o long for the spot where so
many flowers grew. In the evening it would be too late to see them,
for they always shut their little eyes by then.

"Oh, Clara," she said hesitatingly, "would you be angry if I went away
from you a minute and left you alone? I want to see the flowers; But
wait!--" Jumping away, she brought Clara some bunches of fragrant
herbs and put them in her lap. Soon after she returned with little
Snowhopper.

"So, now you don't need to be alone," said Heidi. When Clara had
assured her that it would give her pleasure to be left alone with the
goats, Heidi started on her walk. Clara slowly handed one leaf after
another to the little creature; it became more and more confiding, and
cuddling close to the child, ate the herbs out of her hand. It was
easy to see how happy it was to be away from the boisterous big goats,
which often annoyed it. Clara felt a sensation of contentment such as
she had never before experienced. She loved to sit there on the
mountain-side with the confiding little goat by her. A great desire
rose in her heart that hour. She longed to be her own master and be
able to help others instead of being helped by them. Many other
thoughts and ideas rushed through her mind. How would it be to live up
here in continual sunshine? The world seemed so joyous and wonderful
all of a sudden. Premonitions of future undreamt-of happiness made her
heart beat. Suddenly she threw both arms about the little goat and
said: "Oh, little Snowhopper how beautiful it is up here! If I could
always stay with you!"

Heidi in the meantime had reached the spot, where, as she had
expected, the whole ground was covered with yellow rock-roses. Near
together in patches the bluebells were nodding gently in the breeze.
But all the perfume that filled the air came from the modest little
brown flowers that hid their heads between the golden flower-cups.
Heidi stood enraptured, drawing in the perfumed air.

Suddenly she turned and ran back to Clara, shouting to her from far:
"Oh, you must come, Clara, it is so lovely there. In the evening it
won't be so fine any more. Don't you think I could carry you?"

"But Heidi," Clara said, "of course you can't; you are much smaller
than I am. Oh, I wish I could walk!"

Heidi meditated a little. Peter was still lying on the ground. He had
been staring down for hours, unable to believe what he saw before him.
He had destroyed the chair to get rid of the stranger, and there she