Chapter one. A mountain home.
It was a hot morning in june in the Alps. Heidi walked behind her aunt named Dete. They were walking through the village and up the mountain.
Heidi was very hot because she was wearing all her clothes.
She had to carry them to her new home. She was only six years old.
As Heidi and her aunt hurried out of the village, a villager stopped to talk.
“Dete, is this the orphan your sister left when she died? Where are you taking her? ”
“Yes, this is Heidi. I'm taking her to live with her grandfather. I'm starting a job in the city. So I can't take care of her any more. ”
“Poor Heidi,” said the villager. “No one else will talk to that grumpy old man. ”
While Dete was talking with the villager, Heidi met a boy named Peter.
He was the village goat herder.
Every morning, Peter came to the village to get the goats.
He was going to take them up the mountain.
Heidi followed him up the mountain. She couldn't keep up with him because of her heavy clothes.
So she took off all of them except her underwear.
Then she danced behind Peter. He thought she was funny. The two children began laughing.
Dete caught up with them.
“Where are your clothes? ” She asked.
“I don't need them! ” Heidi said. “I want to run free like the goats! ”
Aunt Dete scolded Heidi and sent Peter to get her clothes.
They walked for another hour.
Near the mountaintop was grandfather's hut. The old man was sitting in front of the house.
Heidi ran up to him and held out her hand. “Hello, grandfather,” she said.
He held her hand and stared at her.
“Good morning, uncle,” said Dete. “Heidi must stay with you now. ” she explained why she couldn't take care of the child any more.
The old man was angry. “You can just get out of here! ” He yelled at Dete.
Aunt Dete said goodbye to Heidi very quickly and left.
Heidi looked around her new home.
“Where can I sleep? ” Asked Heidi.
“Anywhere you want,” answered grandfather.
Heidi saw a ladder behind the bed.
She climbed the ladder up to the loft. The loft was filled with fresh hay. “I'll sleep up here,” said Heidi happily.
Heidi followed grandfather everywhere. She watched as he made a new chair for her.
When the sun was setting, Heidi heard a whistle. It was Peter bringing the goats home. Grandfather had two goats.
Their names were Daisy and Dusky. Heidi liked them at once.
The next morning, Peter's whistle woke Heidi. She got ready to go with Peter. She was excited.
The mountain was very beautiful. Heidi picked flowers and chased the goats.
Peter told her all of the goats' names.
Heidi was sad when she heard that a little goat had lost its mother. She promised to take special care of that goat.
By now, the sun was setting. It spread a golden glow across the tops of the mountains.
“Peter! ” Cried Heidi. “The mountains are on fire! ”
“Don't worry,” replied Peter. “That happens every day. It means it's time to go home. ”
Heidi went up the mountain with Peter every day during the summer. She grew to be healthy and strong. She was as free as a bird.
But when the fall came, grandfather made her stay at home. He was afraid the strong winds would blow her off the mountain.
She spent the days helping him make cheese.
Then came the winter and lots of snow.
Peter went to school in the winter.
One day, he came to the hut. He told Heidi that his grandmother would like to meet her. She wanted to go. But grandfather said the snow was too deep.
A few days later, the snow finally stopped. The sun came out, and grandfather said she could go out.
He put Heidi on his sled. The sled raced down the mountain very fast. Grandfather stopped the sled in front of Peter's small hut.
Heidi met an old woman that was sewing.
“Hello, grannie,” said Heidi.
Grannie smiled and felt Heidi's hand.
Grannie was blind.
“Why can't you see? ” Asked Heidi.
“I can't see,” grannie said kindly, “But I can hear. ”
Heidi spent the rest of the winter with grannie.
Sometimes grandfather came and fixed the windows and chairs in grannie's hut