Heidi
J >>
Johanna Spyri >> Heidi
Pages:
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 | 10 |
11 |
12
"Oh, but then I would not care about this coming," said the child.
The grandmother had hardly slept all night for thinking of Clara's
coming. Would they take Heidi away from her, now that she was well and
strong? But for the sake of the child she resolved to be brave.
"Heidi," she said, "please read me the song that begins with 'God will
see to it.'"
Heidi immediately did as she was told; she knew nearly all the
grandmother's favorite hymns by now and always found them quickly.
"That does me good, child," the old woman said. Already the expression
of her face seemed happier and less troubled. "Please read it a few
times over, child," she entreated.
Thus evening came, and when Heidi wandered homewards, one twinkling
star after another appeared in the sky. Heidi stood still every few
minutes, looking up to the firmament in wonder. When she arrived home,
her grandfather also was looking up to the stars, murmuring to
himself: "What a wonderful month!--one day clearer than the other.
The herbs will be fine and strong this year."
The blossom month had passed, and June, with the long, long days, had
come. Quantities of flowers were blooming everywhere, filling the air
with perfume. The month was nearing its end, when one morning Heidi
came running out of the hut, where she had already completed her
duties. Suddenly she screamed so loud that the grandfather hurriedly
came out to see what had happened.
"Grandfather! Come here! Look, look!"
A strange procession was winding up the Alm. First marched two men,
carrying an open sedan chair with a young girl in it, wrapped up in
many shawls. Then came a stately lady on horseback, who, talking with
a young guide beside her, looked eagerly right and left. Then an empty
rolling-chair, carried by a young fellow, was followed by a porter who
had so many covers, shawls and furs piled up on his basket that they
towered high above his head.
"They are coming! they are coming!" cried Heidi in her joy, and soon
the party had arrived at the top. Great was the happiness of the
children at seeing each other again. When grandmama had descended from
her horse, she tenderly greeted Heidi first, and then turned to the
uncle, who had approached the group. The two met like two old friends,
they had heard so much about each other.
After the first words were exchanged, the grandmother exclaimed: "My
dear uncle, what a wonderful residence you have. Who would have ever
thought it! Kings could envy you here! Oh, how well my Heidi is
looking, just like a little rose!" she continued, drawing the child
closely to her side and patting her cheeks. "What glory everywhere!
Clara, what do you say to it all?"
Clara, looking about her rapturously, cried: "Oh, how wonderful, how
glorious! I have never dreamt it could be as beautiful as that. Oh
grandmama, I wish I could stay here!"
The uncle had busied himself in the meantime with getting Clara's
rolling-chair for her. Then, going up to the girl, he gently lifted
her into her seat. Putting some covers over her knees, he tucked her
feet in warmly. It seemed as if the grandfather had done nothing else
all his life than nurse lame people.
"My dear uncle," said the grandmama, surprised, "please tell me where
you learned that, for I shall send all the nurses I know here
immediately."
The uncle smiled faintly, while he replied: "It comes more from care
than study."
His face became sad. Before his eyes had risen bygone times. For that
was the way he used to care for his poor wounded captain, whom he had
found in Sicily after a violent battle. He alone had been allowed to
nurse him till his death, and now he would take just as good care of
poor, lame Clara.
When Clara had looked a long time at the cloudless sky above and all
the rocky crags, she said longingly: "I wish I could walk round the
hut to the fir-trees. If I only could see all the things you told me
so much about!"
Heidi pushed with all her might, and behold! the chair rolled easily
over the dry grass. When they had come into the little grove, Clara
could not see her fill of those splendid trees that must have stood
there so many, many years. Although the people had changed and
vanished, they had remained the same, ever looking down into the
valley.
When they passed the empty goat-shed, Clara said pitifully: "Oh
grandmama, if I could only wait up here for Schwaenli and Baerli! I am
afraid I shan't see Peter and his goats, if we have to go away so soon
again."
"Dear child, enjoy now what you can," said the grandmama, who had
followed.
"Oh, what wonderful flowers!" exclaimed Clara again; "whole bushes of
exquisite, red blossoms. Oh, if I could only pick some of those
bluebells!"
Heidi, immediately gathering a large bunch, put them in Clara's lap.
"Clara, this is really nothing in comparison with the many flowers in
the pasture. You must come up once and see them. There are so many
that the ground seems golden with them. If you ever sit down among
them, you will feel as if you could never get up any more, it is so
beautiful."
