CHAPTER XVI
THE DOCTOR COMES WITH PRESENTS
The early light of morning lay rosy red upon the mountains, and a freshbreeze rustled through the fir trees and set their ancient brancheswaving to and fro. The sound awoke Heidi and she jumped out of bed anddressed herself as quickly as she could.
When she went down her ladder she found her grandfather had alreadyleft the hut. He was standing outside looking at the sky and examiningthe landscape as he did every morning, to see what sort of weather itwas going to be.
Little pink clouds were floating over the sky, that was growingbrighter and bluer with every minute, while the heights and the meadowlands were turning gold under the rising sun, which was just appearingabove the topmost peaks.
"O, how beautiful! how beautiful! Good-morning, Grandfather!" criedHeidi, running out.
"What, you are awake already, are you?" he answered, giving her amorning greeting.
Then Heidi ran round to the fir trees to enjoy the sound she loved sowell, and with every fresh gust of wind which came roaring throughtheir branches she gave a fresh jump and cry of delight.
Meanwhile the grandfather had gone to milk the goats; this done hebrushed and washed them, ready for their mountain excursion, andbrought them out of their shed. As soon as Heidi caught sight of themshe ran and embraced them, and they bleated in return, while theyvied with each other in showing their affection by poking their headsagainst her and trying which could get nearest her. When the livelyLittle Bear gave rather too violent a thrust, she only said, "No,Little Bear, you are pushing like the Great Turk," and Little Bearimmediately drew back his head and left off his rough attentions, whileLittle Swan lifted her head and put on an expression as much as to say,"No one shall ever accuse me of behaving like the Great Turk."
Peter's whistle was heard and all the goats came along, leaping andspringing, and Heidi soon found herself surrounded by the whole flock,pushed this way and that by their obstreperous greetings, but at lastshe managed to get through them to where Snowflake was standing, forthe young goat had in vain striven to reach her.
Peter now gave a last tremendous whistle, in order to startle the goatsand drive them off, for he wanted to get near himself to say somethingto Heidi. The goats sprang aside and he came up to her.
"Can you come out with me today?" he asked, evidently unwilling to hearher refuse.
"I am afraid I cannot, Peter," she answered. "I am expecting them everyminute from Frankfurt, and I must be at home when they come."
"You have said the same thing for days now," grumbled Peter.
"I must continue to say it till they come," replied Heidi. "How can youthink, Peter, that I would be away when they came? As if I could dosuch a thing?"
"They would find Uncle at home," he answered with a snarling voice.
But at this moment the grandfather's stentorian voice was heard."Why is the army not marching forward? Is it the field-marshal who ismissing or some of the troops?"
Whereupon Peter turned and went off, swinging his stick round so thatit whistled through the air, and the goats, who understood the signal,started at full trot for their mountain pasture, Peter following intheir wake.
Since Heidi had come back to her grandfather she had learned to do manythings about the house. She put her bed in order every morning, pattingand stroking it till she had got it perfectly smooth and flat. Then shewent about the room downstairs, put each chair back in its place, andif she found anything lying about she put it in the cupboard. Afterthat she fetched a duster, climbed on a chair, and rubbed the tabletill it shone again. When the grandfather came in later he would lookround well pleased and say to himself, "We look like Sunday every daynow; Heidi did not go abroad for nothing."
After Peter had departed and she and her grandfather had breakfasted,Heidi began her daily work as usual, but she did not get on with itvery fast. It was so lovely out of doors today, and every minutesomething happened to interrupt her in her work. Now it was a brightbeam of sun shining cheerfully through the open window, and seemingto say, "Come out, Heidi, come out!" Heidi felt she could not stayindoors, and she ran out in answer to the call. The sunlight laysparkling on everything around the hut and on all the mountains andfar away along the valley, and the grass slope looked so golden andinviting that she was obliged to sit down for a few minutes and lookabout her. Then she suddenly remembered that her stool was leftstanding in the middle of the floor and that the table had not beenrubbed, and she jumped up and ran inside again. But it was not longbefore the fir trees began their old song; Heidi felt it in all herlimbs, and again the desire to run outside was irresistible, andshe was off to play and leap to the tune of the waving branches. Thegrandfather, who was busy in his work-shed, stepped out from time totime smiling to watch her at her gambols. He had just gone back to hiswork on one of these occasions when Heidi called out, "Grandfather!Grandfather! Come, come!"
