“Oh no, you must not think that, grandfather. They all were so good to me; Clara, Mr. Sesemann and grandmama. But grandfather, sometimes I felt as if I could not bear it any longer to be away from you! I thought I should choke; I could not tell anyone, for that would have been ungrateful. Suddenly, one morning Mr. Sesemann called me very early, I think it was the doctor’s fault and—but I think it is probably written in this letter;” with that Heidi brought the letter and the bankroll from her basket, putting them on her grandfather’s lap.
“This belongs to you,” he said, laying the roll beside him. Having read the letter, he put it in his pocket.
“Do you think you can still drink milk with me, Heidi?” he asked, while he stepped into the cottage. “Take your money with you, you can buy a bed for it and clothes for many years.”
“I don’t need it at all, grandfather,” Heidi assured him; “I have a bed and Clara has given me so many dresses that I shan’t need any more all my life.”
“Take it and put it in the cupboard, for you will need it some day.”
Heidi obeyed, and danced around the hut in her delight to see all the beloved things again. Running up to the loft, she exclaimed in great disappointment: “Oh grandfather, my bed is gone.”
“It will come again,” the grandfather called up from below; “how could I know that you were coming back? Get your milk now!”
Heidi, coming down, took her old seat. She seized her bowl and emptied it eagerly, as if it was the most wonderful thing she had ever tasted. “Grandfather, our milk is the best in all the world.”
Suddenly Heidi, hearing a shrill whistle, rushed outside, as Peter and all his goats came racing down. Heidi greeted the boy, who stopped, rooted to the spot, staring at her. Then she ran into the midst of her beloved friends, who had not forgotten her either. Schwänli and Bärli bleated for joy, and all her other favorites pressed near to her. Heidi was beside herself with joy, and caressed little Snowhopper and patted Thistlefinch, till she felt herself pushed to and fro among them.
“Peter, why don’t you come down and say good night to me?” Heidi called to the boy.
“Have you come again?” he exclaimed at last. Then he took Heidi’s proffered hand and asked her, as if she had been always there: “Are you coming up with me tomorrow?”
“No, tomorrow I must go to grandmother, but perhaps the day after.”
Peter had a hard time with his goats that day, for they would not follow him. Over and over again they came back to Heidi, till she entered the shed with Bärli and Schwänli and shut the door.
When Heidi went up to her loft to sleep, she found a fresh, fragrant bed waiting for her; and she slept better that night than she had for many, many months, for her great and burning longing had been satisfied. About ten times that night the grandfather rose from his couch to listen to Heidi’s quiet breathing. The window was filled up with hay, for from now on the moon was not allowed to shine on Heidi any more. But Heidi slept quietly, for she had seen the flaming mountains and had heard the fir-trees roar.
XIV
On Sunday When the Church Bells Ring
Heidi was standing under the swaying fir-trees, waiting for her grandfather to join her. He had promised to bring up her trunk from the village while she went in to visit the grandmother. The child was longing to see the blind woman again and to hear how she had liked the rolls. It was Saturday, and the grandfather had been cleaning the cottage. Soon he was ready to start. When they had descended and Heidi entered Peter’s hut, the grandmother called lovingly to her: “Have you come again, child?”
She took hold of Heidi’s hand and held it tight. Grandmother then told the little visitor how good the rolls had tasted, and how much stronger she felt already. Brigida related further that the grandmother had only eaten a single roll, being so afraid to finish them too soon. Heidi had listened attentively, and said now: “Grandmother, I know what I shall do. I am going to write to Clara and she’ll surely send me a whole lot more.”
But Brigida remarked: “That is meant well, but they get hard so soon. If I only had a few extra pennies, I could buy some from our baker. He makes them too, but I am hardly able to pay for the black bread.”
Heidi’s face suddenly shone. “Oh, grandmother, I have an awful lot of money,” she cried. “Now I know what I’ll do with it. Every day you must have a fresh roll and two on Sundays. Peter can bring them up from the village.”
“No, no, child,” the grandmother implored. “That must not be. You must give it to grandfather and he’ll tell you what to do with it.”
But Heidi did not listen but jumped gaily about the little room, calling over and over again: “Now grandmother can have a roll every day. She’ll get well and strong, and,” she called with fresh delight, “maybe your eyes will see again, too, when you are strong and well.”
The grandmother remained silent, not to mar the happiness of the child. Seeing the old hymnbook on the shelf, Heidi said:
“Grandmother, shall I read you a song from your book now? I can read quite nicely!” she added after a pause.
“Oh yes, I wish you would, child. Can you really read?”
Heidi, climbing on a chair, took down the dusty book from a shelf. After she had carefully wiped it off, she sat down on a stool.
“What shall I read, grandmother?”
“Whatever you want to,” was the reply. Turning the pages, Heidi found a song about the sun, and decided to read that aloud.
