"And the grandfather?"
"She has none."
"Oh, you poor little Snowflake!" exclaimed Heidi, clasping the
animal gently to her, "but do not cry like that any more; see
now, I shall come up here with you every day, so that you will
not be alone any more, and if you want anything you have only to
come to me."
The young animal rubbed its head contentedly against Heidi's
shoulder, and no longer gave such plaintive bleats. Peter now
having finished his meal joined Heidi and the goats, Heidi
having by this time found out a great many things about these.
She had decided that by far the handsomest and best-behaved of
the goats were undoubtedly the two belonging to her grandfather;
they carried themselves with a certain air of distinction and
generally went their own way, and as to the great Turk they
treated him with indifference and contempt.
The goats were now beginning to climb the rocks again, each
seeking for the plants it liked in its own fashion, some jumping
over everything they met till they found what they wanted,
others going more carefully and cropping all the nice leaves by
the way, the Turk still now and then giving the others a poke
with his horns. Little Swan and Little Bear clambered lightly up
and never failed to find the best bushes, and then they would
stand gracefully poised on their pretty legs, delicately nibbling
at the leaves. Heidi stood with her hands behind her back,
carefully noting all they did.
"Peter," she said to the boy who had again thrown himself down
on the ground, "the prettiest of all the goats are Little Swan
and Little Bear."
"Yes, I know they are," was the answer. "Alm-Uncle brushes them
down and washes them and gives them salt, and he has the nicest
shed for them."
All of a sudden Peter leaped to his feet and ran hastily after
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