Trickery And A Lot Of New Rules

 Grandma Lu had had a really busy week. She had had a lot of company, went to the nursing home every day to help a friend, and enjoyed going out to lunch with a friend. Her husband and son had friends over and of course, she had to go and watch them play pool. She smiled to herself as she was cleaning up the counter after washing up a few dishes. "Today I think I will go back to the book Heidi. I got so that I wasn't happy with it, but I have to return it to the library in just a few days so I might as well finish it. If I remember right it does have a happy ending, but the middle is kind of sad." She gave the stove a final polish and walked into the living room to give herself a little rest.

She settled herself with the book and read how very angry Heidi's grandfather was when Heidi's aunt came to take her away to the city in Germany. He yelled at her and said, "Take her away then, but don't you come back begging me to take her back with her fancy hat and clothes. Go! And be on your way!"

Heidi told her aunt that she didn't want to go and leave her grandfather. She wanted to stay and play with the goats and her friends Peter, his mother, and especially the old grandmother that couldn't see. Grandfather didn't want her to go to church or to school, but that was okay she was so very happy right where she was. Her aunt promised that she would bring her back, but was instead going to take Heidi to a wealthy family who had a daughter that was very lonely. She was also in a wheelchair and couldn't run and play like Heidi could. Heidi's aunt was tricking her and not telling her the truth.

As Heidi and her aunt were leaving Peter saw them. He carried a bundle of hazel rods on his shoulder. He asked where they were going. Heidi's aunt told him that they were going to Frankfurt. Heidi wanted to stop and see the grandmother, but the aunt wouldn't hear of it. She told Heidi that in Frankfurt they would get the old grandmother soft white rolls to eat instead of the hard black bread that she always had to eat. Well Heidi started to run to get the soft white rolls. That gave the village people the wrong impression. They thought that Heidi was running away from the grandfather and figured he had been mean to the girl. Grandma Lu thought, "It was so mean of Heidi's aunt to trick her like that. She was such a trusting child."

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                                                       CLARA

Clara had a pale thin face with beautiful blue eyes. She knew that Heidi was supposed to be coming soon and she couldn't wait. She often was so very lonely with only her strict housekeeper for company. Clara lived in a large house and she also had a butler that answered the door and a maid that appeared when they pulled on a rope. The housekeeper's name was Miss Rottenmeier.

 The maid took Heidi and her aunt to meet Miss Rottenmeier which with one glance Heidi could tell that the housekeeper didn't think that she was a favorable choice for a companion for Clara. She was too young, she couldn't read, and didn't even like her name! Heidi's aunt had promised Heidi that they would return to the mountain the next day so she figured she would just be as nice as she could because she wanted to get some soft white rolls for Peter's grandmother. She stood very still in one spot while the housekeeper questioned her. Clara had been watching and listening to their conversation from her wheelchair. Heidi said that the butler looked like Peter and that made Miss Rottenmeier leave the room telling them all to go to the dining room. She was furious with even the sight of Heidi. Clara had to be lifted from her wheelchair onto a regular chair to eat her supper. This also made Heidi sad because her new friend couldn't run and play. She couldn't even walk!

Heidi saw soft white rolls on the table and a plate full of fish. She expected the butler to put the fish on her plate but was told she was to help herself. The butler smiled when he saw her put a soft roll in her pocket. She was told never to talk to the butler unless it was very important and was told an endless list of other rules that Heidi had to obey while she was there. She promptly fell asleep while she was being lectured and had to be awakened to go to bed.

When she awoke the next morning she had forgotten that she was not in her comfy straw bed on the mountain. There were no sounds of fir trees or birds chirping. She got out of bed and discovered that the windows were so high that she could not see outside. She was so very sad. Suddenly  the maid came to tell her that breakfast was ready. Heidi followed all of the rules so she didn't get scolded. Clara asked Heidi a lot of questions about her life on the mountain and Heidi asked to open windows so that she could see outside. Then a man came that was called a tutor or teacher. They went to a place in the huge house that they called the study. There were all kinds of books and papers and stuff they called ink in a bottle and pens to do writing when she learned how. All of a sudden she heard a noise that sounded like a coach. She jumped up to see if she could see it and when she did she caught the tablecloth and the ink spilled all over the carpet and many of the papers. Miss Rottenmeier said the child would bring nothing but trouble to the house as long as she was there.

Clara however, was quite amused and for once in a very long time she was not bored and yawning. She told the teacher and the housekeeper that Heidi should not be punished because it was an accident.

