heidi-第11节

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ar　at　the　noise；　for　she　thinks　that　every　minute　the　house　will　fall　down　on　their　heads；　and　everything　now　is　dark　for　grandmother；　and　she　does　not　think　any　one　can　make　it　light　for　her　again；　but　you　will　be　able　to；　I　am　sure；　grandfather。　Think　how　dreadful　it　is　for　her　to　be　always　in　the　dark；　and　then　to　be　frightened　at　what　may　happen；　and　nobody　can　help　her　but　you。　To…morrow　we　must　go　and　help　her；　we　will；　won't　we；　grandfather？〃

The　child　was　clinging　to　the　old　man　and　looking　up　at　him　in　trustful　confidence。　The　grandfather　looked　down　at　Heidi　for　a　while　without　speaking；　and　then　said；　〃Yes；　Heidi；　we　will　do　something　to　stop　the　rattling；　at　least　we　can　do　that；　we　will　go　down　about　it　to…morrow！〃

The　child　went　skipping　round　the　room　for　joy；　crying　out；　〃We　shall　go　to…morrow！　we　shall　go　to…morrow！〃

The　grandfather　kept　his　promise。　On　the　following　afternoon　he　brought　the　sleigh　out　again；　and　as　on　the　previous　day；　he　set　Heidi　down　at　the　door　of　the　grandmother's　hut　and　said；　〃Go　in　now；　and　when　it　grows　dark；　come　out　again。〃　Then　he　put　the　sack　in　the　sleigh　and　went　round　the　house。

Heidi　had　hardly　opened　the　door　and　sprung　into　the　room　when　the　grandmother　called　out　from　her　corner；　〃It's　the　child　again！　here　she　comes！〃　and　in　her　delight　she　let　the　thread　drop　from　her　fingers；　and　the　wheel　stood　still　as　she　stretched　out　both　her　hands　in　welcome。　Heidi　ran　to　her；　and　then　quickly　drew　the　little　stool　close　up　to　the　old　woman；　and　seating　herself　upon　it；　began　to　tell　and　ask　her　all　kinds　of　things。　All　at　once　came　the　sound　of　heavy　blows　against　the　wall　of　the　hut　and　the　grandmother　gave　such　a　start　of　alarm　that　she　nearly　upset　the　spinning…wheel；　and　cried　in　a　trembling　voice；　〃Ah；　my　God；　now　it　is　coming；　the　house　is　going　to　fall　upon　us！〃　But　Heidi　caught　her　by　the　arm；　and　said　soothingly；　〃No；　no；　grandmother；　do　not　be　frightened；　it　is　only　grandfather　with　his　hammer；　he　is　mending　up　everything；　so　that　you　shan't　have　such　fear　and　trouble。〃

〃Is　it　possible！　is　it　really　possible！　so　the　dear　God　has　not　forgotten　us！〃　exclaimed　the　grandmother。　〃Do　you　hear；　Brigitta；　what　that　noise　is？　Did　you　hear　what　the　child　says？　Now；　as　I　listen；　I　can　tell　it　is　a　hammer；　go　outside；　Brigitta；　and　if　it　is　Alm…Uncle；　tell　him　he　must　come　inside　a　moment　that　I　may　thank　him。〃

Brigitta　went　outside　and　found　Alm…Uncle　in　the　act　of　fastening　some　heavy　pieces　of　new　wood　along　the　wall。　She　stepped　up　to　him　and　said；　〃Good…evening；　Uncle；　mother　and　I　have　to　thank　you　for　doing　us　such　a　kind　service；　and　she　would　like　to　tell　you　herself　how　grateful　she　is；　I　do　not　know　who　else　would　have　done　it　for　us；　we　shall　not　forget　your　kindness；　for　I　am　sure〃

〃That　will　do；〃　said　the　old　man；　interrupting　her。

I　know　what　you　think　of　Alm…Uncle　without　your　telling　me。　Go　indoors　again；　I　can　find　out　for　myself　where　the　mending　is　wanted。〃

Brigitta　obeyed　on　the　spot；　for　Uncle　had　a　way　with　him　that　made　few　people　care　to　oppose　his　will。　He　went　on　knocking　with　his　hammer　all　round　the　house；　and　then　mounted　the　narrow　steps　to　the　roof；　and　hammered　away　there；　until　he　had　used　up　all　the　nails　he　had　brought　with　him。　Meanwhile　it　had　been　growing　dark；　and　he　had　hardly　come　down　from　the　roof　and　dragged　the　sleigh　out　from　behind　the　goat…shed　when　Heidi　appeared　outside。　The　grandfather　wrapped　her　up　and　took　her　in　his　arms　as　he　had　done　the　day　before；　for　although　he　had　to　drag　the　sleigh　up　the　mountain　after　him；　he　feared　that　if　the　child　sat　in　it　alone　her　wrappings　would　fall　off　and　that　she　would　be　nearly　if　not　quite　frozen；　so　he　carried　her　warm　and　safe　in　his　arms。

So　the　winter　went　by。　After　many　years　of　joyless　life；　the　blind　grandmother　had　at　last　found　something　to　make　her　happy；　her　days　were　no　longer　passed　in　weariness　and　darkness；　one　like　the　other　without　pleasure　or　change；　for　now　she　had　always　something　to　which　she　could　look　forward。　She　listened　for　the　little　tripping　footstep　as　soon　as　day　had　come；　and　when　she　heard　the　door　open　and　knew　the　child　was　really　there；　she　would　call　out；　〃God　be　thanked；　she　has　come　again！〃　And　Heidi　would　sit　by　her　and　talk　and　tell　her　everything　she　knew　in　so　lively　a　manner　that　the　grandmother　never　noticed　how　the　time　went　by；　and　never　now　as　formerly　asked　Brigitta；　〃Isn't　the　day　done　yet？〃　but　as　the　child　shut　the　door　behind　her　on　leaving；　would　exclaim；　〃How　short　the　afternoon　has　seemed；　don't　you　think　so；　Brigitta？〃　And　this　one　would　answer；　〃I　do　indeed；　it　seems　as　if　I　had　only　just　cleared　away　the　mid…day　meal。〃　And　the　grandmother　would　continue；　〃Pray　God　the　child　is　not　taken　from　me；　and　that　Alm…Uncle　continues　to　let　her　come！　Does　she　look　well　and　strong；　Brigitta？〃　And　the　latter　would　answer；　〃She　looks　as　bright　and　rosy　as　an　apple。〃

