In the further adventures of Heidi, we discover that the little girl has been living in winter quarters with her grandfather and the good doctor in the Alpine village of Dorfli.

The two men are determined that Heidi will complete her education at Hawthorn, a posh boarding school in Lausanne, Switzerland, from which Heidi's good friend from Frankfurt, Klara, has just graduated.

Prior to her departure for Hawthorn, Heidi had been attending the village school in Dorfli, but her grandfather and the doctor could clearly see that she was deeply unhappy there.

Things started to go wrong when the schoolmistress, who had been very enthusiastic about Heidi's music, was replaced by a stern, hard headmaster with no appreciation for the arts. All he cared about was teaching the children what was necessary and keeping them under control.

Heidi's grandfather and the doctor—who's also Heidi's godfather—decide to send her to Lausanne so that he might study with a good professor. As one can imagine, Heidi doesn't relish the prospect of leaving behind her home village and the people she loves. But she understands that it's for the best and that her grandfather and the doctor have her best interests at heart. And so it's off to Switzerland for the next chapter in Heidi's remarkable life.