CHAPTER XX
A STRANGE LOOKING PROCESSION
It was the month of May. The clear, warm sunshine lay upon themountain, which had turned green again. The last snows had disappearedand the sun had already coaxed many of the flowers to show their brightheads above the grass. Heidi was at home again on the mountain, runningbackwards and forwards in her accustomed way, not knowing which spotwas most delightful.
From the shed at the back came the sound of sawing and chopping, andHeidi listened to it with pleasure, for it was the old familiar soundshe had known from the beginning of her life up here. Suddenly shejumped up and ran round, for she must know what her grandfather wasdoing. In front of the shed door already stood a finished new chair,and a second was in course of construction under the grandfather'sskilful hand.
"Oh, I know what these are for," exclaimed Heidi in great glee. "Weshall want them when they all come from Frankfurt. This one is forgrandmamma, and the one you are now making is for Clara, and then--thenthere will, I suppose, have to be another," continued Heidi with morehesitation in her voice, "or do you think, Grandfather, that perhapsMiss Rottermeyer will not come with them?"
"Well, I cannot say just yet," replied her grandfather, "but it will besafer to make one so that we can offer her a seat if she does."
While talking with the grandfather there was heard from above awhistling and calling which Heidi immediately recognized. She ran outand found herself surrounded by her four-footed friends. They wereapparently as pleased as she was to be among the heights again, forthey leaped about and bleated for joy. When Peter at last got up to herhe handed her a letter.
"There!" he exclaimed.
"Did some one give you this while you were out with the goats," sheasked, in her surprise.
"No," was the answer.
"Where did you get it from then?"
"I found it in the dinner bag."
Which was true to a certain extent. The letter to Heidi had been givenhim the evening before by the postman at Doerfli, and Peter had put itinto his empty bag. That morning he had stuffed his bread and cheese onthe top of it, and had forgotten it when he called for Alm-Uncle's twogoats; only when he had finished his bread and cheese at mid-day andwas searching in the bag for any last crumbs did he remember the letterwhich lay at the bottom.
Heidi read the address carefully; then she ran back to the shed holdingout her letter to her grandfather in high glee. "From Frankfurt! fromClara! Would you like to hear it?"
The grandfather was ready and pleased to do so, as was Peter, who hadfollowed Heidi into the shed.
"DEAREST HEIDI,--Everything is packed and we shall start now in two orthree days, as soon as papa himself is ready to leave; he is not comingwith us as he has first to go to Paris. The doctor comes every day,and as soon as he is inside the door, he cries, 'Off now as quickly asyou can, off to the mountain.' He is most impatient about our going.You cannot think how much he enjoyed himself when he was with you! Hehas called nearly every day this winter, and each time he describesover again all he did with you and the grandfather, and talks of themountains and the flowers and of the great silence up there far aboveall towns and villages, and of the fresh, delicious air, and oftenadds, 'No one can help getting well up there.' He himself is quite adifferent man since his visit, and looks happy again. Oh, how I amlooking forward to seeing everything and to being with you on themountain, and to making the acquaintance of Peter and the goats.
"I shall have first to go through a six weeks' cure at Ragatz; this thedoctor has ordered, and then we shall move up to Doerfli, and everyfine day I shall be carried up the mountain in my chair and spend theday with you. Grandmamma is traveling with me and will remain withme; she also is delighted at the thought of paying you a visit. Butjust imagine, Miss Rottermeyer refuses to come with us. Almost everyday grandmamma says to her, 'Well, how about this Swiss journey, myworthy Rottermeyer? Pray say if you really would like to come withus.' But she always thanks grandmamma very politely and says she hasquite made up her mind. I think I know what has done it: Sebastian gavesuch a frightful description of the mountain, of how the rocks wereso overhanging and dangerous that at any minute you might fall into acrevasse, and how it was such steep climbing that you feared at everystep to go slipping to the bottom, and that goats alone could maketheir way up without fear of being killed. She shuddered when she heardhim tell of all this, and since then she has not been so enthusiasticabout Switzerland as she was before. Fear has also taken possessionof Tinette, and she also refuses to come. So grandmamma and I will bealone; Sebastian will go with us as far as Ragatz and then return here.
