About one week after Heidi started praying, the tutor asked to speak with Clara's grandmother.
He wanted to tell her about something remarkable.
"Something I had stopped hoping for has happened," said the tutor.
"It can only be looked upon as a miracle."
"Has Heidi learned to read at last?" asked Grandmamma.
The tutor looked at the lady with astonishment.
"How did you guess?" he asked. "It is truly marvelous!
At first she seemed unable to learn her letters.
Now it is as if she has learned them overnight."
"Many unlikely things happen in life,"
said Grandmamma with a pleased smile.
Grandmamma was so pleased that she wanted to reward Heidi with a present.
She found her reading aloud to Clara.
"Heidi, I am so pleased that you have learned to read.
The picture book is yours to keep," Grandmamma said.
Heidi was overwhelmed with delight.
"Mine to keep always?
Even when I go home?" said Heidi, blushing with pleasure.
"Yes, of course, yours forever," Grandmamma assured her.
When Heidi went to bed that night, she looked at her book again before falling asleep.
From that day forward, her chief pleasure was to read over and over again
the tales that belonged to the beautiful pictures of the shepherd and his flock.
Heidi often went to Grandmamma's room in the afternoons while Clara took her nap.
There she learned to sew, and Grandmamma listened to Heidi read aloud.
All the people Heidi read about became like dear friends.
It always delighted her to be with them.
But Heidi's homesickness never left her.
In the last week of her visit, Grandmamma called Heidi into her room one evening after dinner.
"Now, child," she said, "tell me why you are not happy?
Do you still have the same trouble in your heart?"
Heidi nodded in reply.
"Have you told God about it?"
"Yes," said Heidi, sadly.
"And do you pray every night to ask God to make things right so that you may be happy again?"
"No, I have stopped praying," said Heidi.
Grandmamma was surprised.
"Do not tell me that!
Why have you stopped praying?"
"It doesn't do any good.
God does not listen," Heidi said in an agitated voice.
"How can He listen when so many people pray to Him every night?
He cannot hear them all.
He certainly has not heard what I said to Him."
"You are wrong, Heidi.
You must not think of Him like that.
God has heard you.
If He has not given you what you prayed for, He will give you something better when the time is right.
He knows better than we do what is good for us.
Continue to pray and to trust Him."
Heidi had perfect confidence in Grandmamma, and every word she said sank into her heart.
That night, Heidi prayed once again so that God would go on thinking about her.
The day came for Grandmamma to leave.
Both Clara and Heidi were very sad, but all morning, Grandmamma kept them lively and amused with songs and games so that they had no time to be unhappy.
After she had left, the house seemed silent and empty.
Clara and Heidi sat the remainder of the day like two lost children.