I do not need them," said the child, not seeming in the least repentant of her deed.[32]"How can you be so stupid, Heidi? Have you lost your senses?" the aunt went on, in a tone of mingled vexation and reproach. "Who do you think will go way down there to fetch those things up again? It is half-an-hour's walk. Please, Peter, run down and get them. Do not stand and stare at me as if you were glued to the spot."
"I am late already," replied Peter, and stood without moving from the place where, with his hands in his trousers' pockets, he had
witnessed the violent outbreak of Heidi's aunt.
"There you are, standing and staring, but that won't get you further," said Deta. "I'll give you this if you go down." With that she held a five-penny-piece under his eyes. That made Peter start and in a great hurry he ran down the straightest path. He arrived again in so short a time that Deta had to praise him and gave him her little coin without delay. He did not often get such a treasure, and therefore his face was beaming and he laughingly dropped the money deep into his pocket.
[33]"If you are going up to the uncle, as we are, you can carry the pack till we get there," said Deta. They still had to climb a steep ascent that lay behind Peter's hut. The boy readily took the things and followed Deta, his left arm holding the bundle and his right swinging the stick. Heidi jumped along gaily by his side with the goats.
After three quarters of an hour they reached the height where the hut of the old man stood on a prominent rock, exposed to every wind, but bathed in the full sunlight. From there you could gaze far down into the valley. Behind the hut stood three old fir-trees with great shaggy branches. Further back the old grey rocks rose high and sheer. Above them you could see green and fertile pastures, till at last the stony boulders reached the bare, steep cliffs.
Overlooking the valley the uncle had made himself a bench, by the side of the hut. Here he sat, with his pipe between his teeth and both hands resting on his knees. He quietly watched the children climbing up [34]with the goats and Aunt Deta behind them, for the children had caught up to her long ago. Heidi reached the top first, and approaching the old man she held out her hand to him and said: "Good evening, grandfather!"
"Well, well, what does that mean?" replied the old man in a rough voice. Giving her his hand for only a moment, he watched her
with a long and penetrating look from under his bushy brows. Heidi gazed back at him with an unwinking glance and examined
him with much curiosity, for he was strange to look at, with his thick, grey beard and shaggy eyebrows, that met in the middle like a
thicket.
Heidi's aunt had arrived in the meantime with Peter, who was eager to see what was going to happen.
7
"Good-day to you, uncle," said Deta as she approached. "This is Tobias's and Adelheid's child. You won't be able to remember her, because last time you saw her she was scarcely a year old."
"Why do you bring her here?" asked the [35]uncle, and turning to Peter he said: "Get away and bring my goats. How late you are already!"
Peter obeyed and disappeared on the spot; the uncle had looked at him in such a manner that he was glad to go.
"Uncle, I have brought the little girl for you to keep," said Deta. "I have done my share these last four years and now it is your turn
to provide for her."
The old man's eyes flamed with anger. "Indeed!" he said. "What on earth shall I do, when she begins to whine and cry for you? Small children always do, and then I'll be helpless."
"You'll have to look out for that!" Deta retorted. "When the little baby was left in my hands a few years ago, I had to find out how to care for the little innocent myself and nobody told me anything. I already had mother on my hands and there was plenty for me to
do. You can't blame me if I want to earn some money now. If you can't keep the child, you can do [36]with her whatever you please. If she comes to harm you are responsible and I am sure you do not want to burden your conscience any further."
Deta had said more in her excitement than she had intended, just because her conscience was not quite clear. The uncle had risen during her last words and now he gave her such a look that she retreated a few steps. Stretching out his arm in a commanding ges-ture, he said to her: "Away with you! Begone! Stay wherever you came from and don't venture soon again into my sight!"
Deta did not have to be told twice. She said "Good-bye" to Heidi and "Farewell" to the uncle, and started down the mountain. Like steam her excitement seemed to drive her forward, and she ran down at a tremendous rate. The people in the village called to her now more than they had on her way up, because they all were wondering where she had left the child. They were well acquainted with both and knew [37]their history. When she heard from door and windows: "Where is the child?" "Where have you left her, Deta?" and so forth, she answered more and more reluctantly: "Up with the Alm-Uncle,--with the Alm-Uncle!" She became much provoked because the women called to her from every side: "How could you do it?" "The poor little creature!" "The idea of leaving such a helpless child up there!" and, over and over again: "The poor little dear!" Deta ran as quickly as she could and was glad when she heard no more calls, because, to tell the truth, she herself was uneasy. Her mother had asked her on her deathbed to care for
Heidi. But she consoled herself with the thought that she would be able to do more for the child if she could earn some money. She
was very glad to go away from people who interfered in her affairs, and looked forward with great delight to her new place.
[38] IIToC
WITH THE GRANDFATHER
fter Deta had disappeared, the Uncle sat down again on the bench, blowing big clouds of smoke out of his pipe. He did not speak, but kept his eyes fastened on the ground. In the meantime Heidi looked about her, and discovering the goat-shed, peeped in. Nothing could be seen inside. Searching for some more interesting thing, she saw the three old fir-trees behind the hut. Here the wind was roaring through the branches and the tree-tops were swaying to and fro. Heidi stood still to listen. After the wind had ceased somewhat, she walked round the hut back to her grandfather. She found him in exactly the same position, and planting herself in front
of the old man, with arms folded behind her back, she gazed at him. The grandfather, looking up, saw the child standing motionless before [39]him. "What do you want to do now?" he asked her.
"I want to see what's in the hut," replied Heidi.
"Come then," and with that the grandfather got up and entered the cottage.
"Take your things along," he commanded.
8
"I do not want them any more," answered Heidi.
The old man, turning about, threw a penetrating glance at her. The child's black eyes were sparkling in expectation of all the things to come. "She is not lacking in intelligence," he muttered to himself. Aloud he added: "Why don't you need them any more?"
"I want to go about like the light-footed goats!"
"All right, you can; but fetch the things and we'll put them in the cupboard." The child obeyed the command. The old man now opened the door, and Heidi followed him into a fairly spacious room, which took in the entire expanse of the hut. In one corner stood a table and a chair, and in [40]another the grandfather's bed. Across the room a large kettle was suspended over
