Nils Holgerssons underbara resa. English

by Selma Lagerlöf

went over to one of the little reed-enclosed mud-islets.There he stepped from the boat, gathered some old reeds into a pile,and lay down behind it. Jarro was permitted to wander around on theground, with the halter over his wings, and tethered to the boat, with along string.

  Suddenly Jarro caught sight of some young ducks and drakes, in whosecompany he had formerly raced backward and forward over the lake. Theywere a long way off, but Jarro called them to him with a couple of loudshouts. They responded, and a large and beautiful flock approached.Before they got there, Jarro began to tell them about his marvellousrescue, and of the kindness of human beings. Just then, two shotssounded behind him. Three ducks sank down in the reeds--lifeless--andCaesar bounced out and captured them.

  Then Jarro understood. The human beings had only saved him that theymight use him as a decoy-duck. And they had also succeeded. Three duckshad died on his account. He thought he should die of shame. He thoughtthat even his friend Caesar looked contemptuously at him; and when theycame home to the cottage, he didn't dare lie down and sleep beside thedog.

  The next morning Jarro was again taken out on the shallows. This time,too, he saw some ducks. But when he observed that they flew toward him,he called to them: "Away! Away! Be careful! Fly in another direction!There's a hunter hidden behind the reed-pile. I'm only a decoy-bird!"And he actually succeeded in preventing them from coming within shootingdistance.

  Jarro had scarcely had time to taste of a grass-blade, so busy was he inkeeping watch. He called out his warning as soon as a bird drew nigh. Heeven warned the grebes, although he detested them because they crowdedthe ducks out of their best hiding-places. But he did not wish that anybird should meet with misfortune on his account. And, thanks to Jarro'svigilance, the farm-hand had to go home without firing off a singleshot.

  Despite this fact, Caesar looked less displeased than on the previousday; and when evening came he took Jarro in his mouth, carried him overto the fireplace, and let him sleep between his forepaws.

  Nevertheless Jarro was no longer contented in the cottage, but wasgrievously unhappy. His heart suffered at the thought that humans neverhad loved him. When the mistress, or the little boy, came forward tocaress him, he stuck his bill under his wing and pretended that heslept.

  For several days Jarro continued his distressful watch-service; andalready he was known all over Takern. Then it happened one morning,while he called as usual: "Have a care, birds! Don't come near me! I'monly a decoy-duck," that a grebe-nest came floating toward the shallowswhere he was tied. This was nothing especially remarkable. It was a nestfrom the year before; and since grebe-nests are built in such a way thatthey can move on water like boats, it often happens that they drift outtoward the lake. Still Jarro stood there and stared at the nest, becauseit came so straight toward the islet that it looked as though someonehad steered its course over the water.

  As the nest came nearer, Jarro saw that a little human being--thetiniest he had ever seen--sat in the nest and rowed it forward with apair of sticks. And this little human called to him: "Go as near thewater as you can, Jarro, and be ready to fly. You shall soon be freed."

  A few seconds later the grebe-nest lay near land, but the little oarsmandid not leave it, but sat huddled up between branches and straw. Jarrotoo held himself almost immovable. He was actually paralysed with fearlest the rescuer should be discovered.

  The next thing which occurred was that a flock of wild geese came along.Then Jarro woke up to business, and warned them with loud shrieks; butin spite of this they flew backward and forward over the shallowsseveral times. They held themselves so high that they were beyondshooting distance; still the farm-hand let himself be tempted to fire acouple of shots at them. These shots were hardly fired before the littlecreature ran up on land, drew a tiny knife from its sheath, and, with acouple of quick strokes, cut loose Jarro's halter. "Now fly away, Jarro,before the man has time to load again!" cried he, while he himself randown to the grebe-nest and poled away from the shore.

  The hunter had had his gaze fixed upon the geese, and hadn't observedthat Jarro had been freed; but Caesar had followed more carefully thatwhich happened; and just as Jarro raised his wings, he dashed forwardand grabbed him by the neck.

  Jarro cried pitifully; and the boy who had freed him said quietly toCaesar: "If you are just as honourable as you look, surely you cannotwish to force a good bird to sit here and entice others into trouble."