"Oh, grandmama, do you think I can ever go up there?" Clara asked with
a wild longing in her eyes. "If I could only walk with you, Heidi, and
climb round everywhere!"
"I'll push you!" Heidi said for comfort. To show how easy it was, she
pushed the chair at such a rate that it would have tumbled down the
mountain, if the grandfather had not stopped it at the last moment.
It was time for dinner now. The table was spread near the bench, and
soon everybody sat down. The grandmother was so overcome by the view
and the delicious wind that fanned her cheek that she remarked: "What
a wondrous place this is! I have never seen its like! But what do I
see?" she continued. "I think you are actually eating your second
piece of cheese, Clara?"
"Oh grandmama, it tastes better than all the things we get in Ragatz,"
replied the child, eagerly eating the savory dish.
"Don't stop, our mountain wind helps along where the cooking is
faulty!" contentedly said the old man.
During the meal the uncle and the grandmama had soon got into a lively
conversation. They seemed to agree on many things, and understood each
other like old friends. A little later the grandmama looked over to
the west.
"We must soon start, Clara, for the sun is already low; our guides
will be here shortly."
Clara's face had become sad, and she entreated: "Oh, please let us
stay here another hour or so. We haven't even seen the hut yet. I wish
the day were twice as long."
The grandmama assented to Clara's wish to go inside. When the
rolling-chair was found too broad for the door, the uncle quietly
lifted Clara in his strong arms and carried her in. Grandmama was
eagerly looking about her, glad to see everything so neat. Then going
up the little ladder to the hay-loft, she discovered Heidi's bed. "Is
that your bed, Heidi? What a delicious perfume! It must be a healthy
place to sleep," she said, looking out through the window. The
grandfather, with Clara, was coming up, too, with Heidi following.
Clara was perfectly entranced. "What a lovely place to sleep! Oh,
Heidi, you can look right up to the sky from your bed. What a good
smell! You can hear the fir-trees roar here, can't you? Oh, I never
saw a more delightful bed-room!"
The uncle, looking at the old lady, said now: "I have an idea that it
would give Clara new strength to stay up here with us a little while.
Of course, I only mean if you did not object. You have brought so many
wraps that we can easily make a soft bed for Clara here. My dear lady,
you can easily leave the care to me. I'll undertake it gladly."
The children screamed for joy, and grandmama's face was beaming.
"What a fine man you are!" she burst out. "I was just thinking myself
that a stay here would strengthen the child, but then I thought of the
care and trouble for you. And now you have offered to do it, as if it
was nothing at all. How can I thank you enough, uncle?"
After shaking hands many times, the two prepared Clara's bed, which,
thanks to the old lady's precautions, was soon so soft that the hay
could not be felt through at all.
The uncle had carried his new patient back to her rolling-chair, and
there they found her sitting, with Heidi beside her. They were eagerly
talking of their plans for the coming weeks. When they were told that
Clara might stay for a month or so, their faces beamed more than ever.
The guide, with the horse, and the carriers of the chair, now
appeared, but the last two were not needed any more and could be sent
away.
When the grandmother got ready to leave, Clara called gaily to her:
"Oh grandmama, it won't be long, for you must often come and see us."
While the uncle was leading the horse down the steep incline, the
grandmama told him that she would go back to Ragatz, for the Doerfli
was too lonely for her. She also promised to come back from time to
time.
Before the grandfather had returned, Peter came racing down to the hut
with all his goats. Seeing Heidi, they ran up to her in haste, and so
Clara made the acquaintance of Schwaenli and Baerli and all the others.
Peter, however, kept away, only sending furious looks at the two
girls. When they bade him good-night, he only ran away, beating the
air with his stick.
The end of the joyous day had come. The two children were both lying
in their beds.
"Oh, Heidi!" Clara exclaimed, "I can see so many glittering stars, and
I feel as if we were driving in a high carriage straight into the
sky."
"Yes, and do you know why the stars twinkle so merrily?" inquired
Heidi.
"No, but tell me."
"Because they know that God in heaven looks after us mortals and we
never need to fear. See, they twinkle and show us how to be merry,
too. But Clara, we must not forget to pray to God and ask Him to think
of us and keep us safe."
Sitting up in bed, they then said their evening prayer. As soon as
Heidi lay down, she fell asleep. But Clara could not sleep quite yet,
it was too wonderful to see the stars from her bed.
