Heidi by Johanna Spyri (android e book reader txt) 📖

her. But she

was glad, nevertheless, to get along so quickly, for they were

nearing Dorfli, where her friends would probably talk and

question in a way that might put other ideas into Heidi’s head.

So she went on straight ahead through the village, holding Heidi

tightly by the hand, so that they might all see that it was on

the child’s account she was hurrying along at such a rate. To

all their questions and remarks she made answer as she passed “I

can’t stop now, as you see, I must make haste with the child as

we have yet some way to go.”

 

“Are you taking her away?” “Is she running away from Alm-Uncle?”

“It’s a wonder she is still alive!” “But what rosy cheeks she

has!” Such were the words which rang out on all sides, and Dete

was thankful that she had not to stop and give any distinct

answers to them, while Heidi hurried eagerly forward without

saying a word.

 

From that day forward Alm-Uncle looked fiercer and more

forbidding than ever when he came down and passed through

Dorfli. He spoke to no one, and looked such an ogre as he came

along with his pack of cheeses on his back, his immense stick in

his hand, and his thick, frowning eyebrows, 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

village on his way to the valley below, where he sold his

cheeses and bought what bread and meat he wanted for himself.

After he had passed the villagers all crowded together looking

after him, and each had something to say about him; how much

wilder he looked than usual, how now he would not even respond to

anybody’s greeting, while they all agreed that it was a great

mercy the child had got away from him, and had they not all

noticed how the child had hurried along as if afraid that her

grandfather might be following to take her back? Only the blind

grandmother would have nothing to say against him, and told those

who came to her to bring her work, or take away what she had

spun, how kind and thoughtful he had been with the child, how

good to her and her daughter, and how many afternoons he had

spent mending the house which, but for his help, would certainly

by this time have fallen down over their heads. And all this was

repeated down in Dorfli; but most of the people who heard it said

that grandmother was too old to understand, and very likely had

not heard rightly what was said; as she was blind she was

probably also deaf.

 

Alm-Uncle went no more now to the grandmother’s house, and it

was well that he had made it so safe, for it was not touched

again for a long time. The days were sad again now for the old

blind woman, and not one passed but what she would murmur

complainingly, “Alas! all our happiness and pleasure have gone

with the child, and now the days are so long and dreary! Pray

God, I see Heidi again once more before I die!”

 

CHAPTER VI. A NEW CHAPTER ABOUT NEW THINGS

 

In her home at Frankfurt, Clara, the little daughter of Herr

Sesemann, was lying on the invalid couch on which she spent her

whole day, being wheeled in it from room to room. Just now she

was in what was known as the study, where, to judge by the

various things standing and lying about, which added to the cosy

appearance of the room, the family was fond of sitting. A

handsome bookcase with glass doors explained why it was called

the study, and here evidently the little girl was accustomed to

have her lessons.

 

Clara’s little face was thin and pale, and at this moment her

two soft blue eyes were fixed on the clock, which seemed to her

to go very slowly this day, and with a slight accent of

impatience, which was very rare with her, she asked, “Isn’t it

time yet, Fraulein Rottenmeier?”

 

This lady was sitting very upright at a small work-table, busy

with her embroidery. She had on a mysterious-looking loose

garment, a large collar or shoulder-cape that gave a certain

solemnity to her appearance, which was enhanced by a very lofty

dome-shaped head dress. For many years past, since the mistress

of the house had died, the housekeeping and the superintendence

of the servants had been entrusted by Herr Sesemann to Fraulein

Rottenmeier. He himself was often away from home, and he left

her in sole charge, with the condition only that his little

daughter should have a voice in all matters, and that nothing

should be done against her wish.

 

As Clara was putting her impatient question for the second time,

Dete and Heidi arrived at the front door, and the former

inquired of the coachman, who had just got down from his box, if

it was too late to see Fraulein Rottenmeier.

 

“That’s not my business,” grumbled the coachman; “ring the bell

in the hall for Sebastian.”

 

Dete did so, and Sebastian came downstairs; he looked astonished

when he saw her, opening his eyes till they were nearly as big

as the large round buttons on his coat.

 

“Is it too late for me to see Fraulein Rottenmeier?” Dete asked

again.

 

“That’s not my business,” answered the man; “ring that other

bell for the maid Tinette,” and without troubling himself any

farther Sebastian disappeared.

 

Dete rang again. This time Tinette appeared with a spotless

white cap perched on the top of her head and a mocking expression

of face.

 

“What is it?” she called from the top of the stairs. Dete

repeated her question. Tinette disappeared, but soon came back

and called down again to Dete, “Come up, she is expecting you.”

