Hello,
And welcome back to Drift Off.
I'm Joanne,
Your host,
And I'm really glad you're here.
Whatever kind of day you've had,
Busy or quiet,
Easy or hard,
You made it.
And now it's time to set it all down.
This moment is just for you.
Tonight we're continuing with Chapter 2 of Heidi.
But before we begin,
Let's just take a little time to arrive.
Get yourself as comfortable as you can.
Let your body feel heavy and supported.
And if you need to shift or adjust,
Do that now.
Close your eyes when you're ready.
Take a slow breath in.
And a long breath out.
That's it.
Let your shoulders soften on that exhale.
You might be surprised how much you're holding.
Take another slow breath in,
Gently,
Hold it at the top for a moment,
And let it go.
That's it.
Nice and slow.
With each breath out,
Imagine the day just fading away,
Like mist slowly lifting off a still lake,
Rising gently and thinning into nothing.
The list of things,
The thoughts and worries,
All of it,
Softening and drifting away.
You can let it all go.
Your only job in this moment is to breathe,
Relax and listen.
And whenever you're ready,
Let's begin.
Chapter 2 At Home With Grandfather As soon as Data had disappeared,
The old man went back to his bench and sat there in silence,
Staring at the ground.
Thick curls of smoke drifted up from his pipe.
Meanwhile,
Heidi was happily exploring her new surroundings.
She found a shed built against the hut where the goats were kept,
Peeped inside,
And saw it was empty.
She kept looking around,
And soon came to the fir trees behind the hut,
Where a strong breeze was blowing through the branches with a hushing,
Roaring sound.
Heidi stood still and listened.
When the sound faded a little,
She moved on,
Made her way around the far corner of the hut,
And came back to where her grandfather was sitting.
He was in exactly the same position as when she had left him.
Heidi walked up,
Put her hands behind her back,
And stood quietly in front of him,
Looking at his face.
Her grandfather looked up.
What is it you want?
He asked,
Since she showed no sign of moving.
I want to see what you have inside the house,
Said Heidi.
Come then.
He rose and led her toward the hut.
Bring your bundle of clothes with you,
He called back as she was following.
I won't need them anymore,
She answered at once.
The old man turned and looked at her carefully.
Her dark eyes were sparkling with curious delight.
She's certainly not short of intelligence,
He murmured to himself.
Then aloud,
And why won't you need them anymore?
Because I want to go about like the goats,
With their thin,
Light legs.
You may do so if you like,
Said her grandfather,
But bring them inside all the same.
We'll put them in the cupboard.
Heidi did as she was told.
The old man opened the door and she stepped in after him.
She found herself in a good-sized room that filled the whole ground floor.
There was a table and a chair,
And in one corner stood the grandfather's bed.
In another corner was the hearth with a large kettle hanging above it.
On the far side of the room was a large cupboard built into the wall.
The grandfather opened the cupboard.
Inside were his clothes,
Some hanging up,
Others folded on a shelf.
A few shirts,
Some socks and handkerchiefs.
On another shelf sat plates,
Cups and glasses.
Higher up were a round loaf,
Some smoked meat and cheese.
Everything Alm Uncle needed for food and clothing was kept in that one cupboard.
The moment it was opened,
Heidi darted forward and pushed her bundle of clothes as far to the back as it would go,
Tucking it behind her grandfather's things where it wouldn't easily be found.
Then she looked carefully around the room.
Where am I to sleep,
Grandfather?
Wherever you like,
He said.
Heidi was delighted.
She began at once to examine every corner of the room to find the best spot.
Near her grandfather's bed,
She noticed a short ladder leaning against the wall.
She climbed it and found herself in the hayloft.
There lay a large heap of fresh,
Sweet-smelling hay,
And through a round window in the wall,
She could look straight down the valley below.
I'll sleep up here,
Grandfather,
She called down.
It's lovely.
Come up and see.
I know all about it,
He called back.
I'm making the bed now,
She called again,
Moving busily back and forth.
But I'll need you to bring up a sheet.
You can't have a bed without a sheet to lie on.
All right,
Said the grandfather.
He rummaged in the cupboard and brought out a long,
Coarse piece of cloth,
All he had to serve as a sheet.
