HEIDI
“I must get a light, it is getting too dark to see,” said Peter’s mother, who was still busy mending his waistcoat. “I feel too as if the afternoon had gone I hardly know how.”
Heidi now jumped up from her low chair, and holding out her hand hastily to the grandmother said, “Good-night, grandmother, if it is getting dark I must go home at once,” and bidding good-bye to Peter and his mother she went towards the door. But the grandmother called out in an anxious voice, “Wait, wait, Heidi; you must not go alone like that, Peter must go with you; and take care of the child, Peter, that she does not fall, and don’t let her stand still for fear she should get frozen, do you hear? Has she got anything warm to put around her throat?”
“I have not anything to put on,” called back Heidi, “but I am sure I shall not be cold,” and with that she ran outside and went off at such a pace that Peter had difficulty in overtaking her. The grandmother, still in distress, called out to her daughter, “Run after her, Brigitta; the child will be frozen to death on such a night as this; take my shawl, 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
[76]
