-by Jeannie Leigh

© 8/3/2025

A pesky fly buzzed around her head as Heidi crumpled up the last of her lunch and stuffed the wad of wrappers into her back pack.  Pulling out the bug spray, she gave her arms a squirt and rubbed some in her hair.  August heat filtered through aspen leaves, making her perch on an old log uncomfortable.  Hauling her body up, she struggled into the straps of her pack and gave a little jump to settle it on her back, she was ready to continue her hike.

The forest was quiet. Occasionally a butterfly darted between flowers or a small bird flew between the dense undergrowth, but otherwise the world seemed to be taking a siesta. Leafy branches above offered little relief from late summer heat.

Heidi hummed a nameless tune as she hiked along the rocky path, lost in her thoughts as they jumped from one topic to another, never focusing on any one for long.

‘I wonder if I should pull out my bear bell’ she thought.‘ All those jokes about bear bells in poop piles come to mind but still, a warned bear might be a saved bear….not to mention a saved hiker.’

She stopped, pulled her pack from her sweaty back, and dug in it for the small bell with a clip.  With the bell in its’ proper place, she was once again on her way up the trail, ringing a faint tinkle with each step she took.

As the sun shifted from overhead, Heidi sat on a convenient rock, and sipped from her water bottle.  ‘Think some trail mix might be good’, rummaging through her pack to find the bag of treats.

She sat, having a mid-afternoon break.  Drowsiness settled in. Heidi leaned against an adjacent, sun warmed, boulder. Her eyes fluttered, then, closed. Her soft snore joined the rasp of grasshoppers in the nearby grass.  Otherwise, all was quiet.

“Lady!” a gruff voice came from above.

Glancing up Heidi saw a grizzled old man standing above her.  Startled, she sat up and said, “Oh!  I must have dozed off. Can you get by my pack?”

The old man nodded but stood leaning on his crooked walking stick. He said nothing.

“Would you like to rest?” Heidi asked, scooting  to make room for him.  He said nothing, but moved beside her and, lowering slowly, sat.

“Warm day!” Heidi said, wiping sweat from her brow, with her sleeve.

“My grand- daughter with goats, you seen them?” he asked.

“No, I haven’t seen any goats.  In fact you’re the first person I’ve seen all day,” she replied.

“Thought I heard bells,” he said.

“Does your grand daughter have many goats?” Heidi asked, more out of politeness than curiosity. 

“Ten”  

“Do they come this way?”

“Don’ know.  Heard bells,” he replied

“If I see them, should I tell her you’re looking for her?”

“She knows.”

“Girl from city. Puny ‘n weak. Goats make her strong.  Almost as strong as you,” he said, watching Heidi with clouded eyes.

“This sounds like my favorite book I read and re-read as a girl. The title was 'Heidi. '” she said, offering the old man some of her trail mix, which he refused.

“Go now,” he said. Stretching his bent frame, he painfully stood.

Heidi watched as the old man hobbled up the trail leaving a small cloud of dust in his wake. She heard the click of his walking stick as it struck rocks in the trail, his worn boots shuffling behind. She thought she heard a faint tinkle of bells in his wake.

"Time to head back," she sighed.

Gathering her pack and water bottle, Heidi started to stand, then, stopped.  In the thick dust of the trail she saw foot prints. Not only boot prints of the old man but prints of many cloven hooves and one small child trailing behind him. A bell tinkled.