When he climbed up to the loft,
He found that Heidi had already made quite a tidy little bed.
She had shaped a heap of hay at one end for a pillow,
And arranged everything so she'd be able to see out through the round window while lying down.
That's very good,
Said the grandfather,
But now we must put on the sheet.
Wait a moment first.
He went back down,
And returned with another large armful of hay to make the mattress thicker,
So the child wouldn't feel the hard floor through it.
There,
Now let's lay out the sheet.
Heidi had picked it up,
But it was almost too heavy for her to manage.
That was no bad thing.
The thick,
Close weave would stop the sharp haystacks from poking through.
Together,
They spread the sheet over the bed,
Tucking in the edges that were too long or too wide.
It looked tidy and snug when they were done,
And Heidi stood back and studied it thoughtfully.
We've forgotten something,
Grandfather,
She said after a moment.
What's that?
A coverlet.
When you get into bed,
You have to creep between the sheet and the coverlet.
Is that so?
But what if I haven't got one?
Never mind,
Said Heidi cheerfully.
I can use more hay to put over me.
She turned to fetch another armful from the pile,
But her grandfather stopped her.
Wait a moment.
He climbed down the ladder,
Went to his bed,
And returned with a large,
Thick sack made of flax,
Which he tossed down with a thump.
There,
Better than hay,
Wouldn't you say?
Heidi tugged at the sack with all her might,
Trying to smooth it out,
But her small hands weren't quite up to the job.
Her grandfather lent a hand,
And together they spread it evenly over the bed.
The whole thing now looked so warm and comfortable that Heidi gazed at it happily.
What a splendid coverlet,
She said.
The whole bed looks lovely.
I wish it were night already,
So I could get inside it.
I think we might have something to eat first,
Said her grandfather.
What do you think?
In all the excitement of making her bed,
Heidi had forgotten everything else.
But now that food was mentioned,
She realized she was terribly hungry.
She had eaten nothing since a piece of bread and a small cup of thin coffee early that morning before setting off on the long,
Hot walk up the mountain.
So she answered without hesitation,
Yes,
I think so too.
Down we go then,
Said the old man,
And he followed the child down the ladder.
He went to the hearth,
Pushed the big kettle aside,
And swung the small one forward over the fire.
Then he settled himself on the round,
Three-legged stool,
And blew the fire up into a bright,
Clear flame.
The kettle was soon boiling.
Meanwhile,
The grandfather held a large piece of cheese on a long iron fork over the heat,
Turning it slowly until it was golden yellow on all sides.
Heidi watched with eager curiosity.
Suddenly,
A new idea seemed to strike her.
She turned and ran to the cupboard,
Then began trotting busily back and forth.
By the time the grandfather came to the table with the jug and the toasted cheese,
He found it already neatly laid.
The round loaf,
Two plates and two knives,
Each in its right place.
Heidi had paid close attention to the cupboard earlier and remembered exactly what was in it.
Ah,
That's right,
Said the grandfather with approval.
I'm glad to see you can think for yourself.
He laid the toasted cheese on a slice of bread.
But there's still something missing.
Heidi glanced at the steaming jug and ran back to the cupboard.
At first,
She could only see a small bowl on the shelf,
But looking further back,
She spotted two glasses.
Without wasting a moment,
She returned with these and the bowl and set them on the table.
Good,
You know how to go about things.
But what will you do for a seat?
The grandfather was sitting in the only chair in the room.
Heidi flew to the hearth,
Dragged the three-legged stool up to the table,
And sat herself down on it.
Well,
You found yourself a seat.
A rather low one,
I'm afraid,
Said her grandfather.
Though you'd have trouble reaching the table from my chair,
Too.
But first things first,
Let's eat.
He filled the bowl with milk and placed it on the chair in front of Heidi,
So she had her own little table.
Then he brought her a thick slice of bread and a piece of the golden cheese and told her to eat.
After that,
He sat at the corner of the table and began his own meal.
Heidi lifted the bowl in both hands and drank without stopping until it was empty.
The thirst of the long,
Hot journey had come back all at once,
And she hadn't paused even to breathe until the bowl was drained.
Then she put it down and let out a long breath.
Was the milk good?
Asked her grandfather.
