登陆注册
4618000000015

第15章 THE VISIT TO GRANDMOTHER(1)

The next morning the sun came out early as bright as ever, and then Peter appeared with the goats, and again the two children climbed up together to the high meadows, and so it went on day after day till Heidi, passing her life thus among the grass and flowers, was burnt brown with the sun, and grew so strong and healthy that nothing ever ailed her. She was happy too, and lived from day to day as free and lighthearted as the little birds that make their home among the green forest trees. Then the autumn came, and the wind blew louder and stronger, and the grandfather would say sometimes, "To-day you must stay at home, Heidi; a sudden gust of the wind would blow a little thing like you over the rocks into the valley below in a moment."Whenever Peter heard that he must go alone he looked very unhappy, for he saw nothing but mishaps of all kinds ahead, and did not know how he should bear the long dull day without Heidi.

Then, too, there was the good meal he would miss, and besides that the goats on these days were so naughty and obstinate that he had twice the usual trouble with them, for they had grown so accustomed to Heidi's presence that they would run in every direction and refuse to go on unless she was with them. Heidi was never unhappy, for wherever she was she found something to interest or amuse her. She liked best, it is true, to go out with Peter up to the flowers and the great bird, where there was so much to be seen, and so many experiences to go through among the goats with their different characters; but she also found her grandfather's hammering and sawing and carpentering very entertaining, and if it should chance to be the day when the large round goat's-milk cheese was made she enjoyed beyond measure looking on at this wonderful performance, and watching her grandfather, as with sleeves rolled back, he stirred the great cauldron with his bare arms. The thing which attracted her most, however, was the waving and roaring of the three old fir trees on these windy days. She would run away repeatedly from whatever she might be doing, to listen to them, for nothing seemed so strange and wonderful to her as the deep mysterious sound in the tops of the trees. She would stand underneath them and look up, unable to tear herself away, looking and listening while they bowed and swayed and roared as the mighty wind rushed through them. There was no longer now the warm bright sun that had shone all through the summer, so Heidi went to the cupboard and got out her shoes and stockings and dress, for it was growing colder every day, and when Heidi stood under the fir trees the wind blew through her as if she was a thin little leaf, but still she felt she could not stay indoors when she heard the branches waving outside.

Then it grew very cold, and Peter would come up early in the morning blowing on his fingers to keep them warm. But he soon left off coming, for one night there was a heavy fall of snow and the next morning the whole mountain was covered with it, and not a single little green leaf was to be seen anywhere upon it. There was no Peter that day, and Heidi stood at the little window looking out in wonderment, for the snow was beginning again, and the thick flakes kept falling till the snow was up to the window, and still they continued to fall, and the snow grew higher, so that at last the window could not be opened, and she and her grandfather were shut up fast within the hut. Heidi thought this was great fun and ran from one window to the other to see what would happen next, and whether the snow was going to cover up the whole hut, so that they would have to light a lamp although it was broad daylight. But things did not get as bad as that, and the next day, the snow having ceased, the grandfather went out and shovelled away the snow round the house, and threw it into such great heaps that they looked like mountains standing at intervals on either side the hut. And now the windows and door could be opened, and it was well it was so, for as Heidi and her grandfather were sitting one afternoon on their three-legged stools before the fire there came a great thump at the door followed by several others, and then the door opened. It was Peter, who had made all that noise knocking the snow off his shoes; he was still white all over with it, for he had had to fight his way through deep snowdrifts, and large lumps of snow that had frozen upon him still clung to his clothes. He had been determined, however, not to be beaten and to climb up to the hut, for it was a week now since he had seen Heidi.

"Good-evening," he said as he came in; then he went and placed himself as near the fire as he could without saying another word, but his whole face was beaming with pleasure at finding himself there. Heidi looked on in astonishment, for Peter was beginning to thaw all over with the warmth, so that he had the appearance of a trickling waterfall.

"Well, General, and how goes it with you?" said the grandfather, "now that you have lost your army you will have to turn to your pen and pencil.""Why must he turn to his pen and pencil?" asked Heidi immediately, full of curiosity.

"During the winter he must go to school," explained her grandfather, "and learn how to read and write; it's a bit hard, although useful sometimes afterwards. Am I not right, General?""Yes, indeed," assented Peter.

Heidi's interest was now thoroughly awakened, and she had so many questions to put to Peter about all that was to be done and seen and heard at school, and the conversation took so long that Peter had time to get thoroughly dry. Peter had always great difficulty in putting his thoughts into words, and he found his share of the talk doubly difficult to-day, for by the time he had an answer ready to one of Heidi's questions she had already put two or three more to him, and generally such as required a whole long sentence in reply.

The grandfather sat without speaking during this conversation, only now and then a twitch of amusement at the corners of his mouth showed that he was listening.