And　Heidi　had　also　grown　very　fond　of　the　old　grandmother；　and　when　at　last　she　knew　for　certain　that　no　one　could　make　it　light　for　her　again；　she　was　overcome　with　sorrow；　but　the　grandmother　told　her　again　that　she　felt　the　darkness　much　less　when　Heidi　was　with　her；　and　so　every　fine　winter's　day　the　child　came　travelling　down　in　her　sleigh。　The　grandfather　always　took　her；　never　raising　any　objection；　indeed　he　always　carried　the　hammer　and　sundry　other　things　down　in　the　sleigh　with　him；　and　many　an　afternoon　was　spent　by　him　in　making　the　goatherd's　cottage　sound　and　tight。　It　no　longer　groaned　and　rattled　the　whole　night　through；　and　the　grandmother；　who　for　many　winters　had　not　been　able　to　sleep　in　peace　as　she　did　now；　said　she　should　never　forget　what　the　Uncle　had　done　for　her。



CHAPTER　V。　TWO　VISITS　AND　WHAT　CAME　OF　THEM

Quickly　the　winter　passed；　and　still　more　quickly　the　bright　glad　summer；　and　now　another　winter　was　drawing　to　its　close。　Heidi　was　still　as　light…hearted　and　happy　as　the　birds；　and　looked　forward　with　more　delight　each　day　to　the　coming　spring；　when　the　warm　south　wind　would　roar　through　the　fir　trees　and　blow　away　the　snow；　and　the　warm　sun　would　entice　the　blue　and　yellow　flowers　to　show　their　heads；　and　the　long　days　out　on　the　mountain　would　come　again；　which　seemed　to　Heidi　the　greatest　joy　that　the　earth　could　give。　Heidi　was　now　in　her　eighth　year；　she　had　learnt　all　kinds　of　useful　things　from　her　grandfather；　she　knew　how　to　look　after　the　goats　as　well　as　any　one；　and　Little　Swan　and　Bear　would　follow　her　like　two　faithful　dogs；　and　give　a　loud　bleat　of　pleasure　when　they　heard　her　voice。　Twice　during　the　course　of　this　last　winter　Peter　had　brought　up　a　message　from　the　schoolmaster　at　Dorfli；　who　sent　word　to　Alm…Uncle　that　he　ought　to　send　Heidi　to　school；　as　she　was　over　the　usual　age；　and　ought　indeed　to　have　gone　the　winter　before。　Uncle　had　sent　word　back　each　time　that　the　schoolmaster　would　find　him　at　home　if　he　had　anything　he　wished　to　say　to　him；　but　that　he　did　not　intend　to　send　Heidi　to　school；　and　Peter　had　faithfully　delivered　his　message。

When　the　March　sun　had　melted　the　snow　on　the　mountain　side　and　the　snowdrops　were　peeping　out　all　over　the　valley；　and　the　fir　trees　had　shaken　off　their　burden　of　snow　and　were　again　merrily　waving　their　branches　in　the　air；　Heidi　ran　backwards　and　forwards　with　delight　first　to　the　goat…shed　then　to　the　fir…trees；　and　then　to　the　hut…door；　in　order　to　let　her　grandfather　know　how　much　larger　a　piece　of　green　there　was　under　the　trees；　and　then　would　run　off　to　look　again；　for　she　could　hardly　wait　till　everything　was　green　and　the　full　beautiful　summer　had　clothed　the　mountain　with　grass　and　flowers。　As　Heidi　was　thus　running　about　one　sunny　March　morning；　and　had　just　jumped　over　the　water…trough　for　the　tenth　time　at　least；　she　nearly　fell　backwards　into　it　with　fright；　for　there　in　front　of　her；　looking　gravely　at　her；　stood　an　old　gentleman　dressed　in　black。　When　he　saw　how　startled　she　was；　he　said　in　a　kind　voice；　〃Don't　be　afraid　of　me；　for　I　am　very　fond　of　children。　Shake　hands！　You　must　be　the　Heidi　I　have　heard　of；　where　is　your　grandfather？〃

〃He　is　sitting　by　the　table；　making　round　wooden　spoons；〃　Heidi　informed　him；　as　she　opened　the　door。

He　was　the　old　village　pastor　from　Dorfli　who　had　been　a　neighbor　of　Uncle's　when　he　lived　down　there；　and　had　known　him　well。　He　stepped　inside　the　hut；　and　going　up　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　he　continued；　〃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。

〃Or　I　you；〃　was　the　answer。

〃I　have　come　to…day　to　talk　over　something　with　you；〃　continued　the　pastor。　〃I　think　you　know　already　what　it　is　that　has　brought　me　here；〃　and　as　he　spoke　he　looked　towards　the　child　who　was　standing　at　the　door；　gazing　with　interest　and　surprise　at　the　stranger。

〃Heidi；　go　off　to　the　goats；〃　said　her　grandfather。　You　take　them　a　little　salt　and　stay　with　them　till　I　come。〃

Heidi　vanished　on　the　spot。

〃The　child　ought　to　have