He stepped quickly out, almost afraid something had happened tothe child, but he saw her running towards where the mountain pathdescended, crying, "They are coming! they are coming! and the doctor isin front of them!"
Heidi rushed forward to welcome her old friend, who held out hishands in greeting to her. When she came up to him she clung to hisoutstretched arm, and exclaimed in the joy of her heart, "Good-morning,doctor, and thank you ever so many times."
"God bless you, child! what have you got to thank me for?" asked thedoctor, smiling.
"For being at home again with grandfather," the child explained.
The doctor's face brightened as if a sudden ray of sunshine had passedacross it; he had not expected such a reception as this. He hadquite thought that Heidi would have forgotten him; she had seen solittle of him, and he had felt rather like one bearing a message ofdisappointment. But instead, here was Heidi, her eyes dancing for joy,and full of gratitude and affection, clinging to the arm of her kindfriend.
He took her by the hand with fatherly tenderness. "Take me now to yourgrandfather, Heidi, and show me where you live."
But Heidi still remained standing looking down the path with aquestioning gaze. "Where are Clara and grandmother?" she asked.
"Ah, now I have to tell you something which you will be as sorry aboutas I am," answered the doctor. "You see, Heidi, I have come alone.Clara was very ill and could not travel, and so the grandmother stayedbehind too. But next spring, when the days grow warm and long again,they are coming here for certain."
Heidi stood motionless for a second or two, overcome by the unexpecteddisappointment. She suddenly remembered that the doctor had really comeanyway. She lifted her eyes and saw the sad expression in his as helooked down at her; she had never seen him with that look on his facewhen she was in Frankfurt. It went to Heidi's heart; she could not bearto see anybody unhappy, especially her dear doctor. No doubt it wasbecause Clara and grandmother could not come, and so she began to thinkhow best she might console him.
"Oh, it won't be very long to wait for spring, and then they willbe sure to come," she said in a reassuring voice. "Time passes veryquickly with us, and then they will be able to stay longer when theyare here, and Clara will be pleased at that. Now let us go and findgrandfather."
Hand in hand with her friend she climbed up to the hut. She was soanxious to make the doctor happy again that she began once moreassuring him that the winter passed quickly on the mountain and thatsummer would be back again before they knew it, and she became soconvinced of the truth of her own words that she called out quitecheerfully to her grandfather as they approached, "They have not cometoday, but they will be here in a very short time."
IT WAS NOT LONG BEFORE THE FIR TREES BEGANTHEIR OLD SONG]
The doctor was no stranger to the grandfather, for the child had talkedto him so much about her friend. The old man held out his hand to hisguest in friendly greeting. Then the two men sat down in front of thehut. The doctor whispered to Heidi that there was something beingbrought up the mountain which had traveled with him from Frankfurt,and which woul
d give her even more pleasure than seeing him. Heidigot into a great state of excitement on hearing this, wondering whatit could be. The old man urged the doctor to spend as many of thebeautiful autumn days on the mountain as he could, and at least to comeup whenever it was fine; he could not offer him a lodging, as he hadno place to put him; he advised the doctor, however, not to go back toRagatz, but to stay at Doerfli, where there was a clean, tidy littleinn. Then the doctor could come up every morning, which would do himno end of good, and if he liked, he, the grandfather, would act as hisguide to any part of the mountains he would like to see. The doctor wasdelighted with this proposal, and it was settled that it should be asthe grandfather suggested.
Alm-Uncle now rose and went indoors, returning in a few minutes with atable which he placed in front of the seat.
"There, Heidi, now run in and bring us what we want for the table," hesaid. "The doctor must take us as he finds us; if the food is plain, hewill acknowledge that the dining-room is pleasant."
"I should think so indeed," replied the doctor as he looked down overthe sun-lit valley, "and I accept the kind invitation; everything musttaste good up here."
