Chapter Chapter 3 · OUT WITH THE GOATS

. OUT WITH THE GOATS

Heidi was awakened early the next morning by a loud whistle; the

sun was shining through the round window and falling in golden

rays on her bed and on the large heap of hay, and as she opened

her eyes everything in the loft seemed gleaming with gold. She

looked around her in astonishment and could not imagine for a

while where she was. But her grandfather's deep voice was now

heard outside, and then Heidi began to recall all that had

happened: how she had come away from her former home and was now

on the mountain with her grandfather instead of with old Ursula.

The latter was nearly stone deaf and always felt cold, so that

she sat all day either by the hearth in the kitchen or by the

sitting-room stove, and Heidi had been obliged to stay close to

her, for the old woman was so deaf that she could not tell where

the child was if out of her sight. And Heidi, shut up within the

four walls, had often longed to be out of doors. So she felt

very happy this morning as she woke up in her new home and

remembered all the many new things that she had seen the day

before and which she would see again that day, and above all she

thought with delight of the two dear goats. Heidi jumped quickly

out of bed and a very few minutes sufficed her to put on the

clothes which she had taken off the night before, for there were

not many of them. Then she climbed down the ladder and ran

outside the hut. There stood Peter already with his flock of

goats, and the grandfather was just bringing his two out of the

shed to join the others. Heidi ran forward to wish good-morning

to him and the goats.

"Do you want to go with them on to the mountain?" asked her

grandfather. Nothing could have pleased Heidi better, and she

jumped for joy in answer.

"But you must first wash and make yourself tidy. The sun that

shines so brightly overhead will else laugh at you for being

dirty; see, I have put everything ready for you," and her

grandfather pointed as he spoke to a large tub full of water,

which stood in the sun before the door. Heidi ran to it and

began splashing and rubbing, till she quite glistened with

cleanliness. The grandfather meanwhile went inside the hut,

calling to Peter to follow him and bring in his wallet. Peter

obeyed with astonishment, and laid down the little bag which held

his meagre dinner.

"Open it," said the old man, and inside it he put a large piece

of bread and an equally large piece of cheese, which made Peter

open his eyes, for each was twice the size of the two portions

which he had for his own dinner.

"There, now there is only the little bowl to add," continued the

grandfather, "for the child cannot drink her milk as you do from

the goat; she is not accustomed to that. You must milk two

bowlfuls for her when she has her dinner, for she is going with

you and will remain with you till you return this evening; but

take care she does not fall over any of the rocks, do you hear?"

Heidi now came running in. "Will the sun laugh at me now,

grandfather?" she asked anxiously. Her grandfather had left a

coarse towel hanging up for her near the tub, and with this she

had so thoroughly scrubbed her face, arms, and neck, for fear of

the sun, that as she stood there she was as red all over as a

lobster. He gave a little laugh.

"No, there is nothing for him to laugh at now," he assured her.

"But I tell you what--when you come home this evening, you will

have to get right into the tub, like a fish, for if you run

about like the goats you will get your feet dirty. Now you can be

off."

She started joyfully for the mountain. During the night the wind

had blown away all the clouds; the dark blue sky was spreading

overhead, and in its midst was the bright sun shining down on

the green slopes of the mountain, where the flowers opened their

little blue and yellow cups, and looked up to him smiling. Heidi

went running hither and thither and shouting with delight, for

here were whole patches of delicate red primroses, and there the

blue gleam of the lovely gentian, while above them all laughed

and nodded the tender-leaved golden cistus. Enchanted with all

this waving field of brightly-colored flowers, Heidi forgot even

Peter and the goats. She ran on in front and then off to the

side, tempted first one way and then the other, as she caught

sight of some bright spot of glowing red or yellow. And all the

while she was plucking whole handfuls of the flowers which she

put into her little apron, for she wanted to take them all home

and stick them in the hay, so that she might make her bedroom

look just like the meadows outside. Peter had therefore to be on

the alert, and his round eyes, which did not move very quickly,

had more work than they could well manage, for the goats were as

lively as Heidi; they ran in all directions, and Peter had to

follow whistling and calling and swinging his stick to get all

the runaways together again.

"Where have you got to now, Heidi?" he called out somewhat

crossly.

"Here," called back a voice from somewhere. Peter could see no

one, for Heidi was seated on the ground at the foot of a small

hill thickly overgrown with sweet smelling prunella; the whole

air seemed filled with its fragrance, and Heidi thought she had

never smelt anything so delicious. She sat surrounded by the

flowers, drawing in deep breaths of the scented air.

