



Produced by Al Haines.




[Illustration: Cover art]




[Illustration: "NEVER IN HIS LIFE HAD HE SEEN ANYTHING SO SPLENDID!"]




                       [Illustration: Title page]

                              *Little Miss
                              Grasshopper*


                            By Johanna Spyri



                             Translated by
                             Helen B. Dole



                                New York
                       Thomas Y. Crowell Company
                               Publishers




                            COPYRIGHT, 1918,
                      BY THOMAS Y. CROWELL COMPANY




                        *BOOKS BY JOHANNA SPYRI*

                        HEIDI: Complete Edition
                           MONI, THE GOAT BOY
                             THE ROSE CHILD
                     WHAT SAMI SINGS WITH THE BIRDS

                         _ILLUSTRATED IN COLOR_

                       THOMAS Y. CROWELL COMPANY
                                NEW YORK




                               *CONTENTS*

CHAPTER

      I. Before the Journey

     II. On the Gemmi Pass

    III. New Acquaintances

     IV. A Terrible Night

  V. The Next Morning




                        *LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS*

Never in his life had he seen anything so splendid... Frontispiece

"Come, let us go there quickly"

Martin bent over the child, and laid his broad, strong hand on her




                            *CHAPTER FIRST*

                          *BEFORE THE JOURNEY*


In Dresden, not far from the Terrace on the Elbe, stands a large stone
house.  One sunny July morning Herr Feland was sitting there in his easy
chair, and holding such a large newspaper in front of him that nothing
at all could be seen of his face.

Opposite him sat his wife in a white morning cap.  From time to time she
poured a little water from the singing kettle on the fragrant coffee in
the coffee-pot.  Breakfast was about to be served.

Then the door opened and two little girls entered, followed by a young
lady, who regarded with some anxiety the lively way in which little Rita
ran bounding through the room in order finally to spring with one big
leap on her papa's knee.  By her skill in jumping it was plain to see
that it was not the first time she had accomplished this.  Rita now
looked triumphantly around as if to say: "Now I am once more seated in
my strong castle where no harm can reach me!"

Then she put her little curly head under the big newspaper and said
roguishly:

"Oh, Papa, now I have found you!  When are we going to the Gemmi?"

Papa laid aside his paper, kissed his little girl and said:

"First, good-morning, little Grasshopper; we will see about planning for
the trip later."

On account of her nimble jumping her Papa called her little Grasshopper.
When Rita found the big paper was no longer between her and her Papa she
threw her arms around his neck and said, "Good-morning," with great
affection. Meanwhile, her sister Ella was standing perfectly still
beside her Papa's chair, waiting for his morning greeting.  Then he
kissed his older little daughter also, and she sat down quietly at the
table.

"Now please go too and sit where you belong!" said Papa to Rita, who had
made no move to leave her high seat.

"I am going right away, Papa," said Rita assuringly, but first she
straightened herself up in her castle, and said:

"I was only waiting for you to say when we are going to the Gemmi."

"As soon as Mother has packed," replied her Papa.

Then Rita jumped down and ran to her Mother.

"Oh, Mamma, let us pack to-day!  Please, please, right away," begged
Rita coaxingly.  "I will help you, and Ella can help you too, and
Fraeulein Hohlweg, and so we can go away to-morrow and then----"

"Now we will drink our milk and sit very quietly a while at the table,
dear child," replied her Mother with firm decision, and Rita, who saw
that there could be no further answer to her question, sat down in her
place between her father and mother, and breakfast began.

Every morning for a long time had begun in Herr Feland's house with
pressing question about the trip to the Gemmi, hardly any other thought
entered little Rita's mind.

The plan for this journey had been impressed upon little Rita's
imagination in the following way, and had fastened itself firmly there.

The Summer before her father and mother had made a trip to Switzerland.
On the Gemmi Pass, leading from Wallis across to the canton of Berne,
they had been so especially delighted that they decided to go there
again the following Summer, to take the children and Miss Hohlweg with
them and remain there for some time.  On their journey the parents had
made the acquaintance of the guide Kaspar, and had told him of their
intention and desire to hire a house in the vicinity and settle his
family there instead of living in a hotel.  Then Kaspar had proposed to
let them occupy his own cottage, which stood not far from the Gemmi Pass
on a green <DW72> near the foot-path.  He could perfectly well give up
his little house at just this time because he himself was always away
traveling with strangers, his two boys were taking care of the big
flocks in the mountain pasture, and his wife could live in the attic
room and serve