In Johanna Spyri's novel Heidi, the title character is sent to live in Frankfurt and be the companion of a girl named Clara Sesemann. Heidi has been living in the countryside with her grandfather, and she loves the mountains, the wind, the flowers, the trees, and their little village. When she goes to live in the city, however, she greatly misses both her grandfather and her familiar surroundings.

The city is strange to Heidi. Instead of the wind in the trees, she hears carriages. All she sees are buildings and streets, and at one point, she climbs up to the very top of a church tower, hoping to catch even a glimpse of the countryside. She is disappointed, for she only sees roofs and chimneys.

Heidi and Clara get along well, but Heidi ends up on the wrong side of Miss Rottenmeier (the housekeeper) and Clara's tutor. Miss Rottenmeier thinks that Heidi is stupid and troublesome, and she certainly does not make Heidi's stay in Frankfurt easy. In fact, Heidi's homesickness ends up making her physically ill. She does not have much appetite, and she becomes very pale and thin. She even sleepwalks. Finally, a doctor recommends sending Heidi home so that her health does not become permanently damaged. Indeed, Heidi is not a city girl, and city life certainly does not agree with her.