Chapter 14 Sunday Bells.
Oh, Grandfather Heidi said as she and the old man walked back up the mountain.
Our lives are happier now than they have ever been before.
She skipped along, swinging the old man's hand.
All at once.
Heidi grew quiet and said When I was in Frankfurt I prayed to come home right away.
But if God had let me come home at once, then everything would have been different.
I would only have a little bread for Grandmother, and I wouldn't be able to read.
God has made it all so much better than I ever could have imagined.
It has happened just as Grandmama said it would.
Oh, how glad I am that God did not let me have my way from the start.
From now on, I will pray to thank God for what he has done for me, and when he doesn't do what I ask, I shall think to myself God has a better plan for me.
We will pray every day, won't we, Grandfather?
We must never forget him again, or else he may forget us.
And what if we do forget him, said Grandfather in a sad voice?
Then everything goes wrong.
God lets us go where we like, and we get poor and sad.
No one feels bad for us because we ran from God, and he is the one who would have helped us.
That is true, Heidi.
Where did you learn that?
From Grandmama.
She explained it all to me.
They walked on for a while before Grandfather spoke again.
Can we ever go back, Heidi?
If we ran from God, are we forgotten forever?
Oh, no, Grandfather.
We can go back.
Grandmama told me so, and I will read the story in my beautiful book.
I will read it to you when we get home.
Heidi seemed happy with herself and joyfully sang and skipped the rest of the way home.
Right before bedtime, she read Grandfather the story.
She told him about the man in the picture who was happy at home and went out in the field with his father's flocks.
He was dressed in a fine cloak and stood leaning on his shepherd's staff watching as the sun went down.
All at once, he wanted to have his own goods and money.
He wished to be his own master, so he asked his father to give him some money.
He left his home and soon lost everything.
Finally, he went back home and told his father, I am not worthy of you anymore.
His father saw him and ran to him and kissed him.
He told his servants to bring him his best robe, a ring for his hand, shoes for his feet and plenty of food.
He said that his son was once dead but was now alive again.
Isn't that a beautiful tale, Grandfather, said Heidi.
You are right, Heidi.
It is a beautiful tale, he replied.
But the old man looked so serious that Heidi grew silent herself.
Early in the next morning, the old man stood in front of his hut, looking at all the beauty.
Come along, Heidi.
The sun is up.
Put on your best dress.
We are going to church today.
The two were quite a sight in church.
They slipped in after the music had begun.
Many people had to look twice before they figured out whom they were seeing.
But by the end of the service, everyone had seen Heidi and her grandfather.
At the end of church, Grandfather took Heidi by the hand and made his way to the pastor's house.
The rest of the worshippers stood in small groups.
They were all whispering about the man and how gentle he was with Heidi.
The cart driver told everyone how Heidi had left the place where she had the best of everything just to be back here with her grandfather.
Soon everybody began to feel quite friendly toward the old man.
Meanwhile, Grandfather had gone into the pastor's house.
They shook hands warmly.
The pastor's kind eyes shone with pleasure.
"'I have come to ask your forgiveness for the words I spoke to you,' Grandfather began.
"'You were right.
It's time to move Heidi off the mountain.'
"'We will all welcome you as neighbors,' the pastor said.'
And with that, Grandfather stepped outside with Heidi.
The door had hardly shut behind him when the whole church group came forward to meet him.
There were so many new faces that Grandfather didn't know where to begin.
Some even went halfway up the mountain with the old man.
They talked about inviting him to lunch and calling on him very soon.
Heidi couldn't believe the softened look on her grandfather's face.
You look nicer today.
I've never seen you quite like that before.
Well, Heidi, he began, I am happier today than I deserve, happier than I thought possible.
It is good to be at peace with God and my friends.
God was good when he sent you to my hut.
When they reached Grandmother's hut, the old man opened the door and walked in with Heidi.
We have some more patching up to do before the autumn comes.
Peter charged through the door and interrupted their talk.
There's a letter here for Heidi, he exclaimed.
The letter was from Clara.
It said that she and Grandmama would like to visit Heidi and her grandfather in the coming fall.
There was so much to think about now the visitors, the move down to Dorfli, the special way that Grandpa seemed to be getting along with others.
Life had certainly changed on the mountain, and soon things would be changing even more.
