Heidi, Johanna Spyri [reading e books .TXT] 📗

anxious to make the doctor happy again that she began once

more assuring him that the winter passed so quickly on the

mountain that it was hardly to be taken account of, and that

summer would be back again before they knew it, and she became

so convinced of the truth of her own words that she called out

quite cheerfully to her grandfather as they approached, “They

have not come to-day, but they will be here in a very short

time.”

 

The doctor was no stranger to the grandfather, for the child had

talked to him so much about her friend. The old man held out his

hand to his guest in friendly greeting. Then the two men sat

down in front of the hut, and Heidi had her little place too, for

the doctor beckoned her to come and sit beside him. The doctor

told Uncle how Herr Sesemann had insisted on his taking this

journey, and he felt himself it would do him good as he had not

been quite the thing for a long time. Then he whispered to Heidi

that there was something being brought up the mountain which had

travelled with him from Frankfurt, and which would give her even

more pleasure than seeing the old doctor. Heidi got into a great

state of excitement on hearing this, wondering what it could be,

The old man urged the doctor to spend as many of the beautiful

autumn days on the mountain as he could, and at least to come up

whenever it was fine; he could not offer him a lodging, as he had

no place to put him; he advised the doctor, however, not to go

back to Ragatz, but to stay at Dorfli, where there was a clean

tidy little inn. Then the doctor could come up every morning,

which would do him no end of good, and if he liked, he, the

grandfather, would act as his guide to any part of the mountains

he would like to see. The doctor was delighted with this

proposal, and it was settled that it should be as the

grandfather suggested.

 

Meanwhile the sun had been climbing up the sky, and it was now

noon. The wind had sunk and the fir trees stood motionless. The

air was still wonderfully warm and mild for that height, while a

delicious freshness was mingled with the warmth of the sun.

 

Alm-Uncle now rose and went indoors, returning in a few minutes

with a table which he placed in front of the seat.

 

“There, Heidi, now run in and bring us what we want for the

table,” he said. “The doctor must take us as he finds us; if the

food is plain, he will acknowledge that the dining-room is

pleasant.”

 

“I should think so indeed,” replied the doctor as he looked down

over the sun-lit valley, “and I accept the kind invitation;

everything must taste good up here.”

 

Heidi ran backwards and forwards as busy as a bee and brought

out everything she could find in the cupboard, for she did not

know how to be pleased enough that she could help to entertain

the doctor. The grandfather meanwhile had been preparing the

meal, and now appeared with a steaming jug of milk and golden-brown toasted cheese. Then he cut some thin slices from the meat

he had cured himself in the pure air, and the doctor enjoyed his

dinner better than he had for a whole year past.

 

“Our Clara must certainly come up here,” he said, “it would make

her quite a different person, and if she ate for any length of

time as I have to-day, she would grow plumper than any one has

ever known her before.”

 

As he spoke a man was seen coming up the path carrying a large

package on his back. When he reached the hut he threw it on the

ground and drew in two or three good breaths of the mountain

air.

 

“Ah, here’s what travelled with me from Frankfurt,” said the

doctor, rising, and he went up to the package and began undoing

it, Heidi looking on in great expectation. After he had released

it from its heavy outer covering, “There, child,” he said, “now

you can go on unpacking your treasures yourself.”

 

Heidi undid her presents one by one until they were all

displayed; she could not speak the while for wonder and delight.

Not till the doctor went up to her again and opened the large

box to show Heidi the cakes that were for the grandmother to eat

with her coffee, did she at last give a cry of joy, exclaiming,

“Now grandmother will have nice things to eat,” and she wanted to

pack everything up again and start at once to give them to her.

But the grandfather said he should walk down with the doctor that

evening and she could go with them and take the things. Heidi

now found the packet of tobacco which she ran and gave to her

grandfather; he was so pleased with it that he immediately

filled his pipe with some, and the two men then sat down together

again, the smoke curling up from their pipes as they talked of

all kinds of things, while Heidi continued to examine first one

and then another of her presents. Suddenly she ran up to them,

and standing in front of the doctor waited till there was a pause

in the conversation, and then said, “No, the other thing has not

given me more pleasure than seeing you, doctor.”

 

The two men could not help laughing, and the doctor answered

that he should never have thought it.

 

As the sun began to sink behind the mountains the doctor rose,

thinking it was time to return to Dorfli and seek for quarters.

