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Heidi

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.