Meet Heidi, a cheerful young orphan who is sent to live with her grumpy grandfather high in the Swiss Alps. At first, the old man is not happy about having a child in his quiet mountain hut, but Heidi's love for the beautiful meadows, goats, and fresh air slowly wins him over. Just when life seems perfect, Heidi is taken to the busy city of Frankfurt to be a friend to a sick girl named Clara. The tall buildings and strict rules make her miss the mountains more than ever.
In this special Yak Yacker edition, you can enjoy Heidi's unforgettable journey in easy English at CEFR level A2. Every page comes with clickable word help, so you can tap any word to see its meaning right away. Plus, listen to the full story audio to improve your pronunciation and listening skills as you read.
This free interactive graded reader brings the classic tale to life with clear language, helpful lesson notes, and a relaxed reading experience. Whether you are practicing English on your own or with a teacher, join Heidi in the mountains and the city – and discover why home is where the heart is.
Heidi was a little girl with and . She was five years old and had no parents. One sunny morning, her aunt Dete took her to a small village high in the Swiss mountains. They walked up a . Heidi looked around at the tall, green trees and the .
"Where are we going?" Heidi asked.
"To your grandfather's house," Aunt Dete said. "He lives at the top of the mountain."
Heidi saw a little wooden house with a grey roof. An old man with a long, white beard was sitting outside. He looked very .
"This is Heidi," Aunt Dete said quickly. "She will now." Then she turned and walked away down the path.
Heidi and her grandfather looked at each other. He did not smile. Heidi felt a little .
"Come inside," the old man said in a .
Heidi went into the small house. Everything was very : a table, two chairs, a bed, and a warm fire. A soft, white goat was sleeping near the fire.
"What's her name?" Heidi asked.
"Little Swan," Grandfather said.
Heidi's face became bright and happy. She loved animals. Soon she was not afraid .
The next morning, Heidi woke up . The sun was shining through the small window. She could hear the birds outside. She ran to the door and saw the most beautiful view in the world. There were high, rocky mountains with white snow on top. The sky was very blue. A fresh wind was blowing through the pine trees.
"Grandfather! Look!" she said. "Everything is so !"
Her grandfather came outside and looked at the mountains. A small smile on his face.
"Yes," he said. "It is beautiful."
That day, Heidi met Peter, the . Peter was taking the goats to the high mountain . He was a thin boy with a friendly face.
"Can I go with you?" Heidi asked.
Peter agreed. So Grandfather gave Heidi a piece of bread and cheese in a small bag. Heidi and Peter walked up and up. Everywhere, Heidi saw wonderful things: yellow flowers , a kind brown goat with big, soft ears, and a big, gentle dog. Peter was telling her the names of all the goats.
"That one is Little Bear," Peter said. "And that one is Greenfinch."
Heidi laughed. "I love them all!"
High up, Heidi saw a large, flat rock with a view over the whole valley. "Oh! This is the !" she cried.
From that day, Heidi and Peter went up the mountain every morning. Heidi was very happy. She loved the sun, the wind, the flowers and the strong, kind goats. She forgot her sad life from before. Her grandfather began to change too. He was not so serious now. Sometimes he laughed at Heidi's stories. They ate their meals together. The house felt warm and full.
Then, one day, Aunt Dete came back. She said Heidi must go to the city. "A rich family in Frankfurt needs a companion for their sick daughter, Clara. Heidi will learn good manners and get an education." Grandfather was very angry, but Heidi had no choice. She had to leave her .
The city was grey and noisy. The house was big but cold. Heidi met Clara, a girl in a wheelchair. Clara had a pale, gentle face. She could not walk. The two girls became friends. But Heidi missed her mountains. Every night she cried quietly.
"What are the mountains like?" Clara asked one day.
"Oh, Clara," Heidi said. "There is wind in the trees and the sky is so big. The goats run and jump. The flowers smell so sweet. It is the most wonderful place."
Even though Heidi liked Clara, her heart was . She became thin and pale. She walked in her sleep at night, the mountains. The doctor told the family: "She must go home. This city is making her ill."
So Heidi travelled back to the mountains. When she saw her grandfather's house, she ran as fast as she could. Grandfather's face filled with . "You are home," he said, and he held her tight.
That summer, Clara came to visit. Every day, Clara sat outside in the warm sun. Heidi brought her fresh goat's milk and showed her the flowers. Peter was very kind. He helped Clara too. Slowly, Clara began to feel .
One beautiful morning, they were sitting on the high rock. Heidi pointed. "Look, Clara! The sky is so blue, and the mountains are so clear today." Clara took a deep breath of fresh, sweet air. For the first time, she felt she could stand. With Heidi's help, she stood up and took a small step. Then another step. Heidi laughed with happiness. "You are walking, Clara!"
Clara's father came and could not believe his eyes. Everyone cried with joy. The sun was shining on the mountains, and Heidi felt that her heart was full of . She was home at last, with the mountains and the people she loved most.
And from that day, Heidi knew that the mountains were the best medicine in the world.
Let's explore some of the wonderful nature words and feeling words from the story. Many of these are useful for describing places and emotions in your own life.
Look at the words in bold below. Can you use them to describe a place you love?
- 'goatherd' - a person who takes care of goats
- 'pastures' - fields of grass where animals eat
- 'wildflowers' - flowers that grow naturally, not planted by people
- 'gentle' - kind, calm, and not rough (often used for people or animals)
- 'joy' - a very happy feeling (e.g., 'Grandfather's face filled with joy.')
Almost the whole story is told in the simple past because it happened in the past. You already know many past forms, but let's look closely.
Regular verbs just add -ed: walk → walked, look → looked, smile → smiled. Irregular verbs change completely: go → went, see → saw, say → said. Notice: 'Heidi felt afraid' (feel → felt), 'she ran fast' (run → ran). Try making a sentence about what you did yesterday using one regular and one irregular verb.
- Regular: 'She walked up the mountain.' 'He smiled.' 'They laughed together.'
- Irregular: 'She went inside.' 'He gave her some bread.' 'Clara took a step.'
- Questions: 'Did Heidi like the city?' (No, she didn't.)
- Negatives: 'Her grandfather did not smile at first.'
The story is full of beautiful descriptions and strong feelings. When you talk about what makes you happy, you can use simple but powerful phrases.
Notice how these sentences show feelings without using the word 'very' all the time. Try changing the underlined part to make it your own: 'When I am at the beach, my heart is full of ____.'
- 'Her heart was breaking.' → This means she felt very sad.
- 'Heidi felt that her heart was full of love.' → She was extremely happy.
- 'The house felt warm and full.' → It felt comfortable and full of good feelings.
- 'The mountains were the best medicine.' → Nature can heal and make you feel better.
Heidi's story shows us that home is not always a place - sometimes it's the people, nature, and feelings we love. Try retelling the story to a friend in your own words.
Describe your favourite place. Use the new vocabulary: Is it a quiet pasture, a busy city, or a cosy room? How does it make you feel? Go outside, look around, and maybe you'll find a little Swiss mountain in your own heart!
Heidi: A Story of the Mountains comes from an older public-domain story tradition and is best known as a public_domain_children_story_retelling. This Yak Yacker article is an original learner retelling based on public-domain source material, so the wording here is simplified for modern learners rather than copied from one old edition.
Older printings, translations, and retellings of this story can vary quite a bit. This version is adapted for A2 Elementary learners studying English.
If you want to keep going, browse more in our English section and review the A2 English Vocabulary List. After that, try 1,200 English Phrases and Expressions for another useful next step.
