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."