Nils Holgerssons underbara resa. English

by Selma Lagerlöf

older than all the other water-snakes in the forest! This is theworst sorrow that could have befallen me!"

  The snake was so broken-hearted that his long body writhed as if it hadbeen wounded. Even the frogs, who lived in constant fear of him, weresorry for him.

  "What a wicked creature he must be to murder a poor water-snake thatcannot defend itself!" hissed the snake. "He certainly deserves a severepunishment. As sure as my name is Helpless and I'm the oldestwater-snake in the whole forest, I'll be avenged! I shall not rest untilthat elk lies as dead on the ground as my poor old snake-wife."

  When the snake had made this vow he curled up into a hoop and began toponder. One can hardly imagine anything that would be more difficult fora poor water-snake than to wreak vengeance upon a big, strong elk; andold Helpless pondered day and night without finding any solution.

  One night, as he lay there with his vengeance-thoughts, he heard aslight rustle over his head. He glanced up and saw a few light nun mothsplaying in among the trees.

  He followed them with his eyes a long while; then began to hiss loudlyto himself, apparently pleased with the thought that had occurred tohim--then he fell asleep.

  The next morning the water-snake went over to see Crawlie, the adder,who lived in a stony and hilly part of Liberty Forest. He told him allabout the death of the old water-snake, and begged that he who coulddeal such deadly thrusts would undertake the work of vengeance. ButCrawlie was not exactly disposed to go to war with an elk.

  "If I were to attack an elk," said the adder, "he would instantly killme. Old Harmless is dead and gone, and we can't bring her back to life,so why should I rush into danger on her account?"

  When the water-snake got this reply he raised his head a whole foot fromthe ground, and hissed furiously:

  "Vish vash! Vish vash!" he said. "It's a pity that you, who have beenblessed with such weapons of defence, should be so cowardly that youdon't dare use them!"

  When the adder heard this, he, too, got angry.

  "Crawl away, old Helpless!" he hissed. "The poison is in my fangs, but Iwould rather spare one who is said to be my kinsman."

  But the water-snake did not move from the spot, and for a long time thesnakes lay there hissing abusive epithets at each other.

  When Crawlie was so angry that he couldn't hiss, but could only dart histongue out, the water-snake changed the subject, and began to talk in avery different tone.

  "I had still another errand, Crawlie," he said, lowering his voice to amild whisper. "But now I suppose you are so angry that you wouldn't careto help me?"

  "If you don't ask anything foolish of me, I shall certainly be at yourservice."

  "In the pine trees down by the swamp live a moth folk that fly aroundall night."

  "I know all about them," remarked Crawlie. "What's up with them now?"

  "They are the smallest insect family in the forest," said Helpless, "andthe most harmless, since the caterpillars content themselves withgnawing only pine needles."

  "Yes, I know," said Crawlie.

  "I'm afraid those moths will soon be exterminated," sighed thewater-snake. "There are so many who pick off the caterpillars in thespring."

  Now Crawlie began to understand that the water-snake wanted thecaterpillars for his own purpose, and he answered pleasantly:

  "Do you wish me to say to the owls that they are to leave those pinetree worms in peace?"

  "Yes, it would be well if you who have some authority in the forestshould do this," said Helpless.

  "I might also drop a good word for the pine needle pickers among thethrushes?" volunteered the adder. "I will gladly serve you when you donot demand anything unreasonable."

  "Now you have given me a good promise, Crawlie," said Helpless, "and I'mglad that I came to you."

  THE NUN MOTHS

  One morning--several years later--Karr lay asleep on the porch. It wasin the early summer, the season of light nights, and it was as bright asday, although the sun was not yet up. Karr was awakened by some onecalling his name.

  "Is it you, Grayskin?" he asked, for he was accustomed to the elk'snightly visits. Again he heard the call; then he recognized Grayskin'svoice, and hastened in the direction of the sound.

  Karr heard the elk's footfalls in the distance, as he dashed into thethickest pine wood, and straight through the brush, following no troddenpath. Karr could not catch up with him, and he had great difficulty ineven following the trail. "Karr, Karri" came the cry, and the voice wascertainly Grayskin's, although it had a ring now which the dog had neverheard before.

  "I'm coming, I'm coming!" the dog responded. "Where are you?"

  "Karr, Karr! Don't you see how it falls and falls?" said Grayskin.

  Then Karr noticed that the pine needles kept dropping and dropping fromthe trees, like a steady fall of rain.

  "Yes, I see how it falls," he cried, and ran far into the forest insearch of the elk.

  Grayskin kept running through the thickets, while Karr was about to losethe trail again.

  "Karr, Karr!" roared Grayskin; "can't you scent that peculiar odour inthe forest?"

  Karr stopped and sniffed.

  He had not thought of it before, but now he remarked that the pines sentforth a much stronger odour than usual.

  "Yes, I catch the scent," he said. He did not stop long enough to findout the cause of it, but hurried on after Grayskin.

  The elk ran ahead with such speed that the dog could not catch up withhim.

  "Karr, Karr!" he called; "can't you hear the crunching on the pines?"Now his tone was so plaintive it would have melted a stone.

