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18 - Heidi by Johanna Spyri · Heidi

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  Speaker 1: Chapter eighteen of Heidi by Jomanna Speedy, translated by Elizabeth Peastark.
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  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter eighteen.
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  Speaker 1: Winter in the village. The snow lay so deep around
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  Speaker 1: the alm hut that the window seemed to stand level
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  Speaker 1: with the ground, and the house store had entirely disappeared
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  Speaker 1: round Peter's hut. It was the same when the boy
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  Speaker 1: went out to shovel the snow. He had to creep
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  Speaker 1: through the window. Then he would sink deep into the
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  Speaker 1: soft snow and kick his arms and legs to get free.
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  Speaker 1: Taking a broom, the boy would have to clear away
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  Speaker 1: the snow from the door to prevent its falling into
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  Speaker 1: the hut. The uncle had kept his word. When the
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  Speaker 1: first snow had fallen, he had moved down to the
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  Speaker 1: village with Heidi and his goats. Near the church in
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  Speaker 1: the parish house lay an old ruin that once had
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  Speaker 1: been a spacious building. A brave soldier had lived there
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  Speaker 1: in days gone by. He had fought in the Spanish War,
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  Speaker 1: and coming back with many riches, had built himself a
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  Speaker 1: splendid house. But having lived too long in the noisy
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  Speaker 1: world to be able to stand the monotonous life in
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  Speaker 1: the little town. He soon went away and never came back.
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  Speaker 1: After his death many years later, though the house was
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  Speaker 1: already beginning to decay, a distant relation of his took
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  Speaker 1: possession of it. The new proprietor did not want to
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  Speaker 1: build it up again, so poor people moved in. They
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  Speaker 1: had to pay little rent for the house, which was
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  Speaker 1: gradually crumbling and falling to pieces. Years ago, when the
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  Speaker 1: uncle had come to the village with Tobias, he had
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  Speaker 1: lived there most of the time. It had been empty
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  Speaker 1: for the winter lasted long, and cold winds would blow
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  Speaker 1: through the chinks and the walls. When poor people lived there,
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  Speaker 1: their candles would be blown out and they would shiver
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  Speaker 1: with cold in the dark. But the uncle had known
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  Speaker 1: how to help himself in the fall. As soon as
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  Speaker 1: he had resolved to live in the village, he came down,
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  Speaker 1: frequently fitting up the place as best he could. On
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  Speaker 1: approaching the house from the back, one entered an open
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  Speaker 1: room where nearly all the walls lay in ruins. On
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  Speaker 1: one side, the remains of a chapel could be seen,
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  Speaker 1: now covered with the thickest ivy. A large hall came next,
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  Speaker 1: with a beautiful stone floor and grass growing in the crevices.
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  Speaker 1: Most of the walls were gone, and part of the
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  Speaker 1: ceiling also. If a few thick pillars had not been
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  Speaker 1: left supporting the rest, it would undoubtedly have tumbled down.
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  Speaker 1: The uncle had made a wooden partition here for the
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  Speaker 1: goats and covered the floor with straw. Several corridors, most
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  Speaker 1: of them half decayed, led finally to a chamber with
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  Speaker 1: a heavy iron door. This room was still in condition
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  Speaker 1: and had dark wood paneling on the four firm walls.
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  Speaker 1: In one corner was an enormous stove which nearly reached
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  Speaker 1: up to the ceiling. On the white tiles were painted
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  Speaker 1: blue pictures of old towers surrounded by high trees, and
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  Speaker 1: of hunters with their hounds. There also was a scene
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  Speaker 1: with a quiet lake, where under shady oak trees, a
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  Speaker 1: fisherman was sitting around the stove, a bench was placed.
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  Speaker 1: Heidi loved to sit there, and as soon as she
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  Speaker 1: had entered their new abode, she began to examine the pictures.
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  Speaker 1: Arriving at the end of the bench, she discovered a
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  Speaker 1: bed which was placed between the wall and the stove. Oh, grandfather,
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  Speaker 1: I have found my bedroom, exclaimed the little girl. Oh,
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  Speaker 1: how fine it is. Where are you going to sleep?
