Hello,
And welcome back to Drift Off.
I'm your host Joanne,
And I'm so happy you're joining me tonight.
We're settling back into the world of Heidi with Chapter 4.
Since you're a premium subscriber,
You're hearing this story before anyone else.
It's my way of saying a huge thank you for your support.
I hope this chapter is the perfect quiet end to your day.
But first,
Let's take a moment to really arrive here.
Find your most comfortable position,
And let yourself settle in.
Feel the weight of your body being fully supported by the bed beneath you.
And when you're ready,
Gently close your eyes.
Take a slow,
Deep breath in,
And a long,
Easy breath out.
Let your shoulders soften.
Let your jaw relax.
Let your hands grow heavy and soft.
And again,
Breathe in,
And out,
Nice and slow.
With every exhale,
Imagine any lingering tension simply drifting away like a leaf on a calm stream.
Letting that softness start at the top of your head,
Melting down all the way down to the tips of your fingers and the tips of your toes.
You don't need to hold on to anything right now.
There is nothing left for you to do.
Let your mind become quiet and still by imagining a vast,
Starlit sky stretching over the quiet Alps.
Visualize the stars appearing one by one,
Steady and bright,
Like tiny lanterns in the deep velvet blue.
A cool,
Gentle breeze brushes past,
Carrying the scent of pine and wild grass,
Leaving everything it touches feeling hushed by the moonlight.
The whole mountain is tucked in,
Sleeping deeply under the watch of the stars.
You are safe here.
You are warm.
You are exactly where you need to be.
And whenever you're ready,
Let's begin.
Chapter 5 A Railroad Journey Heidi was now in her 8th year.
She had learned all kinds of useful things from her grandfather,
And could look after the goats as well as anyone.
Little Swan and Little Bear followed her like two faithful dogs,
And let out a happy bleat whenever they heard her voice.
Twice that winter,
Peter had brought a message from the schoolmaster at Durfley,
Who said that all uncle ought to send Heidi to school.
She was already past the usual age,
And should have started the winter before.
Both times,
Uncle had sent word back that if the schoolmaster had anything to say to him,
He was welcome to come up and say it,
But that he had no intention of sending Heidi to school.
One sunny morning in March,
Heidi was running about outside and had just jumped over the water trough for at least the 10th time when she nearly fell backwards into it with fright.
Standing right in front of her was an old gentleman dressed in black.
Seeing how startled she was,
He said in a kind voice,
Don't be afraid of me.
I am very fond of children.
Shake hands.
You must be Heidi.
I've heard so much about.
Where is your grandfather?
He's sitting inside,
Making round wooden spoons,
Said Heidi,
And she opened the door for him.
It was the old village pastor from Durfley,
Who had been a neighbor of uncle's when he still lived down in the village.
He stepped inside and went up to the old man who was bent over his work.
Good morning,
Neighbor,
Said the pastor.
The grandfather looked up in surprise,
Then rose from his seat.
Good morning,
He replied,
Pushing his chair toward the visitor.
It's only a wooden seat,
But you're welcome to it.
The pastor sat down.
It has been a long time,
He said.
I think you know what has brought me here.
As he spoke,
He glanced toward Heidi,
Who was standing at the door.
Heidi,
Go to the goats,
Said the grandfather.
Take them a little salt and stay with them until I come.
Heidi disappeared at once.
The child should have been at school a year ago,
Said the pastor,
And certainly this past winter.
The schoolmaster sent word,
But you gave no reply.
What do you intend to do with her,
Neighbor?
I intend not to send her to school,
Said the grandfather.
And how do you plan to let her grow up?
I plan to let her grow up happy among the goats and birds.
With them she's safe and will learn nothing harmful.
But the child is not a goat or a bird.
She is a human being.
It is time she began her lessons.
This must be the last winter she's allowed to run free.
Come next winter,
She must attend school every day.
She will do no such thing,
Said the old man,
With quiet firmness.
Do you mean to stick stubbornly to that,
Said the pastor,
Rowing a little heated?
You've been out in the world.
I would have expected better sense from you,
Neighbor.
Indeed,
Replied the old man.
And would you have me send a small child down the mountain on freezing mornings,
Through storms and snow,
And let her make her way back in the dark when the wind is raging?
Have you forgotten her mother Adelaide?
She was a sleepwalker and prone to fits.
The child might be afflicted in the same way if she's pushed too hard.
You think you can force me to send her?
I will go before every court in the country first,
And then we shall see who can force me to do anything.
You may well be right,
Neighbor,
Said the pastor,
His tone gentler now.
If it is truly impossible to send the child to school from up here,
Then come back down to Durflea and live among your fellow men again.
What kind of life is this,
Alone up here,
With bitterness in your heart toward God and man?
As for going back to Durflea,
That is the furthest thing from my mind.
