Nils Holgerssons underbara resa. English
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wouldn't be permitted to staywith the wild geese, that he hadn't dared to get into the least littlemischief since he joined their company. It was true that he didn't havethe power to do much harm now, but, little as he was, he could havedestroyed many birds' nests, and crushed many eggs, if he'd been in amind to. Now he had been good. He hadn't pulled a feather from agoose-wing, or given anyone a rude answer; and every morning when hecalled upon Akka he had always removed his cap and bowed.
All day Thursday he thought it was surely on account of his wickednessthat the wild geese did not care to take him along up to Lapland. And inthe evening, when he heard that Sirle Squirrel's wife had been stolen,and her children were starving to death, he made up his mind to helpthem. And we have already been told how well he succeeded.
When the boy came into the park on Friday, he heard the bulfinches singin every bush, of how Sirle Squirrel's wife had been carried away fromher children by cruel robbers, and how Nils, the goose boy, had riskedhis life among human beings, and taken the little squirrel children toher.
"And who is so honoured in Oevid Cloister park now, as Thumbietot!" sangthe bullfinch; "he, whom all feared when he was Nils the goose boy?Sirle Squirrel will give him nuts; the poor hares are going to play withhim; the small wild animals will carry him on their backs, and fly awaywith him when Smirre Fox approaches. The titmice are going to warn himagainst the hawk, and the finches and larks will sing of his valour."
The boy was absolutely certain that both Akka and the wild geese hadheard all this. But still Friday passed and not one word did they sayabout his remaining with them.
Until Saturday the wild geese fed in the fields around Oevid, undisturbedby Smirre Fox.
But on Saturday morning, when they came out in the meadows, he lay inwait for them, and chased them from one field to another, and they werenot allowed to eat in peace. When Akka understood that he didn't intendto leave them in peace, she came to a decision quickly, raised herselfinto the air and flew with her flock several miles away, over Faers'plains and Linderoedsosen's hills. They did not stop before they hadarrived in the district of Vittskoevle.
But at Vittskoevle the goosey-gander was stolen, and how it happened hasalready been related. If the boy had not used all his powers to help himhe would never again have been found.
On Saturday evening, as the boy came back to Vomb Lake with thegoosey-gander, he thought that he had done a good day's work; and hespeculated a good deal on what Akka and the wild geese would say to him.The wild geese were not at all sparing in their praises, but they didnot say the word he was longing to hear.
Then Sunday came again. A whole week had gone by since the boy had beenbewitched, and he was still just as little.
But he didn't appear to be giving himself any extra worry on account ofthis thing. On Sunday afternoon he sat huddled together in a big, fluffyosier-bush, down by the lake, and blew on a reed-pipe. All around himthere sat as many finches and bullfinches and starlings as the bushcould well hold--who sang songs which he tried to teach himself to play.But the boy was not at home in this art. He blew so false that thefeathers raised themselves on the little music-masters and they shriekedand fluttered in their despair. The boy laughed so heartily at theirexcitement, that he dropped his pipe.
He began once again, and that went just as badly. Then all the littlebirds wailed: "To-day you play worse than usual, Thumbietot! You don'ttake one true note! Where are your thoughts, Thumbietot?"
"They are elsewhere," said the boy--and this was true. He sat there andpondered how long he would be allowed to remain with the wild geese; orif he should be sent home perhaps to-day.
Finally the boy threw down his pipe and jumped from the bush. He hadseen Akka, and all the wild geese, coming toward him in a long row. Theywalked so uncommonly slow and dignified-like, that the boy immediatelyunderstood that now he should learn what they intended to do with him.
When they stopped at last, Akka said: "You may well have reason towonder at me, Thumbietot, who have not said thanks to you for saving mefrom Smirre Fox. But I am one of those who would rather give thanks bydeeds than words. I have sent word to the elf that bewitched you. Atfirst he didn't want to hear anything about curing you; but I have sentmessage upon message to him, and told him how well you have conductedyourself among us. He greets you, and says, that as soon as you turnback home, you shall be human again."