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  Speaker 1: Your bed must be near the stove to keep you warm,
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  Speaker 1: said the old man. Now come and look at mine.
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  Speaker 1: With that, the grandfather led her into his bedroom. From
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  Speaker 1: there a door led into the hugest kitchen Hide had
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  Speaker 1: ever seen. With a great deal of trouble, the grandfather
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  Speaker 1: had fitted up this place. Many boards were nailed across
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  Speaker 1: the walls, and the door had been fastened with heavy wires.
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  Speaker 1: For beyond the building lay in ruins. Thick underbrush was
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  Speaker 1: growing there, sheltering thousands of insects and lizards. Heide was
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  Speaker 1: delighted with her new house, and when Peter arrived next day,
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  Speaker 1: she did not rest till he had seen every nook
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  Speaker 1: and corner of the curious dwelling place. Heidie slept very
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  Speaker 1: well in her chimney corner, but it took her many
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  Speaker 1: days to get accustomed to it. When she woke up
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  Speaker 1: in the morning and could not hear the fir trees roar,
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  Speaker 1: she would wonder where she was. Was the snow too
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  Speaker 1: heavy on the branches? Was she away from home? But
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  Speaker 1: as soon as she heard her grandfather's voice outside, she
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  Speaker 1: remembered everything and would jump merrily out of the bed.
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  Speaker 1: After four days had gone by, Heidi said to her grandfather,
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  Speaker 1: I must go to the grandmother now, she has been
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  Speaker 1: alone so many days. But the grandfather shook his head
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  Speaker 1: and said, you can't go yet, child. The snow is
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  Speaker 1: featherms deep up there and is still falling. Peter can
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  Speaker 1: hardly get through, and little girl like you would be
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  Speaker 1: snowed up and lost in no time. Wait a while
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  Speaker 1: till it freezes, and then you can walk on top
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  Speaker 1: of the crust. Heidi was very sorry, but she was
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  Speaker 1: so busy now that the days flew by. Every morning
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  Speaker 1: and afternoon she went to school, eagerly learning whatever was
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  Speaker 1: taught her. She hardly ever saw Peter there, for he
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  Speaker 1: did not come very often. The mild teacher would only say,
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  Speaker 1: from time to time, it seems to me Peter is
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  Speaker 1: not here. Again. School would do him good, but I
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  Speaker 1: guess there is too much snow for him to get through.
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  Speaker 1: But when Heidi came home towards evening, Peter generally paid
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  Speaker 1: her a visit. After a few days, the sun came
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  Speaker 1: out for a short time at noon, and the next
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  Speaker 1: morning the whole alp glistened and shone like crystal. When
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  Speaker 1: Peter was jumping as usual into the snow that morning,
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  Speaker 1: he fell against something hard, and before he could stop himself,
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  Speaker 1: he flew a little way down the mountain. When he
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  Speaker 1: had gained his feet at last he stamped upon the
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  Speaker 1: ground with all his might. It really was frozen as
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  Speaker 1: hard as stone. Peter could hardly believe it, and quickly
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  Speaker 1: running up and swallowing his milk and putting his bread
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  Speaker 1: in his pocket, he announced, I must go to school today. Yes,
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  Speaker 1: go and learn, nicely, answered his mother. Then sitting down
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  Speaker 1: on his sledge, the boy coasted down the mountain like
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  Speaker 1: a shot, not being able to stop his course. When
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  Speaker 1: he reached the village, he coasted down further and further
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  Speaker 1: till he arrived in the plain, where the sledge stopped itself.
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  Speaker 1: It was already late for school, so the boy took
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  Speaker 1: his time and only arrived in the village when Heidi
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  Speaker 1: came home for dinner. We've got it, announced the boy,
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  Speaker 1: on entering what general asked the uncle the snow, Peter replied, oh,
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  Speaker 1: now I can go up to grandmother. Heidi rejoiced, But Peter,
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  Speaker 1: why didn't you come to school? You could coast down today?
