



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 the Feland family.  For them the big living-room and the
two sleeping rooms would be put in order.

This proposal was very acceptable to Herr Feland and his wife, and,
after looking over the little house, they decided to engage it for the
Summer months of the coming year.

This news and the description of the beautiful fields and lofty
snow-clad mountains, the green pastures and the numbers of grazing cows,
had made a deep impression on the two children, and for a long time Rita
had been hardly able to wait for the day to start on the journey.  Even
in Winter not a day had begun and hardly had one ended without Rita's
asking:

"Mamma, will Summer come soon now?"

Now the Summer was really there, and Rita's question became more
determined and urgent. Every morning in expectant tones sounded the
words:

"When are we going to the Gemmi?"

Every day the child's impatience grew and these impetuous questions and
pleadings increased, until Rita could hardly wait any longer to climb
into the train and travel to the high mountains and green fields.

Finally the day came when the whole Feland house looked like a big
annual fair.  Every possible kind of clothing lay around in such piles
in all the chambers that there was no more place to sit down.  But,
little by little, everything disappeared into three huge trunks, and two
days later the whole Feland family were seated in the train: Ella in
silent delight between her mamma and Fraeulein Hohlweg; Rita next her
papa, whom she embraced every moment in sheer delight, for now they were
really going on the great journey; now they were going to the Gemmi!




                            *CHAPTER SECOND*

                          *ON THE GEMMI PASS*


Not far from the summit of the Gemmi pass a narrow path enters the woods
and soon leads to the place where the traveler cannot look without a
shudder over the steep walls of rock down into the deep precipice.

One beautiful Summer evening a young boy was coming along this
wood-path.  In his hand he held a large red flower which he had found
deep within the woods and looked at it wonderingly from time to time.

Then he came out of the woods into an open place and gazed around, but
appeared to find nothing in particular to look at further, and continued
his way.  Then he stepped into a narrow field-path, leading to the left
up a green <DW72>. There stood two cottages not far apart, each with a
small out-building behind it, evidently to shelter the animals.  One of
these sheds was larger than the other, and the cottage also with its
brand new door looked more roomy and better kept. This belonged to the
guide Kaspar, who lived in it together with his wife and two boys and
every year was able to improve something about it, because he earned a
good deal of money as guide to travelers.  In his shed stood not only
two goats, like all the neighbors, but for the last two years a fine cow
also, which furnished him with wonderful milk and butter.

The smaller cottage beyond with its old worm-eaten door and tumble-down
shingle roof belonged to the porter, Martin, the big man, who, on
account of his powerful build, was called "strong Martin."  He lived
there with his wife and four little children, and behind in his small
shed stood his two goats, whose milk had to feed the whole family.

All through the Summer, especially in fine weather, strong Martin really
had a good income; then he carried travelers' luggage over the Gemmi,
but he didn't earn nearly so much as his neighbor Kaspar, who was often
away many days at a time with the mountain climbers.

In front of the new house door Kaspar's two boys were now standing and
were evidently discussing something very important.  They were
examining, handling and comparing, with great eagerness, two objects,
which they held in their hands, and when at last they seemed to come to
an agreement they began all over again.  The little fellow, who had just
come out of the woods to the cottage, now stood still and looked full of
astonishment at what was going on in front of the house-door.

"Seppli, come, look! look!" called one of the two boys to him.

Seppli drew near; his eyes gazed in motionless amazement at what was
shown him.

"See what Father brought us from the fair in Berne," called the larger
of the boys again to Seppli, and each one of them held up his present.
What a wonderful sight was offered to Seppli's eyes!  Chappi and Georgie
each held in his hand a large whip, in this country called a _Geissel_
or lash.  The strong and yet pliable handle was wound round with little
bands of red leather. The long white lash was of solid braided leather
thongs; on the end hung a firmly twisted round cord of yellow silk with
a little tassel at the end. This end, which could make a wonderful
crack, was called the whip-lash.  Seppli looked speechless at the whips.
Never in his life had he seen anything so splendid!

"Now, just listen," said Chappi, beginning to swing his whip, and
Georgie did the same, and then it cracked and thundered up and down the
valley and resounded from all the mountains, so that it appeared to
Seppli as if there was nothing grander and more wonderful in the whole
world.

"If I only had a whip with a yellow lash too!" said he, taking a deep
breath, when the two had finally stopped cracking theirs.

"Yes, you will have to wait for it," replied Chappi haughtily, and with
one last tremendous crack he ran away; he had to show his whip to other
people.  Georgie ran behind him; but Seppli gazed after the two boys and
remained motionless.  A heavy weight had fallen on his untroubled heart.
He had seen something which he yearned and longed for more than he had
ever done before in all his life, and Chappi had said discouragingly:
"Yes, you will have to wait!"  It seemed to Seppli exactly as if
everything which could make him happy was lost for his whole life.  He
seized the red flower firmly and threw it away, for to have only a red
flower and never, never to own a whip with a yellow lash turned Seppli
against the flower; it flew far away into the field and Seppli looked
after it in silent rage.  No one knows how long he would have remained
standing there if the door had not opened behind him and a woman stepped
out with a big broom in her hand.