But think of it! Just as happy as the boy had been when the wild geesebegan to speak, just that miserable was he when they had finished. Hedidn't say a word, but turned away and wept.
"What in all the world is this?" said Akka. "It looks as though you hadexpected more of me than I have offered you."
But the boy was thinking of the care-free days and the banter; and ofadventure and freedom and travel, high above the earth, that he shouldmiss, and he actually bawled with grief. "I don't want to be human,"said he. "I want to go with you to Lapland." "I'll tell you something,"said Akka. "That elf is very touchy, and I'm afraid that if you do notaccept his offer now, it will be difficult for you to coax him anothertime."
It was a strange thing about that boy--as long as he had lived, he hadnever cared for anyone. He had not cared for his father or mother; notfor the school teacher; not for his school-mates; nor for the boys inthe neighbourhood. All that they had wished to have him do--whether ithad been work or play--he had only thought tiresome. Therefore there wasno one whom he missed or longed for.
The only ones that he had come anywhere near agreeing with, were Osa,the goose girl, and little Mats--a couple of children who had tendedgeese in the fields, like himself. But he didn't care particularly forthem either. No, far from it! "I don't want to be human," bawled theboy. "I want to go with you to Lapland. That's why I've been good for awhole week!" "I don't want to forbid you to come along with us as far asyou like," said Akka, "but think first if you wouldn't rather go homeagain. A day may come when you will regret this."
"No," said the boy, "that's nothing to regret. I have never been as welloff as here with you."
"Well then, let it be as you wish," said Akka.
"Thanks!" said the boy, and he felt so happy that he had to cry for veryjoy--just as he had cried before from sorrow.
GLIMMINGE CASTLE
BLACK RATS AND GRAY RATS
In south-eastern Skane--not far from the sea there is an old castlecalled Glimminge. It is a big and substantial stone house; and can beseen over the plain for miles around. It is not more than four storieshigh; but it is so ponderous that an ordinary farmhouse, which stands onthe same estate, looks like a little children's playhouse in comparison.
The big stone house has such thick ceilings and partitions that there isscarcely room in its interior for anything but the thick walls. Thestairs are narrow, the entrances small; and the rooms few. That thewalls might retain their strength, there are only the fewest number ofwindows in the upper stories, and none at all are found in the lowerones. In the old war times, the people were just as glad that they couldshut themselves up in a strong and massive house like this, as one isnowadays to be able to creep into furs in a snapping cold winter. Butwhen the time of peace came, they did not care to live in the dark andcold stone halls of the old castle any longer. They have long sincedeserted the big Glimminge castle, and moved into dwelling places wherethe light and air can penetrate.
At the time when Nils Holgersson wandered around with the wild geese,there were no human beings in Glimminge castle; but for all that, it wasnot without inhabitants. Every summer there lived a stork couple in alarge nest on the roof. In a nest in the attic lived a pair of grayowls; in the secret passages hung bats; in the kitchen oven lived an oldcat; and down in the cellar there were hundreds of old black rats.
Rats are not held in very high esteem by other animals; but the blackrats at Glimminge castle were an exception. They were always mentionedwith respect, because they had shown great valour in battle with theirenemies; and much endurance under the great misfortunes which hadbefallen their kind. They nominally
belong to a rat-folk who, at onetime, had been very numerous and powerful, but who were now dying out.During a long period of time, the black rats owned Skane and the wholecountry. They were found in every cellar; in every attic; in larders andcowhouses and barns; in breweries and flour-mills; in churches andcastles; in every man-constructed building. But now they were banishedfrom all this--and were almost exterminated. Only in one and another oldand secluded place could one run across a few of them; and nowhere werethey to be found in such large numbers as in Glimminge castle.
When an animal folk die out, it is generally the human kind who are thecause of it; but that was not the case in this instance. The people hadcertainly struggled with the black rats, but they had not been able todo them any harm worth