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  Speaker 1: She continued reproachfully, I went too far on my sled,
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  Speaker 1: and then it was too late. Peter replied, I call
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  Speaker 1: that deserting, said the uncle. People who do that must
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  Speaker 1: have their ears pulled, do you hear? The boy was frightened,
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  Speaker 1: for there was no one in the world whom he
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  Speaker 1: respected more than the uncle. A general like you ought
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  Speaker 1: to be doubly ashamed to do so. The uncle went on,
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  Speaker 1: what would you do with the goats if they did
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  Speaker 1: not obey you any more? Beat them? Was the reply.
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  Speaker 1: If you knew of a boy that was behaving like
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  Speaker 1: a disobedient goat and had to be spinked, what would
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  Speaker 1: you say serves him right? So now you know it
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  Speaker 1: to goat general. If you miss school again when you
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  Speaker 1: are to be there, you can come to me and
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  Speaker 1: get your do now. At last Peter understood whether the
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  Speaker 1: uncle had meant more kindly. The old man then turned
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  Speaker 1: to Peter and said, come to the table now and
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  Speaker 1: eat with us. Then you can go up with Heidi,
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  Speaker 1: and when you bring her back at night you can
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  Speaker 1: get your supper here. This unexpected change delighted Peter. Not
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  Speaker 1: losing any time, he soon disposed of his full plate.
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  Speaker 1: Heidi who had given the boy most of her dinner,
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  Speaker 1: was already putting on Clara's newcoat. Then together they climbed up,
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  Speaker 1: Heidi chatting all the time, but Peter did not say
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  Speaker 1: a single word. He was preoccupied and had not even
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  Speaker 1: listened to Heidie's tales. Before they entered the hut, the
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  Speaker 1: boy said stubbornly, I think I had rather go to
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  Speaker 1: school than get a beating from the uncle. Heidee promptly
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  Speaker 1: confirmed him in his resolution. When they went into the room,
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  Speaker 1: Peter's mother was alone at the table mending. The grandmother
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  Speaker 1: was nowhere to be seen. Bridgetta now told Heidie that
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  Speaker 1: the grandmother was obliged to stay in bed on those
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  Speaker 1: cold days, as she did not feel very strong. That
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  Speaker 1: was something new for Heidi. Quickly running to the old
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  Speaker 1: woman's chamber, she found her lying in a narrow bed,
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  Speaker 1: wrapped up in her gray shawl and thin blanket. Thank Heaven,
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  Speaker 1: the grandmother exclaimed when she heard her darling step. All
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  Speaker 1: autumn and winter long, a secret fear had been gnawing
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  Speaker 1: at her heart that Heidie would be sent for by
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  Speaker 1: the strange gentleman of whom Peter had told her so much.
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  Speaker 1: Had approached the bed, asking anxiously, are you very sick, grandmother? No, no, child,
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  Speaker 1: the old woman reassured her. The frost has just gone
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  Speaker 1: into my limbs a little. Are you going to be
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  Speaker 1: well again as soon as the warm weather comes, inquired Heidi, yes, yes,
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  Speaker 1: and if God wills even sooner. I want to go
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  Speaker 1: back to my spinning wheel, and I nearly tried it today.
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  Speaker 1: I'll get up tomorrow, though, the grandmother said confidently, for
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  Speaker 1: she had noticed how frightened heid he was. The last
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  Speaker 1: speech made the child feel more happy. Then, looking wonderingly
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  Speaker 1: at the grandmother, she said, in Frankfort, people put on
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  Speaker 1: a shawl when they go out. Why are you putting
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  Speaker 1: it on in bed, Grandmother? I put it on to
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  Speaker 1: keep me warm. Heidi, I am glad to have it,
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  Speaker 1: for my blanket is very thin. But Grandmother, your bed
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  Speaker 1: ist slanting down at the head where it ought to
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  Speaker 1: be high. No bet ought to be like that. I know, child,
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  Speaker 1: I can feel it well, so saying, the old woman
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  Speaker 1: tried to change her position on the pillow that lay
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  Speaker 1: under her like a thin board. My pillow never was
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  Speaker 1: very thick, and sleeping on it all these years has
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  Speaker 1: made it flat. Oh, dear, if I'd only ask Clara
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  Speaker 1: to give me the bet I had in Frankfort, Heidi lamented.
