Grandfathers -- Fiction; Mountain life -- Switzerland -- Fiction; Orphans -- Fiction; Switzerland -- History -- 19th century -- Fiction
"Oh please, doctor, do go to Heidi; then you can tell me all about
her, and can describe her grandfather to me, and Peter, with his
goats,--I seem to know them all so well. Then you can take all the
things to her that I had planned to take myself. Oh, please doctor,
go, and then I'll be good and take as much cod-liver oil as ever you
want me to."
Who can tell if this promise decided the doctor? At any rate he
answered with a smile: "Then I surely must go, Clara, for you will get
fat and strong, as we both want to see you. Have you settled yet when
I must go?"
"Oh, you had better go tomorrow morning, doctor," Clara urged.
"She is right," the father assented; "the sun is shining and you must
not lose any more glorious days on the Alp."
The doctor had to laugh. "Why don't you chide me for being here still?
I shall go as quickly as I can, Sesemann."
Clara gave many messages to him for Heidi. She also told him to be
sure to observe everything closely, so that he would be able to tell
her all about it when he came back. The things for Heidi were to be
sent to him later, for Miss Rottenmeier, who had to pack them, was out
on one of her lengthy wanderings about town.
The doctor promised to comply with all Clara's wishes and to start the
following day.
Clara rang for the maid and said to her, when she arrived: "Please,
Tinette, pack a lot of fresh, soft coffee-cake in this box." A box
had been ready for this purpose many days. When the maid was leaving
the room she murmured: "That's a silly bother!"
Sebastian, who had happened to overhear some remarks, asked the
physician when he was leaving to take his regards to the little Miss,
as he called Heidi.
With a promise to deliver this message the doctor was just hastening
out, when he encountered an obstacle. Miss Rottenmeier, who had been
obliged to return from her walk on account of the strong wind, was
just coming in. She wore a large cape, which the wind was blowing
about her like two full sails. Both had retreated politely to give way
to each other. Suddenly the wind seemed to carry the housekeeper
straight towards the doctor, who had barely time to avoid her. This
little incident, which had ruffled Miss Rottenmeier's temper very
much, gave the doctor occasion to soothe her, as she liked to be
soothed by this man, whom she respected more than anybody in the
world. Telling her of his intended visit, he entreated her to pack the
things for Heidi as only she knew how.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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