Heidi: Chapters 3–5

Being deaf, Ursula was afraid to let Heidi go outdoors, and the child had often fretted in the narrow room and had longed to run outside.

The boy followed the old man, who commanded him to open the bag in which he carried his scanty dinner.

It rose higher and higher into the azure, till it disappeared at last behind the mountain-peak.

"Oh, let's climb up there and see its nest!" implored Heidi, but Peter, expressing decided disapproval in his voice, answered: "Oh dear, Oh dear, not even goats could climb up there! Grandfather has told me not to let you fall down the rocks, so we can't go!"

A small, white goat, called Snowhopper, kept up bleating in the most piteous way, which induced Heidi to console it several times.

A small, white goat, called Snowhopper, kept up bleating in the most piteous way, which induced Heidi to console it several times.

A small, white goat, called Snowhopper, kept up bleating in the most piteous way, which induced Heidi to console it several times.

They evaded the obtrusive Turk with a sort of contempt and always managed to find the greenest bushes for themselves.

They evaded the obtrusive Turk with a sort of contempt and always managed to find the greenest bushes for themselves.

They evaded the obtrusive Turk with a sort of contempt and always managed to find the greenest bushes for themselves.

All of a sudden Peter, who had been lying on the ground, jumped up and bounded after the goats.

She saw him running to a dangerous abyss on the side.

The Thistlefinch, being enraged to find himself stopped in his charming ramble, bleated furiously.

But Heidi, seizing his arm, shouted, full of indignation: "You mustn't hurt him! Let him go!"

Heidi's eyes were sparkling, and when he saw her with her commanding mien, he desisted and dropped his rope.

Heidi's eyes were sparkling, and when he saw her with her commanding mien, he desisted and dropped his rope.

"I'll let him go, if you give me a piece of your cheese again to-morrow," he said, for he wanted a compensation for his fright.

"Oh, see, how beautiful! It looks as if many, many roses were growing on those cliffs. Oh, now they are getting grey. Oh dear! the fire has gone out and it is all over. What a terrible shame!" said Heidi quite despondently.

The sun had lost its vigor, and the child had to put on her shoes and stockings and her little dress.

"Child, I cannot see anything," lamented the old woman.

The grandmother tried all possible means to comfort the child; it wrung her heart to see her terrible distress.

The old woman remained silent, and Heidi, with the greatest vivacity, began to describe her life with the grandfather.

Her daughter had to assent, for Heidi had long ago won her heart.

"If only God will spare us the child!" the grandmother would often say.

Sitting down, the parson said: "It is long since I have seen you, neighbor. I have come to-day to talk over a matter with you. I am sure you can guess what it is about."

"I do not want her to go to school," said the old man, unrelentingly.

The clergyman had risen, and holding out his hand, he said cordially: "I shall count on you next winter, neighbor. We shall receive you gladly, reconciled with God and man."

The clergyman had risen, and holding out his hand, he said cordially: "I shall count on you next winter, neighbor. We shall receive you gladly, reconciled with God and man."

Very rich relations of her lady, who owned the largest house in Frankfurt, had a lame daughter.

Deta had heard from her lady that a sweet, quaint child was wanted as playmate and schoolmate for the invalid.

Deta had heard from her lady that a sweet, quaint child was wanted as playmate and schoolmate for the invalid.

You do not care for her, how else could you be indifferent to such luck.

"Don't be stupid and obstinate, like a goat. Listen to me. Grandfather is sending us away and we must do what he commands, or he will get more angry still. You'll see how fine it is in Frankfurt. If you do not like it, you can come home again and by that time grandfather will have forgiven us."

He came down but seldom, and then only to sell his cheese and buy his provisions.

These reports reached the village, of course, but people only half believed them, for the grandmother was infirm and old.