9 Money and Kittens

CHAPTER 9 Money and Kittens The next day the boy returned. He rang the doorbell over and over again until Sebastian answered it. "What is the meaning of this?" he asked as he flung the door open. "I want to see Clara," the boy answered. "What do you want with her?" Sebastian asked roughly. "She owes me eight pennies," explained the boy. "You're crazy!" Sebastian laughed.

"She owes me four pennies for showing her the way to the tower and four pennies for showing her the way back." "You're telling lies! The young lady never goes out. She can't even walk! Leave us alone!" Sebastian tried to close the door. But the boy was not easily frightened. He remained there and said in a firm voice, "But I saw her in the street. She has short curly black hair, black eyes, and wears a brown dress. She doesn't talk quite like we do." Uh-oh, Sebastian thought, laughing to himself. The little miss has been in more trouble. "Come inside," he said to the boy. Sebastian led the way. When they reached the den, he introduced the boy to the girls and the tutor. The boy gave them a half smile, then placed a small turtle he had been holding onto the floor in front of him. The sight of such a strange creature caused the

girls to laugh. It took only a few seconds for Ms. Rottenmeier to appear at the door. "Stop it!" she cried, trying to drown out the girls' giggles. The children softened their laughter, but Clara couldn't hide her squeals of delight. Sebastian stayed outside, laughing so hard that he almost couldn't stand up. The boy's pet turtle, which he seemed to carry everywhere, was crawling toward the woman's feet. Ms. Rottenmeier jumped onto a chair and began screaming. "Take them out, boy and animal! Get them away at once!" she ordered. Sebastian pulled the boy away, grabbing his turtle for him on his way out the door. When they reached the porch, he put something in the boy's hand. "There is the money from Miss Clara. Spend it wisely!" And with that, Sebastian shut the front door.

A few minutes later Sebastian interrupted the lesson again. He stepped into the room and said that someone had brought a large basket. It was to be given to Miss Clara at once. "For me?" said Clara in surprise. "Bring it to me, please!" "After your lesson," Ms. Rottenmeier said firmly. "Oh, but I won't be able to keep my mind on the lesson. I shall just sit and stare at the basket like I am doing right now." The cover of the basket was loose. At this moment, several kittens came tumbling onto the floor and began racing about the room in every direction. "Oh, the dear little things! Look how pretty they are!" Clara exclaimed. "Look at this one, Heidi. And look at this one!" In her delight, Heidi chased the kittens from one corner of the room to the other.

The tutor stood by the table, not knowing what to do. Ms. Rottenmeier was so upset that she stood speechless. She watched as the kittens ran about the room and made the girls giggle nonstop. Finally she found her voice and began to yell for Sebastian and Tinette. The two came quickly. Within a few minutes they had the kittens scooped up and back in the basket. They carried them off and put them with the other kittens. Ms. Rottenmeier was left alone with the girls. Instead of yelling, she gave the girls a mean look and left. By the end of the afternoon Ms. Rottenmeier knew that the day's wild events had been caused by Heidi. The girl had been trouble since the first moment she arrived. Perhaps if Ms. Rottenmeier could make her feel unwanted she would beg to leave. "Adelheid, I know of only one punishment that will suit what you have done! You are a

terrible little girl and I want you to learn that you cannot act like such an animal around us. Perhaps you will learn your lesson if I put you in a dark cellar with the rats and black beetles." This last sentence made Clara gasp. "Oh, no, Ms. Rottenmeier. You must wait until Papa comes. He will be home soon. I will tell him everything and he can decide what is to be done with Heidi." Ms. Rottenmeier could not go against the child's wishes. "Then we shall wait for your father, Miss Clara. But I will be speaking to him as well." The next few days went by without any major events. Clara had grown much more cheerful since Heidi had moved in. The little visitor added a delightful spirit to the lessons and the routine of the day. She was always trying to get out of her work. She mixed up all of her letters and seemed quite unable to