Heidi Page 7

  CHAPTER V

  A RAILROAD JOURNEY

  Heidi was now in her eighth year; she had learnt all kinds of usefulthings from her grandfather; she knew how to look after the goats aswell as any one, and Little Swan and Little Bear would follow herlike two faithful dogs, and give a loud bleat of pleasure when theyheard her voice. Twice during the course of this last winter Peter hadbrought up a message from the schoolmaster at Doerfli, who sent word toAlm-Uncle that he ought to send Heidi to school, as she was over theusual age, and ought indeed to have gone the winter before. Uncle hadsent word back each time that the schoolmaster would find him at homeif he had anything he wished to say to him, but that he did not intendto send Heidi to school.

  As Heidi was running about one sunny March morning, and had justjumped over the water-trough for the tenth time at least, she nearlyfell backwards into it with fright, for there in front of her stood anold gentleman dressed in black. When he saw how startled she was, hesaid in a kind voice, "Don't be afraid of me, for I am very fond ofchildren. Shake hands! You must be the Heidi I have heard of; where isyour grandfather?"

  "He is sitting by the table, making round wooden spoons," Heidiinformed him, as she opened the door.

  It was the old village pastor from Doerfli who had been a neighbor ofUncle's when he lived down there. He stepped inside the hut, and goingup to the old man, who was bending over his work, said, "Good-morning,neighbor."

  The grandfather looked up in surprise, and then rising said,"Good-morning" in return. He pushed his chair towards the visitor as hecontinued, "If you do not mind a wooden seat there is one for you."

  The pastor sat down. "It is a long time since I have seen you,neighbor," he said. "I think you know already what it is that hasbrought me here," and as he spoke he looked towards the child who wasstanding at the door.

  "Heidi, go off to the goats," said her grandfather. "You can 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 most certainlythis last winter," said the pastor. "The schoolmaster sent you wordabout it, but you gave him no answer. What are you thinking of doingwith the child, neighbor?"

  "I am thinking of not sending her to school," was the answer.

  "How are you going to let her grow up then?"

  "I am going to let her grow up and be happy among the goats and birds;with them she is safe, and will learn nothing evil."

  "But the child is not a goat or a bird, she is a human being. It istime she began her lessons. This is the last winter she must be allowedto run wild; next winter she must come regularly to school every day."

  "She will do no such thing," said the old man with calm determination.

  "Do you mean that you intend to stick obstinately to your decision?"said the pastor, growing somewhat angry. "You have been about theworld, and I should have given you credit for more sense, neighbor."

  "Indeed," replied the old man, "could you expect me to send a youngchild down the mountain on ice-cold mornings through storm andsnow, and let her return at night when the wind is raging? Have youforgotten the child's mother, Adelaide? She was a sleep-walker, andhad fits. Might not the child be attacked in the same way if obligedto over-exert herself? And you think you can come and force me to sendher? I will go before all the courts of justice in the country, andthen we shall see who will force me to do it!"

  "Perhaps you are right, neighbor," said the pastor in a friendly toneof voice. "If it is impossible to send the child to school from here,come down into Doerfli and live again among your fellow-men. What sortof a life is this you lead, alone, and with bitter thoughts towards Godand man."

  "No, pastor, as to going down to Doerfli to live, that is far from mythoughts; the people despise me and I them; it is therefore best forall of us that we live apart."

  The visitor had risen and stood holding out his hand to the old manas he added with renewed earnestness, "I will wager, that next winteryou will be down among us again, and we shall be good neighbors as ofold. Promise 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 and firmly,"You mean well by me, I know, but I will not send the child to schoolnor come and live among you."

  "Then God help you!" said the pastor, as he left the hut and went downthe mountain.

  Alm-Uncle was out of humor. When Heidi said as usual that afternoon,"Can we go down to grandmother now?" he answered, "Not today." He didnot speak again the whole day, and the following morning when Heidiagain asked the same question, he replied, "We will see." But beforethe dinner bowls bad been cleared away another visitor arrived,and this time it was Dete. She wore a fine feathered hat and a longtrailing dress which swept the floor.

  The grandfather looked her up and down without uttering a word. ButDete was prepared with an exceedingly amiable speech and began at onceto praise the looks of the child. She should hardly have known heragain, and it was evident that Heidi had been happy and well-cared-forwith her grandfather. But she had just heard of something that wouldbe a lucky chance for her. Some wealthy people in Frankfurt wanted acompanion for their only daughter who was an invalid. Heidi was justthe sort of child they were looking for, simple-minded and unspoiled,and after Dete had given them a description of Heidi, they had agreedto take her. And no one could tell what good fortune there might notbe in store for her, for if these rich people should take a fancy toHeidi--

  "Have you nearly finished what you had to say?" broke in Alm-Uncle, whohad allowed her to talk on uninterruptedly so far.

  "Ugh!" exclaimed Dete, throwing up her head in disgust, "one wouldthink I had been talking to you about the most ordinary matter; why,there is not one person in all Praettigau who would not thank God if Iwere to bring them such a piece of news as I am bringing you."