"Come along here!" called Peter again. "You are not to fall over

the rocks, your grandfather gave orders that you were not to do

so."

"Where are the rocks?" asked Heidi, answering him back. But she

did not move from her seat, for the scent of the flowers seemed

sweeter to her with every breath of wind that wafted it towards

her.

"Up above, right up above. We have a long way to go yet, so come

along! And on the topmost peak of all the old bird of prey sits

and croaks."

That did it. Heidi immediately sprang to her feet and ran up to

Peter with her apron full of flowers.

"You have got enough now," said the boy as they began climbing

up again together. "You will stay here forever if you go on

picking, and if you gather all the flowers now there will be none

for to-morrow."

This last argument seemed a convincing one to Heidi, and

moreover her apron was already so full that there was hardly room

for another flower, and it would never do to leave nothing to

pick for another day. So she now kept with Peter, and the goats

also became more orderly in their behavior, for they were

beginning to smell the plants they loved that grew on the higher

slopes and clambered up now without pause in their anxiety to

reach them. The spot where Peter generally halted for his goats

to pasture and where he took up his quarters for the day lay at

the foot of the high rocks, which were covered for some distance

up by bushes and fir trees, beyond which rose their bare and

rugged summits. On one side of the mountain the rock was split

into deep clefts, and the grandfather had reason to warn Peter of

danger. Having climbed as far as the halting-place, Peter unslung

his wallet and put it carefully in a little hollow of the ground,

for he knew what the wind was like up there and did not want to

see his precious belongings sent rolling down the mountain by a

sudden gust. Then be threw himself at full length on the warm

ground, for he was tired after all his exertions.

Heidi meanwhile had unfastened her apron and rolling it

carefully round the flowers laid it beside Peter's wallet inside

the hollow; she then sat down beside his outstretched figure and

looked about her. The valley lay far below bathed in the morning

sun. In front of her rose a broad snow-field, high against the

dark-blue sky, while to the left was a huge pile of rocks on

either side of which a bare lofty peak, that seemed to pierce

the blue, looked frowningly down upon, her. The child sat without

moving, her eyes taking in the whole scene, and all around was a

great stillness, only broken by soft, light puffs of wind that

swayed the light bells of the blue flowers, and the shining gold

heads of the cistus, and set them nodding merrily on their

slender stems. Peter had fallen asleep after his fatigue and the

goats were climbing about among the bushes overhead. Heidi had

never felt so happy in her life before. She drank in the golden

sunlight, the fresh air, the sweet smell of the flowers, and

wished for nothing better than to remain there forever. So the

time went on, while to Heidi, who had so often looked up from

the valley at the mountains above, these seemed now to have

faces, and to be looking down at her like old friends. Suddenly

she heard a loud harsh cry overhead and lifting her eyes she saw

a bird, larger than any she had ever seen before, with great,

spreading wings, wheeling round and round in wide circles, and

uttering a piercing, croaking kind of sound above her.

"Peter, Peter, wake up!" called out Heidi. "See, the great bird

is there--look, look!"

Peter got up on hearing her call, and together they sat and

watched the bird, which rose higher and higher in the blue air

till it disappeared behind the grey mountain-tops.

"Where has it gone to?" asked Heidi, who had followed the bird's

movements with intense interest.

"Home to its nest," said Peter.

"Is his home right up there? Oh, how nice to be up so high! why

does he make that noise?"

"Because he can't help it," explained Peter.

"Let us climb up there and see where his nest is," proposed

Heidi.

"Oh! oh! oh!" exclaimed Peter, his disapproval of Heidi's

suggestion becoming more marked with each ejaculation, "why even

the goats cannot climb as high as that, besides didn't Uncle say

that you were not to fall over the rocks?"

Peter now began suddenly whistling and calling in such a loud

manner that Heidi could not think what was happening; but the

goats evidently understood his voice, for one after the other

they came springing down the rocks until they were all assembled

on the green plateau, some continuing to nibble at the juicy

stems, others skipping about here and there or pushing at each

other with their horns for pastime.

