The next morning the doctor climbed up from Dorfli with Peter and thegoats. The kindly gentleman tried now and then to enter into conversation withthe boy, but his attempts failed, for he could hardly get a word out of Peter in answer to his questions. Peter was not easily persuaded to talk. So the party silently made their way up to the hut, where they found Heidi awaiting them with her two goats, all three as fresh and lively as the morning sun among the mountains.
"Are you coming to-day?" said Peter, repeating the words with which he daily greeted her, either in question or in summons.
"Of course I am, if the doctor is coming too," replied Heidi.
Peter cast a sidelong glance at the doctor. The grandfather now came out with the dinner bag, and after bidding good-day to the doctor he went up to Peter and slung it over his neck. It was heavier than usual, for Alm-Uncle had added some meat to-day, as he thought the doctor might like to have his lunch out and eat it when the children did. Peter gave a grin, for he felt sure there was something more than ordinary in it.
And so the ascent began. The goats as usual came thronging around Heidi,each trying to be nearest her, until at last she stood still and said, "Now youmust go on in front and behave properly, and not keep on turning back andpushing and poking me, for I want to talk to the doctor," and she gaveSnowflake a little pat on the back and told her to be good and obedient. Bydegrees she managed to make her way out from among them and joined the doctor,who took her by the hand. He had no difficulty now in conversing with hiscompanion, for Heidi had a great deal to say about the goats and theirpeculiarities, and about the flowers and the rocks and the birds, and so theyclambered on and reached their resting-place before they were aware. Peter hadsent a good many unfriendly glances towards the doctor on the way up, whichmight have quite alarmed the latter if he had happened to notice them, which,fortunately, he did not.
Heidi now led her friend to her favorite spot where she was accustomedto sit and enjoy the beauty around her; the doctor followed her example andtook his seat beside her on the warm grass. Over the heights and over the fargreen valley hung the golden glory of the autumn day. The great snow-fieldsparkled in the bright sunlight, and the two grey rocky peaks rose in theirancient majesty against the dark blue sky. A soft, light morning breeze blewdeliciously across the mountain, gently stirring the bluebells that stillremained of the summer's wealth of flowers, their slender heads noddingcheerfully in the sunshine. Overhead the great bird was flying round and roundin wide circles, but to-day he made no sound; poised on his large wings hefloated contentedly in the blue ether. Heidi looked about her first at onething and then at another. The waving flowers, the blue sky, the brightsunshine, the happy bird—everything was so beautiful! so beautiful! Her eyes were alight with joy.And now she turned to her friend to see if he too were enjoying the beauty. Thedoctor had been sitting thoughtfully gazing around him. As he met her gladbright eyes, "Yes, Heidi," he responded, "I see how lovely it all is, but tellme—if one brings a sad heart up here, how may it be healed so that it canrejoice in all this beauty?"
"Oh, but," exclaimed Heidi, "no one is sad up here, only in Frankfurt."
The doctor smiled and then growing serious again he continued, "Butsupposing one is not able to leave all the sadness behind at Frankfurt; can youtell me anything that will help then?"
"When you do not know what more to do you must go and tell everything toGod," answered Heidi with decision.
"Ah, that is a good thought of yours, Heidi," said the doctor. "But if it is God Himself who has sent the trouble, what can we say to Him then?"
Heidi sat pondering for a while; she was sure in her heart that God could help out of every trouble. She thought over her own experiences and then found her answer.
YOU ARE READING
Heidi by Johanna Spyri
Teen Fiction"Heidi" is a delightful story for children of life in the Alps, one of many tales written by the Swiss authoress, Johanna Spyri, who died in her home at Zurich in 1891. She had been well known to the younger readers of her own country since 1880...
