Heidi
mistaken, for Miss Rottermeyer was in a more than usually good temper.
She cleared the large table so that all the things for Heidi could be
spread out upon it and packed under Clara's own eyes. It was no light
job, for the presents were of all shapes and sizes. First there was
the little warm cloak with a hood, which had been designed by Clara
herself, in order that Heidi during the coming winter might be able
to go and see grandmother when she liked, and not have to wait till
her grandfather could take her wrapped up in a sack to keep her from
freezing. Then came a thick warm shawl for the grandmother, in which
she could wrap herself well up and not feel the cold when the wind
came sweeping in such terrible gusts round the house. The next object
was the large box full of cakes; these were also for the grandmother,
that she might have something to eat with her coffee besides bread.
An immense sausage was the next article; this had been originally
intended for Peter, who never had anything but bread and cheese, but
Clara had altered her mind, fearing that in his delight he might eat
it all up at once and make himself ill. So she arranged to send it
to Brigitta, who could take some for herself and the grandmother and
give Peter his portion out by degrees. A packet of tobacco was a
present for grandfather, who was so fond of his pipe as he sat resting
in the evening. Finally there was a whole lot of mysterious little
bags, and parcels, and boxes, which Clara had had especial pleasure in
collecting, as each was to be a joyful surprise for Heidi as she opened
it. The work came to an end at last, and Clara eyed the big box with
pleasure, picturing Heidi's exclamations and jumps of joy and surprise
when the huge parcel arrived at the hut.
Sebastian came in, and lifting the package on to his shoulder, carried
it off to be forwarded at once to the doctor's house.
CHAPTER XVI
THE DOCTOR COMES WITH PRESENTS
The early light of morning lay rosy red upon the mountains, and a fresh
breeze rustled through the fir trees and set their ancient branches
waving to and fro. The sound awoke Heidi and she jumped out of bed and
dressed herself as quickly as she could.
When she went down her ladder she found her grandfather had already
left the hut. He was standing outside looking at the sky and examining
the landscape as he did every morning, to see what sort of weather it
was going to be.
Little pink clouds were floating over the sky, that was growing
brighter and bluer with every minute, while the heights and the meadow
lands were turning gold under the rising sun, which was just appearing
above the topmost peaks.
"O, how beautiful! how beautiful! Good-morning, Grandfather!" cried
Heidi, running out.
"What, you are awake already, are you?" he answered, giving her a
morning greeting.
Then Heidi ran round to the fir trees to enjoy the sound she loved so
well, and with every fresh gust of wind which came roaring through
their branches she gave a fresh jump and cry of delight.
Meanwhile the grandfather had gone to milk the goats; this done he
brushed and washed them, ready for their mountain excursion, and
brought them out of their shed. As soon as Heidi caught sight of them
she ran and embraced them, and they bleated in return, while they
vied with each other in showing their affection by poking their heads
against her and trying which could get nearest her. When the lively
Little Bear gave rather too violent a thrust, she only said, "No,
Little Bear, you are pushing like the Great Turk," and Little Bear
immediately drew back his head and left off his rough attentions, while
Little Swan lifted her head and put on an expression as much as to say,
"No one shall ever accuse me of behaving like the Great Turk."
Peter's whistle was heard and all the goats came along, leaping and
springing, and Heidi soon found herself surrounded by the whole flock,
pushed this way and that by their obstreperous greetings, but at last
she managed to get through them to where Snowflake was standing, for
the young goat had in vain striven to reach her.
Peter now gave a last tremendous whistle, in order to startle the goats
and drive them off, for he wanted to get near himself to say something
to Heidi. The goats sprang aside and he came up to her.
"Can you come out with me today?" he asked, evidently unwilling to hear
her refuse.
"I am afraid I cannot, Peter," she answered. "I am expecting them every
minute from Frankfurt, and I must be at home when they come."
"You have said the same thing for days now," grumbled Peter.
"I must continue to say it till they come," replied Heidi. "How can you
think, Peter, that I would be away when they came? As if I could do
such a thing?"
"They would find Uncle at home," he answered with a snarling voice.
But at this moment the grandfather's stentorian voice was heard.
"Why is the army not marching forward? Is it the field-marshal who is
missing or some of the troops?"
Whereupon Peter turned and went off, swinging his stick round so that
it whistled through the air, and the goats, who understood the signal,
started at full trot for their mountain pasture, Peter following in
their wake.
Since Heidi had come back to her grandfather she had learned to do many
things about the house. She put her bed in order every morning, patting
and stroking it till she had got it perfectly smooth and flat. Then she
went about the room downstairs, put each chair back in its place, and
if she found anything lying about she put it in the cupboard. After
that she fetched a duster, climbed on a chair, and rubbed the table
till it shone again. When the grandfather came in later he would look
round well pleased and say to himself, "We look like Sunday every day
now; Heidi did not go abroad for nothing."