Heidi jumped up and ran in and out among them, for it was new to

her to see the goats playing together like this and her delight

was beyond words as she joined in their frolics; she made

personal acquaintance with them all in turn, for they were like

separate individuals to her, each single goat having a

particular way of behavior of its own. Meanwhile Peter had taken

the wallet out of the hollow and placed the pieces of bread and

cheese on the ground in the shape of a square, the larger two on

Heidi's side and the smaller on his own, for he knew exactly

which were hers and which his. Then he took the little bowl and

milked some delicious fresh milk into it from the white goat, and

afterwards set the bowl in the middle of the square. Now he

called Heidi to come, but she wanted more calling than the goats,

for the child was so excited and amused at the capers and lively

games of her new playfellows that she saw and heard nothing else.

But Peter knew how to make himself heard, for he shouted till the

very rocks above echoed his voice, and at last Heidi appeared,

and when she saw the inviting repast spread out upon the ground

she went skipping round it for joy.

"Leave off jumping about, it is time for dinner," said Peter;

"sit down now and begin."

Heidi sat down. "Is the milk for me?" she asked, giving another

look of delight at the beautifully arranged square with the bowl

as a chief ornament in the centre.

"Yes," replied Peter, "and the two large pieces of bread and

cheese are yours also, and when you have drunk up that milk, you

are to have another bowlful from the white goat, and then it

will be my turn."

"And which do you get your milk from?" inquired Heidi.

"From my own goat, the piebald one. But go on now with your

dinner," said Peter, again reminding her it was time to eat.

Heidi now took up the bowl and drank her milk, and as soon as

she had put it down empty Peter rose and filled it again for her.

Then she broke off a piece of her bread and held out the

remainder, which was still larger than Peter's own piece,

together with the whole big slice of cheese to her companion,

saying, "You can have that, I have plenty."

Peter looked at Heidi, unable to speak for astonishment, for

never in all his life could he have said and done like that with

anything he had. He hesitated a moment, for he could not believe

that Heidi was in earnest; but the latter kept on holding out

the bread and cheese, and as Peter still did not take it, she

laid it down on his knees. He saw then that she really meant it;

he seized the food, nodded his thanks and acceptance of her

present, and then made a more splendid meal than he had known

ever since he was a goat-herd. Heidi the while still continued to

watch the goats. "Tell me all their names," she said.

Peter knew these by heart, for having very little else to carry

in his head he had no difficulty in remembering them. So he

began, telling Heidi the name of each goat in turn as he pointed

it out to her. Heidi listened with great attention, and it was

not long before she could herself distinguish the goats from one

another and could call each by name, for every goat had its own

peculiarities which could not easily be mistaken; only one had

to watch them closely, and this Heidi did. There was the great

Turk with his big horns, who was always wanting to butt the

others, so that most of them ran away when they saw him coming

and would have nothing to do with their rough companion. Only

Greenfinch, the slender nimble little goat, was brave enough to

face him, and would make a rush at him, three or four times in

succession, with such agility and dexterity, that the great Turk

often stood still quite astounded not venturing to attack her

again, for Greenfinch was fronting him, prepared for more warlike

action, and her horns were sharp. Then there was little White

Snowflake, who bleated in such a plaintive and beseeching manner

that Heidi already had several times run to it and taken its head

in her hands to comfort it. Just at this moment the pleading

young cry was heard again, and Heidi jumped up running and,

putting her arms round the little creature's neck, asked in a

sympathetic voice, "What is it, little Snowflake? Why do you call

like that as if in trouble?" The goat pressed closer to Heidi in

a confiding way and left off bleating. Peter called out from

where he was sitting--for he had not yet got to the end of his

bread and cheese, "She cries like that because the old goat is

not with her; she was sold at Mayenfeld the day before yesterday,

and so will not come up the mountain any more."

"Who is the old goat?" called Heidi back.

"Why, her mother, of course," was the answer.

"Where is the grandmother?" called Heidi again.

"She has none."

"And the grandfather?"

"She has none."

"Oh, you poor little Snowflake!" exclaimed Heidi, clasping the

animal gently to her, "but do not cry like that any more; see

now, I shall come up here with you every day, so that you will

not be alone any more, and if you want anything you have only to

come to me."

The young animal rubbed its head contentedly against Heidi's

shoulder, and no longer gave such plaintive bleats. Peter now

having finished his meal joined Heidi and the goats, Heidi

having by this time found out a great many things about these.

She had decided that by far the handsomest and best-behaved of

the goats were undoubtedly the two belonging to her grandfather;

they carried themselves with a certain air of distinction and

generally went their own way, and as to the great Turk they

treated him with indifference and contempt.

