The goats were climbing about among the bushes overhead. She had never felt so happy in her life before. She drank in the golden sunlight, the fresh air, the sweet smell of the flowers, and wished for nothing better than to remain there forever. Suddenly she heard a loud, harsh cry overhead and lifting her eyes she saw a bird, larger than any she had ever seen before, with great, spreading wings, wheeling round in wide circles, and uttering a piercing, croaking kind of sound above her. "Peter, Peter, wake up!" called out Heidi. "See, the great bird is there--look, look!" Peter got up on hearing her call, and together they sat and watched the bird, which rose higher and higher in the blue air till it disappeared behind the grey mountain-tops. "Where has it gone to?" asked Heidi, who had followed the bird's movements with intense interest. "Home to its nest," said Peter. "Is his home right up there? Oh, how nice to be up so high! why does he make that noise?" "Because he can't help it," explained Peter. "Let us climb up there and see where his nest is," proposed Heidi. "Oh! oh! oh!" exclaimed Peter, his disapproval of Heidi's suggestion becoming more marked with each ejaculation, "why, even the goats cannot climb as high as that, besides didn't Uncle say that you were not to fall over the rocks." Peter now began suddenly whistling and calling in such a loud manner that Heidi could not think what was happening; but the goats evidently understood his voice, for one after the other they came springing down the rocks until they were all assembled on the green plateau. [Illustration] Heidi jumped up and ran in and out among them, for it was new to her to see the goats playing together like this. Meanwhile Peter had taken the wallet out of the hollow and placed the pieces of bread and cheese on the ground in the shape of a square, the larger two on Heidi's side and the smaller on his own, for he knew exactly which were hers and which his. Then he took the little bowl and milked some delicious, fresh milk into it from the white goat, and afterwards set the bowl in the middle of the square. "Leave off jumping about, it is time for dinner," said Peter; "sit down now and begin." Heidi sat down. "Is the milk for me?" she asked. [Illustration: HEIDI DRANK IN THE GOLDEN SUNLIGHT, THE FRESH AIR AND THE SWEET SMELL OF THE FLOWERS] "Yes," replied Peter, "and the two large pieces of bread and cheese are yours also, and when you have drunk up that milk, you are to have another bowlful from the white goat, and then it will be my turn." "And which do you get your milk from," inquired Heidi.