knowing where it was most delightful. Now she
listened to the wind as it came rushing down from
the great cliffs above with a deep, mysterious sound
that grew louder and stronger with every moment,
until it whistled away into the pine trees and bent
and shook them with a shout of delight; and Heidi
joined in the shout while she was blown hither and
thither like a leaf before the wind.

Then away she ran to the sunny place in front
of the but where she sat down on the ground and
peered into the grass to see how many flower cups
had opened, or would soon do so. Here, too,
there were myriads of flies and other tiny creatures
to watch as they crawled or hopped or danced
about merrily in the pleasant sunshine, rejoicing
in its warmth; and Heidi rejoiced with them and
drank in the sweet spring air, fragrant with the
odors of the newly quickened earth, and thought
that never before had she seen the Alm so beauti-
ful. The swarming little insects must have been
as happy as Heidi herself, for as they hummed
and buzzed about, they seemed to be singing in
their own way: "On the Alm! On the Alm, the
beautiful Alm!"

From the shop behind the hut came the sound
of busy hammering and sawing. Heidi hearkened
in that direction; she knew and loved the sound
well, for it was one of the earliest associations of

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