Heidi Read online

  Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Chris Whitehead and theOnline Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net

  UP THE MOUNTAIN TO GRANDFATHER]

  HEIDI

  _by_

  JOHANNA SPYRI

  ILLUSTRATED BY ALICE CARSEY

  WHITMAN PUBLISHING CO. RACINE . . CHICAGO

  COPYRIGHT 1916 BY WHITMAN PUBLISHING CO. RACINE . . CHICAGO

  INTRODUCTION

  There is here presented to the reader a careful translation of "Heidi,"one of the most popular works of the great Swiss authoress, MadamJohanna Spyri. As particulars of her career are not easily gathered, wemay here state that Johanna Heusser was born at Zurich, June 12, 1827.She wrote nothing in her youth. She was happily married to the AdvocateSpyri. Later, the Franco-Prussian war evoked from her a book devisedfor a charitable purpose, and the success of this volume revealed herfuture. She died at her home in Zurich in 1891. Her fame has spread toall countries, and her many books have delighted not only the childrenfor whom they were so artfully written, but they have become favoriteswith lovers of children as well.

  As to "Heidi," itself, wherever mountains are seen or read about, thesimple account of the early life of the Swiss child, amid the beautiesof her passionately-loved home, will be a favorite book for youngerreaders and those who seek their good.

  Johanna Spyri lived amidst the scenes she so gracefully described. Inall her stories she shows an underlying desire to preserve her youngreaders alike from misunderstanding and the mistaken kindness thatfrequently hinders the happiness and natural development of their livesand characters.

  Among her many works are the following: "Arthur and His Squirrel,""On Sunday," "From the Swiss Mountains," "A Scion of the House ofLesa," "The Great and the Small All May Aid," "From Near and Far,""Cornelius," "Lost but Not Forgotten," "Gritli's Children," 2 volumes,"Without a Country," "What Shall Then Become of Her?," "Sina," "FromOur Own Country," "Ten Stories," 2 volumes, "In Leuchtensa," "UncleTitus," "A Golden Saying," "The Castle Wildenstein," "What ReallyHappened to Her," "In the Valley of the Tilonne," "The Hauffer Mill."

  M. H. M.

  CONTENTS

  I. Heidi's First Mountain Climb 13

  II. A New Home with Grandfather 22

  III. Little Bear and Little Swan 29

  IV. Shooting Down the Mountain Side 40

  V. A Railroad Journey 52

  VI. Clara, the Patient Little Invalid 60

  VII. The Unfriendly Housekeeper 67

  VIII. Surprises for the Children 79

  IX. Mr. Sesemann Takes Heidi's Part 87

  X. Clara's Lovable Grandmother 91

  XI. Home-Sickness 98

  XII. "My House Is Haunted" 102

  XIII. At Home Again on the Mountain 112

  XIV. The Coat with the Silver Buttons 126

  XV. A Great Disappointment 135

  XVI. The Doctor Comes with Presents 140

  XVII. Excursions Over the Mountains 149

  XVIII. A New Home for the Winter 157

  XIX. Heidi Teaches Obstinate Peter 167

  XX. A Strange Looking Procession 176

  XXI. Happy Days for the Little Visitor 191

  XXII. Wicked Peter and the Unlucky Chair 199

  XXIII. Good-Bye to the Beautiful Mountain 217