The people there despise me,
And I them.
It is better for all of us to live apart.
The pastor rose and held out his hand.
I wager that next winter you will be back among us,
He said earnestly,
And we shall be good neighbors again as we once were.
Promise me you will come back and be reconciled with God and man.
Alm Uncle took the pastor's hand and answered him steadily.
You mean well by me,
I know it,
But I will not send the child to school,
And I will not come and live among you.
Then God help you,
Said the pastor,
And he left the hut and went down the mountain.
Alm Uncle was out of sorts for the rest of the day.
When Heidi asked that afternoon if they could go down to the grandmother,
He said,
Not today,
And spoke not another word.
The following morning,
When she asked again,
He said,
We will see.
But before the dinner things had been cleared away,
Another visitor arrived.
This time it was Data,
Wearing a fine feathered hat and a long trailing dress that swept along the floor.
The grandfather looked her up and down in silence.
Data,
However,
Had come well prepared with a pleasant speech.
She began at once by admiring Heidi,
Saying she would hardly have recognized her.
It was plain to see the child had been happy and well looked after.
Then she came to her point.
She had just heard of a wonderful opportunity.
A wealthy family in Frankfurt was looking for a companion for their only daughter,
Who was an invalid.
Heidi was exactly the kind of child they wanted,
Simple,
Natural and unspoiled.
Data had already described her to them,
And they were willing to take her,
And no one could say what good fortune might follow,
For if these rich people were to take a real liking to Heidi.
.
.
Have you nearly finished,
Alm Uncle broke in.
He had let her talk on without interruption until now.
Ugh,
Exclaimed Data,
Tossing her head in disgust.
One would think I was telling you about something perfectly ordinary.
There is not a family in all Pretigau who wouldn't thank God if I brought them news like this.
You may take your news to any of them.
I want nothing to do with it.
Data shot up from her seat,
As though launched from a spring.
Fine,
Then I'll tell you what I think.
The child is eight years old and knows nothing,
And you won't let her learn anything.
You won't send her to church or school.
Everyone in Durfley knows it.
She is my own sister's child,
And I am responsible for what becomes of her.
This is a good chance for her,
And I have the whole village on my side.
Not one person there will take your part against me.
I advise you think carefully before taking this to court.
There are things that might be brought up that you would not care to hear,
For when the law gets involved,
A great deal of old business tends to come back to the surface.
Be silent,
Thundered the grandfather,
His eyes blazing.
Get out of my sight and don't come back.
You and your feathered hat.
Annie strode out of the hut.
You've made my grandfather angry,
Said Heidi,
And her dark eyes were far from friendly as she looked at Data.
He'll get over it soon enough,
Said Data quickly.
Now come and show me where your things are.
I'm not coming,
Said Heidi.
Don't be silly.
You'll have all sorts of lovely things you've never dreamed of.
She went to the cupboard,
Pulled out Heidi's clothes,
And rolled them in a bundle.
There's your hat.
It's rather shabby,
But it'll do for now.
Put it on and let's go.
I'm not coming,
Said Heidi again.
Don't be stubborn.
You've been spending too much time with the goats.
Listen to me.
You saw how angry your grandfather was,
And you heard what he said.
He doesn't want to see us again.
He wants you to go with me,
And you mustn't make him angrier still.
You can't imagine how lovely Frankfurt is.
And if you don't like it,
You can always come back.
By then your grandfather will be perfectly cheerful again.
Can I come back this very evening and be home again tonight?
Asked Heidi.
Oh,
Come along now.
I keep telling you.
You can come back whenever you like.
Today we go as far as Meinfeld,
And first thing tomorrow we take the train.
I will bring you back in no time when you're ready,
For it goes as fast as the wind.
They set off down the mountain.
As they drew near the grandmother's cottage,
Peter came around the corner carrying an enormous bundle of long hazel sticks on his shoulders.
He stopped and stared at the two figures coming toward him.
As they came closer he exclaimed,
Where are you going,
Heidi?
I'm only going to Frankfurt for a little visit with Data,
She said,
But I must just run in to see grandmother.
She'll be expecting me.
No,
No,
There's no time for that,
Said Data firmly,
Holding on to Heidi who was already trying to pull away.
You can go in when you come back,
And she kept the child moving.
Peter rushed into the cottage and crushed his bundle sticks against the table with such force that everything in the room shook.
The grandmother leaped up from her spinning wheel with a cry of alarm.
What is it?
What's happened?
She's taking Heidi away,
Said Peter.
Who?
Where?
Where to,
Peter,
Cried the grandmother,
Growing more and more agitated.
Even as she asked,
She already feared the answer,
For Brigitte had told her not long before that she had seen Data going up to Alm-Uncle.
She hurried to the window and called out with all the pleading she could muster.
Data!
Data!
Don't take the child away from us!
Please don't take her!