Miss Rottenmeier found Heidi at the door and scolded her for not sitting still during the lessons and if she ever did that again that she would tie her to a chair. Grandma Lu frowned, "Tie that precious little girl to a chair. I certainly hope this gets better and Heidi gets happier."

Grandma Lu Feels Sad While Reading The Book

Grandma Lu cleaned up the kitchen and decided she would read a little bit before watching television with her husband. He was going to watch a rerun show that she wasn't interested in. As she picked up her book she noticed she was almost half way through. "This is going faster than it did when I was a little girl and had to write down all the words I couldn't pronounce or didn't know. She shook her head at her mother's insistence  to learn how to use a dictionary. "Now I just ask Google. What a difference a few years make." Let's see now what happens next in this little girl's life."

 Peter rushed into his house after school. It so very cold outside. He was surprised to see Heidi there. "Hello, there. Did you come to visit my mother and grandmother today?" His grandmother was surprised that the afternoon had gone so quickly. Heidi's visit had been such a wonderful surprise. They asked Peter about school and he kind of shook his head and said, "The same, I guess." Grandmother was sad because she had been waiting for Peter to read from her old prayer book, but it didn't seem that Peter could learn to read so therefore her disappointment was great.

Peter's mother lit a lantern because it was starting to get dark. Heidi had promised her grandfather that she would return when it became dark. Heidi explained that she had promised to return to her grandfather's hut by dark and had to leave. Peter was told to go with her so that she didn't fall. She had not brought a shawl with her and that upset both Peter's mother and grandmother, but soon Heidi and Peter were met by her grandfather whom had brought a heavy cover. Peter's mother saw what alm-uncle had done and told Peter's grandmother. I can't believe how nice and how caring he is towards the girl. Grandmother hoped and prayed that the little girl would visit again. She so enjoyed that little girl, called Heidi.

When Heidi and her grandfather got home she told him that he must repair grandmother's house because so many noises came from broken shutters and boards. He promised her that they would go back to grandmother's house the next day and fix all the rattles. And that they did. Grandfather fixed and fixed until he had no nails left. Peter's mother tried to thank him, but he said, "No need. I know what you think of me." It seemed to Grandma Lu that the folks in the village did not like Heidi's grandfather one little bit.

The visits continued and Peter's grandmother became less sad as did his mother. They looked forward to her visits and the days went by quickly. In fact before they knew it two years had gone by. Heidi was now eight years old! 

Grandma Lu smiled as she read the story. "Heidi is now the same age I was when I started reading this book so many years ago. Oh I think I remember this part. The Parson from the church came up the mountain and told Grandfather that he must send Heidi to school. Oh my. That didn't go over well at all. The Parson told him to attend church and be with God. Well that didn't go well either. The Parson's visit made Grandfather very angry. Grandma Lu thought, "I had been in school almost three years and could read and write by this time in Heidi's life. "I wonder why her grandfather didn't want her to go to school. Probably because he loved her and wanted her to stay with him. He was lonely and didn't want to admit it." Grandma Lu smiled to herself. "You should probably keep reading this book and maybe you will find out."

When Grandma Lu started reading the next part of the book she remembered how she felt when she read it so many years ago. A tear fell from her eyes in sadness and in anger. What a terrible way to treat a child. I can't read this today. I may not finish this book. I have a couple of weeks before I have to take it back to the library. I think I will play the piano for a little while. I need to practice. Plus playing the piano makes me happy. I don't need to be sad today over a book."

She walked over to her piano and opened up her song book and the first song was Mansion Over a Hill Top. "Well, Heidi didn't live in a mansion on the mountain, but if I remember right, she is about to live in a mansion whether she wants to or not.  There is going to be some trickery going on and things are not going to be a bit good. Maybe I should read just a little bit more. Tomorrow. Yes, I'll make some time tomorrow because right now I need to practice a lot on these hymns."                   

Heidi Visits Peter's Blind Grandmother

 Grandma Lu put down her book. "Mercy, I do love to read. It's fun to read a book that I read so many years ago. I understand a lot more about what was going on in Heidi, Grandfather, and Peter's lives now that I am older. They were poor to be sure, but it seems that Heidi was put in their lives to make them smile and care about each other more than they ever had before."