  Karr paused to listen. He heard a faint but distinct "tap, tap," on thetrees. It sounded like the ticking of a watch.

  "Yes, I hear how it ticks," cried Karr, and ran no farther. Heunderstood that the elk did not want him to follow, but to take noticeof something that was happening in the forest.

  Karr was standing beneath the drooping branches of a great pine. Helooked carefully at it; the needles moved. He went closer and saw a massof grayish-white caterpillars creeping along the branches, gnawing offthe needles. Every branch was covered with them. The crunch, crunch inthe trees came from the working of their busy little jaws. Gnawed-offneedles fell to the ground in a continuous shower, and from the poorpines there came such a strong odour that the dog suffered from it.

  "What can be the meaning of this?" wondered Karr. "It's too bad aboutthe pretty trees! Soon they'll have no beauty left."

  He walked from tree to tree, trying with his poor eyesight to see if allwas well with them.

  "There's a pine they haven't touched," he thought. But they had takenpossession of it, too. "And here's a birch--no, this also! Thegame-keeper will not be pleased with this," observed Karr.

  He ran deeper into the thickets, to learn how far the destruction hadspread. Wherever he went, he heard the same ticking; scented the sameodour; saw the same needle rain. There was no need of his pausing toinvestigate. He understood it all by these signs. The littlecaterpillars were everywhere. The whole forest was being ravaged bythem!

  All of a sudden he came to a tract where there was no odour, and whereall was still.

  "Here's the end of their domain," thought the dog, as he paused andglanced about.

  But here it was even worse; for the caterpillars had already done theirwork, and the trees were needleless. They were like the dead. The onlything that covered them was a network of ragged threads, which thecaterpillars had spun to use as roads and bridges.

  In there, among the dying trees, Grayskin stood waiting for Karr.

  He was not alone. With him were four old elk--the most respected in theforest. Karr knew them: They were Crooked-Back, who was a small elk, buthad a larger hump than the others; Antler-Crown, who was the mostdignified of the elk; Rough-Mane, with the thick coat; and an oldlong-legged one, who, up till the autumn before, when he got a bullet inhis thigh, had been terribly hot-tempered and quarrelsome.

  "What in the world is happening to the forest?" Ka
rr asked when he cameup to the elk. They stood with lowered heads, far protruding upper lips,and looked puzzled.

  "No one can tell," answered Grayskin. "This insect family used to be theleast hurtful of any in the forest, and never before have they done anydamage. But these last few years they have been multiplying so fast thatnow it appears as if the entire forest would be destroyed."

  "Yes, it looks bad," Karr agreed, "but I see that the wisest animals inthe forest have come together to hold a consultation. Perhaps you havealready found some remedy?"

  When the dog said this, Crooked-Back solemnly raised his heavy head,pricked up his long ears, and spoke:

  "We have summoned you hither, Karr, that we may learn if the humans knowof this desolation."

  "No," said Karr, "no human being ever comes thus far into the forestwhen it's not hunting time. They know nothing of this misfortune."

  Then Antler-Crown said:

  "We who have lived long in the forest do not think that we can fightthis insect pest all by ourselves."

  "After this there will be no peace in the forest!" put in Rough-Mane.

  "But we can't let the whole Liberty Forest go to rack and ruin!"protested Big-and-Strong. "We'll have to consult the humans; there is noalternative."

  Karr understood that the elk had difficulty in expressing what theywished to say, and he tried to help them.

  "Perhaps you want me to let the people know the conditions here?" hesuggested.

  All the old elk nodded their heads.

  "It's most unfortunate that we are obliged to ask help of human beings,but we have no choice."

  A moment later Karr was on his way home. As he ran ahead, deeplydistressed over all that he had heard and seen, a big black water-snakeapproached them.

  "Well met in the forest!" hissed the water-snake.

  "Well met again!" snarled Karr, and rushed by without stopping.

  The snake turned and tried to catch up to him.

  "Perhaps that creature also, is worried about the forest," thought Karr,and waited.

  Immediately the snake began to talk about the great disaster.

  "There will be an end of peace and quiet in the forest when human beingsare called hither," said the snake.

  "I'm afraid there will," the dog agreed; "but the oldest forest dwellersknow what they're about!" he added.

  "I think I know a better plan," said the snake, "if I can get the rewardI wish."

  "Are you not the one whom every one around here calls old Helpless?"said the dog, sneeringly.

  "I'm an old inhabitant of the forest," said the snake, "and I know howto get rid of such plagues."

  "If you clear the forest of that pest, I feel sure you can have anythingyou ask for," said Karr.

  The snake did not respond to this until he had crawled under a treestump, where he was well protected. Then he said:

  "Tell Grayskin that if he will leave Liberty Forest forever, and go farnorth, where no oak tree grows, I will send sickness and death to allthe creeping things that gnaw the pines and spruces!"

  "What's that you say?" asked Karr, bristling up. "What harm has Grayskinever done you?"

  "He has slain the one whom I loved best," the snake declared, "and Iwant to be avenged."

  Before the snake had finished speaking, Karr made a dash for him; butthe reptile lay safely hidden under the tree stump.