The two on the path below heard her voice clearly,
And Data gripped Heidi's hand more tightly.
Heidi struggled to pull free.
Grandmother's calling!
I must go to her!
But Data had no intention of letting go.
She quieted the child the best way she knew,
By promising she could bring something nice back to her grandmother.
This was a new idea,
And it caught Heidi's attention so completely that Data had no further trouble.
What can I bring her?
Asked Heidi.
A soft white bread roll.
She would love that.
She's so old now,
That the hard black bread is too much for her.
She always gives it back to Peter and says it's too hard,
Said Heidi.
Then let's hurry,
So we can get back from Frankfurt quickly and I can give it to her today.
And she set off at such a pace that Data,
With the bundle tucked under her arm,
Could barely keep up.
From that day on,
Alm Uncle looked fiercer and more forbidding than ever when he came down through Durfley.
He spoke to no one.
He came along with his pack of cheeses on his back,
His great stick in his hand,
And his heavy brows pulled low,
And the women of the village would call to their children,
Get out of Alm Uncle's way,
Be careful he doesn't hurt you.
He took no notice of anyone as he passed through the village on his way to the valley.
Where he sold his cheeses and brought the bread and meat he needed.
Once he had gone,
The villagers gathered together and shook their heads.
It was a great mercy,
They all agreed,
That the child had got away from him.
Only the blind grandmother would hear nothing said against him.
She told everyone who came to bring her work how kind and considerate he had been,
How good to her and her daughter,
How many afternoons he had spent mending the old cottage until it was solid and sound again.
All of this was repeated down in Durfley,
But most people said that the grandmother was too old to know what she was talking about and probably hadn't heard things correctly.
Since she was blind,
They said,
She was most likely going deaf as well.
In her home in Frankford,
Clara,
The young daughter of Mr.
Sazamon,
Lay on the invalid couch,
Where she spent her entire day.
She was wheeled in it from room to room as she went about her life.
Her face was thin and pale,
And her soft blue eyes were fixed on the clock,
Which seemed to be moving very slowly today.
With a rare touch of impatience,
She asked,
Isn't it time yet,
Miss Rottermeier?
Miss Rottermeier sat very upright at a small work table,
Busy with her embroidery.
She wore a tall,
Dome-shaped headpiece that made her look incredibly solemn and dignified.
For many years since Clara's mother had died,
The housekeeping and the management of the servants had been entrusted to her.
Clara's father,
Who was often away from home,
Left her in sole charge,
With the one condition that his daughter should have a say in everything and that nothing should be done against Clara's wishes.
Just as Clara was asking her impatient question for the second time,
Data and Heidi arrived at the front door.
Tenette,
The maid in her dainty cap and apron,
Ushered them upstairs into the library.
Data stood politely near the door,
Still holding Heidi tightly by the hand.
She wasn't quite sure what the child might do in such grand surroundings.
Miss Rottermeier rose slowly and walked over to inspect the new companion.
She did not look pleased.
Heidi was dressed in her simple woolen frock and an old straw hat that was bent out of shape.
The child looked up innocently,
Gazing with pure astonishment at the lady's towering headdress.
What is your name?
Miss Rottermeier asked after studying the child for several minutes.
Heidi kept her eyes fixed steadily on the lady.
Heidi,
She answered in a clear ringing voice.
What?
That is no Christian name for a child,
Miss Rottermeier snapped.
You weren't christened that.
What name were you given when you were baptized?
I don't remember,
Heidi replied.
What a way to answer,
The lady said,
Shaking her head.
Data,
Is this child a simpleton or just saucy?
If the lady will allow me,
I will speak for her,
Data said,
Giving Heidi a silent poke for her answer.
She's not used to strangers.
She isn't stupid or saucy.
She just speaks exactly what she thinks.
This is her first time in a house like this,
But she is very willing to learn.
She was christened Adelaide after her mother.
Well,
That is a name one can actually pronounce,
Miss Rottermeier remarked.
But Data,
I am astonished to see such a young child.
I told you I wanted a companion the same age as Miss Clara,
Someone to share her lessons.
Clara is over twelve.
How old is this child?
If I may,
Data began again,
I had lost count of her exact age.
She is a little younger,
But not much.
I believe she is ten or thereabouts.
Grandfather told me I was eight,
Heidi put in.
Data gave her another poke,
But Heidi didn't understand why and wasn't at all bothered.
Only eight,
Miss Rottermeier cried angrily.
Four years too young.
What use is such a child?
And what have you learned?
What books have you studied?
None,
Said Heidi.
How?
How did you learn to read then?
I have never learned to read,
And neither has Peter,
Heidi informed her.
Mercy,
You cannot read?
Miss Rottermeier was horrified.
Is it possible?
What have you learned?
Nothing,
Said Heidi,
With complete honesty.