"Where are the boys, Seppli?" she asked curtly.

"Gone off with the whips," was the answer, for they were still before
his eyes.

"Run and call them home, and be quick," commanded the woman.  "To-morrow
early they will have to go to the mountain, and this evening the
gentleman is coming, and there is still much to be done.  Run and tell
them, Seppli!"

The youngster then ran with all his might in the direction where the two
boys had disappeared. The woman began to work her broom into every
corner and to sweep.  She was Kaspar's wife and the mother of the two
boys, Chappi and Georgie.

That morning a letter had come from Herr Feland announcing that he and
his family would arrive the following evening,--hence the great
preparation with the broom, which was not unnecessary, for Chappi and
Georgie brought a great deal of dirt, with their big shoes, into the
house.  Now the two boys came running along with a frightful cracking of
whips, neighbor Seppli still behind them, for the sight of the whips
drew him irresistibly along.  But when their mother called the boys in,
because they had to help with all sorts of work, Seppli finally turned
and went over to his house, but very slowly, like one who bore a great
trouble.  And Seppli was bearing one, for the whips with the yellow lash
hovered perpetually before his eyes, and besides he heard Chappi's
crushing words:

"Yes, you will have to wait!"

Over in front of the old house-door on the spot where the earth had been
trodden down firmly for a threshing-floor, stood Father Martin striving
with a heavy axe to split big knotty logs of wood into small pieces for
the mother to lay on the hearth.  In a row in front of their father
stood Martheli, Friedli, and Betheli, with big, eager eyes, watching his
work.

Seppli, the oldest, now came along, placed himself in the row, and
opened his eyes wide, for wherever there was something to be seen he was
always there.  But soon his father pointed to the little pieces on the
ground and said in a more gentle, friendly voice than one would have
expected from such a big, strong man:

"Well, Seppli, take two at a time in your arms and carry them in to
mother in the kitchen, so she can cook our potatoes for us."

Seppli did immediately as he was told, and the work helped him a little
to forget his trouble. But later, when he lay beside Friedli in their
little bed, he could not go to sleep at once, as usual, the great hurt
rose again before his eyes, and he had to sigh:

"Oh, if I only had a whip with a yellow lash!"




                            *CHAPTER THIRD*

                          *NEW ACQUAINTANCES*


Very early the following morning a great cracking of whips was heard,
for at four o'clock Chappi and Georgie were already waiting in front of
the cottage for the cows which were to be brought here from one place
and another in order to drive them up on the mountain, where the big
herd was.  Then the two would remain up there as shepherd-boys until
Autumn, and they were so delighted about it, they couldn't make enough
noise; for to be up there together and have nothing to do the whole
Summer but run around with their whips and with the cows, was to them a
splendid prospect.

When their mother had fastened on their knapsacks and admonished them to
be good boys, and they had gone away with their cows, she went back into
the house, and then began a sweeping and dusting in every room and
corner, from top to bottom, so there was no end to it the whole day
long.  The sun had already gone down behind the fir trees when the woman
once more wiped off the windows, one after another, and looked around to
see if everything was in order.  Everything was shining, the windows all
around the house, the table with the slate top, the benches against the
walls, and even the floor.

The woman now saw a whole procession of porters, horses and riders
coming up the path from the valley.  She ran quickly up the narrow
stairs to the attic chamber, put on a clean apron, and placed herself in
the doorway in order to receive her strange guests.  The procession
stopped and Herr Feland lifted first his wife and Fraeulein Hohlweg,
then the children, from the horses.

Rita had hardly touched the ground when she ran to and fro for joy, and
did not know which was the most beautiful, the tiny wooden cottage with
the little bench in front of the door, the green fields around with the
flowers and brooks, or the golden evening sunshine on the rocks and
fir-trees.  Everything was so new, so lovely! Ella, too, was quite
filled with admiration, and looked around in silent astonishment.

Then their father and mother came into the cottage, and a new pleasure
began for Rita, since everything here was so different from anything she
had ever seen in her life before.  She seized Ella by the hand and ran
with her into every corner.

"See, see, there are seats all around the room against the wall, and
just see where you can climb up."

Whereupon Rita ran quickly up the stairs, leading up behind the oven, to
an opening through which the sleeping-room was entered. This was a
wonderful discovery!  From there they went through an open door into
another chamber, where two beds stood.  This led into a little garret
room and a wooden staircase on the other side went down again into the
living-room. This made a wonderful circuit which could be made many
times a day, and everything about the whole house, inside and out,
looked so new and unusual and promised so much Rita didn't know what she
should enjoy the most.

When, at last, she lay in her big bed upstairs in the chamber, and Ella
in the one beside her, and their mother had said good-night to the
children after their evening prayer, Rita drew a deep sigh and said with
the greatest contentment:

"Oh, now we are on the Gemmi!"

The most beautiful Summer days now followed, with golden sunshine on the
meadows, with cool breezes blowing