l rewarded: they enjoyed it as if it had been the
rarest dish.

This evening Clara fell asleep the moment she lay down. Two or three
days passed in this pleasant way. The next brought a surprise. Two
strong porters came up the Alp, each carrying on his back a fresh,
white bed. They also brought a letter from grandmama, in which she
thanked the children for their faithful writing, and told them that
the beds were meant for them. When they went to sleep that night, they
found their new beds in exactly the same position as their former ones
had been.

Clara's rapture in her new life grew greater every day, and she could
not write enough of the grandfather's kindly care and of Heidi's
entertaining stories. She told her grandmama that her first thought in
the morning always was: "Thank God, I am still in the Alm-hut."

Grandmama was highly pleased at those reports, and put her projected
visit off a little while, for she had found the ride pretty tiring.

The grandfather took excellent care of his little patient, and no day
passed on which he did not climb around to find the most savory herbs
for Schwaenli. The little goat thrived so that everybody could see it
in the way her eyes were flashing.

It was the third week of Clara's stay. Every morning after the
grandfather had carried her down, he said to her: "Would my Clara try
to stand a little?" Clara always sighed, "Oh, it hurts me so!" but
though she would cling to him, he made her stand a little longer every
day.

This summer was the finest that had been for years. Day after day the
sun shone on a cloudless sky, and at night it would pour its purple,
rosy light down on the rocks and snow-fields till everything seemed to
glow like fire.

Heidi had told Clara over and over again of all the flowers on the
pasture, of the masses of golden roses and the blue-flowers that
covered the ground. She had just been telling it again, when a longing
seized her, and jumping up she ran over to her grandfather, who was
busy carving in the shop.

"Oh, grandfather," she cried from afar, "won't you come with us to the
pasture tomorrow? Oh, it's so beautiful up there now."

"All right, I will," he replied; "but tell Clara that she must do
something to please me; she must try to stand longer this evening for
me."

Heidi merrily came running with her message. Of course, Clara
promised, for was it not her greatest wish to go up with Heidi to the
pasture! When Peter returned this ev