The goats were now beginning to climb the rocks again, each

seeking for the plants it liked in its own fashion, some jumping

over everything they met till they found what they wanted,

others going more carefully and cropping all the nice leaves by

the way, the Turk still now and then giving the others a poke

with his horns. Little Swan and Little Bear clambered lightly up

and never failed to find the best bushes, and then they would

stand gracefully poised on their pretty legs, delicately nibbling

at the leaves. Heidi stood with her hands behind her back,

carefully noting all they did.

"Peter," she said to the boy who had again thrown himself down

on the ground, "the prettiest of all the goats are Little Swan

and Little Bear."

"Yes, I know they are," was the answer. "Alm-Uncle brushes them

down and washes them and gives them salt, and he has the nicest

shed for them."

All of a sudden Peter leaped to his feet and ran hastily after

the goats. Heidi followed him as fast as she could, for she was

too eager to know what had happened to stay behind. Peter dashed

through the middle of the flock towards that side of the

mountain where the rocks fell perpendicularly to a great depth

below, and where any thoughtless goat, if it went too near, might

fall over and break all its legs. He had caught sight of the

inquisitive Greenfinch taking leaps in that direction, and he was

only just in time, for the animal had already sprung to the edge

of the abyss. All Peter could do was to throw himself down and

seize one of her hind legs. Greenfinch, thus taken by surprise,

began bleating furiously, angry at being held so fast and

prevented from continuing her voyage of discovery. She struggled

to get loose, and endeavored so obstinately to leap forward that

Peter shouted to Heidi to come and help him, for he could not get

up and was afraid of pulling out the goat's leg altogether.

Heidi had already run up and she saw at once the danger both

Peter and the animal were in. She quickly gathered a bunch of

sweet-smelling leaves, and then, holding them under Greenfinch's

nose, said coaxingly, "Come, come, Greenfinch, you must not be

naughty! Look, you might fall down there and break your leg, and

that would give you dreadful pain!"

The young animal turned quickly, and began contentedly eating

the leaves out of Heidi's hand. Meanwhile Peter got on to his

feet again and took hold of Greenfinch by the band round her neck

from which her bell was hung, and Heidi taking hold of her in the

same way on the other side, they led the wanderer back to the

rest of the flock that had remained peacefully feeding. Peter,

now he had his goat in safety, lifted his stick in order to give

her a good beating as punishment, and Greenfinch seeing what was

coming shrank back in fear. But Heidi cried out, "No, no, Peter,

you must not strike her; see how frightened she is!"

"She deserves it," growled Peter, and again lifted his stick.

Then Heidi flung herself against him and cried indignantly, "You

have no right to touch her, it will hurt her, let her alone!"

Peter looked with surprise at the commanding little figure,

whose dark eyes were flashing, and reluctantly he let his stick

drop. "Well I will let her off if you will give me some more of

your cheese to-morrow," he said, for he was determined to have

something to make up to him for his fright.

"You shall have it all, to-morrow and every day, I do not want

it," replied Heidi, giving ready consent to his demand. "And I

will give you bread as well, a large piece like you had to-day;

but then you must promise never to beat Greenfinch, or

Snowflake, or any of the goats."

"All right," said Peter, "I don't care," which meant that he

would agree to the bargain. He now let go of Greenfinch, who

joyfully sprang to join her companions.

And thus imperceptibly the day had crept on to its close, and

now the sun was on the point of sinking out of sight behind the

high mountains. Heidi was again sitting on the ground, silently

gazing at the blue bell-shaped flowers, as they glistened in the

evening sun, for a golden light lay on the grass and flowers, and

the rocks above were beginning to shine and glow. All at once she

sprang to her feet, "Peter! Peter! everything is on fire! All

the rocks are burning, and the great snow mountain and the sky! O

look, look! the high rock up there is red with flame! O the

beautiful, fiery snow! Stand up, Peter! See, the fire has

reached the great bird's nest! look at the rocks! look at the fir

trees! Everything, everything is on fire!"

"It is always like that," said Peter composedly, continuing to

peel his stick; "but it is not really fire."

"What is it then?" cried Heidi, as she ran backwards and

forwards to look first one side and then the other, for she felt

she could not have enough of such a beautiful sight. "What is it,

Peter, what is it?" she repeated.

"It gets like that of itself," explained Peter.

"Look, look!" cried Heidi in fresh excitement, "now they have

turned all rose color! Look at that one covered with snow, and

that with the high, pointed rocks! What do you call them?"

