Heidi often goes to the goatherd's cottage, where she enjoys spending time in the company of a blind old grandmother. For her part, the grandmother is always pleased to have Heidi over to visit, as the little girl brings a little sunshine into a life full of darkness, both literal and figurative.

But all is not well at the goatherd's cottage. The shutter doesn't work properly, and there are lots of little holes in the walls that make the whole house rattle and shake whenever the wind gets up. Because of this, the poor old grandmother lies awake at night in the winter, scared stiff that the cottage will collapse around her at any moment.

Heidi resolves to put the matter right by getting her grandfather to get out his toolbox and carry out the necessary repairs. After a little persuasion, he duly does so and spends many afternoons hammering away, fixing the broken shutter and patching up all the holes to make sure that the goatherd's cottage is safe and sound.

Thanks to Grandfather's hard work, the house no longer groans and rattles the whole night through, and the grandmother can now sleep in peace during the winter, something she hasn't been able to do for many years.