"I can hardly bear waiting till I see you again. Good-bye, dearestHeidi; grandmamma sends you her best love and all good wishes.--Youraffectionate friend, CLARA."
As soon as the letter had been read, Peter rushed out, twirling hisstick in the air in such a reckless fashion that the frightened goatsfled down the mountain before him with higher and wider leaps thanusual. He followed at full speed, his stick still raised in air in amenacing manner as if he was longing to vent his fury on some invisiblefoe. This foe was indeed the prospect of the arrival of the Frankfurtvisitors, the thought of whom filled him with exasperation.
Heidi was so full of joyful anticipation that she determined to seizethe first possible moment next day to go down and tell grandmother whowas coming, and also particularly who was not coming. The old ladywas no longer confined to her bed. She was back in her corner at herspinning-wheel, but there was an expression on her face of mournfulanxiety. Peter had come in the evening before, brimful of anger andhad told about the large party who were coming up from Frankfurt, andhe did not know what other things might happen after that; and the oldwoman had not slept all night, pursued by the old thought of Heidibeing taken from her.
Heidi ran in, and taking her little stool immediately sat down bygrandmother and began eagerly pouring out all her news, growing moreexcited with her pleasure as she went on. But all of a sudden shestopped short and said anxiously, "What is the matter, Grandmother,aren't you a bit pleased with what I am telling you?"
"Yes, yes, of course, child, since it gives you so much pleasure," sheanswered, trying to look more cheerful.
"But I can see all the same that something troubles you. Is it becauseyou think after all that Miss Rottermeyer may come?" asked Heidi,beginning to feel anxious herself.
"No, no! it is nothing, child," said the grandmother, wishing toreassure her. "Just give me your hand that I may feel sure you arethere. No doubt it would be the best thing for you, although I feel Icould scarcely survive it."
"I do not want anything of the best if you could scarcely survive it,"said Heidi, in such a determined tone of voice that the grandmother'sfears increased as she felt sure the people from Frankfurt were comingto take Heidi back with them, since now she was well again theynaturally wished to have her with them once more. But she was anxiousto hide her trouble from Heidi if possible, as the latter was sosympathetic that she might refuse perhaps to go away, and that wouldnot be right.
"Heidi," she said, "there is something that would comfort me and calmmy thoughts; read me the hymn beginning: 'All things will work forgood.'"
Heidi found the place at once and read out in her clear, young voice:--
All things will work for good To those who trust in Me; I come with healing on my wings, To save and set thee free.
"Yes, yes, that is just what I wanted to hear," said the grandmother,and the deep expression of trouble passed from her face. Heidi lookedat her thoughtfully for a minute or two and then said, "healing meansthat which cures everything and makes everybody well, doesn't it,Grandmother?"
"Yes, that is it," replied the old woman with a nod of assent, "andwe may be sure everything will come to pass according to God's goodpurpose."
When the evening came, Heidi returned home up the mountain. The starscame out overhead one by one, so bright and sparkling that each seemedto send a fresh ray of joy into her heart.
Not only were the nights of this month of May so clear and bright, butthe days as well; the sun rose every morning into the cloudless sky, asundimmed in its splendor as when it sank the evening before, and thegrandfather would look out early and exclaim with astonishment, "Thisis indeed a wonderful year of sun; it will make all the shrubs andplants grow apace; you will have to see, General, that your army doesnot get out of hand from overfeeding." And Peter would swing his stickwith an air of assurance and an expression on his face as much as tosay, "I'll see to that."
So May passed, everything growing greener and greener, and then camethe month of June, with a hotter sun and long, light days, that broughtthe flowers out all over the mountain, so that every spot was brightwith them and the air full of their sweet scents. This month too wasdrawing to its close when one day Heidi, having finished her householdduties, ran out with the intention of paying first a visit to the firtrees, and then going up higher to see if the bush of rock roses wasyet in bloom, for its flowers were so lovely when standing open in thesun. But just as she was turning the corner of the hut, she gave such aloud cry that her grandfather came running out of the shed to see whathad happened.
"Grandfather, Grandfather!" she cried, beside herself with excitement."Come here! look! look!"
