# On the Pasture explained — Heidi

> Chapter companion for Heidi by Johanna Spyri.

## What happens

Heidi wakes early, excited to join Peter and the goats on the mountain pasture. She washes, receives provisions from her grandfather, and spends the day exploring the alpine meadow, picking flowers, and marveling at the landscape. Peter teaches her about the goats and the mountain, and Heidi shares her lunch with him. At sunset, she is awed by the glowing peaks and asks her grandfather about the eagle's cry and the mountain's colors. She learns that the sun says goodnight to the mountains, and she falls asleep dreaming of the goats and roses.

## Themes in this chapter

### Nature and Freedom

Heidi experiences profound joy and freedom in the alpine pasture, exploring flowers, watching the eagle, and feeling at one with the mountains.

### Compassion and Generosity

Heidi shares her large portion of bread and cheese with Peter, who is astonished by her kindness, and she asks him not to beat the goats.

## Character check-ins

### Heidi

Wakes early, washes, and goes to the pasture with Peter; picks flowers, shares her food, and asks many questions about nature.

### Peter

Leads the goats to pasture, watches over Heidi, explains the mountain and goats, and accepts Heidi's gift of bread and cheese.

### Grandfather

Prepares Heidi for the day, gives provisions to Peter, and later explains the sunset and eagle's cry to Heidi.

### Schwänli

One of the grandfather's goats, brought out to join Peter's flock.

### Bärli

The other of the grandfather's goats, milked by Peter to provide Heidi's lunch.

### Snowhopper

A young goat that Heidi hugs and dreams about at the end of the chapter.

## Key lines

> Go now, and wash yourself first, for the sun will laugh at you if he sees how dirty you are.

Wash yourself now, or the sun will mock you for being dirty.

_Grandfather uses a playful metaphor to encourage Heidi to wash before going outside._

> They are made to bloom in the sun and not to be shut up in an apron.

Flowers are meant to grow in the sunlight, not to be picked and hidden away.

_Grandfather explains why Heidi's picked flowers wilted, teaching her to appreciate nature without taking it._

> Because he is sneering at the people down below, who sit in the villages and make each other angry. He calls down to them:—'If you would go apart to live up on the heights like me, you would feel much better!'

The eagle mocks the villagers for their quarrels, suggesting they would be happier if they lived apart on the heights like him.

_Grandfather interprets the eagle's cry as a critique of human conflict and a call for solitude._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/heidi_se/chapters/iii-on-the-pasture
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/heidi_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/heidi_se/chapters