  "You may take your news to anybody you like, I will have nothing to dowith it."

  Dete leaped up from her seat like a rocket and cried, "If that is allyou have to say about it, why, then I will give you a bit of my mind.The child is now eight years old and knows nothing, and you will notlet her learn. You will not send her to church or school, as I was tolddown in Doerfli, and she is my own sister's child. I am responsiblefor what happens to her, and this is a good opening for her. I haveeverybody in Doerfli on my side; there is not one person there who willnot take my part against you; and I advise you to think well beforebringing it into court, if that is your intention; there are certainthings which might be brought up against you that you would not care tohear, for when one has to do with lawcourts there is a great deal rakedup that had been forgotten."

  "Be silent!" thundered the Uncle, and his eyes flashed with anger. "Goand be done with you! and never let me see you again with your hat andfeather." And with that he strode out of the hut.

  "You have made grandfather angry," said Heidi, and her dark eyes hadanything but a friendly expression in them as she looked at Dete.

  "He will soon be all right again; come now," said Dete hurriedly, "andshow me where your clothes are."

  "I am not coming," said Heidi.

  "Come, come, you will have all sorts of good things that you neverdreamed of." Then she went to the cupboard and taking out Heidi'sthings rolled them up in a bundle. "Come along now, there's your hat;it is very shabby but will do for the present; put it on and let usmake haste off."

  "I am not coming," repeated Heidi.

  "Don't be stupid and obstinate, like a goat; I suppose it's from thegoats you have learnt to be so. Listen to me: you saw your grandfatherwas angry and heard what he said, that he did not wish to ever seeus again; he wants you to go away with me and you must not make himangrier still. You can't think how nice it is at Frankfurt, and if youdo not like it you can come back again; your grandfather will be in agood humor by that time."

  "Can I return at once and be back home again here this evening?" askedHeidi.

  "What are you
talking about, come along now! I tell you that you cancome back here when you like. Today we shall go as far as Mayenfeld,and early tomorrow we shall start in the train; it will bring you homeagain in no time when you wish it, for it goes as fast as the wind."

  They started down the mountain and as they neared the grandmother's hutthey met Peter coming round the corner carrying an immense bundle oflong, thick hazel sticks on his shoulders. He stood still and staredat the two approaching figures; as they came up to him, he exclaimed,"Where are you going, Heidi?"

  "I am only just going over to Frankfurt for a little visit with Dete,"she replied; "but I must first run in to grandmother, she will beexpecting me."

  "No, no, you must not stop to talk; it is already too late," said Dete,holding Heidi, who was struggling to get away. "You can go in when youcome back," and she pulled the child on with her. Peter ran into thehut and banged against the table with his bundle of sticks with suchviolence that everything in the room shook, and his grandmother leapedup with a cry of alarm from her spinning-wheel.

  "What is the matter? what is the matter?" cried the frightened oldwoman.

  "She is taking Heidi away," explained Peter.

  "Who? who? where to, Peter, where to?" asked the grandmother, growingstill more agitated; but even as she spoke she guessed what hadhappened, for Brigitta had told her shortly before that she had seenDete going up to Alm-Uncle. The old woman opened the window and calledout beseechingly, "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, and Deteevidently caught the words, for she grasped Heidi's hand more firmly.Heidi struggled to get free, crying, "Grandmother is calling, I must goto her."

  But Dete had no intention of letting the child go, and quieted her asbest she could by promising that she could take something nice back tograndmother. This was a new idea to Heidi, and it pleased her so muchthat Dete had no longer any difficulty in getting her along.

  "What could I take back to her?" Heidi asked.

  "A soft roll of white bread; she would enjoy that, for now she is oldshe can hardly eat the hard, black bread," answered Dete.

  "Yes, she always gives it back to Peter, telling him it is too hard,"affirmed Heidi. "Do let us make haste, for then perhaps we can get backsoon from Frankfurt, and I shall be able to give her the white breadtoday." And Heidi started off running so fast that Dete with the bundleunder her arm could scarcely keep up with her.

  * * * * *

  From that day forward Alm-Uncle looked fiercer and more forbiddingthan ever when he came down and passed through Doerfli. He spoke to noone, and looked such an ogre as he came along with his pack of cheeseson his back, his immense stick in his hand, and his thick, frowningeyebrows, that the women would call to their little ones, "Take care!get out of Alm-Uncle's way or he may hurt you!"

  The old man took no notice of anybody as he strode through the villageon his way to the valley below, where he sold his cheeses and boughtwhat bread and meat he wanted for himself. After he had passed, thevillagers all crowded together looking after him. They agreed thatit was a great mercy the child had got away from him. Only the blindgrandmother would have nothing to say against him, and told those whocame to bring her work, how kind and thoughtful he had been with thechild, how good to her and her daughter, and how many afternoons he hadspent mending the house. All this was repeated down in Doerfli; butmost of the people who heard it said that grandmother was too old tounderstand, and very likely had not heard rightly what was said; as shewas blind, probably she was also deaf.