5 The Visit to Grandmother

CHAPTER 5 The Visit to Grandmother Day after day Heidi spent her time with Peter. They went high into the meadows and among the rocks and the flowers. When the weather finally grew cold and Grandfather told Heidi to stay home, Peter felt the same unhappiness as the young girl. Not only did he miss the extra food at lunchtime, but he always had more trouble with the goats on those days. The animals seemed to behave better when their kind Heidi was around to guide them.

When it grew very cold, Peter no longer took the goats out. This was his time to go to school. Heidi loved to ask him questions about his schooling, but Peter wasn't fond of answering the girl. He liked his job as a goatherder far more than he liked school. One evening he gave Heidi a message instead of answering her questions. "Grandmother sent word that she would like you to come and see her," the boy said. It was quite a new idea for Heidi that she would go visit anyone. For the next few days she bothered Grandfather so much about going that he finally gave in to her wishes. Grandfather rose from the table. He climbed up to the hayloft and brought down the thick sack to wrap the young girl in. Then he went to the shed and came out dragging a large sled. After climbing into the seat, he placed the girl comfortably on his lap. They took off like a bird gliding swiftly

through the air. Within minutes they sailed to a stop in front of Peter's hut. "There you are now. Go on in. When it begins to get dark you must start on your way home again." Then he left her and went back up the mountain, pulling his sled behind him. Heidi opened the door of the hut and stepped into the small dark room. It had a fireplace and looked like a kitchen. In the corner sat an old woman, bent over from age. She was spinning wool into yarn on a big spinning wheel. Heidi walked up to her. "Good day, Grandmother," she said. "I have come at last. Did you think I would never get here?" The old woman raised her head and felt for the hand that the child held out to her. "Are you the child who lives at the top of the mountain? Are you Heidi?" "Yes, yes," answered Heidi "I came down in

the sled with Grandfather." "Is it possible? Why, your hands are quite warm! What does she look like, Brigitta?" the old woman asked her daughter, who was sewing in the corner of the room. "She is a beautiful little girl, much like her mother was. And I believe her grandfather must be taking care of her! She looks quite well!" the younger woman said. During this time Heidi had not been standing still. She had been wandering around the room, looking carefully at everything there was to see. All of a sudden she exclaimed, "Grandmother, one of your shutters is flapping back and forth. Grandfather will come and make it right for you. See how it keeps banging?" "Dear child," said the old woman. "I can't see, but I can hear. There are many things wrong with this house. It creaks and rattles so much that I lie awake at night thinking the

whole place may just fall down. There is no one to fix it for us. Peter doesn't know such things." "Why can't you see the shutter?" Heidi asked. "Heidi, dear, I can't see anything." "But if I take you out into the snow, there will be more light. Surely you will see it then." "No, my dear. It is always dark for me now. Whether in the snow or the sun, no light can help me." Heidi wouldn't give up. "But in the summer, Grandmother, when the hot sun is shining down, it will be bright and beautiful for you again." "Oh, child, I won't ever see the sunshine gleaming on the mountains or the yellow flowers again." At these words, Heidi broke into loud crying. In her sadness she kept saying, "Why

can't someone make it light for you? Why can't you see?" Grandmother tried to calm the girl, but it was not easy to quiet her. Heidi didn't cry often. When she did, she could not get over her sadness for a long while. At last Grandmother said, "Come here, my Heidi. Tell me how Grandfather is. Tell me what you do up there. I knew him very well in the old days, but I have heard nothing of him for many years now. All I know I learn from Peter, who never says much." This brought a new and happy idea to Heidi. She quickly dried her tears and said, "Wait until I have told Grandfather everything. He will make it light for you again. I am sure of it. And he will fix your house for you, too. He will put everything right." Grandmother was silent. Heidi began the lively tale of her life with Grandfather and