Her Dad's Dictionary and her Mother's List

 Grandma Lu read about the author of the book Heidi. "Goodness sakes, this was written long before I was born. I have a feeling my mother read this when she was a girl because she told me that it was too old for me to read. I wonder why she let me check it out that day. She was probably testing me to see just how many words that I knew." Grandma Lu smiled. Her mother had been right, but oh my how she made me learn what to do when I didn't know what a word meant.

Her memory went back to when she was probably about eight years old and lived on the farm. She got the book on a Saturday, but there was no time to start reading it that day. The next day was Sunday which was church day. Sunday mornings were always a rush because her dad had cows to milk and feed and a white shirt and tie to put on. Inevitably Jerry, the bull, had made his way out of the fence which upset my mom to no end. Then after church we either had dinner at my grandparent's house or had company at our house. "Oh how I itched to get out my new book and read about a girl about my age or younger called Heidi. But before I got a chance to read it it was a Monday afternoon after my chores were done. How I remember perhaps the first five minutes of trying to read my new book. Oh my. It did not turn out the way I thought it was going to. I had situated myself and my book in my dad's chair in the living room dining room combination. I could see my mom cooking or baking probably something for supper.

The first chapter was titled Going Up to the Alm-Uncle.

"Mom, what is an Alm-Uncle? She answered me with,  "Are you reading your new book?" I answered, "Yes. I don't know what an Alm-Uncle is." She said, "The story that you are reading takes place in a country called Switzerland. It's far far away and they have different customs and sayings than we do here in America. If I remember right Alm is their word for pasture or meadow. That is where Heidi's grandfather lived on a mountain, but his cabin was on a beautiful pasture or meadow."

"But they call him Alm-Uncle when he was really her grandfather?"

My mother would rub her forehead when she was frustrated, worried, tired, or had answered one of my many questions throughout her day. Her answer was, "Because, and don't ask again. I think it was an expression that they used for grandfather. Now read your book. If it's too hard we will take it back and get you something easier. It's not fun to read a book that has too many hard words."

I read about five words before I stumbled on another word. I asked my mom how to pronounce it this time. I could hear her clear her throat. I also saw her stop her work, wipe her hands and got into a cupboard in the living room. I recognized the book that she took out. It was my dad's huge dictionary. She looked at me and said, "Now, little one. You go get your tablet, a pencil and your book. Put them on your lap. This book tells you how to sound out and pronounce words that you aren't sure of. Write each of them down just like they are in the dictionary. When you are about done reading this afternoon you and I will go over them together. Okay?"

Grandma Lu smiled to herself as she remembered that big old dictionary. She still had it. Her dad had a way with a cardboard box and a roll of duct tape to make things last for years. She had made that list for her mother. It took so much time! It was not fun to read by herself. That evening her mother sat beside her and together they read the book about a little girl who had no mother. Her aunt was taking her to her grandfather to live. But he lived on a mountain! She had no clue what a mountain was or why any little girl wouldn't have a mama. But she was especially upset about this little girl having to live with her grandfather, because her grandfather never smiled and said, "Little girls shouldn't talk so much."

As Grandma Lu read she remembered the steep climb Heidi made. She was so terrible hot. Her aunt had dressed her in many layers of clothes so she wouldn't have to carry them. Finally Heidi sat down on the ground and started taking off her clothes. Her aunt said, "Heidi, what are you taking your clothes off for?  We have to get to Alm-Uncle's soon so I can get to my new job. I can no longer take care of you. I have a new job in a town called Frankfurt. We need to get there soon so he will give you your evening meal and I can be on my way to a new career and an exciting life."

After about an hour Heidi and her aunt came to a village that the book called a hamlet. Grandma Lu smiled remembering that she had written that word on her list.

The folks in the village seemed to be afraid of Heidi's grandfather. They said he was old and grouchy and were questioning her aunt for taking her to his house.  But Heidi wasn't listening to the folks talking about her grandfather. She had wandered away and found a boy that the book called a goatherd. That was because he took care of and herded goats like shepherds take care of and herd sheep. The boy's name was Peter and he was eleven years old. Heidi was only five.

Again Grandma Lu smiled remembering telling her mom she knew all about shepherds 'cause they were in the Bible.

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Reading a book from your childhood when you are a seasoned adult changes your whole perspective on this story. As I re-read this book I found out why her grandfather was so mean acting and looking. He had lost a son. A terrible thing for any parent to experience. My mom and dad had lost a daughter when she was only five. I'm wondering now if this was one reason my mother thought I could skip reading this book.

By the way, my mother did go over some of the words on my list and determined that many of them were German words that neither one of us could pronounce. However, she continued to have me write down all words that I did not know and look them up in the dictionary. I also had never ever seen a goat except in a picture book called Three Billy Goat Gruff.

The next story will be Heidi's arrival at her grandfather's home or hut as it is called in the book.