om far away ate in
school, while the others went home. In the evening Peter as usual paid
his visit to Heidi.

The minute he opened the door she ran up to him, saying: "Peter, I
have to tell you something."

"Say it," he replied.

"You must learn to read now," said the child.

"I have done it already."

"Yes, yes, Peter, but I don't mean it that way," Heidi eagerly
proceeded; "you must learn so that you really know how afterwards."

"I can't," Peter remarked.

"Nobody believes you about that any more, and I won't either," Heidi
said resolutely. "When I was in Frankfurt, grandmama told me that it
wasn't true and that I shouldn't believe you."

Peter's astonishment was great.

"I'll teach you, for I know how; when you have learnt it, you must
read one or two songs to grandmother every day."

"I shan't!" grumbled the boy.

This obstinate refusal made Heidi very angry. With flaming eyes she
planted herself before the boy and said: "I'll tell you what will
happen, if you don't want to learn. Your mother has often said that
she'll send you to Frankfurt. Clara showed me the terrible, large
boys' school there, where you'll have to go. You must stay there till
you are a man, Peter! You mustn't think that there is only one teacher
there, and such a kind one as we have here. No, indeed! There are
whole rows of them, and when they are out walking they have high
black hats on their heads. I saw them myself, when I was out driving!"

Cold shivers ran down Peter's back.

"Yes, you'll have to go there, and when they find out that you can't
read or even spell, they'll laugh at you!"

"I'll do it," said Peter, half angry and half frightened.

"Oh, I am glad. Let us start right away!" said Heidi joyfully, pulling
Peter over to the table. Among the things that Clara had sent, Heidi
had found a little book with the A,B,C and some rhymes. She had chosen
this for the lessons. Peter, having to spell the first rhyme, found
great difficulty, so Heidi said, "I'll read it to you, and then you'll
be able to do it better. Listen:

"If A, B, C you do not know,
Before the school board you must go."

"I won't go," said Peter stubbornly.

"Where?"

"Before the court."

"Hurry up and learn the three letters, then you won't have to!"

Peter, beginning again, repeated the three letters till Heidi said:

"Now you know them."

Having observed the good result of the first rhyme, she began to read
again:

D, E, F y