  "Stay where you are!" Karr concluded. "We'll manage to drive out thecaterpillars without your help."

  THE BIG WAR OF THE MOTHS

  The following spring, as Karr was dashing through the forest onemorning, he heard some one behind him calling: "Karr! Karr!"

  He turned and saw an old fox standing outside his lair.

  "You must tell me if the humans are doing anything for the forest," saidthe fox.

  "Yes, you may be sure they are!" said Karr. "They are working as hard asthey can."

  "They have killed off all my kinsfolk, and they'll be killing me next,"protested the fox. "But they shall be pardoned for that if only theysave the forest."

  That year Karr never ran into the woods without some animal's asking ifthe humans could save the forest. It was not easy for the dog to answer;the people themselves were not certain that they could conquer themoths. But considering how feared and hated old Kolmarden had alwaysbeen, it was remarkable that every day more than a hundred men wentthere, to work. They cleared away the underbrush. They felled deadtrees, lopped off branches from the live ones so that the caterpillarscould not easily crawl from tree to tree; they also dug wide trenchesaround the ravaged parts and put up lime-washed fences to keep them outof new territory. Then they painted rings of lime around the trunks oftrees to prevent the caterpillars leaving those they had alreadystripped. The idea was to force them to remain where they were untilthey starved to death.

  The people worked with the forest until far into the spring. They werehopeful, and could hardly wait for the caterpillars to come out fromtheir eggs, feeling certain that they had shut them in so effectuallythat most of them would die of starvation.

  But in the early summer the caterpillars came out, more numerous thanever.

  They were everywhere! They crawled on the country roads, on fences, onthe walls of the cabins. They wandered outside the confines of LibertyForest to other parts of Kolmarden.

  "They won't stop till all our forests are destroyed!" sighed the people,who were in great despair, and could not enter the forest withoutweeping.

  Karr was so sick of the sight of all these creeping, gnawing things thathe could hardly bear to step outside the door. But one day he felt thathe must go and find out how Grayskin was getting on. He took theshortest cut to the elk's haunts, and hurried along--his nose close tothe earth. When he came to the tree stump where he had met Helpless theyear before, the snake was still there, and called to him:

  "Have you told Grayskin what I said to you when last we met?" asked thewater-snake.

  Karr only growled and tried to get at him.

  "If you haven't told him, by all means do so!" insisted the snake. "Youmust see that the humans know of no cure for this plague."

  "Neither do you!" retorted the dog, and ran on.

  Karr found Grayskin, but the elk was so low-spirited that he scarcelygreeted the dog. He began at once to talk of the forest.

  "I don't know what I wouldn't give if this misery were only at an end!"he said.

  "Now I shall tell you that 'tis said you could save the forest." ThenKarr delivered the water-snake's message.

  "If any one but Helpless had promised this, I should immediately go intoexile," declared the elk. "But how can a poor water-snake have the powerto work such a miracle?"

  "Of course it's only a bluff," said Karr. "Water-snakes always like topretend that they know more than other creatures."

  When Karr was ready to go home, Grayskin accompanied him part of theway. Presently Karr heard a thrush, perched on a pine top, cry:

  "There goes Grayskin, who has destroyed the forest! There goes Grayskin,who has destroyed the forest!"

  Karr thought that he had not heard correctly, but the next moment a harecame darting across the path. When the hare saw them, he stopped,flapped his ears, and screamed:

  "Here comes Grayskin, who has destroyed the forest!" Then he ran as fastas he could.

  "What do they mean by that?" asked Karr.

  "I really don't know," said Grayskin. "I think that the small forestanimals are displeased with me because I was the one who proposed thatwe should ask help of human beings. When the underbrush was cut down,all their lairs and hiding places were destroyed."

  They walked on together a while longer, and Karr heard the same crycoming from all directions:

  "There goes Grayskin, who has destroyed the forest!"

  Grayskin pretended not to hear it; but Karr understood why the elk wasso downhearted.

  "I say, Grayskin, what does the water-snake mean by saying you killedthe one he loved best?"

  "How can I tell?" said Grayskin. "You
know very well that I never killanything."

  Shortly after that they met the four old elk--Crooked-Back,Antler-Crown, Rough-Mane, and Big-and-Strong, who were coming alongslowly, one after the other.

  "Well met in the forest!" called Grayskin.

  "Well met in turn!" answered the elk.

  "We were just looking for you, Grayskin, to consult with you about theforest."

  "The fact is," began Crooked-Back, "we have been informed that a crimehas been committed here, and that the whole forest is being destroyedbecause the criminal has not been punished."

  "What kind of a crime was it?"

  "Some one killed a harmless creature that he couldn't eat. Such an actis accounted a crime in Liberty Forest."

  "Who could have done such a cowardly thing?" wondered Grayskin.

  "They say that an elk did it, and we were just going to ask if you knewwho it was."

  "No," said Grayskin, "I have never heard of an elk killing a harmlesscreature."

  Grayskin parted from the four old elk, and went on with Karr. He wassilent and walked with lowered head. They happened to pass Crawlie, theadder, who lay on his shelf of rock.

  "There goes Grayskin, who has destroyed the whole forest!"