heidi-第41节

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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；　fie。

All　the　gentlemen　in　Frankfurt　with　tall　black　hats　on　their　heads；　and　scorn　and　mockery　in　their　faces　rose　up　before　his　mind's　eye；　and　he　threw　himself　with　energy　on　the　Y；　not　letting　it　go　till　at　last　he　knew　it　so　thoroughly　that　he　could　see　what　it　was　like　even　when　he　shut　his　eyes。

He　arrived　on　the　following　day　in　a　somewhat　lofty　frame　of　mind；　for　there　was　now　only　one　letter　to　struggle　over；　and　when　Heidi　began　the　lesson　with　reading　aloud：

　　　　　　　　　　Make　haste　with　Z；　if　you're　too；　slow　　　　　　　　　　　　Off　to　the　Hottentots　you'll　go。

Peter　remarked　scornfully；　〃I　dare　say；　when　no　one　knows　even　where　such　people　live。〃

〃I　assure　you；　Peter；〃　replied　Heidi；　〃grandfather　knows　all　about　them。　Wait　a　second　and　I　will　run　and　ask　him；　for　he　is　only　over　the　way　with　the　pastor。〃　And　she　rose　and　ran　to　the　door　to　put　her　words　into　action；　but　Peter　cried　out　in　a　voice　of　agony；

〃Stop！〃　for　he　already　saw　himself　being　carried　off　by　Alm…Uncle　and　the　pastor　and　sent　straight　away　to　the　Hottentots；　since　as　yet　he　did　not　know　his　last　letter。　His　cry　of　fear　brought　Heidi　back。

〃What　is　the　matter？〃　she　asked　in　astonishment。

〃Nothing！　come　back！　I　am　going　to　learn　my　letter；〃　he　said；　stammering　with　fear。　Heidi；　however；　herself　wished　to　know　where　the　Hottentots　lived　and　persisted　that　she　should　ask　her　grandfather；　but　she　gave　in　at　last　to　Peter's　despairing　entreaties。　She　insisted　on　his　doing　something　in　return；　and　so　not　only　had　he　to　repeat　his　Z　until　it　was　so　fixed　in　his　memory　that　he　could　never　forget　it　again；　but　she　began　teaching　him　to　spell；　and　Peter　really　made　a　good　start　that　evening。　So　it　went　on　from　day　to　day。

The　frost　had　gone　and　the　snow　was　soft　again；　and　moreover　fresh　snow　continually　fell；　so　that　it　was　quite　three　weeks　before　Heidi　could　go　to　the　grandmother　again。　So　much　the　more　eagerly　did　she　pursue　her　teaching　so　that　Peter　might　compensate　for　her　absence　by　reading　hymns　to　the　old　woman。　One　evening　he　walked　in　home　after　leaving　Heidi；　and　as　he　entered　he　said；　〃I　can　do　it　now。〃

〃Do　what；　Peter？〃　asked　his　mother。

〃Read；〃　he　answered。

〃Do　you　really　mean　it？　Did　you　hear　that；　grandmother？〃　she　called　out。

The　grandmother　had　heard；　and　was　already　wondering　how　such　a　thing　could　have　come　to　pass。

〃I　must　read　one　of　the　hymns　now；　Heidi　told　me　to；〃　he　went　on　to　inform　them。　His　mother　hastily　fetched　the　book；　and　the　grandmother　lay　in　joyful　expectation；　for　it　was　so　long　since　she　had　heard　the　good　words。　Peter　sat　down　to　the　table　and　began　to　read。　His　mother　sat　beside　him　listening　with　surprise　and　exclaiming　at　the　close　of　each　verse；　〃Who　would　have　thought　it　possible！〃

The　grandmother　did　not　speak　though　she　followed　the　words　he　read　with　strained　attention。

It　happened　on　the　day　following　this　that　there　was　a　reading　lesson　in　Peter's　class。　When　it　came　to　his　turn；　the　teacher　said；

〃We　must　pass　over　Peter　as　usual；　or　will　you　try　again　once　moreI　will　not　say　to　read；　but　to　stammer　through　a　sentence。〃

Peter　took　the　book　and　read　off　three　lines　without　the　slightest　hesitation。

The　teacher　put　down　his　book　and　stared　at　Peter　as　at　some　out…of…the…way　and　marvellous　thing　unseen　before。　At　last　he　spoke；

〃Peter；　some　miracle　has　been　performed　upon　you！　Here　have　I　been　striving　with　unheard…of　patience　to　teach　you　and　you　have　not　hitherto　been　able　to　say　your　letters　even。　And　now；　just　as　I　had　made　up　my　mind　not　to　waste　any　more　trouble　upon　you；　you　suddenly　are　able　to　read　a　consecutive　sentence　properly　and　distinctly。　How　has　such　a　miracle　come　to　pass　in　our　days？〃

〃It　was　Heidi；〃　answered　Peter。

The　teacher　looked　in　astonishment　towards　Heidi；　who　was　sitting　innocently　on　her　bench　with　no　appearance　of　anything　supernatural　about　her。　He　continued；　〃I　have　noticed　a　change　in　you　altogether；　Peter。　Whereas　formerly　you　often　missed　coming　to　school　for　a　week；　or　even　weeks　at　a　time；　you　have　lately　not　stayed　away　a　single　day。　Who　has　wrought　this　change　for　good　in　you？〃

