On a beautiful, sunny June morning, a child is climbing a stony mountain path with her aunt. The child looks like a little, round dwarf, as her aunt has dressed her in all the clothes she possesses.
Aunt Dete is taking Heidi to live with her grandfather up in the alpine pastures, as she has been offered a good position with a rich family in Frankfurt. Until now, she has been looking after Heidi since her mother died, but she cannot take her with her to Frankfurt.

After leaving the little village of Dörfli, on the steep path on the way to Alp-öhi’s, Aunt Dete and Heidi meet Goat keeper Peter, called Geissenpeter, the goatherd, driving a herd up to the alpine pasture. He is barefoot and wearing few clothes. And when Heidi sees him, she quickly takes off her coat and shoes and runs after Peter. “What on earth are you doing?” shouts Aunt Dete. “I don’t need these things any longer,” Heidi calls back and hops and skips up the mountain after the goats.

Alp-öhi is sitting in front of the lonely hut above the mountain meadows, smoking a pipe and staring angrily ahead. Ever since his son and daughter-in-law (Heidi’s parents) died, he has withdrawn to the alpine hut and speaks to no-one in Dörfli. With his long, bushy beard and thick grey eyebrows, he looks terrifying, but Heidi runs straight up to him, gives him her hand and says “Hello, Grandfather, I’m Heidi, I want to stay with you.” The old man looks at her with a long, penetrating look. “Aha,” he murmurs and turns briskly to Dete. “What do you expect me to do with the child on my own, up here on the alpine pasture?” “It’s up to you to decide, I’ve done enough for the child, you must look after Heidi now. I’m going to Frankfurt and can’t possibly take the child with me,” replies Dete brusquely. Aunt Dete is rather uneasy at leaving Heidi up here alone with the old man but she has no alternative.
“So, you’re Heidi,” says Grandfather to Heidi and looking at Aunt Dete, he says as if issuing an order “Get out of here and don’t show your face here again!”
That suits Dete. “Farewell, Alp-öhi, and you too, Heidi,” she says, turns on her heel and hurries away down the mountain.

In Dörfli, people ask Dete where she has left the child. “With Alp-öhi, of course,” she answers irritably. “She is his grandchild after all.” “The poor child, how could you do such a thing. Fancy leaving such a small, helpless little girl all alone with that grumpy old man,” is the indignant response of the outraged villagers.