She had read that while Heidi was with Peter, Grandfather would make repairs to the shed and cabin as well as making cheese and butter from the goat's milk. Grandma Lu smiled as she remembered her mother making cottage cheese and butter from their cow's milk. "Much different when I was a child. I can remember my mother putting milk in a big pan on the back of our cook stove to clabber. She could just see the big chunks of milk that looked kind of like small clouds. The longer they sat there water would surround the chunks of milk. Then she would put the clabbered milk in a large sheet of cheese cloth, squeeze all the water out that she could, then tie it onto the clothes line outside. The milk would dry in the hot sunshine. Then she would bring it in and mix whipping cream into the chunks until the milk would be in tiny little pieces. She could even remember the blue bowl that her mom used just for cottage cheese. That's because it was in her china cupboard sitting in front of her grandparent's china platter that was a piece of one of their wedding gifts. So very old.

After Grandma Lu finished her chores and put out meat to thaw for supper she smiled and thought, "I have a few minutes to catch up on my book now. It seems to me that winter is approaching soon in the story." She settled herself down in her easy chair and started to read.

As Grandma Lu read her book it was as she had remembered. Winter was approaching with lots of cold wind. Grandfather had kept Heidi at home because of the high winds and cold weather. Even Peter couldn't come to visit or take the goats to graze up higher on the mountain.

One day it started to snow and snow it did. It snowed like it was never going to stop. Even the windows got covered with snow. Heidi wondered if the whole cottage was going to be covered up with snow. It finally stopped and Grandfather went out to shovel the snow away from the door. What a surprise! Peter had made his way up the mountain to visit. Heidi and even Grandfather had lots of questions for Peter. Well, as you know Peter wasn't much of a talker and didn't say much, but eagerly ate the supper that Grandfather had fixed for them. Peter asked if he could come the next Sunday and he also said that his old grandmother wanted to know if Heidi could come down the mountain to visit with her.

Of course, Heidi, being Heidi wanted to go the next day, but it was four days before it was safe to ride on the sled that Grandfather had built to go down the mountain. Grandfather had Heidi sit in front of him and held onto her tight as anything so that she wouldn't fall off. When they got to Peter's hut he told Heidi that she could go in and visit but that as soon as it was starting to get dark to start home.

Grandma Lu frowned thinking, "Hmm, I wouldn't let a five year old climb a mountain in the dark." Then she read that Heidi just opened the door and walked right in the hut that belonged to Peter's mother and grandmother. "Hmm, manners? I think not." She continued to read how Heidi was accepted into their home.

Heide saw that the hut was very dark with narrow rooms. She wasn't scared and continued on until she saw a lady mending one of Peter's coats. She looked at Heidi with some curiosity and said, "Are you the little girl who lives up with uncle. Is your name Heidi?"

Heidi told the lady that she and her grandfather had come down the mountain on a sled. At first Peter's mother didn't believe her. Her grandfather was believed to be a very mean man and would never have taken Heidi in. Heidi heard another voice from a very old woman sitting in the dark. "Brigida, tell me what the child looks like." Peter's mother's name was Brigida. She told the old woman that Heidi did look like both of her parents. Heidi's father being her grandfather's son, Tobias, whom had black eyes like her mother and curly black hair like her father.

Heidi being the curious child that she was noticed that the wind was rattling the the windows and the shutters were loose making a loud noise. She told the grandmother that soon the shutter would break the window. It was then that Peter's grandmother told Heidi that she could hear, but could not see. It was very difficult for Heidi to understand that anyone could not see the beautiful flowers, the bright white snow, and the broken pieces of shutters. It made her a little scared and a lot sad and she started to cry. Grandmother and Peter's mother settled Heidi by asking her to tell them all about her life with alm-uncle. The man that everyone feared was a completely different man in Heidi's tale of a wonderful life with her home on the mountain with two goats. One goat was brown and one goat was white. But in Heidi's mind another small white goat was her favorite. It had no mother, or grandmother and seemed to Heidi to be a very sad little goat. She would remember to give it extra hugs and pats the next time she saw it. Yes, little Snowhopper needed Heidi to be her friend. Another thing Heidi had to remember is to tell Grandfather to bring his hammer and nails to Peter's grandmother's house and fix the shutters.

It was time for Grandma Lu to put down her book and get to fixing supper. She smiled as she crossed the dining room and saw her mother's blue and white bowl in her china cupboard. 

Sharing Food, The Eagle And The Fire

 When Grandma Lu got home, she was greeted with, "What's for supper?" She put down her book and said, "Well, let's see what's in the fridge. Oh good, there are lots of leftovers from last night. I will just warm them up and I won't have to cook."

After supper Grandma Lu was doing dishes and thinking about Heidi and her grandfather. "What a life they must have lived. Far different from mine that's for sure. My old bones could not climb mountains and I have never had a drink of goat's milk. However, I did have some goat ice cream once. Oh my that's been so many years ago when we went to visit my cousin in Florida. They raised goats. It was good, but very different."

