There lived a girl called Heidi. She was very young when her moms and dads died. When Aunt Dete, who was taking care of her, got a job in Frankfurt, she assumed it fit to take Heidi to her Grandpa who resided on Mount Alm.
Heidi was scared of her Grandfather. She had heard Aunt Dete say that Grandpa was a mean man who did not like anyone.
Reaching her Grandpa’s house Heidi told him timidly. “Hello, grandpa. ” Grandfather said, “Why have you come over here? ” “I have come here to live together with you, ” Heidi told him. “Oh, I see, ” he said, “Who made the decision that?.
Before Heidi could say anything, Peter the goat-herd came up there with the goats, screaming. Aunt Dete asked Heidi to go and play with Peter while Aunt Dete herself started discussing with Grandpa.
Leaving Heidi with Grandfather, Aunt Dete went away.
At night, Heidi had a dinner of dark loaf of bread and toasted cheese. She didn’t like to drink milk. But Grandpa said, “No, you should drink it; this will make you strong and healthy. ” Grandfather had created a hay-bed for her. Outside, the wind, passing through three fir trees, sounded just like a lullaby, sending Heidi to quick sleep.
Peter came there again, the following morning. Heidi went to Grandpa to get his approval for hanging out to the field. Grandfather conveniently agreed.
Heidi ran about over the green grass and had fun with the goats. Later in the day, she all of a sudden called Peter, “Hey Peter! look above. The sky and the hills are on fire. ” She also explained to Grandfather about the fire. “It wasn’t fire, my kid. It was the sun saying goodbye to the mountains” Grandpa told her. “Oh, Grandfather! How lovely this place is! I will never ever leave this place. ” Heidi said. filled with excitement.
One early spring day, Aunt Dete returned there to visit Grandpa. She told Grandfather that a wealthy man in Frankfurt wanted to adopt Heidi. He wanted her to give company to his suffering daughter. Heidi would not want to go. But she agreed when Aunt Dete assured to bring her back again the next day.
Aunt Dete had said ‘yes’, but Grandpa knew Heidi would not come back. He kept standing outside of the house, looking at her go till she was out of eyesight.
Once in Frankfurt, Aunt Dete took Heidi to a big wonderful house. Heidi was introduced to a little older girl. She was seated on a wheelchair, “She is Clara, dear. You see, Clara is not well and for that reason she has to use a wheelchair. She is a good buddy. ” Aunt Dete told Heidi.
Later, Heidi realized Dete was right. Clara was really nice and kind. She too, like Heidi, wanted to laugh.
Heidi discovered that Clara’s mom, like her very own, had passed away when she was a small child. Miss Rottenmeyer had brought her up following her mom’s demise.
Miss Rottenmeyer did not like Heidi simply because she had never attended school and she could not read and write. Heidi was always kind to servants which Miss Rottenmeyer believed did not behove rich people. She also disliked Heidi’s dinner table manners.
Clara’s Grandmother lived in a far-off town. When she learned about Heidi, she visited Frankfurt to meet her. miss Rottenmeyer was all set with a number of complaints. “Heidi is just not fit to give Clara company. ” miss Rottenmeyer advised Grandma.
“Do not worry; I will educate her how to read and write as well as the good manners. ” said Grandmother. She requested one of the maids to go to the marketplace to get some books. Grandma found Heidi very keen on studying.
Heidi missed the mountains, the green grass, the blossoms and the goats of Mount Alm. At the same time, she missed Grandfather. Clara was a adorable girl. however city was terrible. Heidi wished to escape.
Every night, she would imagine her times in Mount Alm. But at the end of each night, her hopes and dreams too ended and in the morning, she yet again found herself in the mansion in Frankfurt.
Over the past a number of days, Miss Rottenmeyer found the main door wide open in the morning. The last night, she had also witnessed a white figure in the hall.
“I think there exists a ghost in the home. ” she told Clara’s father and the doctor. That night, both of them anxiously waited in the corridor. Sometime in the middle of night, they heard the door open. They stood short of breath as they saw Heidi coming out of the door, as if in sleep.
“Heidi is homesick. ” the doctor told Clara’s daddy after looking at her. “We probably should not keep her, here, anymore. Her condition may grow more serious. She may become very sick if we do not send her back home. “
Clara and her father could not want Heidi to return. But they also could hardly see her suffer. Therefore they made a decision to send her to Mount Alm the very next day.
After a day’s Travelling from Frankfurt, Heidi arrived at Mount Alm. She saw Grandpa standing close to his cottage, unhappy and alone. She ran towards him. The old man broken into tears as he took his loving Heidi into arms. “Where had you been all these days, my girl? Did you ever remember this old man? ” Grandfather said to Heidi.
That night, Heidi one more time heard the lullaby she had never forgotten.
After a few days, Clara also came to visit Heidi. She and Heidi would play on the mountains. At night, they would alongside one another sleep on the hay-bed. They would also eat together.
Peter did not like the company of Clara. He was envious. “If I push her wheelchair down the hill, Clara will have no other choice than to return to the city, ” Peter thought. Finding a chance, he pushed Clara’s wheelchair over a high cliff.
But Peter was wrong. Clara would not get back to Frankfurt. Rather, she began walking gradually. She too did not want to leave the mountains. Peter felt embarrassed of his bad behavior.
Both Peter and Heidi given a hand to Clara to walk slowly and gradually but steadily. Fresh milk and mountain fresh air made her more healthy and stronger. In a short time. she was able to walk on her own.
After some time, Clara’s daddy came over there to take Clara back to Frankfurt. He could not believe that his eyes when he witnessed Clara walk without the wheelchair.
“I do not wish to leave this place. Please let me live here for ever. ” Clara pleaded with her father. “These mountains are amazing. ” Clara’s daddy said to her. “You will spend each and every summer time here. Let us get back now. “
Saying farewell to Heidi. Peter and Grandpa, Clara went back to Frankfurt.