 

Dete and Heidi went upstairs and into the study, Tinette

following. Dete remained standing politely near the door, still

holding Heidi tightly by the hand, for she did not know what the

child might take it into her head to do amid these new

surroundings.

 

Fraulein Rottenmeier rose slowly and went up to the little new

companion for the daughter of the house, to see what she was

like. She did not seem very pleased with her appearance. Heidi

was dressed in her plain little woollen frock, and her hat was

an old straw one bent out of shape. The child looked innocently

out from beneath it, gazing with unconcealed astonishment at the

lady’s towering head dress.

 

“What is your name?” asked Fraulen Rottenmeier, after

scrutinisingly examining the child for some minutes, while Heidi

in return kept her eyes steadily fixed upon the lady.

 

“Heidi,” she answered in a clear, ringing voice.

 

“What? what? that’s no Christian name for a child; you were not

christened that. What name did they give you when you were

baptized?” continued Frauleln Rottenmeier.

 

“I do not remember,” replied Heidi.

 

“What a way to answer!” said the lady, shaking her head. “Dete,

is the child a simpleton or only saucy?”

 

“If the lady will allow me, I will speak for the child, for she

is very unaccustomed to strangers,” said Dete, who had given

Heidi a silent poke for making such an unsuitable answer. “She

is certainly not stupid nor yet saucy, she does not know what it

means even; she speaks exactly as she thinks. To-day she is for

the first time in a gentleman’s house and she does not know good

manners; but she is docile and very willing to learn, if the

lady will kindly make excuses for her. She was christened

Adelaide, after her mother, my sister, who is now dead.”

 

“Well, that’s a name that one can pronounce,” remarked Fraulein

Rottenmeier. “But I must tell you, Dete, that I am astonished to

see so young a child. I told you that I wanted a companion of

the same age as the young lady of the house, one who could share

her lessons, and all her other occupations. Fraulein Clara is now

over twelve; what age is this child?”

 

“If the lady will allow me,” began Dete again, in her usual

fluent manner, “I myself had lost count of her exact age; she is

certainly a little younger, but not much; I cannot say

precisely, but I think she is ten, or thereabouts.”

 

“Grandfather told me I was eight,” put in Heidi. Dete gave her

another poke, but as the child had not the least idea why she

did so she was not at all confused.

 

“What—only eight!” cried Fraulein Rottenmeier angrily. “Four

years too young! Of what use is such a child! And what have you

learnt? What books did you have to learn from?”

 

“None,” said Heidi.

 

“How? what? How then did you learn to read?” continued the lady.

 

“I have never learnt to read, or Peter either,” Heidi informed

her.

 

“Mercy upon us! you do not know how to read! Is it really so?”

exclaimed Fraulein Rottenmeier, greatly horrified. “Is it

possible—not able to read? What have you learnt then?”

 

“Nothing,” said Heidi with unflinching truthfulness.

 

“Young woman,” said the lady to Dete, after having paused for a

minute or two to recover from her shock, “this is not at all the

sort of companion you led me to suppose; how could you think of

bringing me a child like this?”

 

But Dete was not to be put down so easily, and answered warmly,

“If the lady will allow me, the child is exactly what I thought

she required; the lady described what she wished for, a child

unlike all other children, and I could find no other to suit,

for the greater number I know are not peculiar, but one very much

the same as the other, and I thought this child seemed as if made

for the place. But I must go now, for my mistress will be waiting

for me; if the lady will permit I will come again soon and see

how she is getting on.” And with a bow Dete quickly left the room

and ran downstairs. Fraulein Rottenmeier stood for a moment taken

aback and then ran after Dete. If the child was to stop she had

many things yet to say and ask about her, and there the child

was, and what was more, Dete, as she plainly saw, meant to leave

her there.

 

Heidi remained by the door where she had been standing since she

first came in. Clara had looked on during the interview without

speaking; now she beckoned to Heidi and said, “Come here!”

 

Heidi went up to her.

 

“Would you rather be called Heidi or Adelaide?” asked Clara.

 

“I am never called anything but Heidi,” was the child’s prompt

answer.

 

“Then I shall always call you by that name,” said Clara, “it

suits you. I have never heard it before, but neither have I ever

seen a child like you before. Have you always had that short

curly hair?”

 

“Yes, I think so,” said Heidi.

 

“Are you pleased to come to Frankfurt?” went on Clara.

 

“No, but I shall go home tomorrow and take grandmother a white

loaf,” explained Heidi.

 

“Well, you are a funny child!” exclaimed Clara. “You were

expressly sent for to come here and to remain with me and share

my lessons; there will be some fun about them now as you cannot

read, something new to do, for often they are dreadfully dull,

and I think the morning will never pass away. You know my tutor

comes every morning at