In truth she had never seen them before, because in Frankfurt all the
blinds were always down long before the stars came out, and at night
she had never been outside the house. She could hardly keep her eyes
shut, and had to open them again and again to watch the twinkling,
glistening stars, till her eyes closed at last and she saw two big,
glittering stars in her dream.
XXI
OF FURTHER EVENTS ON THE ALP
The sun was just rising, and the Alm-Uncle was watching how mountain
and dale awoke to the new day, and the clouds above grew brighter.
Next, the old man turned to go back into the hut, and softly climbed
the ladder. Clara, having just a moment ago opened her eyes, looked
about her in amazement. Bright sunbeams danced on her bed. Where was
she? But soon she discovered her sleeping friend, and heard the
grandfather's cheery voice:
"How did you sleep? Not tired?"
Clara, feeling fresh and rested, said that she had never slept better
in all her life. Heidi was soon awake, too, and lost no time in coming
down to join Clara, who was already sitting in the sun.
A cool morning breeze fanned their cheeks, and the spicy fragrance
from the fir-trees filled their lungs with every breath. Clara had
never experienced such well-being in all her life. She had never
breathed such pure, cool morning air and never felt such warm,
delicious sunshine on her feet and hands. It surpassed all her
expectations.
"Oh, Heidi, I wish I could always stay up here with you!" she said.
"Now you can see that everything is as beautiful as I told you," Heidi
replied triumphantly. "Up on the Alp with grandfather is the loveliest
spot in all the world."
The grandfather was just coming out of the shed with two full bowls of
steaming, snow-white milk. Handing one to each of the children, he
said to Clara: "This will do you good, little girl. It comes from
Schwaenli and will give you strength. To your health! Just drink it!"
he said encouragingly, for Clara had hesitated a little. But when she
saw that Heidi's bowl was nearly empty already, she also drank
without even stopping. Oh, how good it was! It tasted like cinnamon
and sugar.
"We'll take two tomorrow," said the grandfather.
After their breakfast, Peter arrived. While the goats were rushing up
to Heidi, bleating loudly, the grandfather took the boy aside.
"Just listen, and do what I tell you," he said. "From now on you must
let Schwaenli go wherever she likes. She knows where to get the richest
herbs, and you must follow her, even if she should go higher up than
usual. It won't do you any harm to climb a little more, and will do
all the others good. I want the goats to give me splendid milk,
remember. What are you looking at so furiously?"
Peter was silent, and without more ado started off, still angrily
looking back now and then. As Heidi had followed a little way, Peter
called to her: "You must come along, Heidi, Schwaenli has to be
followed everywhere."
"No, but I can't," Heidi called back: "I won't be able to come as
long as Clara is with me. Grandfather has promised, though, to let us
come up with you once."
With those words Heidi returned to Clara, while the goatherd was
hurrying onward, angrily shaking his fists.
The children had promised to write a letter to grandmama every day, so
they immediately started on their task. Heidi brought out her own
little three-legged stool, her school-books and her papers, and with
these on Clara's lap they began to write. Clara stopped after nearly
every sentence, for she had to look around. Oh, how peaceful it was
with the little gnats dancing in the sun and the rustling of the
trees! From time to time they could hear the shouting of a shepherd
re-echoed from many rocks.
The morning had passed, they knew not how, and dinner was ready. They
again ate outside, for Clara had to be in the open air all day, if
possible. The afternoon was spent in the cool shadow of the fir-trees.
Clara had many things to relate of Frankfurt and all the people that
Heidi knew. It was not long before Peter arrived with his flock, but
without even answering the girls' friendly greeting, he disappeared
with a grim scowl.
While Schwaenli was being milked in the shed, Clara said:
"Oh, Heidi, I feel as if I could not wait for my milk. Isn't it funny?
All my life I have only eaten because I had to. Everything always
tasted to me like cod-liver oil, and I have often wished that I should
never have to eat. And now I am so hungry!"
"Oh yes, I know," Heidi replied. She had to think of the days in
Frankfurt when her food seemed to stick in her throat.
When at last the full bowls were brought by the old man, Clara,
seizing hers, eagerly drank the contents in one draught and even
finished before Heidi.
"Please, may I have a little more?" she asked, holding out the bowl.
Nodding, much pleased, the grandfather soon refilled it. This time he
also brought with him a slice of bread and butter for the children.