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  Speaker 1: It had three big pillows on it. I could hardly
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  Speaker 1: sleep because I kept sliding down from them all the time.
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  Speaker 1: Could you sleep with them, Grandmother? Of course, because that
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  Speaker 1: would keep me warm. I could breathe so much easier, too,
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  Speaker 1: said the grandmother, trying to find a higher place to
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  Speaker 1: lie on. But I must not talk about it anymore,
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  Speaker 1: for I have to be thankful for many things. I
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  Speaker 1: get a lovely roll every day and have this beautiful,
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  Speaker 1: warm shawl. I also have you, my child, Heidi. Wouldn't
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  Speaker 1: you like to read me something today? Heidee immediately fetched
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  Speaker 1: the book and read one song after another. The grandmother,
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  Speaker 1: in the meantime, was lying with folded hands. Her face,
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  Speaker 1: which had been so sad a short time ago, was
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  Speaker 1: lit up with a happy smile. Suddenly heide stopped. Are
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  Speaker 1: you well again? Grandmother? She asked, I feel very much better, Heidie,
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  Speaker 1: Please finish the song, will you. The child obeyed, and
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  Speaker 1: when she came to the last words, when mine eyes
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  Speaker 1: grow dim and sad, let thy love more brightly burn
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  Speaker 1: that my soul A wonderer glad safely homeward may return. Safely,
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  Speaker 1: Homeward may return. She exclaimed, Oh, grandmother, I know what
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  Speaker 1: it is like to come home after a while, she said,
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  Speaker 1: it is getting dark, Grandmother, I must go home now.
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  Speaker 1: I am glad that you feel better again. The grandmother,
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  Speaker 1: holding the child's hands in hers, said, yes, I am
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  Speaker 1: happy again, though I have to stay in bed. Nobody
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  Speaker 1: knows how hard it is to lie here alone day
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  Speaker 1: after day. I do not hear a word from anybody,
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  Speaker 1: and cannot see a ray of sunlight. I have very
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  Speaker 1: sad thoughts sometimes, and often I feel as if I
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  Speaker 1: could not bear it any longer. But then I hear
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  Speaker 1: those blessed songs you have read to me, and it
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  Speaker 1: makes me feel as if a light was shining into
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  Speaker 1: my heart, giving me the purest joy. Shaking hands, the
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  Speaker 1: child now said good night, and pulling Peter with her,
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  Speaker 1: ran outside. The brilliant moon was shining down on the
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  Speaker 1: white snow light es day. The two children were already
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  Speaker 1: flying down the alp like birds soaring through the air.
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  Speaker 1: After Hidie had gone to bed that night, she lay
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  Speaker 1: awake a little while thinking over everything the grandmother had said,
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  Speaker 1: especially about the joy the songs had given her. If
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  Speaker 1: only the poor grandmother could hear those comforting words every day,
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  Speaker 1: Hidie knew that it might be a week or two
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  Speaker 1: again before she could repeat her visit. The child became
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  Speaker 1: very sad when she thought how uncomfortable and lonely the
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  Speaker 1: old woman would be. Was there no way for help?
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  Speaker 1: Suddenly Heidi had an idea, and it thrilled her so
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  Speaker 1: that she felt as if she could not wait till
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  Speaker 1: morning come to put her plant in execution. But in
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  Speaker 1: her excitement she had forgotten her evening prayer. So, sitting
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  Speaker 1: up in bed, she prayed fervently to God. Then, falling
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  Speaker 1: back into the fragrant hay, she soon slept peacefully and
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  Speaker 1: soundly till the bright morning came. End of Chapter eighteen