同类推荐
  • 钱农部请师本末

    钱农部请师本末

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • St. Ives

    St. Ives

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 上清众真教戒德行经

    上清众真教戒德行经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 小江驿送陆侍御归湖

    小江驿送陆侍御归湖

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 浪迹续谈

    浪迹续谈

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 金刚顶经一字顶轮王瑜伽一切时处念诵成佛仪轨

    金刚顶经一字顶轮王瑜伽一切时处念诵成佛仪轨

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 斗天神

    斗天神

    茫茫浩劫,笼罩世间,神之怨气,魔之煞气。弱肉强食的定律不停的筛选着英豪,强者的世界、杀戮、残酷、暴力、残忍、阴谋、阳谋,踩蒂者一具具强者尸首,只为孤站巅峰。
  • 主角武道馆

    主角武道馆

    未婚妻即将被抢走,怎么办?别急,来主角武道馆被堂弟逆袭,怎么办?别急,来主角武道馆大哥太耀眼,成了路人甲,怎么办?别急,来主角武道馆……“系统,我们培养的怎么全是配角和反派?”刘枫吐槽道。系统:“因为主角没钱。”
  • 铁剑之兽灵契约

    铁剑之兽灵契约

    自太古时代就已统治天地的神兽、异兽、妖兽,在一场神秘的不期而至浩劫中化为传说。一介放牛娃自小便身负异兽旋龟之灵,悬崖秘洞中收获奇缘,长大后踏上旅程,开启了一段不世传说。而当此时,天下三分,天龙帝国的战矛早已觊觎水月、镜花两大王国,战争一触即发。兽灵与宿主、骑士与国王、帝国与教会,一双双眼睛隐藏在黑暗处观察和推动着世界的变革……
  • 泰坦与龙之王

    泰坦与龙之王

    新书《极恶龙君》已发布!泰坦,与最古老的神袛一同诞生的近神生物。龙,雄踞无数世界食物链顶端的强大掠食者。继承了泰坦与金龙血脉的穆瑞亚,端坐于王座之上。红龙,蓝龙,绿龙……青铜龙,赤铜龙,黄铜龙……紫晶龙,水晶龙,翡翠龙,众多巨龙匍匐在王座之下。云巨人,雾巨人,石巨人,霜巨人……风暴巨人,山岭巨人,潮汐巨人……无数的巨人向王座跪拜。王者的力量,不仅仅是用来杀戮与征服!群:678832963
  • 武媚娘传奇

    武媚娘传奇

    君临天下威风凛凛,憔悴心事有谁知怜。她只是一个女人,一个生活在封建制度下的女人,一个中国历史上最辉煌朝代的皇帝。她叫武则天。看一个女人如何从纯情的少女蜕变为一代女皇。看一个女人如何历经坎坷主宰浮沉,她的内心,她的少女怀春,她的爱,都给了谁?是李世民?还是李治?还是一直陪伴在她身边的人?是什么让她变成后面那个重用酷吏,残害忠良的女皇?一个女人的悲歌,一段历史的长调就此唱响。
  • 女皇陛下的妖孽权臣

    女皇陛下的妖孽权臣

    他羽千寻虽是一天才,但更是九淮城的纨绔子弟中的王者,本以为就要这么安安逸逸,抱着美人,喝着美酒过完这荒唐的一生,但不想,家族的日渐衰弱,羽千寻遇见了女帝凰卿歌——这个他初见时觉得花痴的女人。为了家族的复兴,羽千寻不得不接近这个女人,在得到更多的权力的同时,他渐渐的改变了对她的态度,从一开始只把她当做女帝,到后来希望她是自己的女人。占有欲越来越强,他容不得别人多看她一眼。。。她想娶她,迫切的。…………………………分割线…………………凰卿歌躺在羽千寻怀里,撅着嘴道“爱卿,苏大人犯了什么错啊?你非要把他贬谪到那么偏远的地方?”羽千寻瞥了瞥她“他动了不该有的念头”凰卿歌有点痴迷的说“在一群老头中格外好看诶!”羽千寻一听,一把她扑倒在地,修长的手指缠绕着玩弄凰卿歌的头发,有一丝丝威胁的道“那你是觉得我好看,还是那个姓苏的好看,嗯?”凰卿歌见状急忙道“爱卿玉树临风,风流倜傥,朕对爱卿的倾慕就像就像滔滔江水连绵不断,黄河水泛滥一发不可收拾啊”她凰卿歌真觉得这个女皇作的好委屈啊!
  • 立碑记

    立碑记

    某公因怀念保姆的恩泽,决意清明为她立碑修墓。而她两个侄儿却为保护田地萝卜报出高价、砸碎墓碑,攻击人身。呜呼,人贱于萝卜世间少有,敲诈自己的亲人更是罕见。嫲嫲对我和对我的饿哥是一样的,就连问这话的时候都是一样:“我要是死了,你们会到我的坟上来看我不?”她把重音落在“死”字上,像一缕阴风在我耳边嘶嘶地响,听得我的身上发冷。我不回答,是觉得这个问题问得古怪而多余。我的身边却有一个坚定的声音像呼喊口号一般喊了起来:“你不会死,你是天上的神仙下凡,神仙咋会死呢?”
  • 黄金穗

    黄金穗

    穿越娘亲含恨死,迂腐老爹殉情亡。幸有灵魂来互换,小小金穗得重生。爷爷当爹又当娘,祖孙努力奔小康。渣男想要来求亲,哼哼……想娶我金穗可以,予君黄金穗,君冠我之姓!订阅超过30%的亲请投一下完本满意度,么么哒~
  • 鹤引诗情入碧霄

    鹤引诗情入碧霄

    本书收录了徐志摩所著的最经典、最唯美的诗文,体裁包括散文、诗歌和小说。散文篇的内容带有“自叙传的色彩”,范围涉及人生、社会、政治、艺术等,语言秀丽而有力。诗歌篇的内容多是抒发理想和表现爱情,探讨生活哲理以及写景抒情,比喻新奇、想象丰富。小说篇多采用浪漫主义笔法,着力刻画人物的内心感受和心理活动,具有“独特的华丽”的格调。全书文采华丽,意境优美,处处充满了深刻的哲理和浓浓的诗情,全面展现了徐志摩的心曲恋歌、创作成就和艺术风格。