On the Pasture
by Johanna Spyri
Comprehension
A. Say true or false.
1. When Heidi awoke and opened her eyes she heard a loud whistle. [F]
2. When Heidi lived with Ursula she could go wherever she liked. [F]
3. Grandpa wanted Heidi to wash herself. [T]
4. Heidi forgot Peter and his goats. [T]
B. Answer the questions.
1. Why couldn't Heidi remember where she was when she woke up?
= Heidi couldn't remember where she was when she woke up because she found herself on the little bed and the hay beside her. Those were new to her as she had shifted to the new house.
2. Who were Schwanli and Barli?
= Schwanli and Barli were the names of two goats of Heidi's grandfather.
3. What did the mountainside look like?
= A cloudless, deep-blue sky looked down on them, for the wind had driven away little cloud in the night. The fresh green mountainside was bathed in brilliant sunlight, and many blue and yellow flowers had opened.
4. How could Peter manage to drive the goats together?
= Peter could manage to drive the goats together only by shouting and whistling, especially by swinging his rod.
C. Read the lines and answer the questions.
1. "Go now, and wash yourself first, for the sun will laugh at you...."
a. Who said this and to whom?
= Heidi's grandfather said this to Heidi.
b. Why did he ask the person to wash herself?
= He asked the person to wash herself because the sun will laugh at her if he sees how dirty she is.
c. What did he mean by 'the sun will laugh at you'?
= Grandfather meant that Heidi was so dirty that even the sun would laugh at her. The sun is a non-living object. It can not laugh. But Heidi was very dirty and grandfather wanted her to get washed immediately. So, grandfather had used that illusion to compel her to go to the bathing tub.
2. "She is going to stay with you all day, therefore milk two bowls full for her dinner....."
a. Who said this and to whom?
= Grandfather said this to Peter.
b. Who was going to stay and with whom?
= Heidi was going to stay with Peter.
c. Why should he milk two bowls full for her?
= He should milk two bowls full for her because she does not know how to drink straight from the goat like him. So, grandfather asked Peter to milk two bowls full for Heidi for her dinner.
3. "Heidi even forgot Peter and his goats."
a. Why did Heidi forget Peter and his goats?
= After reaching the mountain, Heidi saw big patches of fine red primroses, on another spot blue gentians sparkled in the grass, and everywhere the golden rock-roses were nodding to her. Heidi was so wild with joy that she forgot Peter and his goats.
b. What did she do?
= Heidi ran from side to side. She ran far ahead of Peter and his then strayed away off to one side, for the sparkling flowers tempted her here and there. She picked whole bunches of them to take home with her, she put them all into her little apron.
c. What happened later?
= Later, Peter had a hard time to look out Heidi. He was shouting quite angrily to found her.
D. Think and answer.
1. Why was Heidi happy to find herself in her new home?
= Heidi was happy to find herself in her new home because while she was living with Ursula, she had to be in the house always. Ursula was deaf. So, she was afraid to let Heidi go outdoor.
2. What did Peter do for a living?
= Peter used to take the flock of goats to the pasture. It was his profession for living.
3. Why did the the grandfather ask Heidi to go into the tub like a fish when she got back?
= The grandfather asked Heidi to go into the tub like a fish when she got back because she was going to go about like the goats and get dirty feet.
4. Why did Peter get angry with Heidi?
= Peter got angry because Heidi was so mesmerised by the natural beauty of the mountain that she forgot about Peter and the goats. Peter was not being able to find her.
About the Author:
Johanna Spyri (1827-1901) was a Swiss novelist whose popular work is Heidi. Her other works include Veronica and Other Friends, The Story of Rico, Moni the Goat-Boy and Erick and Sally. Her works were originally in German and later translated into English. The landscape of Switzerland is very vividly represented in her works.