They heard the key turning inside, and then some one pulled open the heavy, creaking door; an old man came out and at first looked with surprise and then in anger at the children, as he began scolding them: "What do you mean by ringing me down like this? Can't you read what is written over the bell, 'For those who wish to go up the tower'?" "But I do want to go up the tower," said Heidi. "What do you want up there?" said the old man. "Has somebody sent you?" "No," replied Heidi, "I only wanted to go up and look down on the valley." "Get along home with you and don't try this trick again, or you may not come off so easily a second time," and with that he turned and was about to shut the door. But Heidi took hold of his coat and said beseechingly, "Let me go up, just once." He looked round, and his mood changed as he saw her pleading eyes; he took hold of her hand and said kindly, "Well, if you really wish it so much, I will take you." The boy sat down on the church steps to show that he was content to wait where he was. When they had climbed to the top of the tower, the old man lifted Heidi up that she might look out of the open window. She saw beneath her a sea of roofs, towers, and chimney-pots; she quickly drew back her head and said in a sad, disappointed voice, "It is not at all what I thought." "You see now, a child like you does not understand anything about a view! Come along down and don't go ringing at my bell again!" On the way down they passed the tower-keeper's room. At the far end of this was a large basket, in front of which sat a big grey cat. Heidi went up to the basket and broke out into expressions of delight. "Oh, the sweet little things! the darling kittens," she kept on saying, as she jumped from side to side of the basket so as not to lose any of the droll gambols of the seven or eight little kittens that were scrambling and rolling and falling over one another. "Would you like to have one?" said the old man, who enjoyed watching the child's pleasure. "For myself, to keep?" said Heidi excitedly, who could hardly believe such happiness was to be hers. "Yes, of course, more than one if you like--in short, you can take away the whole lot if you have room for them," for the old man was only too glad to think he could get rid of his kittens without more trouble. "But how can I take them with me?" asked Heidi, and was going quickly to see how many she could carry away in her hands, when the old cat sprang at her so fiercely that she shrank back in fear. "I will take them for you, if you tell me where," said the old man, stroking the cat to quiet her. "To Mr. Sesemann's, the big house where there is a gold dog's head on the door, with a ring in its mouth," explained Heidi. The old man had had charge of the tower for many a long year and knew every house far and near. "I know the house," he said, "but when shall I bring them, and who shall I ask for--you are not one of the family, I am sure."