Heidi is based on the true story of Heidi Schwaller who grew up in near the Swiss Alps in the 19th century. In real life, Johanna Spyri (the author of the novel) met Heidi while she traveled from Zurich to spend the summer in Switzerland near the Swiss Alps.
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Appendix: Chapter Title and First Paragraph of Translations
Spyri, Johanna. Heidi's Early Experiences. London: W. Swan Sonnenschein, 1882. Translator unknown.
To Uncle's Home on the Alm*)
From the cheerful village of Mayenfeld, a narrow path leads through green fields surrounded by trees to the foot of the mountain which towers high above the valley. At the point where the path begins to ascend, the traveler comes upon a heath with short grass and sweet-scented mountain herbs, for this steep path leads straight to the Alps.
*) Alm is the same as Alp or mountain.
Spyri, Johanna. Heidi, Her Years of Wandering and Learning: A Story for Children and Those Who Love Children. Translated by Louise Brooks. Boston: DeWolfe, Fiske & Co., 1884; New York: Platt & Peck, 1884.
Up to the Alm Uncle
From the pleasant village of Mayenfeld a path leads through green fields, richly covered with trees, to the foot of the mountain which from this side overhangs the valley with grave and solemn aspect. Where the path begins to grow steeper, begins also the heath with its short grass; and the perfume of sweet mountain plants seems to advance as if welcoming the traveler. From this spot the footpath rises almost perpendicularly to the summit.
Spyri, Johanna. Heidi. Translated by Helen B. Dole. Introduction by Nathan B. Dole. Boston: Ginn & Co., 1899.
The Alm Uncle
From the pleasant town of Maienfeld a footpath leads up through shady green meadows to the foot of the mountains, which, as they gaze down on the valley, present a solemn and majestic aspect. Anyone who follows it will soon catch the pungent fragrance of grassy pasture lands, for the footpath goes straight and steep to the Alps.
Spyri, Johanna. Heidi: A Story for Girls. Translated by H.A. Melcon. New York: A.L. Burt & Co., 1901.
The Alm-Uncle
From the beautiful village of Meyenfeld there is a path leading through green fields covered with numberless trees to the foot of the heights which rise, grave and majestic, overlooking the valley. As this path begins to ascend, the traveler is welcomed by the fragrant perfume of the short grass and the mountain plants, for it goes up steep and direct to the Alps.
Spyri, Johanna. Heidi. Translated by Helene S. White. New York: T.Y. Crowell, 1902.
On the Way to the Alm-Uncle
From the pleasantly situated old town of Mayenfeld a footpath leads through green fields, thickly studded with trees, to the foot of the mountains which rise abruptly here, and gaze down incalm majesty on the valley below. After the path begins to ascend, it soon reaches the heath country where the spicy fragrance of mountain shrubbery greets the wayfarer, for now the ascent is direct and steep to the Alps above.
Spyri, Johanna. Heidi. Translated by Marian Edwardes. London: Dent; New York: Dutton, 1910.
Up the Mountain to Alm-Uncle
From the old and pleasantly situated village of Mayenfeld, a footpath winds through green and shady meadows to the foot of the mountains, which on this side look down from their stern and lofty heights upon the valley below. The land grows gradually wilder as the path ascends, and the climber has not gone far before he begins to inhale the fragrance of the short grass and sturdy mountain-plants, for the way is steep and leads directly up to the summits above.
Spyri, Johanna. Heidi. Translated by Elisabeth P. Stork. Philadelphia: J.P. Lippincott Co., 1915.
Going Up to the Alm-Uncle
The little old town of Mayenfeld is charmingly situated. From it a footpath leads through green, well-wooded stretches to the foot of the heights which look down imposingly upon the valley. Where the footpath begins to go steeply and abruptly up the Alps, the heath, with its short grass and pungent herbage, at once sends out its soft perfume to meet the wayfarer.
Spyri, Johanna. Heidi. Translated by Mabel Abbott. Illustrated by Alice Carsey. Racine: Whitman, 1916.