He had gone to Maiensass that afternoon to get the butter, and his
trouble was well rewarded: they enjoyed it as if it had been the
rarest dish.
This evening Clara fell asleep the moment she lay down. Two or three
days passed in this pleasant way. The next brought a surprise. Two
strong porters came up the Alp, each carrying on his back a fresh,
white bed. They also brought a letter from grandmama, in which she
thanked the children for their faithful writing, and told them that
the beds were meant for them. When they went to sleep that night, they
found their new beds in exactly the same position as their former ones
had been.
Clara's rapture in her new life grew greater every day, and she could
not write enough of the grandfather's kindly care and of Heidi's
entertaining stories. She told her grandmama that her first thought in
the morning always was: "Thank God, I am still in the Alm-hut."
Grandmama was highly pleased at those reports, and put her projected
visit off a little while, for she had found the ride pretty tiring.
The grandfather took excellent care of his little patient, and no day
passed on which he did not climb around to find the most savory herbs
for Schwaenli. The little goat thrived so that everybody could see it
in the way her eyes were flashing.
It was the third week of Clara's stay. Every morning after the
grandfather had carried her down, he said to her: "Would my Clara try
to stand a little?" Clara always sighed, "Oh, it hurts me so!" but
though she would cling to him, he made her stand a little longer every
day.
This summer was the finest that had been for years. Day after day the
sun shone on a cloudless sky, and at night it would pour its purple,
rosy light down on the rocks and snow-fields till everything seemed to
glow like fire.
Heidi had told Clara over and over again of all the flowers on the
pasture, of the masses of golden roses and the blue-flowers that
covered the ground. She had just been telling it again, when a longing
seized her, and jumping up she ran over to her grandfather, who was
busy carving in the shop.
"Oh, grandfather," she cried from afar, "won't you come with us to the
pasture tomorrow? Oh, it's so beautiful up there now."
"All right, I will," he replied; "but tell Clara that she must do
something to please me; she must try to stand longer this evening for
me."
Heidi merrily came running with her message. Of course, Clara
promised, for was it not her greatest wish to go up with Heidi to the
pasture! When Peter returned this evening, he heard of the plan for
the morrow. But for answer Peter only growled, nearly hitting poor
Thistlefinch in his anger.
The children had just resolved to stay awake all night to talk about
the coming day, when their conversation suddenly ceased and they were
both peacefully slumbering. In her dreams Clara saw before her a field
that was thickly strewn with light-blue flowers, while Heidi heard the
eagle scream to her from above, "Come, come, come!"
XXII
SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS
The next day dawned cloudless and fair. The grandfather was still with
the children, when Peter came climbing up; his goats kept at a good
distance from him, to evade the rod, which was striking right and
left. The truth was that the boy was terribly embittered and angry by
the changes that had come. When he passed the hut in the morning,
Heidi was always busy with the strange child, and in the evening it
was the same. All summer long Heidi had not been up with him a single
time; it was too much! And to-day she was coming at last, but again in
company with this hateful stranger.
[Illustration: HE WATCHED HIS FALLEN ENEMY TUMBLING DOWNWARDS,
DOWNWARDS]
It was then that Peter noticed the rolling-chair standing near the
hut. After carefully glancing about him, he rushed at the hated
object and pushed it down the incline. The chair fairly flew away and
had soon disappeared.
Peter's conscience smote him now, and he raced up the Alp, not daring
to pause till he had reached a blackberry bush. There he could hide,
when the uncle might appear. Looking down, he watched his fallen enemy
tumbling downwards, downwards.
Sometimes it was thrown high up into the air, to crash down again the
next moment harder than ever. Pieces were falling from it right and
left, and were blown about. Now the stranger would have to travel home
and Heidi would be his again! But Peter had forgotten that a bad deed
always brings a punishment.
Heidi just now came out of the hut. The grandfather, with Clara,
followed. Heidi at first stood still, and then, running right and
left, she returned to the old man.
"What does this mean? Have you rolled the chair away Heidi?" he
asked.
"I am just looking for it everywhere, grandfather. You said it was
beside the shop door," said the child, still hunting for the missing
object. A strong wind was blowing, which at this moment violently
closed the shop-door.
"Grandfather, the wind has done it," exclaimed Heidi eagerly. "Oh
dear! if it has rolled all the way down to the village, it will be too
late to go to-day. It will take us a long time to fetch it."
