kittens from Clara's lap anddisappeared with them.
   The castigatory sermon which Fraulein Rottenmeier had held inreserve for Heidi was put off till the following day, as she felttoo exhausted now after all the emotions she had gone through ofirritation, anger, and fright, of which Heidi had unconsciouslybeen the cause. She retired without speaking, Clara and Heidifollowing, happy in their minds at knowing that the kittens werelying in a comfortable bed.