I've never had any so good before,
Said Heidi.
Then you must have some more.
He refilled her bowl to the brim.
Heidi spread her bread with the toasted cheese,
Which,
Having been melted by the heat,
Was as soft as butter,
And ate hungrily,
Now and then taking a long drink of milk.
She looked like the very picture of contentment.
When the meal was over,
The grandfather went outside to tidy the goat shed.
Heidi watched with interest as he swept it out and laid fresh straw for the goats to sleep on.
Then he went to the small woodshed,
Where he cut some long round sticks and a small round board,
Board holes in it,
And fitted the sticks in.
Like magic,
There appeared a three-legged stool,
Just like his own,
Only taller.
Heidi stared at it,
Speechless with amazement.
What do you think that is?
Her grandfather asked.
It's my stool,
A tall one,
And it was made in a trice,
She said,
Still marveling.
Her eyes are in the right place,
The old man remarked quietly to himself.
He continued his circuit of the hut with hammer and nails and pieces of wood,
Fixing a loose board here,
Tightening a door there.
Heidi followed him at every step,
Watching closely,
And everything she saw brought her fresh delight.
The afternoon passed happily.
As evening came on,
The wind picked up in the old fir trees,
Roaring and rushing through the branches.
Heidi listened with joy,
And it filled her heart so full that she began skipping and dancing among the trees,
As though some wonderful thing had come to her.
Her grandfather stood watching from the shed.
Then,
A shrill whistle rang out from somewhere above.
Heidi stopped dancing,
And the grandfather stepped down.
Down from the heights came the goats,
Springing one after another,
With Peter in their midst.
Heidi ran forward with a cry,
And threw herself among the flock,
Greeting each one she remembered from that morning.
As the herd neared the hut,
Two goats broke away from the others,
One white,
One brown,
Both slender and beautiful,
And trotted straight to the grandfather.
He held out a little salt in his hand,
Which he always had ready when the goats came home.
Heidi stroked them in turn,
Running from one side to the other,
Beside herself with happiness.
Are they ours,
Grandfather?
Are they both ours?
Will they live in the shed?
Will they always stay with us?
Her questions came tumbling out faster than he could answer.
He simply said yes,
Yes,
To each one.
When the goats had finished their salt,
The grandfather sent Heidi inside to fetch her bowl and some bread.
She was back in no time.
He milked the white goat,
Filled her bowl,
And broke off a piece of bread for her.
Now eat your supper,
He said,
And then go up to bed.
Cousin Data left a small bundle for you,
A nightgown and a few other things,
Which you will find at the bottom of the cupboard.
I must go and shut up the goats.
Sleep well.
Good night,
Grandfather.
Good night,
She called,
Running a few steps after him.
What are their names?
Grandfather,
What are their names?
The white one is Little Swan,
And the brown one is Little Bear,
He called back.
Good night,
Little Swan.
Good night,
Little Bear,
She shouted as loudly as she could,
Though they had already gone into the shed.
Then she sat down on her stool and began her supper.
The wind was blowing so hard it nearly knocked her off her seat,
So she ate quickly and hurried inside.
She climbed up to her bed and was soon lying fast asleep as sweetly and soundly as any young princess on a silken couch.
Not long after,
While it was still twilight,
The grandfather went to bed too.
He was up every morning at sunrise,
And in those summer months the sun came climbing over the mountains very early.
The wind grew wilder as the night wore on,
Battering the walls of the hut in great gusts so that the old beams groaned and creaked.
It howled down the chimney like something in pain,
And raged so fiercely among the fir trees that here and there a branch snapped off and fell.
In the middle of the night,
The old man got up.
The child will be frightened,
He murmured.
He climbed the ladder and stood beside Heidi's bed.
Outside the moon was wrestling with fast moving clouds that covered it one moment and uncovered it the next.
Just then,
The moonlight came through the round window and fell directly on the sleeping child.
She lay under the heavy coverlet,
Her cheeks warm and rosy,
Her head resting peacefully on her small round arm,
And on her face was a happy expression as though she were dreaming of something pleasant.
The old man stood and looked at her for a long time until the moon slipped behind the clouds and all was dark.
Then he went quietly back to bed.
Sweet dreams,
My friend.
Sleep well.