After Peter had departed and she and her grandfather had breakfasted,
Heidi began her daily work as usual, but she did not get on with it
very fast. It was so lovely out of doors today, and every minute
something happened to interrupt her in her work. Now it was a bright
beam of sun shining cheerfully through the open window, and seeming
to say, "Come out, Heidi, come out!" Heidi felt she could not stay
indoors, and she ran out in answer to the call. The sunlight lay
sparkling on everything around the hut and on all the mountains and
far away along the valley, and the grass slope looked so golden and
inviting that she was obliged to sit down for a few minutes and look
about her. Then she suddenly remembered that her stool was left
standing in the middle of the floor and that the table had not been
rubbed, and she jumped up and ran inside again. But it was not long
before the fir trees began their old song; Heidi felt it in all her
limbs, and again the desire to run outside was irresistible, and
she was off to play and leap to the tune of the waving branches. The
grandfather, who was busy in his work-shed, stepped out from time to
time smiling to watch her at her gambols. He had just gone back to his
work on one of these occasions when Heidi called out, "Grandfather!
Grandfather! Come, come!"
He stepped quickly out, almost afraid something had happened to
the child, but he saw her running towards where the mountain path
descended, crying, "They are coming! they are coming! and the doctor is
in front of them!"
Heidi rushed forward to welcome her old friend, who held out his
hands in greeting to her. When she came up to him she clung to his
outstretched arm, and exclaimed in the joy of her heart, "Good-morning,
doctor, and thank you ever so many times."
"God bless you, child! what have you got to thank me for?" asked the
doctor, smiling.
"For being at home again with grandfather," the child explained.
The doctor's face brightened as if a sudden ray of sunshine had passed
across it; he had not expected such a reception as this. He had
quite thought that Heidi would have forgotten him; she had seen so
little of him, and he had felt rather like one bearing a message of
disappointment. But instead, here was Heidi, her eyes dancing for joy,
and full of gratitude and affection, clinging to the arm of her kind
friend.
He took her by the hand with fatherly tenderness. "Take me now to your
grandfather, Heidi, and show me where you live."
But Heidi still remained standing looking down the path with a
questioning gaze. "Where are Clara and grandmother?" she asked.
"Ah, now I have to tell you something which you will be as sorry about
as I am," answered the doctor. "You see, Heidi, I have come alone.
Clara was very ill and could not travel, and so the grandmother stayed
behind too. But next spring, when the days grow warm and long again,
they are coming here for certain."
Heidi stood motionless for a second or two, overcome by the unexpected
disappointment. She suddenly remembered that the doctor had really come
anyway. She lifted her eyes and saw the sad expression in his as he
looked down at her; she had never seen him with that look on his face
when she was in Frankfurt. It went to Heidi's heart; she could not bear
to see anybody unhappy, especially her dear doctor. No doubt it was
because Clara and grandmother could not come, and so she began to think
how best she might console him.
"Oh, it won't be very long to wait for spring, and then they will
be sure to come," she said in a reassuring voice. "Time passes very
quickly with us, and then they will be able to stay longer when they
are here, and Clara will be pleased at that. Now let us go and find
grandfather."
Hand in hand with her friend she climbed up to the hut. She was so
anxious to make the doctor happy again that she began once more
assuring him that the winter passed quickly on the mountain and that
summer would be back again before they knew it, and she became so
convinced of the truth of her own words that she called out quite
cheerfully to her grandfather as they approached, "They have not come
today, but they will be here in a very short time."
The doctor was no stranger to the grandfather, for the child had talked
to him so much about her friend. The old man held out his hand to his
guest in friendly greeting. Then the two men sat down in front of the
hut. The doctor whispered to Heidi that there was something being
brought up the mountain which had traveled with him from Frankfurt,
and which would give her even more pleasure than seeing him. Heidi
got into a great state of excitement on hearing this, wondering what
it could be. The old man urged the doctor to spend as many of the
beautiful autumn days on the mountain as he could, and at least to come
up whenever it was fine; he could not offer him a lodging, as he had
no place to put him; he advised the doctor, however, not to go back to
Ragatz, but to stay at Doerfli, where there was a clean, tidy little
inn. Then the doctor could come up every morning, which would do him
no end of good, and if he liked, he, the grandfather, would act as his
guide to any part of the mountains he would like to see. The doctor was
delighted with this proposal, and it was settled that it should be as
the grandfather suggested.
Alm-Uncle now rose and went indoors, returning in a few minutes with a
table which he placed in front of the seat.
"There, Heidi, now run in and bring us what we want for the table," he
said. "The doctor must take us as he finds us; if the food is plain, he
will acknowledge that the dining-room is pleasant."
"I should think so indeed," replied the doctor as he looked down over
the sun-lit valley, "and I accept the kind invitation; everything must
taste good up here."
Heidi ran backwards and forwards as busy as a bee and brought out