When Grandma Lu picked up the book the phone rang. It was her friend and they visited for quite some time. Then her husband wanted her to watch television with him. It soon was time for bed so she didn't get a chance to read any more of her book. "Tomorrow, dear Heidi. I will read about your adventures tomorrow."

The next morning Grandma Lu's husband said he was going to be gone for the morning helping a neighbor. It was Grandma Lu's chance to read her book. She opened up the chapter where Heidi joined Peter and his goats, plus her grandfather's two goats to climb the mountain where the grass was green and the flowers were beautiful. As they were leaving her grandfather warned Peter again about watching out for Heidi and not letting her fall off the cliffs. He also reminded him to milk a goat for Heidi's lunch as well as the bread and cheese he had added to Peter's lunch bag.

Heidi was picking wildflowers and keeping them in her apron when suddenly a loud screech startled her and she asked Peter what the loud screech was. "It is an eagle. He's probably flying to his nest." Heidi  immediately wanted to go to the eagle's nest. Peter said it was way too high to climb. The goats couldn't even climb that high. "Well, why is he screeching?" asked Heidi. Peter said, "I don't know. That's just what they do." Heidi thought to herself that when she got back to her grandfather's hut she would ask him.

Soon it was time for their lunch. Peter quickly milked a goat and gave Heidi the milk. She drank it quickly because she was thirsty. He again milked the goat and she drank some more. Peter got out the big chunk of cheese and large slice of bread Heidi's grandfather had packed for her and then he got out his little piece of bread for himself. After Heidi had eaten what she wanted she gave Peter a large portion of cheese and bread that was left and told him to eat it. She was full. Peter had never eaten so much at one time. He was so very thankful for the large lunch.

Heidi had asked Peter the names of all the goats. He knew their names and told Heidi. She repeated the names and asked Peter if the mountains had names and he told her no. As he was putting lunch things away he heard the bleating of a goat. He ran to see what the matter was and saw Thistlefinch a goat that was a bold and usually strong goat had gotten too close to the edge of a cliff and was in danger of falling completely off the mountain. Only one leg remained close enough for Peter to grab and hang on to. Peter was losing the battle of saving the goat, but Heidi quickly came to the rescue with some fresh good smelling herbs. The goat calmed down and ate the herbs making it easier for Peter to pull the goat to safety. Losing a goat was unforgiveable to Peter's living. He would lose what little pennies he earned. His mother, grandmother, and he would surely starve. He took up his rod and was going to beat the goat for being so careless. Heidi stopped him immediately and told him she would give him her lunch or at least the majority of it if he would never beat the goats. Peter reluctantly agreed, but he was still angry.

The sun had started to set and as it did it seemed that the mountain was on fire. The snow on top of the mountains had turned a beautiful rosy color and even her wonderful fir trees took on a rosy glow. "Oh look, Peter. All the mountains are on fire. Look at that mountain. It is all rosy. What is it's name?" Peter said, "Those mountains don't have names. They are just mountains." Heidi thought to herself, "Well, there's another question that I need to ask Grandfather when we get back home."

When Peter, the goats, and Heidi came back the mountain to Heidi's grandfather's house. Peter waved and said, "Goodbye, see you tomorrow!" Grandfather shook his head and said, "Not, tomorrow. The weather will be bad with a lot of wind. A little person like Heidi would get blown away." That made Peter sad. He liked Heidi's company even though she talked a lot, she was funny. Plus she brought a big lunch with her every day and shared it with him. He would miss that a lot. It was no fun to be hungry.

After Heidi washed up for supper she asked her grandfather the two questions she had saved for him all day. "Grandfather, why do eagles screech? Her grandfather mimicked the eagle and roared, "You silly people you should live on top of the mountain where the air is fresh and the scenery is beautiful?" Heidi laughed at her mostly grouchy grandfather being silly. Then she asked the second question. "Grandfather why do the mountains turn red as fire in the afternoon?" Her grandfather smiled and said, "That is the sun kissing the mountains, the flowers, and the snow a goodnight." With that he said, "It's time for young ladies to get to bed now so no more questions." Heidi gave his legs a squeeze and quickly got dressed for bed. When she crawled into her comfy straw bed she closed her eyes and dreamed of a rosy mountain filled with beautiful wildflowers and fell sound asleep.

But grandfather did not sleep. He now was responsible this sweet little granddaughter. He had things to think about and things to do. Tomorrow would be a new day and new things to not only teach this little one, but to do for her as well.