Heidi | Page 8

it," sounded from below.
"I am making the bed now," the little girl called out again, while she
ran busily to and fro. "Oh, do come up and bring a sheet, grandfather,
for every bed must have a sheet."
"Is that so?" said the old man. After a while he opened the cupboard
and rummaged around in it. At last he pulled out a long coarse cloth
from under the shirts. It somewhat resembled a sheet, and with this he
climbed up to the loft. Here a neat little bed was already prepared. On
top the hay was heaped up high so that the head of the occupant would
lie exactly opposite the window.
The grandfather was well pleased with the arrangement. To prevent the
hard floor from being felt, he made the couch twice as thick. Then he
and Heidi together put the heavy sheet on, tucking the ends in well.
Heidi looked thoughtfully at her fresh, new bed and said, "Grandfather,
we have forgotten something."
"What?" he asked.
"I have no cover. When I go to bed I always creep in between the sheet
and the cover."
"What shall we do if I haven't any?" asked the grandfather.
"Never mind, I'll just take some more hay to cover me," Heidi
reassured him, and was just going to the heap of hay when the old man
stopped her.

"Just wait one minute," he said, and went down to his own bed. From it
he took a large, heavy linen bag and brought it to the child.
"Isn't this better than hay?" he asked.
Heidi pulled the sack to and fro with all her might, but she could not
unfold it, for it was too heavy for her little arms. The grandfather put
the thick cover on the bed while Heidi watched him. After it was all
done, she said: "What a nice bed I have now, and what a splendid cover!
I only wish the evening was here, that I might go to sleep in it."
"I think we might eat something first," said the grandfather. "Don't you
think so?"
Heidi had forgotten everything else in her interest for the bed; but when
she was reminded of her dinner, she noticed how terribly hungry she
really was. She had had only a piece of bread and a cup of thin coffee
very early in the morning, before her long journey. Heidi said
approvingly: "I think we might, grandfather!"
"Let's go down then, if we agree," said the old man, and followed close
behind her. Going up to the fireplace, he pushed the big kettle aside and
reached for a smaller one that was suspended on a chain. Then sitting
down on a three-legged stool, he kindled a bright fire. When the kettle
was boiling, the old man put a large piece of cheese on a long iron fork,
and held it over the fire, turning it to and fro, till it was golden-brown
on all sides. Heidi had watched him eagerly. Suddenly she ran to the
cupboard. When her grandfather brought a pot and the toasted cheese to
the table, he found it already nicely set with two plates and two knives
and the bread in the middle. Heidi had seen the things in the cupboard
and knew that they would be needed for the meal.
"I am glad to see that you can think for yourself," said the grandfather,
while he put the cheese on top of the bread, "but something is missing
yet."
Heidi saw the steaming pot and ran back to the cupboard in all haste. A
single little bowl was on the shelf. That did not perplex Heidi though,

for she saw two glasses standing behind. With those three things she
returned to the table.
"You certainly can help yourself! Where shall you sit, though?" asked
the grandfather, who occupied the only chair himself, Heidi flew to the
hearth, and bringing back the little stool, sat down on it.
"Now you have a seat, but it is much too low. In fact, you are too little
to reach the table from my chair. Now you shall have something to eat
at last!" and with that the grandfather filled the little bowl with milk.
Putting it on his chair, he pushed it as near to the stool as was possible,
and in that way Heidi had a table before her. He commanded her to eat
the large piece of bread and the slice of golden cheese. He sat down
himself on a corner of the table and started his own dinner. Heidi drank
without stopping, for she felt exceedingly thirsty after her long journey.
Taking a long breath, she put down her little bowl.
"How do you like the milk?" the grandfather asked her.
"I never tasted better,"