Heidi

''Where am I to sleep, grandfather?'' ''wherever you like'', answered grandfather. Heidi was delighted and began to look around. Close to her grandfather's bed, she saw a short ladder against the wall. She climbed it and found herself in the hayloft. There she found a large heap of fresh, sweet-smelling hay. Through a window in the wall, she could see the valley.

''I shall sleep up here, grandfather. Come up and see how lovely it is'' she said. ''Oh, I know all about it,'' he replied.'' I am getting the bed ready now,'' she called him again, ''but I shall want you to bring me a sheet. I can't have a bed without a sheet''.

''Alright'', said grandfather. From a cupboard, he drew out a long, coarse piece of cloth that could be used as a sheet.

He carried it up to the loft, where Heidi had already made quite a nice bed. She had put extra hay at one end for a pillow and had so arranged it that when in bed, she would be able to look out of the window quite comfortably.

''Now we must lay the sheet, but wait a moment'', said her grandfather. He went and fetched another large bundle of hay to make the bed thicker so that Heidi should not feel the hard floor under her. ''There, now bring the sheet here,.''

They spread the sheet over the bed, and Heidi quickly tucked it in under the hay. It looked like a very tidy and comfortable bed. Heidi stood gazing thoughtfully at it. ''We have forgotten something, grandfather,'' she said.

''What's that?'' he asked.

''A coverlid. When you get into bed, you have to creep in between the sheets and the coverlid.''

''Oh, that's the way, is it? But I don't have a coverlid,'' said the old man.

''Don't worry, grandfather,'' said Heidi, ''I can take some more hay to put over me.''

But the next moment grandfather returned with a large, thick sack, made of flax. ''There, this is better than hay, is it not?'' he asked.

''That is a splendid coverlid,'' said Heidi,'' and the bed looks lovely altogether! I wish it was night so that I might get inside it at once!''