Why is the grandfather called the Alm-Uncle?

The people of Dorfli call him Uncle, even though he cannot possibly be uncle to everyone there, and the book says this was simply the custom. He lives high up on the Alm, the mountain pasture above the village.

Why does the grandfather live alone on the mountain?

Dete says he lost the family’s property through drinking and gambling in his youth, and the village turned against him. He shut himself away, and at first he will have nothing to do with anyone.

Does Alm-Uncle ever return to the village?

Yes. After Heidi comes home he goes to church with her, makes peace with the pastor and moves down to Dorfli for the winter. The neighbors greet him warmly.

From Heidi

Alm-Uncle

Heidi’s grandfather • Gruff and tender

Heidi’s gray-bearded grandfather, who lives alone high on the Alm until Heidi arrives.

Who is Alm-Uncle?

Alm-Uncle is Heidi’s gray-bearded grandfather, who lives alone in a log cabin high on the mountain beneath three tall fir trees. He seems stern and grumpy when Heidi first arrives, but she soon warms his heart, and he makes her a hay bed, toasts cheese for her supper and fixes Peter’s grandmother’s shaky cottage. With Heidi’s help, he becomes part of the village again.

Alm-Uncle is a character in Heidi, the 1881 novel by Johanna Spyri, retold for ages 6–9 by Sean Lee.

What is Alm-Uncle like?

gruff
strong
loving

Alm-Uncle’s story

Long before Heidi arrives, the old man is a mystery to the village of Dorfli. Her aunt Dete tells the tale: as a young man he gambled away the family property, spent years as a soldier in Naples, and came home to find doors shut against him. His wife and, later, his son Tobias died, and he settled alone on the mountain, where few people dare to visit him.

When five-year-old Heidi is left with him, he is grumpy but quietly kind. He lets her make a hay bed in the loft, milks the goats, toasts cheese for her and mends the hut and the cottage of Peter’s grandmother. When Dete returns and takes Heidi to Frankfurt, he becomes fiercer than ever, and the village stays away from him.

Heidi’s return changes everything. After she reads him the story of the shepherd who lost his way, he goes to the village pastor, asks forgiveness and walks into church with her at his side. From then on he spends winters in Dorfli so Heidi can go to school, and the neighbors welcome him warmly. At the end he asks only that Heidi never have to earn her living among strangers.

“When he says good-night to the mountains he throws his most beautiful colors over them, so that they may not forget him before he comes again the next day.”

Alm-Uncle, explaining why the mountains glow at sunset. From the original 1881 novel by Johanna Spyri.

A moment to remember

When Heidi asks why the peaks are glowing at sunset, Grandfather pulls her onto his knee and tells her the sun is kissing the mountains goodnight.

Heidi: granddaughter
Peter: goatherd who works for him
Peter’s Grandmother: neighbor whose cottage he mends
Clara Sesemann: guest he helps to walk

Talk about it

Grandfather seemed grumpy at first but had a big heart. Have you ever gotten to know someone who turned out kinder than you expected?

Questions about Alm-Uncle

Why is the grandfather called the Alm-Uncle?: The people of Dorfli call him Uncle, even though he cannot possibly be uncle to everyone there, and the book says this was simply the custom. He lives high up on the Alm, the mountain pasture above the village.
Why does the grandfather live alone on the mountain?: Dete says he lost the family’s property through drinking and gambling in his youth, and the village turned against him. He shut himself away, and at first he will have nothing to do with anyone.
Does Alm-Uncle ever return to the village?: Yes. After Heidi comes home he goes to church with her, makes peace with the pastor and moves down to Dorfli for the winter. The neighbors greet him warmly.