“I don’t think it would be unseemly if the young one brought the lunch while the old one remained seated,” he said, kindly patting Vinzi’s shoulder. “Go around the corner here, open the door and go to the shelf. You’ll find a jug of milk and everything else ready. Go and bring it.”
Vinzi was gone in a minute and quickly returned with the required articles. The food was placed between them on the bench and the grandfather cut pieces of bread and cheese, inviting Vinzi to do the same.
But the boy slightly hesitated. All morning he had done only what he had felt like doing, instead of coming early and playing to the grandfather. Therefore he could not begin with a clear conscience.
“Eat, eat, boy! What’s the matter? There is more than enough for us both. Why don’t you begin?” asked the old man after a while with such a kindly glance from his eyes that Vinzi would have felt like doing a more difficult bidding.
“How do you like it here on our mountain?” asked the old man after a little while.
Vinzi’s eyes fairly flashed. “Oh, it is wonderful here. I never saw anything more beautiful in my life!” he exclaimed, still filled with his recent impressions.
At this the grandfather patted him on the back again. “Neither did I, neither did I,” he said full of satisfaction. “You think just what I think. I’d like to know where it could be finer. Where do they have such golden sunshine as we have up here and pure air like that which simply fills one with health? Every one can breathe as much of it, too, as he can hold. And what strength this air and sunshine give one! I tell you I know something about it. Of course my strength is beginning to give out a bit. I am still well but not young any more. How old do you think I am, boy?”
“Maybe seventy,” said Vinzi.
“Oho, is that what you think! I was seventy twenty and a few odd years ago and I was young still at that time. I thought nothing of going with heavy loads on my back down into the valley and coming up again with more. But I can’t do such things now, and no more do they want me to. All the young people ask of me is to keep peace among the boys while they stay in the tower during summer. They are on the pasture during the day, but when they come home in the evening they need some one to keep them in order; otherwise things go amiss. I sit here in the sunshine all day and that gives me ample time to think over all the blessings I have to thank our Lord in Heaven for during my long life. Since I passed my ninetieth year I do not count any more. I take every fine day as a splendid gift and looking up to Heaven in the evening, I say from the bottom of my heart, ‘Thanks for it, good Father in Heaven, thanks!’ And when the time comes for me to go, I won’t have far to go. Look what a short distance I will have to fly. That’s one of the reasons I love it here on the mountain. It’s very close to Heaven and so open that one can look about in all directions. One’s thoughts easily strive upwards and make one happy, either living or dying.”
Vinzi had followed the grandfather’s words with keen attention. The boy was sorry when the speaker was silent at last, for he would have liked to know much more about the grandfather’s solitary existence.