heidi-第12章

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；　run　quickly！〃

Brigitta　ran　out。　But　the　children　had　taken　but　a　few　steps　before　they　saw　the　grandfather　coming　down　to　meet　them；　and　in　another　minute　his　long　strides　had　brought　him　to　their　side。

〃That's　right；　Heidi；　you　have　kept　your　word；〃　said　the　grandfather；　and　then　wrapping　the　sack　firmly　round　her　he　lifted　her　in　his　arms　and　strode　off　with　her　up　the　mountain。　Brigitta　was　just　in　time　to　see　him　do　all　this；　and　on　her　return　to　the　hut　with　Peter　expressed　her　astonishment　to　the　grandmother。　The　latter　was　equally　surprised；　and　kept　on　saying；　〃God　be　thanked　that　he　is　good　to　the　child；　God　be　thanked！　Will　he　let　her　come　to　me　again；　I　wonder！　the　child　has　done　me　so　much　good。　What　a　loving　little　heart　it　is；　and　how　merrily　she　tells　her　tale！〃　And　she　continued　to　dwell　with　delight　on　the　thought　of　the　child　until　she　went　to　bed；　still　saying　now　and　again；　〃If　only　she　will　come　again！　Now　I　have　really　something　left　in　the　world　to　take　pleasure　in。〃　And　Brigitta　agreed　with　all　her　mother　said；　and　Peter　nodded　his　head　in　approval　each　time　his　grandmother　spoke；　saying；　with　a　broad　smile　of　satisfaction；　〃I　told　you　so！〃

Meanwhile　Heidi　was　chattering　away　to　her　grandfather　from　inside　her　sack；　her　voice；　however；　could　not　reach　him　through　the　many　thick　folds　of　her　wrap；　and　as　therefore　it　was　impossible　to　understand　a　word　she　was　saying；　he　called　to　her；　〃Wait　till　we　get　home；　and　then　you　can　tell　me　all　about　it。〃　They　had　no　sooner　got　inside　the　hut　than　Heidi；　having　been　released　from　her　covering；　at　once　began　what　she　had　to　say；　〃Grandfather；　to…morrow　we　must　take　the　hammer　and　the　long　nails　and　fasten　grandmother's　shutter；　and　drive　in　a　lot　more　nails　in　other　places；　for　her　house　shakes　and　rattles　all　over。〃

〃We　must；　must　we？　who　told　you　that？〃　asked　her　grandfather。

〃Nobody　told　me；　but　I　know　it　for　all　that；〃　replied　Heidi；　〃for　everything　is　giving　way；　and　when　the　grandmother　cannot　sleep；　she　lies　trembling　for　fear　at　the　noise；　for　she　thinks　that　every　minute　the　house　will　fall　down　on　their　heads；　and　everything　now　is　dark　for　grandmother；　and　she　does　not　think　any　one　can　make　it　light　for　her　again；　but　you　will　be　able　to；　I　am　sure；　grandfather。　Think　how　dreadful　it　is　for　her　to　be　always　in　the　dark；　and　then　to　be　frightened　at　what　may　happen；　and　nobody　can　help　her　but　you。　To…morrow　we　must　go　and　help　her；　we　will；　won't　we；　grandfather？〃

The　child　was　clinging　to　the　old　man　and　looking　up　at　him　in　trustful　confidence。　The　grandfather　looked　down　at　Heidi　for　a　while　without　speaking；　and　then　said；　〃Yes；　Heidi；　we　will　do　something　to　stop　the　rattling；　at　least　we　can　do　that；　we　will　go　down　about　it　to…morrow！〃

The　child　went　skipping　round　the　room　for　joy；　crying　out；　〃We　shall　go　to…morrow！　we　shall　go　to…morrow！〃

The　grandfather　kept　his　promise。　On　the　following　afternoon　he　brought　the　sleigh　out　again；　and　as　on　the　previous　day；　he　set　Heidi　down　at　the　door　of　the　grandmother's　hut　and　said；　〃Go　in　now；　and　when　it　grows　dark；　come　out　again。〃　Then　he　put　the　sack　in　the　sleigh　and　went　round　the　house。

Heidi　had　hardly　opened　the　door　and　sprung　into　the　room　when　the　grandmother　called　out　from　her　corner；　〃It's　the　child　again！　here　she　comes！〃　and　in　her　delight　she　let　the　thread　drop　from　her　fingers；　and　the　wheel　stood　still　as　she　stretched　out　both　her　hands　in　welcome。　Heidi　ran　to　her；　and　then　quickly　drew　the　little　stool　close　up　to　the　old　woman；　and　seating　herself　upon　it；　began　to　tell　and　ask　her　all　kinds　of　things。　All　at　once　came　the　sound　of　heavy　blows　against　the　wall　of　the　hut　and　the　grandmother　gave　such　a　start　of　alarm　that　she　nearly　upset　the　spinning…wheel；　and　cried　in　a　trembling　voice；　〃Ah；　my　God；　now　it　is　coming；　the　house　is　going　to　fall　upon　us！〃　But　Heidi　caught　her　by　the　arm；　and　said　soothingly；　〃No；　no；　grandmother；　do　not　be　frightened；　it　is　only　grandfather　with　his　hammer；　he　is　mending　up　everything；　so　that　you　shan't　have　such　fear　and　trouble。〃

