Page:Heidi - Spyri - 1922.djvu/315

 “It was Heidi,” answered Peter.

The teacher looked in astonishment towards Heidi, who was sitting innocently on her bench with no appearance of anything supernatural about her. He continued, “I have noticed a change in you altogether, Peter. Whereas formerly you often missed coming to school for a week, or even weeks at a time, you have lately not stayed away a single day. Who has wrought this change for good in you?”

“It was Uncle,” answered Peter.

With increasing surprise the teacher looked from Peter to Heidi and back again at Peter.

“We will try once more,” he said cautiously, and Peter had again to show off his accomplishment by reading another three lines. There was no mistake about it-Peter could read. As soon as school was over the teacher went over to the pastor to tell him this piece of news, and to inform him of the happy result of Heidi’s and the grandfather’s combined efforts.

Every evening Peter read one hymn aloud; so far he obeyed Heidi. Nothing would induce him to read a second, and indeed the grandmother never asked for it. His mother Brigitta could not get over her surprise at her son’s attainment, and when the reader was in bed would often express her pleasure at it. “Now he has learnt to read there is no knowing what may be made of him yet.”

On one of these occasions the grandmother answered, “Yes, it is good for him to have learnt something, but I shall indeed be thankful when spring is here again and Heidi can come; they are not like the same hymns when Peter reads them. So many words seem missing, and I try to think what they