Heidi's First Mountain Climb
On a bright June morning two figures—one a tall girl and the other a child—could be seen climbing a narrow mountain path that winds up from the pretty village of Mayenfeld, to the lofty heights of the Alm mountain. In spite of the hot June sun the child was clothed as if to keep off the bitterest frost. She did not look more than five years old, but what her natural figure was like would be hard to say, for she had on apparently two dresses, one above the other, and over these a thick red woolen shawl. Her small feet were shod in thick, nailed mountain-shoes.
Spyri, Johanna. Heidi. Translated by Philip Schuyler Allen. Illustrated by Maginel Wright Enright. Chicago: Rand McNally, 1922.
Up to Meadow Nuncle's
A path leads from the cheerful old market town of Mayenfeld through green and wooded fields to the very foot of the mountains whose tall slopes gaze sternly down upon the valley. The first part of the narrow trail has no great interest for the traveler, but the moment it begins to climb, the whole moor sends forth the sweet smells of its plants and grasses until the air is heavy with them. And suddenly the path strikes sharply up and goes straight to the Alps.
Spyri, Johanna. Heidi. Translated by Shirley Watkins. New York: MacRae Smith & Company, published by Grosset & Dunlap, 1925.
Up to the Alm-Uncle
From the pleasant old town of Mayenfeld, a path leads through green meadows all dappled with the shade of spreading trees, to the base of the mountains which gaze down from majestic heights upon the little valley. Then the footpath takes a sharper ascent, and the wayfarer finds himself treading the short, coarse furze of the heath, while the pungent scent of mountain herbs begins to steal up from the earth; for now begins the long rise, steep and unswerving, into the Alps.
Spyri, Johanna. Heidi. Translated by M. Rosenbaum. London: Collins, 1954.
Up to the Alm-Uncle
From the old and pleasantly situated town of Maienfeld a path leads through green, shady meadows to the foot of the mountains which look down from their majestic heights upon the valley below. As the footpath begins to slope gently upwards, the fragrance of the nearby heath, with its short grass and vigorous mountain plants, fills the air; then the way becomes more rugged and the path rises steeply towards the Alps.
Spyri, Johanna. Heidi. Translated by Eileen Hall. Hammondsworth: Penguin Books, 1956
Up the Mountain
The pretty little Swiss town of Mayenfeld lies at the foot of a mountain range, whose grim rugged peaks tower high above thevalley below. Behind the town a footpath winds gently up to the heights. The grass on the lower slopes is poor, but the air is fragrant with the scent of mountain flowers from the rich pasture land higher up.
Spyri, Johanna. Heidi. Translated by Joy Law. New York: Franklin Watts; London: Mayflower Publishing, 1959
Up to the Alm-Uncle
From the pleasant village of Mayenfeld a path leads through green fields, richly covered with trees, to the foot of the mountain, which from this side majestically overhangs the valley. Where the path grows steeper, and goes straight up to the Alps, the perfume of sweet mountain plants welcomes the traveler.
ILLUSTRATORS:
- Alice Carsey
- Angelo Rinaldi
- Cecil Leslie
- Clara Burd
- Corinne Malvern
- Donna Pacinelli
- Edna Cook Shoemaker & Pelagie Doane
- Eleanor Mill
- Elena Selivanova
- Frances Brundage
- Friedrich Wilhelm Pfeiffer
- George Lawson
- Greta Elgaard
- Janet Good
- Jessie Willcox Smith
- Josephine Wheeler
- Judith Cheng
- June Goldsborough
- Leonard Weisgard
- Maginel Wright Enright
- Maja Dusíková
- Marguerite Davis
- Maria Kork
- Maud & Miska Petersham
- Marie-José Maury
- Pamela Venus
- Roberta MacDonald
- Rozier-Gaudriault
- Ruth Sanderson
- Scott McKowen
- Sergio Leone
- Shirley Watkins
- Tomi Ungerer
- Troy Howell
- William Sharp
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