Grandfathers -- Fiction; Mountain life -- Switzerland -- Fiction; Orphans -- Fiction; Switzerland -- History -- 19th century -- Fiction
"So now that matter is all settled," said the old lady in conclusion.
"Now tell me if you have a wish, my boy, for I am going to give you
something by which to remember your friends from Frankfurt. What is
it? What would you like to have?"
Peter, lifting his head, stared at the grandmama with round,
astonished eyes. He was confused by this sudden change of prospect.
Being again urged to utter a wish, he saw at last that he was saved
from the power of the terrible man. He felt as if the most crushing
load had fallen off him. He knew now that it was better to confess at
once, when something had gone wrong, so he said: "I have also lost the
paper."
Reflecting a while, the grandmama understood and said: "That is right.
Always confess what is wrong, then it can be settled. And now, what
would you like to have?"
So Peter could choose everything in the world he wished. His brain got
dizzy. He saw before him all the wonderful things in the fair in
Mayenfeld. He had often stood there for hours, looking at the pretty
red whistles and the little knives; unfortunately Peter had never
possessed more than half what those objects cost.
He stood thinking, not able to decide, when a bright thought struck
him.
"Ten pennies," said Peter with decision.
"That certainly is not too much," the old lady said with a smile,
taking out of her pocket a big, round thaler, on top of which she
laid twenty pennies. "Now I'll explain this to you. Here you have as
many times ten pennies as there are weeks in the year. You'll be able
to spend one every Sunday through the year."
"All my life?" Peter asked quite innocently.
The grandmama began to laugh so heartily at this that the two men came
over to join her.
Laughingly she said: "You shall have it my boy; I will put it in my
will and then you will do the same, my son. Listen! Peter the goatherd
shall have a ten-penny piece weekly as long as he lives."
Mr. Sesemann nodded.
Peter, looking at his gift, said solemnly: "God be thanked!" Jumping
and bounding, he ran away. His heart was so light that he felt he
could fly.
A little later the whole party sat round the table holding a merry
feast. After dinner, Clara, who was lively as never before, said to
her father:
"Oh, Papa, if you only knew all the things grandfather did for me. It
would take many days to tell you; I shall never forget them all my
life. Oh, if we could please him only half as much as what he did for
me."
"It is my greatest wish, too, dear child," said her father; "I have
been trying to think of something all the time. We have to show our
gratitude in some way."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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