Next morning the boys were up with the sun, for there was a long
journey ahead of them. It was not to be a journey by train nor by boat.
It was to be a journey on foot.
The party was to follow a trail over the high mountain range which
shuts in the deep valley of the river Aar on the south. The trail would
lead them over the Great Scheidegg Pass and down into the beautiful
valleys on the other side.
They were going to spend at least a week on the way. There would be so
many interesting things to see and to do, they would not want to hurry.
The boys carried knapsacks on their backs, in which they put the few
things they would need while crossing the mountains. They were real
trampers at last.
[Illustration: _They carried knapsacks on their backs, in which they
put the few things they would need while crossing the mountains_]
The first part of the trail was very steep. The little party climbed up
and up, until the village, far below them, looked very small indeed.
After awhile they heard a strange rumbling noise, which grew louder and
louder the higher they climbed. Soon it became a roar, and right above
their path they saw a tremendous waterfall tumbling down over the steep
mountain side. It fairly made the rocks tremble, it fell with such
force, and the air was filled with a fine, wet spray.
The boys sprang up the path close beside the great waterfall. When they
reached the top of it they were a very wet but a very jolly party.
"Well, that's the most fun we have had yet!" shouted Joe. "I should
like to do it right over again."
"I shouldn't," said a little girl who was standing near by. "I have to
come up here every few days. I don't like to get so wet."
"Why do you come up so often?" asked Jack.
"I go down to the village to buy bread for mother. I live up here. That
is our chalet up there by the brook. My name is Gretel."
"Do you go down to the village to school, too?" asked Joe.
"Yes," answered the little girl. "But this is vacation time now. I
often take another path when I go to school. Sometimes I ride home on
that big car, which helps me up the mountain as far as the waterfall."
"Do you go to school all winter?" asked Jack.
"Oh, yes! except when the snow is so deep I just can't get there. All
of us girls and boys have to go to school forty weeks every year. I am
glad we do. I like to go to school."
"Please let us carry that basket of bread for you," said Jack. "I think
our path goes right by your house."
So the children walked on up the path together, and Gretel told the
boys many interesting things about her life on the mountain alp.
"I always thought a Swiss alp was a high mountain peak," said Joe.
"Oh, no! An alp is a lovely mountain meadow," said Gretel. "See what a
fine great alp ours is. This is one of the low alps. Father raises lots
of hay here to feed the cows during the long winter."
"Where are your cows now?" asked Jack.
[Illustration: _Gretel's home was a pretty, brown chalet, whose roof
was covered with large stones to keep it from being blown away_]
"They are feeding farther up on the higher alps," said Gretel. "Father
takes them up early every summer, and they don't come down until fall."
"Do you think we shall see them on our way over the mountains?" asked
Joe.
"Yes, I am sure you will," said Gretel. "Your path goes right across
the alp where father's little cabin is. My two brothers, Franz and Sep,
are up there with father now. They take care of the goats, and help to
milk the cows and make the cheese. I wish I were up there, too!"
"Why can't you go up with us?" asked Jack. "You could surprise your
father and brothers."
"Oh, I should love to go!" cried Gretel. "I could stay with them in
their little cabin for a few days, then Franz would bring me home, I
know he would. I will ask mother if I may go. See, this is our chalet."
It was a pretty, brown chalet. The broad, low roof was covered with
many large stones to keep it from being blown away during the great
winter storms.
But now it was the lovely summer time, and Gretel's mother had set two
small tables just outside her front door. She always had something good
to serve to hungry trampers To-day there was a big bowl of delicious
wild strawberries on each of the tables.
Of course the Overall Boys were suddenly very hungry. And how they
enjoyed the bread and butter and wild strawberries and cream which
Gretel's mother served to them!
[Illustration: _After the tea party was over, Gretel showed them yards
and yards of lace she was making_]
After the tea party was over, Gretel showed them the lace which she
was making. There were yards and yards of it. The boys thought it was
wonderful to see Gretel move the bobbins of thread so quickly over the
big pillow, and never make mistakes in the pattern.
"I have been making lace ever since I was five years old," said Gretel.
"I sell enough lace every summer to pay for all of my clothes."
"Oh, Gretel, will you sell some to us?" asked Joe. "We don't wear lace
ourselves, but the Sunbonnet Babies do. They would love to wear some of
your lace."
"And I should love to have them wear it. Of course I will sell you
some," said Gretel.
Then the boys chose some of the very prettiest lace Gretel had made,
and bought it for the Sunbonnet Babies.
"Now I want to show you where my bees live," said Gretel. And she led
the boys up the hill behind her house where, under some great trees,
was a row of tiny chalets.
"This is my bee village," she said. "Each bee family has a little
chalet of its own. The bees fly all over our alp, gathering nectar
from the flowers. Sometimes they fly very far away, hunting for more
flowers, but they always come back again, bringing their baskets full
of nectar.
"They work so hard, they fill their little houses brim full of honey
every summer. I am sure we couldn't live without our bees. Some
summers they earn more money than father can."
"There must be millions of bees in Switzerland to make so much honey,"
said Jack. "I believe every family here eats honey for breakfast. In
America we eat cereal. I think honey is much nicer."
[Illustration]
[Illustration: ON THE TRAIL.]
[Illustration]