The grandfather carried the cakes and the shawl and the large

sausage, and the doctor took Heidi’s hand, so they all three

started down the mountain. Arrived at Peter’s home Heidi bid the

others good-bye; she was to wait at grandmother’s till her

grandfather, who was going on to Dorfli with his guest, returned

to fetch her. As the doctor shook hands with her she asked,

“Would you like to come out with the goats tomorrow morning?”

for she could think of no greater treat to offer him.

 

“Agreed!” answered the doctor, “we will go together,”

 

Heidi now ran in to the grandmother; she first, with some

effort, managed to carry in the box of cakes; then she ran out

again and brought in the sausage—for her grandfather had put the

presents down by the door—and then a third time for the shawl.

She had placed them as close as she could to the grandmother, so

that the latter might be able to feel them and understand what

was there. The shawl she laid over the old woman’s knees.

 

“They are all from Frankfurt, from Clara and grandmamma,” she

explained to the astonished grandmother and Brigitta, the latter

having watched her dragging in all the heavy things, unable to

imagine what was happening.

 

“And you are very pleased with the cakes, aren’t you,

grandmother? taste how soft they are!” said Heidi over and over

again, to which the grandmother continued to answer, “Yes, yes,

Heidi, I should think so! what kind people they must be!” And

then she would pass her hand over the warm thick shawl and add,

“This will be beautiful for the cold winter! I never thought I

should ever have such a splendid thing as this to put on.”

 

Heidi could not help feeling some surprise at the grandmother

seeming to take more pleasure in the shawl than the cakes.

Meanwhile Brigitta stood gazing at the sausage with almost an

expression of awe. She had hardly in her life seen such a

monster sausage, much less owned one, and she could scarcely

believe her eyes. She shook her head and said doubtfully, “I must

ask Uncle what it is meant for,”

 

But Heidi answered without hesitation, “It is meant for eating,

not for anything else.”

 

Peter came tumbling in at this minute. “Uncle is just behind me,

he is coming—” he began, and then stopped short, for his eye

had caught sight of the sausage, and he was too much taken aback

to say more. But Heidi understood that her grandfather was near

and so said good-bye to grandmother. The old man now never passed

the door without going in to wish the old woman good-day, and she

liked to hear his footstep approaching, for he always had a

cheery word for her. But to-day it was growing late for Heidi,

who was always up with the lark, and the grandfather would never

let her go to bed after hours; so this evening he only called

good-night through the open door and started home at once with

the child, and the two climbed under the starlit sky back to

their peaceful dwelling.

 

CHAPTER XVII. A COMPENSATION

 

The next morning the doctor climbed up from Dorfli with Peter

and the goats. The kindly gentleman tried now and then to enter

into conversation with the boy, but his attempts failed, for he

could hardly get a word out of Peter in answer to his questions.

Peter was not easily persuaded to talk. So the party silently

made their way up to the hut, where they found Heidi awaiting

them with her two goats, all three as fresh and lively as the

morning sun among the mountains.

 

“Are you coming to-day?” said Peter, repeating the words with

which he daily greeted her, either in question or in summons.

 

“Of course I am, if the doctor is coming too,” replied Heidi.

 

Peter cast a sidelong glance at the doctor. The grandfather now

came out with the dinner bag, and after bidding good-day to the

doctor he went up to Peter and slung it over his neck. It was

heavier than usual, for Alm-Uncle had added some meat to-day, as

he thought the doctor might like to have his lunch out and eat

it when the children did. Peter gave a grin, for he felt sure

there was something more than ordinary in it.

 

And so the ascent began. The goats as usual came thronging

around Heidi, each trying to be nearest her, until at last she

stood still and said, “Now you must go on in front and behave

properly, and not keep on turning back and pushing and poking me,

for I want to talk to the doctor,” and she gave Snowflake a

little pat on the back and told her to be good and obedient. By

degrees she managed to make her way out from among them and

joined the doctor, who took her by the hand. He had no difficulty

now in conversing with his companion, for Heidi had a great deal

to say about the goats and their peculiarities, and about the

flowers and the rocks and the birds, and so they clambered on and

reached their resting-place before they were aware. Peter had

sent a good many unfriendly glances towards the doctor on the way

up, which might have quite alarmed the latter if he had happened

to notice them, which, fortunately, he did not.

 

Heidi now led her friend to her favorite spot where she was

accustomed to sit and enjoy the beauty around her; the doctor

followed her example and took his seat beside her on the warm

grass. Over the heights and over the far green valley hung the

golden glory of the autumn day. The great snowfield sparkled in

the bright sunlight, and the two grey rocky peaks rose in their

ancient majesty against the dark blue sky. A soft, light morning

breeze blew deliciously across the mountain, gently stirring the