The Grasshopper's Child Read Online Free PDF Page A

talk about your academic work, and Sharing the Care, and so on. They’re a great bunch. I hope you can make it!’
    Heidi didn’t bite her tongue in time. It escaped.
    â€˜I don’t know. I’ll have to ask my owners.’
    â€˜ Oh —’ Tanya’s eager grin collapsed. ‘Well, I can help you with that. Heidi, I am so sorry, so very sorry about what’s happened to you!’
    â€˜Me too,’ said Heidi. ‘Excuse me, I’m late, I have to go now.’
    The sky was dark by the time she reached the ridge and looked down on Swan Lake: all the silver fishes had dived into the depths. She headed for those ugly chimneys.
    Old Wreck was monkey-crouched behind the desk in the Book Room again, dabbing at
her leaky old eyes with her sleeve, absorbed in her storybook. She didn’t react, even when Heidi stood right in front of her.
    â€˜Excuse me?’
    Nothing. Heidi read the top lines of Old Wreck’s page upside down and was startled to see her own name. The book was Heidi , by Johanna Spyri. Old Wreck was reading the chapter about the kittens. She had an oil lamp far too close. The glowing hot chimney glass was actually brushing against tinder-dry old paper pages. Heidi needed a favour, so she kept her hands to herself, cleared her throat loudly and waited some more. Finally she saw the earbud lead, trailing down by Old Wreck’s scraggy throat.
    â€˜ EXCUSE ME —’
    Old Wreck Tallis jumped like a scalded cat.
    â€˜I’m sorry,’ said Heidi, ‘but I have to tell you. I need to have Wednesday afternoons off.’
    The old lady gradually managed to focus. Something clanked in her dressing gown pocket as she tugged out an earbud; releasing a faint wave of song, I don’t have to sell my soul . . .
    Stone Roses, thought Heidi. Homemade vodka.
    â€˜Time off? You’re Indentured!’
    â€˜It’s not my idea. There’s an Exempt Teens Meeting in the village, I met the teacher. I don’t want to go, but I think they can make me.’
    â€˜Indentured means indentured, you don’t get holidays . Go away. And switch off the electric light as you leave. You are NOT to switch lights on in here.’
    The page of Heidi had grown a crisp black margin. A miniature burst of smoke and flame sprang up: Heidi gasped, grabbed the book and crushed the flame between her fingers.
    â€˜I was ABOUT to do that myself! ’ snarled Tallis. ‘Interfering busybody!’
    â€˜I know you were,’ said Heidi, handing Heidi across the desk. ‘I was just quicker.’ She picked up the lamp. ‘I’ll bring you a wind-up. It’s safer around all these books.’
    â€˜I detest electric light. It has no atmosphere. Give me my lamp!’
    â€˜I’ll bring you a wind-up,’ said Heidi again. She headed for the door, and then turned back.
    â€˜Why are you still here, little bully? I told you to get out .’
    â€˜There’s one other thing. I go running in the gardens, for exercise. I just wondered. Would it be okay if I did some work out there, as well as in the house?’
    Old Wreck pushed back nests of mad grey hair and stared at Heidi with a strange,
wondering expression, almost like a kind of smile.
‘ Might I have a bit of earth? ’
    â€˜Yeah,’ said Heidi: thinking of the door in the wall, except in this case the door led out of the Garden. ‘Like in The Secret Garden , if you like. I honestly won’t do any harm.’
    â€˜Except that Mary Lennox, we are told, was an ugly, sullen child. Stubborn , seems a shared trait. What do you know about gardening?’
    â€˜Some. Read what it says on the packet. Don’t put things where they won’t thrive, mulch to keep the moisture in. Er, sow seed singly, always give new things a good soaking before you plant, never hold a seedling by the real leaves. Clear away winter debris—’
    Old Wreck stopped her, waving a hand