Young woman,
The lady said to Data.
This is not the companion we need.
How could you bring me a child like this?
But Data stood her ground.
The child is exactly what you asked for.
She is unlike any other child,
And I thought she was made for this place.
But I must go now,
My mistress is waiting.
I will come back soon to see how she's getting on.
With a quick bow,
Data hurried out of the room and ran downstairs.
Miss Rottermeier stood there,
Stunned,
Then ran after her.
But Data had already disappeared out the front door.
Heidi remained right where she had been standing.
Clara had watched the whole scene in silence.
Now she beckoned to Heidi.
Come here.
Heidi walked over to her.
Would you rather be called Heidi or Adelaide?
Clara asked.
I am never called anything but Heidi,
The child answered promptly.
Then I shall call you that too,
Clara said.
It suits you.
I've never heard the name before,
But then I've never seen a child quite like you either.
Have you always had that short curly hair?
Yes,
I think so,
Said Heidi.
Are you happy to come to Frankfurt?
Clara asked.
No,
Heidi explained,
But I shall go home again tomorrow and take grandmother a crusty white loaf.
You are a funny child,
Clara exclaimed.
Don't you know you were sent here to stay with me and share my lessons?
They are dreadfully dull.
My tutor comes every morning at ten and we work until two.
It feels like such a long time.
Sometimes he holds the book right up to his face as if he's short-sighted,
But I know he's just hiding a yawn.
And Miss Rottermeier hides her face behind a handkerchief as if she's moved by the reading,
But she's just longing to yawn too.
I want to yawn too,
But I don't dare.
If she sees me,
She brings out the cod liver oil and says I'm getting weak.
The oil is horrible,
But now it will be much more fun because I can just lie back and listen while you learn to read.
Heidi shook her head doubtfully at the idea of learning to read.
Oh,
Nonsense,
Heidi.
Everyone must learn.
My tutor's very kind,
Even if he explains things so much that you won't understand a word of it.
Just don't ask questions,
Or he'll explain even more and you'll be even more confused.
Later on,
You'll start to understand.
Miss Rottermeier came back into the room,
Looking very frustrated that she hadn't caught data.
She paced back and forth between the study and the dining room,
Scolding the butler.
Make haste,
Sebastian,
Or we shall never have dinner.
She then hurried out to tell the maid,
Tanette,
To prepare a bedroom for the new girl.
Meanwhile,
Sebastian swung open the dining room doors with a bit more noise than necessary.
He was feeling grumpy.
He went to Clara's chair to wheel her in for dinner.
Heidi stood staring at him.
Feeling her eyes on him,
He growled.
Well,
What are you staring at?
You look just like Peter,
Heidi answered.
The housekeeper clasped her hands in horror.
Is it possible,
She whispered to herself.
She is addressing a servant as if he were a friend.
I never could have imagined such a child.
Sebastian wheeled the coach into the dining room and helped Clara into her chair.
Miss Rottermeier took her seat beside her and signaled for Heidi to sit opposite them.
Beside Heidi's plate lay a fresh white roll and her eyes lit up with joy the moment she saw it.
When Sebastian stepped up to her side to offer a dish of fish,
She looked at the bread and asked,
Can I have this?
Sebastian nodded and Heidi immediately grabbed the roll and tucked it into her pocket.
Sebastian remained standing there.
It wasn't his place to speak,
Nor could he move away until she had served herself.
Heidi looked at him wonderingly for a moment before asking,
Am I supposed to eat some of that too?
Sebastian nodded again.
Give me some then,
She said,
Looking calmly at her plate.
I see I shall have to teach you the basic rules of behavior,
The housekeeper said with a heavy sigh.
You must not speak to Sebastian at the table or at any other time unless you are giving him an order,
And even then you are not to speak to him as if he were a personal friend.
Never let me hear you speak to him like that again.
The same goes for Tinette.
As for me,
You are to address me as you hear the others do.
Clara can decide for herself what you should call her.
Why,
Clara,
Of course,
The girl chimed in,
Then followed a long list of rules regarding general manners.
As the lecture went on,
Heidi's eyes began to heavy and slowly close.
She had been awake since five that morning and had survived a very long journey.
She leaned back in her chair and fell fast asleep.
Miss Rottermeier finally reached the end of her long speech.
Now,
Remember everything I have said,
Adelaide.
Did you understand it all?
Heidi has been asleep for a long time,
Said Clara,
Her face glowing with amusement.
She hadn't had such an entertaining dinner in years.
It is truly unbearable what one has to endure with this child,
Miss Rottermeier cried in a fit of indignation.
She rang the bell so violently that both Tinette and Sebastian came running in.
But no amount of noise seemed to wake Heidi.
It was all they could do to rouse her,
Just enough to lead her upstairs to her bedroom.
Sweet dreams,
My friend.
Sleep well.