〃Is　it　possible！　is　it　really　possible！　so　the　dear　God　has　not　forgotten　us！〃　exclaimed　the　grandmother。　〃Do　you　hear；　Brigitta；　what　that　noise　is？　Did　you　hear　what　the　child　says？　Now；　as　I　listen；　I　can　tell　it　is　a　hammer；　go　outside；　Brigitta；　and　if　it　is　Alm…Uncle；　tell　him　he　must　come　inside　a　moment　that　I　may　thank　him。〃

Brigitta　went　outside　and　found　Alm…Uncle　in　the　act　of　fastening　some　heavy　pieces　of　new　wood　along　the　wall。　She　stepped　up　to　him　and　said；　〃Good…evening；　Uncle；　mother　and　I　have　to　thank　you　for　doing　us　such　a　kind　service；　and　she　would　like　to　tell　you　herself　how　grateful　she　is；　I　do　not　know　who　else　would　have　done　it　for　us；　we　shall　not　forget　your　kindness；　for　I　am　sure〃

〃That　will　do；〃　said　the　old　man；　interrupting　her。

I　know　what　you　think　of　Alm…Uncle　without　your　telling　me。　Go　indoors　again；　I　can　find　out　for　myself　where　the　mending　is　wanted。〃

Brigitta　obeyed　on　the　spot；　for　Uncle　had　a　way　with　him　that　made　few　people　care　to　oppose　his　will。　He　went　on　knocking　with　his　hammer　all　round　the　house；　and　then　mounted　the　narrow　steps　to　the　roof；　and　hammered　away　there；　until　he　had　used　up　all　the　nails　he　had　brought　with　him。　Meanwhile　it　had　been　growing　dark；　and　he　had　hardly　come　down　from　the　roof　and　dragged　the　sleigh　out　from　behind　the　goat…shed　when　Heidi　appeared　outside。　The　grandfather　wrapped　her　up　and　took　her　in　his　arms　as　he　had　done　the　day　before；　for　although　he　had　to　drag　the　sleigh　up　the　mountain　after　him；　he　feared　that　if　the　child　sat　in　it　alone　her　wrappings　would　fall　off　and　that　she　would　be　nearly　if　not　quite　frozen；　so　he　carried　her　warm　and　safe　in　his　arms。

So　the　winter　went　by。　After　many　years　of　joyless　life；　the　blind　grandmother　had　at　last　found　something　to　make　her　happy；　her　days　were　no　longer　passed　in　weariness　and　darkness；　one　like　the　other　without　pleasure　or　change；　for　now　she　had　always　something　to　which　she　could　look　forward。　She　listened　for　the　little　tripping　footstep　as　soon　as　day　had　come；　and　when　she　heard　the　door　open　and　knew　the　child　was　really　there；　she　would　call　out；　〃God　be　thanked；　she　has　come　again！〃　And　Heidi　would　sit　by　her　and　talk　and　tell　her　everything　she　knew　in　so　lively　a　manner　that　the　grandmother　never　noticed　how　the　time　went　by；　and　never　now　as　formerly　asked　Brigitta；　〃Isn't　the　day　done　yet？〃　but　as　the　child　shut　the　door　behind　her　on　leaving；　would　exclaim；　〃How　short　the　afternoon　has　seemed；　don't　you　think　so；　Brigitta？〃　And　this　one　would　answer；　〃I　do　indeed；　it　seems　as　if　I　had　only　just　cleared　away　the　mid…day　meal。〃　And　the　grandmother　would　continue；　〃Pray　God　the　child　is　not　taken　from　me；　and　that　Alm…Uncle　continues　to　let　her　come！　Does　she　look　well　and　strong；　Brigitta？〃　And　the　latter　would　answer；　〃She　looks　as　bright　and　rosy　as　an　apple。〃

And　Heidi　had　also　grown　very　fond　of　the　old　grandmother；　and　when　at　last　she　knew　for　certain　that　no　one　could　make　it　light　for　her　again；　she　was　overcome　with　sorrow；　but　the　grandmother　told　her　again　that　she　felt　the　darkness　much　less　when　Heidi　was　with　her；　and　so　every　fine　winter's　day　the　child　came　travelling　down　in　her　sleigh。　The　grandfather　always　took　her；　never　raising　any　objection；　indeed　he　always　carried　the　hammer　and　sundry　other　things　down　in　the　sleigh　with　him；　and　many　an　afternoon　was　spent　by　him　in　making　the　goatherd's　cottage　sound　and　tight。　It　no　longer　groaned　and　rattled　the　whole　night　through；　and　the　grandmother；　who　for　many　winters　had　not　been　able　to　sleep　in　peace　as　she　did　now；　said　she　should　never　forget　what　the　Uncle　had　done　for　her。



CHAPTER　V。　TWO　VISITS　AND　WHAT　CAME　OF　THEM

Quickly　the　winter　passed；　and　still　more　quickly　the　bright　glad　summer；　and　now　another　winter　was　drawing　to　its　close。　Heidi　was　still　as　light…hearted　and　happy　as　the　birds；　and　looked　forward　with　more　delight　each　day　to　the　coming　spring；　when　the　warm　south　wind　would　roar　through　the　fir　trees　and　blow　away　the　snow；　and　the　warm　sun　would　entice　the　blue　and　yellow　flowers　to　show　their　heads；　and