  When Caesar heard these words, he grinned viciously with his upper lip,but the next second he dropped Jarro. "Fly, Jarro!" said he. "You arecertainly too good to be a decoy-duck. It wasn't for this that I wantedto keep you here; but because it will be lonely in the cottage withoutyou."

  THE LOWERING OF THE LAKE

  _Wednesday, April twentieth_.

  It was indeed very lonely in the cottage without Jarro. The dog and thecat found the time long, when they didn't have him to wrangle over; andthe housewife missed the glad quacking which he had indulged in everytime she entered the house. But the one who longed most for Jarro, wasthe little boy, Per Ola. He was but three years old, and the only child;and in all his life he had never had a playmate like Jarro. When heheard that Jarro had gone back to Takern and the wild ducks, he couldn'tbe satisfied with this, but thought constantly of how he should get himback again.

  Per Ola had talked a good deal with Jarro while he lay still in hisbasket, and he was certain that the duck understood him. He begged hismother to take him down to the lake that he might find Jarro, andpersuade him to come back to them. Mother wouldn't listen to this; butthe little one didn't give up his plan on that account.

  The day after Jarro had disappeared, Per Ola was running about in theyard. He played by himself as usual, but Caesar lay on the stoop; andwhen mother let the boy out, she said: "Take care of Per Ola, Caesar!"

  Now if all had been as usual, Caesar would also have obeyed the command,and the boy would have been so well guarded that he couldn't have runthe least risk. But Caesar was not like himself these days. He knew thatthe farmers who lived along Takern had held frequent conferences aboutthe lowering of the lake; and that they had almost settled the matter.The ducks must leave, and Caesar should nevermore behold a gloriouschase. He was so preoccupied with thoughts of this misfortune, that hedid not remember to watch over Per Ola.

  And the little one had scarcely been alone in the yard a minute, beforehe realised that now the right moment was come to go down to Takern andtalk with Jarro. He opened a gate, and wandered down toward the lake onthe narrow path which ran along the banks. As long as he could be seenfrom the house, he walked slowly; but afterward he increased his pace.He was very much afraid that mother, or someone else, should call to himthat he couldn't go. He didn't wish to do anything naughty, only topersuade Jarro to come home; but he felt that those at home would nothave approved of the undertaking.

  When Per Ola came down to the lake-shore, he called Jarro severaltimes. Thereupon he stood for a long time and waited, but no Jarroappeared. He saw several birds that resembled the wild duck, but theyflew by without noticing him, and he could understand that none amongthem was the right one.

  When Jarro didn't come to him, the little boy thought that it would beeasier to find him if he went out on the lake. There were several goodcraft lying along the shore, but they were tied. The only one that layloose, and at liberty, was an old leaky scow which was so unfit that noone thought of using it. But Per Ola scrambled up in it without caringthat the whole bottom was filled with water. He had not strength enoughto use the oars, but instead, he seated himself to swing and rock in thescow. Certainly no grown person would have succeeded in moving a scowout on Takern in that manner; but when the tide is high--and ill-luck tothe fore--little children have a marvellous faculty for getting out tosea. Per Ola was soon riding around on Takern, and calling for Jarro.

  When the old scow was rocked like this--out to sea--its Cracks openedwider and wider, and the water actually streamed into it. Per Ola didn'tpay the slightest attention to this. He
sat upon the little bench infront and called to every bird he saw, and wondered why Jarro didn'tappear.

  At last Jarro caught sight of Per Ola. He heard that someone called himby the name which he had borne among human beings, and he understoodthat the boy had gone out on Takern to search for him. Jarro wasunspeakably happy to find that one of the humans really loved him. Heshot down toward Per Ola, like an arrow, seated himself beside him, andlet him caress him. They were both very happy to see each other again.But suddenly Jarro noticed the condition of the scow. It was half-filledwith water, and was almost ready to sink. Jarro tried to tell Per Olathat he, who could neither fly nor swim, must try to get upon land; butPer Ola didn't understand him. Then Jarro did not wait an instant, buthurried away to get help.

  Jarro came back in a little while, and carried on his back a tiny thing,who was much smaller than Per Ola