The old man was by her side by this time and looked in the direction ofher outstretched hand.
A strange-looking procession was making its way up the mountain;in front were two men carrying a sedan chair, in which sat a girlwell wrapped up in shawls; then followed a horse, mounted by astately-looking lady who was looking about her with great interest andtalking to the guide who walked beside her; then a reclining chair,which was being pushed up by another man, it having evidently beenthought safer to send the invalid to whom it belonged up the steep pathin a sedan chair. The procession wound up with a porter, with such abundle of cloaks, shawls, and furs on his back that it rose well abovehis head.
"Here they come! here they come!" shouted Heidi, jumping with joy. Andsure enough it was the party from Frankfurt; the figures came nearerand nearer, and at last they had actually arrived. The men in front putdown their burden, Heidi rushed forward and the two children embracedeach other with mutual delight. Grandmamma having also reached the top,dismounted, and gave Heidi an affectionate greeting, before turning tothe grandfather, who had meanwhile come up to welcome his guests. Therewas no constraint about the meeting, for they both knew each otherperfectly well from hearsay and felt like old acquaintances.
After the first words of greeting had been exchanged grandmamma brokeout into lively expressions of admiration. "What a magnificentresidence you have, Uncle! I could hardly have believed it was sobeautiful! A king might well envy you! And how well my little Heidilooks--like a wild rose!" she continued, drawing the child towards herand stroking her fresh pink cheeks. "I don't know which way to lookfirst, it is all so lovely! What do you say to it, Clara, what do yousay?"
Clara was gazing round entranced; she had never imagined, much lessseen, anything so beautiful. She gave vent to her delight in cries ofjoy. "O Grandmamma," she said, "I should like to remain here for ever."
The grandfather had meanwhile drawn up the invalid chair and spreadsome of the wraps over it; he now went up to Clara.
"Supposing we carry the little daughter now to her accustomed chair;I think she will be more comfortable, the travelling sedan is ratherhard," he said, and without waiting for any one to help him he liftedthe child in his strong arms and laid her gently down on her own couch.He then covered her over carefully and arranged her feet on the softcushion, as if he had never done anything all his life but wait oncripples. The grandmamma looked on with surprise.
"My dear Uncle," she exclaimed, "if I knew where you had learned tonurse I would at once send all the nurses I know to the same place thatthey might handle their patients in like manner. How do you come toknow so much?"
Uncle smiled. "I know more from experience than training," he answered,but as he spoke the smile died away and a look of sadness passed overhis face. The vision rose before him of a face of suffering that he hadknown long years before, the face of a man lying crippled on his couchof pain, and unable to move a limb. The man had been his captain duringthe fierce fighting in Sicily; he had found him lying wounded and hadcarried him away, and after that the captain would suffer no one elsenear him, and Uncle had stayed and nursed him till his sufferings endedin death. It all came back to Uncle now, and it seemed natural to himto attend the sick Clara and to show her all those kindly attentionswith which he had once been so familiar.
"O Heidi, if only I could walk about with you," said Clara longingly,"if I could but go and look at the fir trees and at everything I knowso well from your description, although I have never been here before."
Heidi in response put out all her strength, and after a slight effort,managed to wheel Clara's chair quite easily round the hut to the firtrees. There they paused. Clara had never seen such trees before, withtheir tall, straight stems, and long, thick branches growing thickerand thicker till they touched the ground. Even the grandmamma, who hadfollowed the children, was astonished at the sight of them.
Heidi had now wheeled Clara toward the goat shed, and had flung openthe door, so that Clara might have a full view of the inside. Claralamented to her grandmother that they would have to leave early beforethe goats came home. "I should so like to have seen Peter and his wholeflock."
"Oh, the flowers!" exclaimed Clara. "Look at the bushes of red flowers,and all the nodding blue bells! Oh, if I could but get out and picksome!"
Heidi ran off at once and picked her a large nosegay of them.
