it that does not suit you here? Don't you get better
treatment than you deserve? Have you ever before had such food,
service and such a room? Answer!"

"No," was the reply.

"Don't I know that?" the furious lady proceeded. "What a thankless
child you are, just idle and good-for-nothing!"

But Heidi could not bear it any longer. She loudly wailed: "Oh, I want
to go home. What will poor Snowhopper do without me? Grandmother is
waiting for me every day. Poor Thistlefinch gets blows if Peter gets
no cheese, and I must see the sun again when he says good-night to the
mountains. How the eagle would screech if he saw all the people here
in Frankfurt!"

"For mercy's sake, the child is crazy!" exclaimed Miss Rottenmeier,
running up the stairs. In her hurry she had bumped into Sebastian,
who was just then coming down.

"Bring the unlucky child up!" she called to him, rubbing her head.

"All right, many thanks," answered the butler, rubbing his head, too,
for he had encountered something far harder than she had.

When the butler came down, he saw Heidi standing near the door with
flaming eyes, trembling all over. Cheerfully he asked: "What has
happened, little one? Do not take it to heart, and cheer up. She
nearly made a hole in my head just now, but we must not get
discouraged. Oh, no!--Come, up with you; she said so!"

Heidi walked up-stairs very slowly. Seeing her so changed, Sebastian
said:

"Don't give in! Don't be so sad! You have been so courageous till now;
I have never heard you cry yet. Come up now, and when the lady's away
we'll go and look at the kittens. They are running round like wild!"

Nodding cheerlessly, the child disappeared in her room.

That night at supper Miss Rottenmeier watched Heidi constantly, but
nothing happened. The child sat as quiet as a mouse, hardly touching
her food, except the little roll.

Talking with the tutor next morning, Miss Rottenmeier told him her
fears about Heidi's mind. But the teacher had more serious troubles
still, for Heidi had not even learned her A,B,C in all this time.

Heidi was sorely in need of some clothes, so Clara had given her some.
Miss Rottenmeier was just busy arranging the child's wardrobe, when
she suddenly returned.

"Adelheid," she said contemptuously, "what do I find? A big pile of
bread in your wardrobe! I never heard the like. Yes, Clara, it is
true." Then, calling Tinette, she ordered her to take away the bread
and the old straw hat she ha