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Updated: May 9, 2025
"It's going to be dark pretty soon," said Leneli at last, trying hard to conceal the tremble in her voice, "and we are going up instead of down. Seppi, do you suppose there are any bears and wolves about here?" "Maybe," said Seppi, and there was a little catch in his throat, too.
For what seemed to her a very long time, Leneli answered the horn, as it grew fainter and fainter in the distance. Finally she could not hear it at all. "Oh, what shall I do if Seppi's gone too?" she moaned when her desperate signals brought no answer. Then her Mother's words came back to her, and, plumping herself down on her knees among the goats, she sent up a fervent prayer.
They had reached the Giant Pine where the trails divided, and had rounded a bend in the path, when Bello, who was a little way ahead with the goats, suddenly set up a furious barking. "It's that Nanni, I do not doubt," said Seppi. "She's probably trying to break her neck somewhere." He dashed ahead and disappeared around a high rock, Leneli following him at a slower pace.
It made no difference whether she was frightened or not, Leneli simply had to follow him even though the goats, sure-footed as they were, shrank from the journey, and Bello hung back and whined. "Follow exactly in my footsteps," shouted Seppi, and Leneli swallowed a lump in her throat, grasped her alpenstock more firmly and went forward. "Don't look down into the hole!
At least that is what Leneli told the baby he said, and surely she ought to know. Before Baby Roseli had finished the last mouthful of her supper, Father and Seppi appeared with the bundles, and then there was the clatter of many little hoofs on the hard earth of the door-yard, and round the corner of the old gray farm-house came big brother Fritz with the goats.
The walls of ice gleamed with wonderful greens and blues, but he had no heart to admire the beautiful colors. "Remember Peter of Lucerne, and come on," he shouted back to Leneli, and without another word started across the treacherous ice bridge.
"Every time we think we've found the way out, we just get deeper in than ever," moaned Leneli, at last. "We can't get down this way, and if we did we'd have to cross the glacier." "It isn't a very big one," said Seppi, looking down at it. "You can't tell from here," quavered Leneli. Seppi looked about him. To the right the forest slopes stretched upward toward the mountain-top.
Then he just couldn't stop, and before he knew it his whole luncheon was gone and it was only nine o'clock in the morning! Leneli took two bites of hers, and then, wrapping it carefully in the piece of cloth, placed it high up on an overhanging rock out of the way of temptation.
"Then we must wish for wings on the goats too," said Seppi, "for you know Father said we must take care of them whatever happens." Sad and frightened though she was, Leneli giggled a little at that. "Wouldn't they look funny flying through the air with you and me and Bello all flopping after them?" she said.
He only comes out once a year, but oh, Seppi, suppose this should be the time!" "Huh!" said Seppi scornfully. "Girls' talk! Of course I don't believe such things; besides, he only comes out on Good Friday, anyway!" "Well," said Leneli, "lots of people do believe them, even grown-up people."
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