"But these are nothing, Clara," she said, laying the flowers on herlap. "If you could come up higher to where the goats are feeding, thenyou would indeed see something! Bushes on bushes of the red centaury,and ever so many more of the blue-bell flowers; and then the brightyellow rock roses, that gleam like pure gold, and all crowding togetherin the one spot. And then there are others with the large leaves thatgrandfather calls Bright Eyes, and the brown ones with little roundheads that smell so delicious. Oh, it is beautiful up there, and if yousit down among them you never want to get up again, everything looksand smells so lovely!"
Heidi's eyes sparkled with the remembrance of what she was describing;she was longing herself to see it all again, and Clara caught herenthusiasm and looked back at her with equal longing in her soft blueeyes.
"Grandmamma, do you think I could get up there? Is it possible forme to go?" she asked eagerly. "If only I could walk, climb abouteverywhere with you, Heidi!"
"I am sure I could push you up, the chair goes so easily," said Heidi,and in proof of her words, she sent the chair at such a pace round thecorner that it nearly went flying down the mountain-side. Grandmammabeing at hand, however, stopped it in time.
The grandfather, meantime, had not been idle. He had by this time putthe table and extra chairs in front of the seat, so that they might allsit out here and eat the dinner that was preparing inside. The milkand the cheese were soon ready, and then the company sat down in highspirits to their mid-day meal.
Grandmamma was enchanted, as the doctor had been, with theirdining-room, whence one could see far along the valley, and far overthe mountains to the farthest stretch of blue sky. A light wind blewrefreshingly over them as they sat at table, and the rustling of thefir trees made a festive accompaniment to the repast.
"I never enjoyed anything as much as this. It is really superb!" criedgrandmamma two or three times over; and then suddenly in a tone ofsurprise, "Do I really see you taking a second piece of toasted cheese,Clara!"
There, sure enough, was a second golden-colored slice of cheese onClara's plate.
"Oh, it does taste so nice, Grandmamma--better than all the dishes wehave at Ragatz," replied Clara, as she continued eating with appetite.
"That's right, eat what you can!" exclaimed Uncle. "It's the mountainair, which makes up for the deficiencies of the kitchen."
And so the meal went on. Grandmamma and Alm-Uncle got on very welltogether, and their conversation became more and more lively. They wereso thoroughly agreed in their opinions of men and things and the worldin general that they might have been taken for old cronies. The timepassed merrily, and then grandmamma looked towards the west and said,--
"We must soon get ready to go, Clara, the sun is a good way down; themen will be here directly with the horse and sedan."
Clara's face fell, and she said beseechingly, "Oh, just another hour,Grandmamma, or two hours. We haven't seen inside the hut yet, orHeidi's bed, or any of the other things. If only the day was ten hourslong!"
"Well, that is not possible," said grandmamma, but she herself wasanxious to see inside the hut, so they all rose from the table andUncle wheeled Clara's chair to the door. But there they came to astandstill, for the chair was much too broad to pass through the door.Uncle, however, soon settled the difficulty by lifting Clara in hisstrong arms and carrying her inside.
Grandmamma went all round and examined the household arrangements, andwas very much amused and pleased at their orderliness and the cozyappearance of everything. "And this is your bedroom up here, Heidi, isit not?" she asked, as without fear she mounted the ladder to the hayloft. "Oh, it does smell sweet, what a healthy place to sleep in." Shewent up to the round window and looked out, and grandfather followed upwith Clara in his arms, Heidi springing up after them. Then they allstood and examined Heidi's wonderful hay-bed, and grandmamma lookedthoughtfully at it and drew in from time to time fragrant draughts ofthe hay-perfumed air, while Clara was charmed beyond words with thesleeping apartment.
"It is delightful for you up here, Heidi! You can look from your bedstraight into the sky, and then such a delicious smell all round you!and outside the fir trees waving and rustling! I have never seen such apleasant, cheerful bedroom before."
Uncle looked across at the grandmamma. "I have been thinking," hesaid to her, "that if you were willing to agree to it, your littlegranddaughter might remain up here, and I am sure she would growstronger. You have brought up all kinds of shawls and covers with you,and we could make up a soft bed out of them, and as to looking afterthe child, you need have no fear, for I will see to that."
Clara and Heidi were as overjoyed at these words as if they weretwo birds let out of their cages, and grandmamma's face beamed withsatisfaction.