Heidi ran backwards and forwards as busy as a bee and brought outeverything she could find in the cupboard. The grandfather meanwhilehad been preparing the meal, and now appeared with a steaming jug ofmilk and golden-brown toasted cheese. Then he cut some thin slices fromthe meat he had cured himself in the pure air, and the doctor enjoyedhis dinner better than he had for a whole year past.
"Our Clara must certainly come up here," he said, "it would make herquite a different person, and if she could eat for any length of timeas I have today, she would grow plumper than any one has ever known herbefore."
As he spoke a man was seen coming up the path carrying a large packageon his back. When he reached the hut he threw it on the ground and drewin two or three good breaths of the mountain air.
"Ah, here's what travelled with me from Frankfurt," said the doctor,rising, and he went up to the package and began undoing it, Heidilooking on in great expectation. After he had released it from itsheavy outer covering, "There, child," he said, "now you can go onunpacking your treasures yourself."
Heidi undid her presents one by one until they were all displayed; shecould not speak for wonder and delight. Not till the doctor opened thelarge box to show Heidi the cakes that were for the grandmother toeat with her coffee, did she at last give a cry of joy, exclaiming,"Now grandmother will have nice things to eat," and she wanted to packeverything up again and start at once to give them to her. But thegrandfather said he should walk down with the doctor that evening andshe could go with them and take the things. Heidi next found the packetof tobacco which she ran and gave to her grandfather; he was so pleasedwith it that he immediately filled his pipe with some, and the two menthen sat down together again, the smoke curling up from their pipes asthey talked of all kinds of things, while Heidi continued to examinefirst one and then another of her presents. Suddenly she ran up tothem, and standing in front of the doctor waited till there was a pausein the conversation, and then said, "No, the presents have not given memore pleasure than seeing you, doctor."
The two men could not help laughing, and the doctor answered that heshould never have thought it.
As the sun began to sink behind the mountains the doctor rose, thinkingit time to return to Doerfli and seek for quarters. The grandfathercarried the cakes and the shawl and the large sausage, and the doctortook Heidi's hand, as they all three started down the mountain. Arrivedat Peter's home Heidi bid the others good-bye; she was to wait atgrandmother's till her grandfather, who was going on to Doerfli withhis guest, returned for her. As the doctor shook hands with her sheasked, "Would you like to come out with the goats tomorrow morning?"for she could think of no greater treat to offer him.
"Agreed!" answered the doctor, "we will go together."
Heidi now ran in to the grandmother: she first, with some effort,managed to carry in the box of cakes; then she ran out again andbrought in the sausage--for her grandfather had put the presents downby the door--and then a third time for the shawl. She placed them asclose as she could to the grandmother, so that the latter might be ableto feel them and understand what was there. The shawl she laid over theold woman's knees.
"They are all from Frankfurt, from Clara and grandmamma," she explainedto the astonished grandmother and Brigitta, the latter having watchedher dragging in all the heavy things unable to imagine what washappening.
"And you are very pleased with the cakes, aren't you, Grandmother?taste how soft they are!" said Heidi over and over again, to which thegrandmother continued to answer, "Yes, yes, Heidi, I should think so!what kind people they must be!" And then she would pass her hand overthe warm, thick shawl and add, "This will be beautiful for the coldwinter! I never thought I should ever have such a splendid thing asthis to put on."
Heidi could not help feeling some surprise at the grandmother seemingto take more pleasure in the shawl than the cakes. Meanwhile Brigittastood gazing at the sausage with almost an expression of awe. She hadhardly in her life seen such a monster sausage, much less owned one,and she could scarcely believe her eyes.
Peter came tumbling in at this minute. "Uncle is just behind me, heis coming--" he began, and then stopped short, for his eye had caughtsight of the sausage, and he was too much taken aback to say more. ButHeidi understood that her grandfather was near and so said good-byeto grandmother. The old man now never passed the door without goingin to wish the old woman good-day, and she liked to hear his footstepapproaching, for he always had a cheery word for her. But today itwas growing late for Heidi, who was always up with the lark, and thegrandfather would never let her go to bed after hours; so this eveninghe only called good-night through the open door and started home atonce with the child, and the two climbed under the starlit sky back totheir peaceful dwelling.
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