‘That’s silly,’ said Bridget. ‘I can’t possibly take it from you. It’s a very smart hat, and if you really don’t want it, perhaps the schoolmaster’s daughter would buy it from you.’ Heidi said no more, but put the hat away in a corner out of sight. Then she took off her pretty dress, and put the old red scarf on over her petticoat.
‘Goodbye, Grannie. I must go on to Grandfather now, but I’ll come and see you again tomorrow.’
Grannie hugged her as if she could not bear to let her go.
‘Why have you taken off your pretty frock?’ asked Bridget.
‘I’d rather go to Grandfather like this, otherwise he might not recognize me. You hardly knew me in it.’
Bridget went outside with her. ‘You could have kept it on,’ she said, ‘he’d have known you all right. But you be careful. Peter says Uncle Alp is so bad‐tempered now, and never speaks to him.’
Heidi said goodbye and went on her way. The evening sun shone rosily on the mountains, and she kept turning round to look at them, for they lay behind her as she climbed. Everything seemed even more beautiful than she had expected. The twin peaks of Falkniss, snow‐covered Scesaplana, the pasture land, and the valley below were all red and gold, and there were little pink clouds floating in the sky. It was so lovely, Heidi stood with tears pouring down her cheeks, and thanked God for letting her come home to it again. She could find no words to express her feelings, but lingered until the light began to fade and then ran on. Soon she could see the tops of the fir trees, then the roof, then the whole hut and last Grandfather himself, sitting on the bench outside and smoking his pipe, just as he used to do. Before he had time to see who it was, she had dropped her basket on the ground and flung her arms around him, crying, ‘Grandfather, Grandfather.’ She could say no more, and he couldn’t speak at all. For the first time in years, his eyes were wet with tears and he had to brush his hand over them. Then he loosened her arms from his neck and set her on his knee.
‘So you’ve come back, Heidi,’ he said. ‘Why’s that, eh? And you don’t look so very grand either. Did they send you away?’
‘Oh no, Grandfather, don’t think that. Clara and her father and Grandmamma were all very kind to me. But I was very homesick. I used to get a lump in my throat, as if I was choking. But I didn’t say anything, because they would have thought I was not grateful. Then suddenly Mr Sesemann called me very early one morning — but I think the doctor had something to do with it. Oh, I expect it’s all in the letter.’ She jumped down and ran to fetch the letter and the fat packet.
‘The packet is for you,’ he said, laying it on the bench. Then he read the letter and put it in his pocket without a word.
‘Do you think you could drink some milk, Heidi?’ he asked, preparing to go indoors with her. ‘Bring the packet with you. There’s money in it for you to buy a bed and any clothes you may need.’
‘I don’t want it,’ said Heidi gaily. ‘I’ve got a bed already, and Clara gave me so many clothes I’m sure I shall never want any more.’
‘Bring it in all the same, and put it in the cupboard,’ said Uncle Alp. ‘You’ll find a use for it one day.’
Heidi brought it indoors. She looked round eagerly at everything, then climbed up to the loft. ‘Oh, my bed’s gone,’ she cried, very disappointed.
‘We can soon make it again,’ he called up. ‘I didn’t know you’d be coming back. Now come and have some milk.’
She sat down on her old high chair and drained her mug as though she had never tasted anything so delicious in her life. Then she drew a deep breath and said, ‘There’s nothing as good as our milk anywhere in the world.’
There came a shrill whistle then, and Heidi shot out of the door to see Peter coming down the path, surrounded by his lively goats. When he caught sight of her, he stopped dead and stared in astonishment.
‘Hullo, Peter,’ she called and ran towards him. ‘Oh, there’s Daisy and Dusky. Do you remember me?’ They did indeed seem to recognize her voice, and rubbed their heads against her, bleating. She called the other goats by name and they all came crowding round her. Impatient Finch jumped clean over two other animals to reach her, and even shy Snowflake pressed forward and butted big Turk to one side. Turk was very surprised and tossed his head as if to say, ‘Look what you’re doing!’ Heidi was delighted to see them all again. She put an arm round one and patted another. The animals pushed her this way and that with their affectionate nudgings, but at last she came to Peter’s side.
‘Aren’t you going to say hallo to me?’ she asked.
He recovered himself then and said, ‘So you’re back again,’ adding, as he always used to in the old days, ‘Coming up with me tomorrow?’
‘Not tomorrow, but perhaps the day after. I must go and see Grannie tomorrow.’
‘I’m glad you’re back,’ he said, with a wide grin, and prepared to move on, but he found it very difficult to get the goats together again. He called and scolded, but as soon as he had gathered them round him, they all turned to follow Heidi who was taking Daisy and Dusky towards their stall, with an arm thrown round each. She had to go right inside with them and shut the door, before Peter could get the rest of the herd on the move.
When she went indoors again she found her grandfather had made her a lovely sweet‐smelling bed, with hay which had not long been gathered in, and had covered it comfortably with clean linen sheets. When she lay down in it a little later, she slept as she had not done all the time she had been away.
During the night Uncle Alp went up to the loft at least ten times to make sure she was all right, and to see that the round hole in the wall was still stopped with hay to prevent the moonlight shining on her face. But Heidi did not stir. She slept soundly all night long, satisfied through and through. She was home again. She had seen the sun setting on the mountains. She had heard the wind whistling through the fir trees.
14
When the Church Bells Ring
Heidi stood under the swaying trees, waiting for her grandfather to go down the mountain with her. He was going to fetch her trunk from Dörfli while she visited Grannie. She was eager to get there, to hear how she had enjoyed the rolls but, listening to the familiar rustling of the trees with her eyes resting on the distant green pastures, she did not grow impatient.
Presently he came out of the hut and took a last look round. It was Saturday, the day when he always cleaned the whole place, inside and out, and tidied up generally. He had worked hard all the morning so that he would be free to go with Heidi in the afternoon, and now everything looked spick and span so he could leave it with a clear conscience. ‘Now we can go,’ he said.
They parted company outside the little house where Peter lived, and Heidi went in there. Grannie heard her step at once, and called affectionately, ‘Is that you, child?’ She took Heidi’s hand and held it tightly as if she was afraid of losing her again.
‘How did you like the rolls?’ asked Heidi at once.
‘Oh, they taste good! I feel better already.’
‘Grannie’s so anxious to make them last that she would only eat one last night and another this morning,’ put in Bridget. ‘If she has one every day for the next ten days, I’m sure she’ll get back her strength.’
Heidi listened thoughtfully and an idea came to her. ‘I know what I’ll do, Grannie,’ she cried. ‘I’ll write to Clara. I’m sure she’ll send me more rolls. I’d saved lots and lots for you, but they were all thrown away, and then Clara promised she’d give me as many as I wanted. She’ll keep her word, I know.’