It was many years since they had had such a splendid summer among the mountains. Day after day there were the same cloudless sky and brilliant sun; the flowers opened wide their fragrant blossoms, and everywhere the eye was greeted with a glow of color; and when the evening came the crimson light fell on mountain peaks and on the great snow-field, till at last the sun sank in a sea of golden flame. Heidi never tired of telling Clara of the beauty of the spot on the higher slope of the mountain, where the bright golden rock-roses grew in masses, and the blue flowers were in such numbers that the very grass seemed to have turned blue. An irrepressible longing came over her to see it all once more. She ran to her grandfather, who was in the shed, calling out almost before she was inside,-- "Grandfather, will you take us out with the goats tomorrow? Oh, it is so lovely up there now!" "Very well," he answered, "but if I do, little Clara must do something to please me: she must try her best again this evening to stand on her feet." Heidi ran back with the good news to Clara, and the latter promised to try her very best as the grandfather wished, for she looked forward immensely to the next day's excursion. Heidi was so pleased and excited that she called out to Peter as soon as she caught sight of him that evening,-- "Peter, Peter, we are all coming out with you tomorrow and are going to stay up there the whole day." Peter, cross as a bear, grumbled some reply, and lifted his stick to give Greenfinch a blow for no reason in particular, but Greenfinch saw the movement, and with a leap over Snowflake's back she got out of the way, and the stick only hit the air. Clara and Heidi got into their two fine beds that night full of delightful anticipation of the morrow; they were so full of their plans that they agreed to keep awake all night and talk over them. But their heads had no sooner touched their soft pillows than the conversation suddenly ceased, and Clara fell into a dream of an immense field, which looked the color of the sky, so thickly inlaid was it with blue, bell-shaped flowers; and Heidi heard the great bird of prey calling to her from the heights above, "Come! come! come!" CHAPTER XXII WICKED PETER AND THE UNLUCKY CHAIR Uncle went out early the next morning to see what kind of a day it was going to be. There was a reddish gold light over the higher peaks; a light breeze was springing up and the branches of the fir trees moved gently to and fro--the sun was on its way. He wheeled the chair out of the shed ready for the coming journey, and then went in to call the children and tell them what a lovely sunrise it was.