"Oh," exclaimed Heidi, "one never has a sad heart here. One only gets unhappy in Frankfurt."
A faint smile passed over the doctor's face. Then he began: "But if somebody has brought his sorrow away with him, how would you comfort him?"
"God in Heaven alone can help him."
"That is true, child," remarked the doctor. "But what can we do when God Himself has sent us the affliction?"
After meditating a moment, Heidi replied: "One must wait patiently, for God knows how to turn the saddest things to something happy in the end. God will show us what He has meant to do for us. But He will only do so if we pray to Him patiently."
"I hope you will always keep this beautiful belief, Heidi," said the doctor. Then looking up at the mighty cliffs above, he continued: "Think how sad it would make us not to be able to see all these beautiful things. Wouldn't that make us doubly sad? Can you understand me, child?"
A great pain shot through Heidi's breast. She had to think of the poor grandmother. Her blindness was always a great sorrow to the child, and she had been struck with it anew. Seriously she replied:
"Oh yes, I can understand it. But then we can read grandmother's songs; they make us happy and bright again."
"Which songs, Heidi?"
"Oh, those of the sun, and of the beautiful garden, and then the last verses of the long one. Grandmother loves them so that I always have to read them over three times," said Heidi.