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

when she came to the last words:—

 

As the eyes grow dim, and darkness Closes round, the soul grows

clearer, Sees the goal to which it travels, Gladly feels its

home is nearer.”

 

the grandmother repeated them once or twice to herself, with a

look of happy expectation on her face. And Heidi took equal

pleasure in them, for the picture of the beautiful sunny day of

her return home rose before her eyes, and she exclaimed

joyfully, “Grandmother, I know exactly what it is like to go

home.” The old woman did not answer, but she had heard Heidi’s

words, and the expression that had made the child think she was

better remained on her face.

 

A little later Heidi said, “It is growing dark and I must go

home; I am glad to think, that you are quite well again.”

 

The grandmother took the child’s hand in hers and held it

closely. “Yes,” she said, “I feel quite happy again; even if I

have to go on lying here, I am content. No one knows what it is

to lie here alone day after day, in silence and darkness,

without hearing a voice or seeing a ray of light. Sad thoughts

come over me, and I do not feel sometimes as if I could bear it

any longer or as if it could ever be light again. But when you

come and read those words to me, then I am comforted and my heart

rejoices once more.”

 

Then she let the child go, and Heidi ran into the next room, and

bid Peter come quickly, for it had now grown quite dark. But

when they got outside they found the moon shining down on the

white snow and everything as clear as in the daylight. Peter got

his sleigh, put Heidi at the back, he himself sitting in front to

guide, and down the mountain they shot like two birds darting

through the air.

 

When Heidi was lying that night on her high bed of hay she

thought of the grandmother on her low pillow, and of all she had

said about the light and comfort that awoke in her when she

heard the hymns, and she thought: if I could read to her every

day, then I should go on making her better. But she knew that it

would be a week, if not two, before she would be able to go up

the mountain again. This was a thought of great trouble to Heidi,

and she tried hard to think of some way which would enable the

grandmother to hear the words she loved every day. Suddenly an

idea struck her, and she was so delighted with it that she could

hardly bear to wait for morning, so eager was she to begin

carrying out her plan. All at once she sat upright in her bed,

for she had been so busy with her thoughts that she had

forgotten to say her prayers, and she never now finished her day

without saying them.

 

When she had prayed with all her heart for herself, her

grandfather and grandmother, she lay back again on the warm soft

hay and slept soundly and peacefully till morning broke.

 

CHAPTER XIX. THE WINTER CONTINUES

 

Peter arrived punctually at school the following day. He had

brought his dinner with him, for all the children who lived at a

distance regularly seated themselves at mid-day on the tables,

and resting their feet firmly on the benches, spread out their

meal on their knees and so ate their dinner, while those living

in Dorfli went home for theirs. Till one o’clock they might all

do as they liked, and then school began again. When Peter had

finished his lessons on the days he attended school, he went

over to Uncle’s to see Heidi.

 

When he walked into the large room at Uncle’s to-day, Heidi

immediately rushed forward and took hold of him, for it was for

Peter she had been waiting. “I’ve thought of something, Peter,”

she said hastily.

 

“What is it?” he asked.

 

“You must learn to read,” she informed him.

 

“I have learnt,” was the answer.

 

“Yes, yes, but I mean so that you can really make use of it,”

continued Heidi eagerly.

 

“I never shall,” was the prompt reply.

 

“Nobody believes that you cannot learn, nor I either now,” said

Heidi in a very decided tone of voice. “Grandmamma in Frankfurt

said long ago that it was not true, and she told me not to

believe you.”

 

Peter looked rather taken aback at this piece of intelligence.

 

“I will soon teach you to read, for I know how,” continued

Heidi. “You must learn at once, and then you can read one or two

hymns every day to grandmother.”

 

“Oh, I don’t care about that,” he grumbled in reply.

 

This hard-hearted way of refusing to agree to what was right and

kind, and to what Heidi had so much at heart, aroused her anger.

With flashing eyes she stood facing the boy and said

threateningly, “If you won’t learn as I want you to, I will tell

you what will happen; you know your mother has often spoken of

sending you to Frankfurt, that you may learn a lot of things,

and I know where the boys there have to go to school; Clara

pointed out the great house to me when we were driving together.

And they don’t only go when they are boys, but have more lessons

still when they are grown men. I have seen them myself, and you

mustn’t think they have only one kind teacher like we have. There

are ever so many of them, all in the school at the same time, and

they are all dressed in black, as if they were going to church,

and have black hats on their heads as high as that—” and Heidi

held out her hand to show their height from the floor.

