JOHANNA SPYRI

TRANSLATED BY
ELISABETH P. STORK

_WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY_
CHARLES WHARTON STORK, A.M., PH.D.

_14 ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOR BY_
MARIA L. KIRK

GIFT EDITION

PHILADELPHIA AND LONDON
J.B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY
1919

COPYRIGHT, 1915. BY J.B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY

ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS AND DECORATIONS
COPYRIGHT, 1919, BY J.B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY

PRINTED BY J.B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY
AT THE WASHINGTON SQUARE PRESS
PHILADELPHIA, U.S.A.

INTRODUCTION

Unassuming in plot and style, "Heidi" may none the less lay claim to
rank as a world classic. In the first place, both background and
characters ring true. The air of the Alps is wafted to us in every
page; the house among the pines, the meadows, and the eagle poised
above the naked rocks form a picture that no one could willingly
forget. And the people, from the kindly towns-folk to the quaint and
touching peasant types, are as real as any representation of human
nature need be. Every goat even, has its personality. As for the
little heroine, she is a blessing not only to everyone in the story,
but to everyone who reads it. The narrative merits of the book are too
apparent to call for comment.

As to the author, Johanna Spyri, she has so entirely lost herself in
her creation that we may pass over her career rather rapidly. She was
born in Switzerland in 1829, came of a literary family, and devoted
all her talent to the writing of books for and about children.

Since "Heidi" has been so often translated into English it may well be
asked why there is any need for a new version. The answer lies partly
in the conventional character of the previous translations. Now, if
there is any quality in "Heidi" that gives it a particular charm, that
quality is freshness, absolute spontaneity. To be sure, the story is
so attractive that it could never be wholly spoiled; but has not the
reader the right to enjoy it in English at least very nearly as much
as he could in German? The two languages are so different in nature
that anything like a literal rendering of one into the other is sure
to result in awkwardness and indirectness. Such a book must be not
translat