"comeoutontheroofwithme,littlerudy,"wasthefirstthingheheardthecatsay,andrudyunderstoodhim."whatpeoplesayaboutfallingdownisallnonsense,"continuedthecat;"youwillnotfall,unlessyouareafraid.come,now,setonefoothereandanotherthere,andfeelyourwaywithyourfore-feet.keepyoureyeswideopen,andmovesoftly,andifyoucometoaholejumpoverit,andclingfastasido."andthiswasjustwhatrudydid.hewasoftenontheslopingroofwiththecat,oronthetopsofhightrees.but,morefrequently,higherstillontheridgesoftherockswherepussnevercame.

"higher,higher!"criedthetreesandthebushes,"seetowhatheightwehavegrown,andhowfastwehold,eventothenarrowedgesoftherocks."

rudyoftenreachedthetopofthemountainbeforethesunrise,andthereinhaledhismorningdraughtofthefresh,invigoratingmountainair,-god'sowngift,whichmencallthesweetfragranceofplantandherbonthemountain-side,andthemintandwildthymeinthevalleys.theoverhangingcloudsabsorballheavinessfromtheair,andthewindsconveythemawayoverthepine-treesummits.thespiritoffragrance,lightandfresh,remainedbehind,andthiswasrudy'smorningdraught.thesunbeams-thoseblessing-bringingdaughtersofthesun-kissedhischeeks.vertigomightbelurkingonthewatch,buthedarednotapproachhim.theswallows,whohadnotlessthansevennestsinhisgrandfather'shouse,flewuptohimandhisgoats,singing,"weandyou,youandwe."theybroughthimgreetingsfromhisgrandfather'shouse,evenfromtwohens,theonlybirdsofthehousehold;butrudywasnotintimatewiththem.

althoughsoyoungandsuchalittlefellow,rudyhadtravelledagreatdeal.hewasborninthecantonofvalais,andbroughttohisgrandfatheroverthemountains.hehadwalkedtostaubbach-alittletownthatseemstoflutterintheairlikeasilverveil-theglittering,snow-cladmountainjungfrau.hehadalsobeentothegreatglaciers;butthisisconnectedwithasadstory,forherehismothermetherdeath,andhisgrandfatherusedtosaythatallrudy'schildishmerrimentwaslostfromthattime.hismotherhadwritteninaletter,thatbeforehewasayearoldhehadlaughedmorethanhecried;butafterhisfallintothesnow-coveredcrevasse,hisdispositionhadcompletelychanged.thegrandfatherseldomspokeofthis,butthefactwasgenerallyknown.rudy'sfatherhadbeenapostilion,andthelargedogwhichnowlivedinhisgrandfather'scottagehadalwaysfollowedhimonhisjourneysoverthesimplontothelakeofgeneva.rudy'srelations,onhisfather'sside,livedinthecantonofvalais,inthevalleyoftherhone.hisunclewasachamoishunter,andawell-knownguide.rudywasonlyayearoldwhenhisfatherdied,andhismotherwasanxioustoreturnwithherchildtoherownrelations,wholivedintheberneseoberland.herfatherdweltatafewhours'distancefromgrindelwald;hewasacarverinwood,andgainedsomuchbyitthathehadplentytoliveupon.shesetouthomewardsinthemonthofjune,carryingherinfantinherarms,and,accompaniedbytwochamoishunters,crossedthegemmionherwaytogrindelwald.theyhadalreadyleftmorethanhalfthejourneybehindthem.theyhadcrossedhighridges,andtraversedsnow-fields;theycouldevenseehernativevalley,withitsfamiliarwoodencottages.theyhadonlyonemoreglaciertoclimb.somenewlyfallensnowconcealedacleftwhich,thoughitdidnotextendtothefoamingwatersinthedepthsbeneath,wasstillmuchdeeperthantheheightofaman.theyoungwoman,withthechildinherarms,slippeduponit,sankin,anddisappeared.notashriek,notagroanwasheard;nothingbutthewhiningofalittlechild.morethananhourelapsedbeforehertwocompanionscouldobtainfromthenearesthouseropesandpolestoassistinraisingthem;anditwaswithmuchexertionthattheyatlastsucceededinraisingfromthecrevassewhatappearedtobetwodeadbodies.everymeanswasusedtorestorethemtolife.withthechildtheyweresuccessful,butnotwiththemother;sotheoldgrandfatherreceivedhisdaughter'slittlesonintohishouseanorphan,-alittleboywholaughedmorethanhecried;butitseemedasiflaughterhadlefthiminthecoldice-worldintowhichhehadfallen,where,astheswisspeasantssay,thesoulsofthelostareconfinedtillthejudgment-day.

theglaciersappearasifarushingstreamhadbeenfrozeninitscourse,andpressedintoblocksofgreencrystal,which,balancedoneuponanother,formawondrouspalaceofcrystalfortheicemaiden-thequeenoftheglaciers.itisshewhosemightypowercancrushthetravellertodeath,andarresttheflowingriverinitscourse.sheisalsoachildoftheair,andwiththeswiftnessofthechamoisshecanreachthesnow-coveredmountaintops,wheretheboldestmountaineerhastocutfootstepsintheicetoascend.shewillsailonafrailpine-twigovertheragingtorrentsbeneath,andspringlightlyfromoneicebergtoanother,withherlong,snow-whitehairflowingaroundher,andherdark-greenrobeglitteringlikethewatersofthedeepswisslakes."mineisthepowertoseizeandcrush,"shecried."onceabeautifulboywasstolenfrommebyman,-aboywhomihadkissed,buthadnotkissedtodeath.heisagainamongmankind,andtendsthegoatsonthemountains.heisalwaysclimbinghigherandhigher,farawayfromallothers,butnotfromme.heismine;iwillsendforhim."andshegavevertigothecommission.

itwassummer,andtheicemaidenwasmeltingamidstthegreenverdure,whenvertigoswunghimselfupanddown.vertigohasmanybrothers,quiteatroopofthem,andtheicemaidenchosethestrongestamongthem.theyexercisetheirpowerindifferentways,andeverywhere.somesitonthebanistersofsteepstairs,othersontheouterrailsofloftytowers,orspringlikesquirrelsalongtheridgesofthemountains.otherstreadtheairasaswimmertreadsthewater,andluretheirvictimshereandtheretilltheyfallintothedeepabyss.vertigoandtheicemaidenclutchathumanbeings,asthepolypusseizesuponallthatcomeswithinitsreach.andnowvertigowastoseizerudy.

"seizehim,indeed,"criedvertigo;"icannotdoit.thatmonsterofacathastaughthimhertricks.thatchildofthehumanracehasapowerwithinhimwhichkeepsmeatadistance;icannotpossiblyreachtheboywhenhehangsfromthebranchesoftrees,overtheprecipice;oriwouldgladlyticklehisfeet,andsendhimheelsoverheadthroughtheair;buticannotaccomplishit."

"wemustaccomplishit,"saidtheicemaiden;"eitheryouorimust;andiwill-iwill!"