The next morning, Peter arrived, and again the two children climbed together to the high meadows.
The summer passed, and Heidi spent her days among the grasses and flowers with her new friends, Peter and the goats.
When autumn came, the wind blew colder, and Heidi could no longer go up the mountain.
Eventually, snow began to fall.
Heidi watched the white flakes cover the mountainside.
It was winter and too cold even for Peter to take the goats out.
He rarely came up the mountain to visit.
Instead, he spent his days at the little school in Dorfli.
One evening, Peter climbed through the deep snow and knocked on Grandfather's door.
He had a message for Heidi:
Peter's Grannie was inviting Heidi to visit.
She had heard about Heidi all through the summer.
Now she missed hearing Peter's stories of their days together.
The next day, Heidi whooshed down the snowy path on Grandfather's sled.
When they stopped at Peter's hut, Grandfather didn't want to go inside.
So he stayed outside and fixed the holes in the walls to keep out the wind.
Heidi went inside.
In the corner, she saw a blind woman, old and bent with age.
She went up to her and said, "It's me, Heidi."
Peter's Grannie felt for Heidi's hand.
"Come here, and tell me all about yourself," she said.
Heidi told her about her life with Grandfather and described again the summer days on the mountain.
As she talked, a smile grew on Grannie's face.
"It is wonderful to listen to you!" she said.
"Come back and sit beside me whenever you can."
And so, as the winter passed, Heidi visited Grannie whenever the snow wasn't too high or the winds too cold.
In the spring, the village pastor came to Grandfather's hut.
Grandfather didn't go to church and didn't like to visit the village.
He was pretty sure that the people of Dorfli didn't like him either.
So he was surprised to see the pastor.
The pastor greeted Grandfather and said, "I must talk with you about Heidi.
She should have been in school a year ago."
"I am not planning to send her to school," said Grandfather.
"It will only fill her head with bad ideas."
The pastor was disappointed.
"I was hoping that next winter you would decide to live in the village," he said.
"It would be good for the girl."
"You mean well, but I have made my decision," replied Grandfather.
"Then God help you," said the pastor, and he turned sadly away.
As the spring grew warmer, Heidi returned to the high pasture with Peter, visiting Grannie on days when the weather was cool.
Heidi would tell her about the red glow on the mountaintops and the budding fields and flowers and how Peter looked after all the goats.
Then one day, to their surprise, Heidi and Grandfather saw Detie climbing up the mountain path.
Detie had met a wealthy man looking for a playmate for his crippled daughter.
Detie had immediately thought of Heidi.
"I am taking Heidi with me to Frankfurt," she told Grandfather.
"You are not even sending her to school."
"Well, go, then!" thundered Grandfather.
But inside, he felt just a little bit sad.
Detie gathered Heidi's bundle from the cupboard, took Heidi's hand, and quickly went down the mountain.
When Peter's Grannie found out what had happened, she opened her window and called out,
"Detie, Detie, do not take Heidi away!"
But it was too late.
Heidi was already gone.