10 Another Grandmother

CHAPTER 10 Another Grandmother News of Mr. Sesemann's expected return brought a great deal of commotion to the house. Clara, of course, was more excited than anyone else. Even though his stay would only be for a few days, she knew her father would spend every extra minute he had with her. She couldn't wait for him to meet Heidi. She knew that he would enjoy the girl's ways every bit as much as she did. The first thing Mr. Sesemann did when he got home was find his Clara. She and Heidi

were in the study. Father and daughter greeted each other with hugs and kisses. The two were deeply attached to each other. Then Mr. Sesemann held out his hand to Heidi. "And this is our little Swiss girl. Come and shake hands with me!" Heidi gave him her hand and a smile. "Now tell me, are you and Clara good friends with each other? Or do you get angry and cry and make up and fight again the next day?" "Oh, no. Clara is always kind to me," answered Heidi. "And Heidi has never tried to argue," Clara said quickly. "I am glad to hear it," Mr. Sesemann said as he rose from his chair. "I want my lunch now. I haven't eaten all day. But I will see you right after! Perhaps with a few gifts even!"

"Mr. Sesemann did take quite a liking to Heidi, despite the way Ms. Rottenmeier described the last several days. In fact, he told the woman that he planned to keep Heidi around. She had a pleasant personality and was a wonderful friend for his Clara. He also told Ms. Rottenmeier to treat the child kindly. She shouldn't punish her for the silly things that happened when she was around. If the lady found Heidi too difficult to handle, Mr. Sesemann would hire another person to help her out. In fact, Clara's grandmother would be showing up in a few days for a nice long visit. He was sure she would be a great help when it came to working with the girls. Mr. Sesemann was only home for a short time before he had to leave for Paris. Clara was sad, but filled with excitement about her grandmother's arrival. She talked about her grandmother so much that soon Heidi also

called her Grandmamma. This brought an angry look to Ms. Rottenmeier's face. "You are not to call her Grandmamma, do you hear me? You must always call her Madam." Heidi had become so used to the old woman's nasty looks that she just nodded and moved on. Ms. Rottenmeier's scolding no longer upset her. By the morning of Grandmamma's arrival, Heidi was just as excited as Clara. Both girls screamed and giggled when the carriage pulled in. Sebastian rolled Clara outside to meet Grandmamma. Meanwhile, Heidi waited to be called down from her bedroom. She didn't have to wait long before Tinette popped her head in and told her to go to the study. As she entered the room, Heidi heard a kind voice say, "Ah, here comes the child! Come over here and let me have a look at

you!" Heidi walked up to the woman and said in a sweet voice, "Good evening, Mrs. Madam." "Well!" said the grandmother, laughing. "Is that how they talk on the mountain?" "No," replied Heidi. "I thought that was your name." "Never mind, sweet child. When I am with children, I am always Grandmamma. You won't forget that name, will you?" "Oh, no," Heidi answered. "And what is your name?" Grandmamma asked. "I am always called Heidi, but here I must be called Adelheid." "If you have always been Heidi, then Heidi it shall be," Grandmamma said. This bothered Ms. Rottenmeier, who had just walked in the room. For the rest of the evening, the old woman fussed over the two girls. The following day

while Clara was taking her afternoon rest, Grandmamma spent some time talking to Heidi. Ms. Rottenmeier had told her that Heidi couldn't learn like normal children. The tutor couldn't even get her to learn her alphabet. "Look at these," the woman said to Heidi. She handed the girl a small pile of colorful books. At first Heidi smiled with delight. But then she opened the second book and let out a cry. For a moment or two she just stared at it. Then the tears begin to fall. At last she burst into sobs. Grandmamma looked at the picture carefully. It was a green pasture filled with young animals. Some were grazing while others nibbled at the shrubs. In the middle was a shepherd looking at his happy flock. "Don't cry, dear child," she said. "I will read this story to you later. It really is a very joyful