"Mountains have not any names," he answered.

"O how beautiful, look at the crimson snow! And up there on the

rocks there are ever so many roses! Oh! now they are turning

grey! Oh! oh! now all the color has died away! it's all gone,

Peter." And Heidi sat down on the ground looking as full of

distress as if everything had really come to an end.

"It will come again to-morrow," said Peter. "Get up, we must go

home now." He whistled to his goats and together they all

started on their homeward way.

"Is it like that every day, shall we see it every day when we

bring the goats up here?" asked Heidi, as she clambered down the

mountain at Peter's side; she waited eagerly for his answer,

hoping that he would tell her it was so.

"It is like that most days," he replied.

"But will it be like that to-morrow for certain?" Heidi

persisted.

"Yes, yes, to-morrow for certain," Peter assured her in answer.

Heidi now felt quite happy again, and her little brain was so

full of new impressions and new thoughts that she did not speak

any more until they had reached the hut. The grandfather was

sitting under the fir trees, where he had also put up a seat,

waiting as usual for his goats which returned down the mountain

on this side.

Heidi ran up to him followed by the white and brown goats, for

they knew their own master and stall. Peter called out after

her, "Come with me again to-morrow! Good-night!" For he was

anxious for more than one reason that Heidi should go with him

the next day.

Heidi ran back quickly and gave Peter her hand, promising to go

with him, and then making her way through the goats she once

more clasped Snowflake round the neck, saying in a gentle

soothing voice, "Sleep well, Snowflake, and remember that I shall

be with you again to-morrow, so you must not bleat so sadly any

more." Snowflake gave her a friendly and grateful look, and then

went leaping joyfully after the other goats.

Heidi returned to the fir-trees. "O grandfather," she cried,

even before she had come up to him, "it was so beautiful. The

fire, and the roses on the rocks, and the blue and yellow

flowers, and look what I have brought you!" And opening the apron

that held her flowers she shook them all out at her grandfather's

feet. But the poor flowers, how changed they were! Heidi hardly

knew them again. They looked like dry bits of hay, not a single

little flower cup stood open. "O grandfather, what is the matter

with them?" exclaimed Heidi in shocked surprise, "they were not

like that this morning, why do they look so now?"

"They like to stand out there in the sun and not to be shut up

in an apron," said her grandfather.

"Then I will never gather any more. But, grandfather, why did

the great bird go on croaking so?" she continued in an eager tone

of inquiry.

"Go along now and get into your bath while I go and get some

milk; when we are together at supper I will tell you all about

it."

Heidi obeyed, and when later she was sitting on her high stool

before her milk bowl with her grandfather beside her, she

repeated her question, "Why does the great bird go on croaking

and screaming down at us, grandfather?"

"He is mocking at the people who live down below in the

villages, because they all go huddling and gossiping together,

and encourage one another in evil talking and deeds. He calls

out, 'If you would separate and each go your own way and come up

here and live on a height as I do, it would be better for you!'"

There was almost a wildness in the old man's voice as he spoke,

so that Heidi seemed to hear the croaking of the bird again even

more distinctly.

"Why haven't the mountains any names?" Heidi went on.

"They have names," answered her grandfather, "and if you can

describe one of them to me that I know I will tell you what it

is called."

Heidi then described to him the rocky mountain with the two high

peaks so exactly that the grandfather was delighted. "Just so, I

know it," and he told her its name. "Did you see any other?"

Then Heidi told him of the mountain with the great snow-field,

and how it had been on fire, and had turned rosy-red and then all

of a sudden had grown quite pale again and all the color had

disappeared.

"I know that one too," he said, giving her its name. "So you

enjoyed being out with the goats?"

Then Heidi went on to give him an account of the whole day, and

of how delightful it had all been, and particularly described

the fire that had burst out everywhere in the evening. And then

nothing would do but her grandfather must tell how it came, for

Peter knew nothing about it.

The grandfather explained to her that it was the sun that did

it. "When he says good-night to the mountains he throws his most

beautiful colors over them, so that they may not forget him

before he comes again the next day."

Heidi was delighted with this explanation, and could hardly bear

to wait for another day to come that she might once more climb

up with the goats and see how the sun bid good-night to the

mountains. But she had to go to bed first, and all night she

slept soundly on her bed of hay, dreaming of nothing but of

shining mountains with red roses all over them, among which

happy little Snowflake went leaping in and out.