〃It　was　Uncle；〃　answered　Peter。

With　increasing　surprise　the　teacher　looked　from　Peter　to　Heidi　and　back　again　at　Peter。

〃We　will　try　once　more；〃　he　said　cautiously；　and　Peter　had　again　to　show　off　his　accomplishment　by　reading　another　three　lines。　There　was　no　mistake　about　itPeter　could　read。　As　soon　as　school　was　over　the　teacher　went　over　to　the　pastor　to　tell　him　this　piece　of　news；　and　to　inform　him　of　the　happy　result　of　Heidi's　and　the　grandfather's　combined　efforts。

Every　evening　Peter　read　one　hymn　aloud；　so　far　he　obeyed　Heidi。　Nothing　would　induce　him　to　read　a　second；　and　indeed　the　grandmother　never　asked　for　it。　His　mother　Brigitta　could　not　get　over　her　surprise　at　her　son's　attainment；　and　when　the　reader　was　in　bed　would　often　express　her　pleasure　at　it。　〃Now　he　has　learnt　to　read　there　is　no　knowing　what　may　be　made　of　him　yet。〃

On　one　of　these　occasions　the　grandmother　answered；　〃Yes；　it　is　good　for　him　to　have　learnt　something；　but　I　shall　indeed　be　thankful　when　spring　is　here　again　and　Heidi　can　come；　they　are　not　like　the　same　hymns　when　Peter　reads　them。　So　many　words　seem　missing；　and　I　try　to　think　what　they　ought　to　be　and　then　I　lose　the　sense；　and　so　the　hymns　do　not　come　home　to　my　heart　as　when　Heidi　reads　them。〃

The　truth　was　that　Peter　arranged　to　make　his　reading　as　little　troublesome　for　himself　as　possible。　When　he　came　upon　a　word　that　he　thought　was　too　long　or　difficult　in　any　other　way；　he　left　it　out；　for　he　decided　that　a　word　or　two　less　in　a　verse；　where　there　were　so　many　of　them；　could　make　no　difference　to　his　grandmother。　And　so　it　came　about　that　most　of　the　principal　words　were　missing　in　the　hymns　that　Peter　read　aloud。



CHAPTER　XX。　NEWS　FROM　DISTANT　FRIENDS

It　was　the　month　of　May。　From　every　height　the　full　fresh　streams　of　spring　were　flowing　down　into　the　valley。　The　clear　warm　sunshine　lay　upon　the　mountain；　which　had　turned　green　again。　The　last　snows　had　disappeared　and　the　sun　had　already　coaxed　many　of　the　flowers　to　show　their　bright　heads　above　the　grass。　Up　above　the　gay　young　wind　of　spring　was　singing　through　the　fir　trees；　and　shaking　down　the　old　dark　needles　to　make　room　for　the　new　bright　green　ones　that　were　soon　to　deck　out　the　trees　in　their　spring　finery。　Higher　up　still　the　great　bird　went　circling　round　in　the　blue　ether　as　of　old；　while　the　golden　sunshine　lit　up　the　grandfather's　hut；　and　all　the　ground　about　it　was　warm　and　dry　again　so　that　one　might　sit　out　where　one　liked。　Heidi　was　at　home　again　on　the　mountain；　running　backwards　and　forwards　in　her　accustomed　way；　not　knowing　which　spot　was　most　delightful。　Now　she　stood　still　to　listen　to　the　deep；　mysterious　voice　of　the　wind；　as　it　blew　down　to　her　from　the　mountain　summits；　coming　nearer　and　nearer　and　gathering　strength　as　it　came；　till　it　broke　with　force　against　the　fir　trees；　bending　and　shaking　them；　and　seeming　to　shout　for　joy；　so　that　she　too；　though　blown　about　like　a　feather；　felt　she　must　join　in　the　chorus　of　exulting　sounds。　Then　she　would　run　round　again　to　the　sunny　space　in　front　of　the　hut；　and　seating　herself　on　the　ground　would　peer　closely　into　the　short　grass　to　see　how　many　little　flower　cups　were　open　or　thinking　of　opening。　She　rejoiced　with　all　the　myriad　little　beetles　and　winged　insects　that　jumped　and　crawled　and　danced　in　the　sun；　and　drew　in　deep　draughts　of　the　spring　scents　that　rose　from　the　newly…awakened　earth；　and　thought　the　mountain　was　more　beautiful　than　ever。　All　the　tiny　living　creatures　must　be　as　happy　as　she；　for　it　seemed　to　her　there　were　little　voices　all　round　her　singing　and　humming　in　joyful　tones；　〃On　the　mountain！　on　the　mountain！〃

From　the　shed　at　the　back　came　the　sound　of　sawing　and　chopping；　and　Heidi　listened　to　it　with　pleasure；　for　it　was　the　old　familiar　sound　she　had　known　from　the　beginni