 

Peter felt a cold shudder run down his back.

 

“And you will have to go in among all those gentlemen,”

continued Heidi with increasing animation, “and when it comes to

your turn you won’t be able to read and will make mistakes in

your spelling. Then you’ll see how they’ll make fun of you; even

worse than Tinette, and you ought to have seen what she was like

when she was scornful.”

 

“Well, I’ll learn then,” said Peter, half sorrowfully and half

angrily.

 

Heidi was instantly mollified. “That’s right, then we’ll begin

at once,” she said cheerfully, and went busily to work on the

spot, dragging Peter to the table and fetching her books.

 

Among other presents Clara had sent Heidi a book which the

latter had decided, in bed the night before, would serve

capitally for teaching Peter, for it was an A B C book with

rhyming lines. And now the two sat together at the table with

their heads bent over the book, for the lesson had begun.

 

Peter was made to spell out the first sentence two or three

times over, for Heidi wished him to get it correct and fluent. At

last she said, “You don’t seem able to get it right, but I will

read it aloud to you once; when you know what it ought to be you

will find it easier.” And she read out:—

 

A B C must be learnt to-day Or the judge will call you

up to pay.

 

“I shan’t go,” said Peter obstinately.

 

“Go where?” asked Heidi.

 

“Before the judge,” he answered.

 

“Well then make haste and learn these three letters, then you

won’t have to go.”

 

Peter went at his task again and repeated the three letters so

many times and with such determination that she said at last,—

 

“You must know those three now.”

 

Seeing what an effect the first two lines of verse had had upon

him, she thought she would prepare the ground a little for the

following lessons.

 

“Wait, and I will read you some of the next sentences,” she

continued, “then you will see what else there is to expect.”

 

And she began in a clear slow voice:—

 

D E F G must run with ease Or something will follow

that does not please.

 

Should H I J K be now forgot Disgrace is yours upon the

spot.

 

And then L M must follow at once Or punished you’ll be

for a sorry dunce.

 

If you knew what next awaited you You’d haste to learn

N O P Q.

 

Now R S T be quick about Or worse will follow there’s

little doubt.

 

Heidi paused, for Peter was so quiet that she looked to see what

he was doing. These many secret threats and hints of dreadful

punishments had so affected him that he sat as if petrified and

stared at Heidi with horror-stricken eyes. Her kind heart was

moved at once, and she said, wishing to reassure him, “You need

not be afraid, Peter; come here to me every evening, and if you

learn as you have to-day you will at last know all your letters,

and the other things won’t come. But you must come regularly,

not now and then as you do to school; even if it snows it won’t

hurt you.”

 

Peter promised, for the trepidation he had been in had made him

quite tame and docile. Lessons being finished for this day he

now went home.

 

Peter obeyed Heidi’s instructions punctually, and every evening

went diligently to work to learn the following letters, taking

the sentences thoroughly to heart. The grandfather was

frequently in the room smoking his pipe comfortably while the

lesson was going on, and his face twitched occasionally as if he

was overtaken with a sudden fit of merriment. Peter was often

invited to stay to supper after the great exertion he had gone

through, which richly compensated him for the anguish of mind he

had suffered with the sentence for the day.

 

So the winter went by, and Peter really made progress with his

letters; but he went through a terrible fight each day with the

sentences.

 

He had got at last to U. Heidi read out:—

 

And if you put the U for V, You’ll go where you would

not like to be.

 

Peter growled, “Yes, but I shan’t go!” But he was very diligent

that day, as if under the impression that some one would seize

him suddenly by the collar and drag him where he would rather

not go. The next evening Heidi read:—

 

If you falter at W, worst of all, Look at the stick

against the wall.

 

Peter looked at the wall and said scornfully, “There isn’t one.”

 

“Yes, but do you know what grandfather has in his box?” asked

Heidi. “A stick as thick almost as your arm, and if he took that

out, you might well say, look at the stick on the wall.”

 

Peter knew that thick hazel stick, and immediately bent his head

over the W and struggled to master it. Another day the lines ran:-

-

Then comes the X for you to say Or be sure you’ll get

no food to-day.

 

Peter looked towards the cupboard where the bread and cheese

were kept and said crossly, “I never said that I should forget

the X.”

 

“That’s all right; if you don’t forget it we can go on to learn

the next, and then you will only have one more,” replied Heidi,

anxious to encourage him.

 

Peter did not quite understand, but when Heidi went on and read:—

 

And should you make a stop at Y, They’ll point at you

and cry, Fie,