"You are indeed kind, my dear Uncle," she exclaimed. "I was justthinking myself that a stay up here might be the very thing she wanted.But then the trouble, the inconvenience to yourself! And you speak ofnursing and looking after her as if it were a mere nothing! I thank yousincerely, I thank you from my whole heart, Uncle." And she took hishand and gave it a long and grateful shake, which he returned with apleased expression of countenance.
Uncle immediately set to work to get things ready. He carried Claraback to her chair outside, Heidi following, not knowing how to jumphigh enough into the air to express her contentment. Then he gatheredup a whole pile of shawls and furs and said, smiling, "It is a goodthing that grandmamma came up well provided for a winter's campaign; weshall be able to make good use of these."
The two had meanwhile ascended to the hay-loft and begun to prepare abed; there were so many articles piled one over the other that whenfinished it looked like a regular little fortress. Grandmamma passedher hand carefully over it to make sure that there were no bits of haysticking out. "If there's a bit that can come through it will," shesaid. The soft mattress, however, was so smooth and thick that nothingcould penetrate it. Then they went down again well satisfied, and foundthe children laughing and talking together and arranging all they weregoing to do from morning till evening as long as Clara stayed. Thenext question was how long she was to remain, and first grandmamma wasasked, but she referred them to the grandfather, who gave it as hisopinion that she ought to make trial of the mountain air for at leasta month. The children clapped their hands for joy, for they had notexpected to be together for so long a time.
The bearers and the horse and guide were now seen approaching; theformer were sent back at once, and grandmamma prepared to mount for herreturn journey.
"It's not saying good-bye, Grandmamma," Clara called out, "for you willcome up now and then and see how we are getting on, and we shall solook forward to your visits."
Grandmamma mounted her sturdy animal, and Uncle took the bridle to leadher down the steep mountain path; she begged him not to come far withher, but he insisted on seeing her safely as far as Doerfli, for theway was precipitous and not without danger for the rider, he said.
Grandmamma did not care to stay alone in Doerfli, and therefore decidedto return to Ragatz, and thence to make excursions up the mountain fromtime to time.
Peter came down with his goats before Uncle had returned. As soon asthe animals caught sight of Heidi they all came flocking towards her,and she, as well as Clara on her couch, were soon surrounded by thegoats, pushing and poking their heads one over the other, while Heidiintroduced each in turn by its name to her friend Clara.
It was not long before the latter had made the long-wished-foracquaintance of little Snowflake, the lively Greenfinch, and thewell-behaved goats belonging to grandfather, as well as of the manyothers, including the Grand Turk. Peter meanwhile stood apart lookingon, and casting somewhat unfriendly glances towards Clara.
When the two children called out, "Good-evening, Peter," he made noanswer, but swung his stick angrily, as if wanting to cut the air intwo, and then ran off with his goats after him.
The climax to all the beautiful things that Clara had already seen uponthe mountain came at the close of the day.
As she lay on the large, soft bed in the hay loft, with Heidi near her,she looked out through the round, open window right into the middle ofthe shining clusters of stars, and she exclaimed in delight,--
"Heidi, it's just as if we were in a high carriage and were going todrive straight into heaven."
"Yes, and do you know why the stars are so happy and look down and nodto us like that?" asked Heidi.
"No, why is it?" Clara asked in return.
"Because they live up in heaven, and know how well God arrangeseverything for us, so that we need have no more fear or trouble andmay be quite sure that all things will come right in the end. But thenwe must never forget to pray, and to ask God to remember us when Heis arranging things, so that we too may feel safe and have no anxietyabout what is going to happen."
The two children now sat up and said their prayers, and then Heidi puther head down on her little round arm and fell off to sleep at once,but Clara lay awake some time, for she could not get over the wonderof this new experience of being in bed up here among the stars. Shehad indeed seldom seen a star, for she never went outside the house atnight, and the curtains at home were always drawn before the stars cameout. Each time she closed her eyes she felt she must open them again tosee if the two very large stars were still looking in, and nodding toher as Heidi said they did. There they were, always in the same place.At last her eyes closed of their own accord, and it was only in herdreams that she still saw the two large, friendly stars shining downupon her.