Johanna Spyri - Heidi

Mr Sesemann paced up and down the room, as he always did when he was thinking hard. Then he stopped abruptly in front of his friend and patted his shoulder. ‘Doctor, I’ve an idea. I can’t bear to see you look so unlike your old self. You ought to have a change. How would it be if you were to go to Switzerland and visit Heidi on our behalf?’

This suggestion took the doctor quite by surprise, but he was not allowed to speak, for Mr Sesemann was so pleased with the idea that he seized him by the arm immediately and hurried him off to his daughter’s room. Clara was as usual very pleased to see her nice friendly doctor, who nearly always had something amusing to tell her when he came, in spite of his own sorrow. She understood about that and would gladly have helped to make him his old cheerful self again.

They sat down beside her, and her father took her hand and began to talk about the trip to Switzerland and how much he had been looking forward to it. He told her briefly that it would have to be postponed and, dreading to see her upset as he feared she would be, he passed quickly on to his plan for the doctor to go, stressing how good it would be for him to get away.

Clara could not keep the tears from her eyes though she knew her father hated to see her cry, but it was very hard to have to give up the visit to Heidi, for she had counted on it all through the long and lonely hours of her illness. But her father would never have disappointed her unless he thought it important for her good, she knew that, so she blinked back the tears and turned to the doctor.

‘Oh, please,’ she begged softly, ‘please go and see Heidi for me. Then, when you come back, you will be able to tell me all about it — how she is, and about her grandfather and Peter and the goats. I almost feel I know them all already! And you’ll be able to take presents to Heidi and to Grannie. I had them all planned. You will go, won’t you? And I promise I’ll take as much cod‐liver oil as you like!’

It may or may not have been the cod‐liver oil which decided him, but the offer certainly made him smile and he said, ‘Then of course I must go, for then you’ll grow fat and rosy as Papa and I would like to see you. Have you decided when I am to start?’

‘Tomorrow morning, if possible,’ Clara replied. ‘She’s right,’ said her father. ‘It’s a pity to lose a single day of this beautiful weather when you might be up in the mountains.’

The doctor laughed a little wryly. ‘You’ll be telling me next that I ought to be there already! I see I’ll have to start getting ready at once.’

But Clara had still a great deal to tell him about what he was to look at specially for her, and the many messages he was to take to Heidi. She would have to send the presents round to his house as soon as Miss Rottenmeier had helped her pack them. The doctor then promised to set out, if not tomorrow, at least within the next few days and to bring her back a full account of everything he saw and heard.

Servants have a remarkable faculty of knowing what is going on in a house, long before they are actually told, and Sebastian and Tinette were particularly good at it. As Sebastian accompanied the doctor downstairs, Tinette went to answer Clara’s bell.

‘Go out and buy enough of those little cakes I like, to fill this,’ said Clara, holding out a large box. Tinette took it disdainfully by one corner and let it dangle from her hand.

‘Such a fuss,’ she muttered pertly, as she went out.

And as he showed the doctor out, Sebastian said, ‘Will you please give my regards to the little miss?’

‘What, Sebastian,’ said the doctor in his friendly way, ‘you already know I’m going away, then.’

Sebastian coughed. ‘I am — er — I have — er — I hardly know how… Oh yes, I remember. I was in the dining‐room and heard the name mentioned and you know how one thought leads to another…’

‘I do indeed,’ said the doctor with a smile. ‘And the more one thinks, the more one knows. I will certainly deliver your message. Goodbye.’ He turned to go, but was prevented by the arrival of Miss Rottenmeier, her shawl blown out like a sail by the strong wind. The doctor took a step back to let her pass, and she did likewise, being accustomed to treat him with respect and consideration. So they stood, each holding back for the other to pass, until an extra strong gust of wind blew her indoors with all sails set! The doctor just got out of the way in time as she was carried past him. Her temper had been somewhat ruffled by the wind’s unruliness, but as she came back to greet him with due decorum, the doctor smoothed her down as he knew very well how to do. He told her about the plans for his holiday, and, in the most flattering way, asked her to pack the parcel for Heidi as only she could. Then he took his leave.

Clara quite expected to have a tussle with Miss Rottenmeier about sending Heidi all the things she had collected for her, but all went well. That difficult woman was in an exceptionally good mood. She cleared the big table so that everything could be spread out for Clara’s inspection. The packing was no easy task for there were so many different things. First there was a thick coat with a hood, so that Heidi could go and visit Grannie during the winter whenever she wanted to, without having to wait until her grandfather was free to take her down, wrapped in the old sack. Next came a thick, warm shawl for Grannie to wrap herself in when cold winds howled round the hut. Then there was the box of little cakes for her to eat sometimes with her coffee as a change from the rolls. There was an enormous sausage, which Clara had originally intended to send to Peter, because he never had anything but bread and cheese to eat. On second thoughts, however, she decided to send it to Bridget to share out among all three of them, lest he might eat it all up at once. There was a pouch of tobacco for Grandfather, who enjoyed a pipe when he sat outside his hut in the evening, and finally, there were a lot of little surprise packets, which Clara had specially enjoyed getting for Heidi. Miss Rottenmeier surveyed the collection of articles thoughtfully, considering how best to pack them, and Clara looked on, imagining Heidi dancing and shouting with excitement when the great parcel arrived. The packing was soon done, and well done, and the parcel was ready for Sebastian to carry at once to the doctor’s house.

Dawn was breaking over the mountains and a fresh breeze blew through the branches of the old fir trees, making the rustling sound Heidi loved so well. It woke her, and she jumped out of bed, so impatient to get to the trees that she could hardly wait to dress. But she had learnt now to like being neat and tidy, so she took the time to put her clothes on properly before she climbed down the ladder. Her grandfather’s bed was already empty, for he was outside, looking round as he did every morning to see what kind of day it was going to be. Rosy clouds were floating by in the clear blue morning sky, and the sun was just coming over the tops of the mountains, bringing a wash of gold to the rocky peaks and pastures.

‘Oh how beautiful!’ exclaimed Heidi, as she ran out into it. ‘Good morning, Grandfather. Isn’t everything lovely today?’

‘What, you awake already?’ he replied.

She ran over to the trees and skipped delightedly about under the waving branches, giving an extra little jump with each gust of wind which blew through them. Uncle Alp went into the stall and milked the goats. Then he washed them, and brushed them, and brought them outside ready for their daily journey. As soon as Heidi saw them she ran and put her arms round their necks and patted them. They bleated a greeting, and rubbed their heads against her shoulder as a sign of their affection.