‘Have you nearly finished?’ Uncle Alp interrupted her, having listened so far in silence.
Detie tossed her head in exasperation. ‘Anyone would think I’d been telling you something quite unimportant,’ she said. ‘There’s no one else in the whole district who wouldn’t be thankful to hear such a piece of news.’
‘Tell them then,’ he said drily, ‘it doesn’t interest me.’
Detie flew up like a rocket at these words. ‘If that’s what you think, let me tell you something more. The child will soon be eight and she doesn’t know a thing and you won’t let her learn. Oh yes, they told me in Dörfli about your not sending her to school or to church. But she’s my sister’s child and I’m still responsible for her welfare. And when the chance of such good fortune has come her way, only a person who doesn’t care what happens to anyone could want to keep her from it. But I shan’t let you, I warn you, and everyone in Dörfli’s on my side. Also I’d advise you to think twice before taking the matter to court. You might find things being remembered which you’d rather forget. There’s no knowing what may come to light in a court of law.’
‘That’s enough,’ thundered the old man, with his eyes ablaze. ‘Take her then and spoil her. But don’t ever bring her back to me. I don’t want to see her with a feather in her hat or hear her talk as you have done today.’ And he strode out of the hut.
‘You’ve made Grandfather angry,’ said Heidi, giving her aunt a far‐from‐friendly look.
‘He’ll get over it,’ said Detie. ‘Come on now, where are your clothes?’
‘I’m not coming,’ said Heidi.
‘Don’t talk nonsense,’ snapped her aunt, but continued in a coaxing tone, ‘you don’t know what a good time you’re going to have.’ She went to the cupboard and took out Heidi’s things and made them into a bundle. ‘Put your hat on. It’s pretty shabby, but it’ll have to do. Hurry now, we must be off.’
‘I’m not coming,’ Heidi repeated.
‘Don’t be stupid and obstinate like one of those old goats!’ snapped Detie again. ‘I suppose it’s from them you’ve learned such behaviour. Just you try to understand now. You saw how angry your grandfather was. You heard him say he didn’t want to see us again. He wants you to go with me, so you’d better obey if you don’t want to make him angrier still. Besides you can’t think how nice it is in Frankfurt and how much there is going on there. And if you don’t like it you can always come back here. Grandfather will be in a better mood by then.’
‘Could I come straight back again this evening?’ asked Heidi.
‘Well, no. We shall only get as far as Mayenfeld today. Tomorrow we’ll go on by train, but you can always get back the same way if you want to come home. It doesn’t take long.’ Detie caught hold of Heidi with one hand, and tucked the bundle of clothes under the other arm, and so they set off down the mountain.
It was still too early in the year for Peter to be taking the goats up to the pasture, so he was at school in Dörfli — or should have been. But every now and then he played truant, for he thought school a great waste of time and could see no point in trying to learn to read. He liked much better to wander off and gather wood, which was always needed. On this particular day he was just coming home with an enormous bundle of hazel twigs when he saw Heidi and Detie. ‘Where are you going?’ he asked, as they came up to him.
‘I’m going to Frankfurt on a visit with Auntie,’ said Heidi, ‘but I’ll come in and see Grannie first. She’ll be expecting me.’
‘No, you won’t, there’s no time for that,’ said Detie firmly, as Heidi tried to pull her hand away. ‘You can go and see her when you come back.’ And she kept tight hold of her and hurried on. She was afraid Heidi would change her mind again, if she went in there, and the old woman would certainly take her side. Peter rushed into the cottage and flung his sticks on the table as hard as he could. He just had to relieve his feelings somehow. Grannie jumped up in alarm and cried, ‘Whatever’s that noise?’ His mother, who had almost been knocked out of her chair, said in her usual patient voice, ‘What’s the matter, Peterkin? Why are you so wild?’
‘She’s taking Heidi away,’ he shouted.
‘Who is? Where are they going?’ asked Grannie anxiously, though she could guess the answer, for her daughter had seen Detie pass on her way up to Uncle Alp’s, and had told her about it then. Now she opened the window and called beseechingly, ‘Don’t take the child away from us, Detie!’ But they had hurried on, and though they heard her voice, they couldn’t make out the words, but Detie guessed what they were and pulled Heidi along as fast as she could go.
‘That was Grannie calling. I want to go and see her,’ said Heidi, trying again to free her hand.
‘We can’t stop for that, we’re late as it is,’ retorted Detie. ‘We don’t want to miss the train. Just you think of the wonderful time you’ll have in Frankfurt, and when you come back again — if indeed you ever want to, once you’re there — you can bring a present for Grannie.’
‘Can I really?’ Heidi asked, pleased with this idea. ‘What could I get for her?’
‘Something nice to eat perhaps. I expect she’d like the soft white rolls they have in town. She must find black bread almost too hard to eat now.’
‘Yes, she does. I’ve seen her give her piece to Peter because she couldn’t bite it. Let’s hurry, Detie. Can we get to Frankfurt today? Then I could come back at once with the rolls.’ She started to run so fast that Detie, hampered by the bundle of clothes under her arm, found it hard work to keep up with her. But she was glad to get along so quickly because they were coming to Dörfli where she knew people would start asking questions in a way which might upset the child again.
Sure enough as they went through the village, remarks came from all sides. ‘Is she running away from Uncle Alp?’ ‘Fancy, she’s still alive!’ ‘She looks well enough.’ To all questions Detie replied, ‘I can’t stop to talk. You can see we’re in a great hurry and we’ve a long way to go.’ She was thankful when they had left the village behind. Heidi didn’t say another word, but ran on as quickly as she could.
From that day Uncle Alp grew more silent and forbidding than ever. On the rare occasions when he passed through Dörfli with his basket of cheeses on his back and a heavy stick in his hand, mothers kept their children well out of the way, for he looked so wild. He never spoke to anyone, but went on down to the valley, where he sold his wares and bought bread and meat with the proceeds. People used to gather in little groups after he had passed, gossiping about his strange looks and behaviour. They all agreed it was a mercy that the child had escaped from him and reminded one another how fast she had been running down the mountain, as if she had been afraid he was coming after them to fetch her back.