"If it has rolled down there, we shall never get it any more, for it
will be smashed to pieces," said the old man, looking down and
measuring the distance from the corner of the hut.
"I don't see how it happened," he remarked.
"What a shame! now I'll never be able to go up to the pasture,"
lamented Clara. "I am afraid I'll have to go home now. What a pity,
what a pity!"
"You can find a way for her to stay, grandfather, can't you?"
"We'll go up to the pasture to-day, as we have planned. Then we shall
see what further happens."
The children were delighted, and the grandfather lost no time in
getting ready. First he fetched a pile of covers, and seating Clara on
a sunny spot on the dry ground, he got their breakfast.
"I wonder why Peter is so late to-day," he said, leading his goats out
of the shed. Then, lifting Clara up on one strong arm, he carried the
covers on the other.
"Now, march!" he cried. "The goats come with us."
That suited Heidi, and with one arm round Schwaenli and the other round
Baerli, she wandered up. Her little companions were so pleased at
having her with them again that they nearly crushed her with
affection.
What was their astonishment when, arriving on top, they saw Peter
already lying on the ground, with his peaceful flock about him.
"What did you mean by going by us like that? I'll teach you!" called
the uncle to him.
Peter was frightened, for he knew the voice.
"Nobody was up yet," the boy retorted.
"Have you seen the chair?" asked the uncle again.
"Which?" Peter growled.
The uncle said no more. Unfolding the covers, he put Clara down on the
dry grass. Then, when he had been assured of Clara's comfort, he got
ready to go home. The three were to stay there till his return in the
evening. When dinner time had come, Heidi was to prepare the meal and
see that Clara got Schwaenli's milk.
The sky was a deep blue, and the snow on the peaks was glistening. The
eagle was floating above the rocky crags. The children felt
wonderfully happy. Now and then one of the goats would come and lie
down near them. Tender little Snowhopper came oftener than any and
would rub her head against their shoulders.
They had been sitting quietly for a few hours, drinking in the beauty
about them, when Heidi suddenly began to long for the spot where so
many flowers grew. In the evening it would be too late to see them,
for they always shut their little eyes by then.
"Oh, Clara," she said hesitatingly, "would you be angry if I went away
from you a minute and left you alone? I want to see the flowers; But
wait!--" Jumping away, she brought Clara some bunches of fragrant
herbs and put them in her lap. Soon after she returned with little
Snowhopper.
"So, now you don't need to be alone," said Heidi. When Clara had
assured her that it would give her pleasure to be left alone with the
goats, Heidi started on her walk. Clara slowly handed one leaf after
another to the little creature; it became more and more confiding, and
cuddling close to the child, ate the herbs out of her hand. It was
easy to see how happy it was to be away from the boisterous big goats,
which often annoyed it. Clara felt a sensation of contentment such as
she had never before experienced. She loved to sit there on the
mountain-side with the confiding little goat by her. A great desire
rose in her heart that hour. She longed to be her own master and be
able to help others instead of being helped by them. Many other
thoughts and ideas rushed through her mind. How would it be to live up
here in continual sunshine? The world seemed so joyous and wonderful
all of a sudden. Premonitions of future undreamt-of happiness made her
heart beat. Suddenly she threw both arms about the little goat and
said: "Oh, little Snowhopper how beautiful it is up here! If I could
always stay with you!"
Heidi in the meantime had reached the spot, where, as she had
expected, the whole ground was covered with yellow rock-roses. Near
together in patches the bluebells were nodding gently in the breeze.
But all the perfume that filled the air came from the modest little
brown flowers that hid their heads between the golden flower-cups.
Heidi stood enraptured, drawing in the perfumed air.
Suddenly she turned and ran back to Clara, shouting to her from far:
"Oh, you must come, Clara, it is so lovely there. In the evening it
won't be so fine any more. Don't you think I could carry you?"
"But Heidi," Clara said, "of course you can't; you are much smaller
than I am. Oh, I wish I could walk!"
Heidi meditated a little. Peter was still lying on the ground. He had
been staring down for hours, unable to believe what he saw before him.
He had destroyed the chair to get rid of the stranger, and there she
was again, sitting right beside his playmate.
Heidi now called to him to come down, but as reply he only grumbled:
"Shan't come."
"But you must; come quickly, for I want you to help me. Quickly!"
urged the child.
Pages:
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 | 10 |
11 |
12