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HEIDI |
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Heidi rushed in among the flock and greeted her old friends of the morning one after the other.
When they reached the hut, they all stood still, and two lovely slender goats — one white, the other brown — came out from the others to the grandfather and licked his hands, in which he held some salt to welcome them. This he did each evening. Peter disappeared with his flock. Heidi gently stroked first one goat and then the other and ran around them to stroke them on the other side; she was perfectly delighted with the little creatures.
"Are they ours, grandfather? Are they both ours? Will they go into the shed ? Will they stay with us always ? " asked Heidi, one question following the other in her delight. When the goats had finished licking their salt, the old man said : —
" Go and bring out your little bowl and the bread."
Heidi obeyed and came back at once. The grandfather milked the goat and filled the bowl and cut off a piece of bread, saying : —
" Now eat your supper and then go up to bed ! Your Aunt Dete left a bundle for you; your nightgowns and other things are in it. You will find it downstairs in the closet if you need it. I must attend to the goats now; so sleep well!"
" Good-night, grandfather ! Good-night — what are their names, grandfather ? what are their names ?" cried the child, running after the old man and the goats as they disappeared in the shed. |
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