Nils Holgerssons underbara resa. English
Page 76
greeting from them," replied the raven. "Akka sawa hunter prowling about on the mountain and therefore dared not stay towait for you, but has gone on ahead. Get up on my back and you shallsoon be with your friends."
The boy quickly seated himself on the raven's back and Bataki would soonhave caught up with the geese had he not been hindered by a fog. It wasas if the morning sun had awakened it to life. Little light veils ofmist rose suddenly from the lake, from fields, and from the forest. Theythickened and spread with marvellous rapidity, and soon the entireground was hidden from sight by white, rolling mists.
Bataki flew along above the fog in clear air and sparkling sunshine, butthe wild geese must have circled down among the damp clouds, for it wasimpossible to sight them. The boy and the raven called and shrieked, butgot no response.
"Well, this is a stroke of ill luck!" said Bataki finally. "But we knowthat they are travelling toward the south, and of course I'll find themas soon as the mist clears."
The boy was distressed at the thought of being parted from MortenGoosey-Gander just now, when the geese were on the wing, and the bigwhite one might meet with all sorts of mishaps. After Thumbietot hadbeen sitting worrying for two hours or more, he remarked to himselfthat, thus far, there had been no mishap, and it was not worth while tolose heart.
Just then he heard a rooster crowing down on the ground, and instantlyhe bent forward on the raven's back and called out:
"What's the name of the country I'm travelling over?"
"It's called Haerjedalen, Haerjedalen, Haerjedalen," crowed the rooster.
"How does it look down there where you are?" the boy asked.
"Cliffs in the west, woods in the east, broad valleys across the wholecountry," replied the rooster.
"Thank you," cried the boy. "You give a clear account of it."
When they had travelled a little farther, he heard a crow cawing down inthe mist.
"What kind of people live in this country?" shouted the boy.
"Good, thrifty peasants," answered the crow. "Good, thrifty peasants."
"What do they do?" asked the boy. "What do they do?"
"They raise cattle and fell forests," cawed the crow.
"Thanks," replied the boy. "You answer well."
A bit farther on he heard a human voice yodeling and singing down in themist.
"Is there any large city in this part of the country?" the boy asked.
"What--what--who is it that calls?" cried the human voice.
"Is there any large city in this region?" the boy repeated.
"I want to know who it is that calls," shouted the human voice.
"I might have known that I could get no information when I asked a humanbeing a civil question," the boy retorted.
It was not long before the mist went away as suddenly as it had come.Then the boy saw a beautiful landscape, with high cliffs as in Jaemtland,but there were no large, flourishing settlements on the mountain slopes.The villages lay far apart, and the farms were small. Bataki followedthe stream southward till they came within sight of a village. There healighted in a stubble field and let the boy dismount.
"In the summer grain grew on this ground," said Bataki. "Look around andsee if you can't find something eatable."
The boy acted upon the suggestion and before long he found a blade ofwheat. As he picked out the grains and ate them, Bataki talked to him.
"Do you see that mountain towering directly south of us?" he asked.
"Yes, of course, I see it," said the boy.
"It is called Sonfjaellet," continued the raven; "you can imagine thatwolves were plentiful there once upon a time."
"It must have been an ideal place for wolves," said the boy.
"The people who lived here in the valley were frequently attacked bythem," remarked the raven.
"Perhaps you remember a good wolf story you could tell me?" said theboy.
"I've been told that a long, long time ago the wolves from Sonfjaelletare supposed to have waylaid a man who had gone out to peddle hiswares," began Bataki. "He was from Hede, a village a few miles down thevalley. It was winter time and the wolves made for him as he was drivingover the ice on Lake Ljusna. There were about nine or ten, and the manfrom Hede had a poor old horse, so there was very little hope of hisescaping.
"When the man heard the wolves howl and saw how many there were afterhim, he lost his head, and it did not occur to him that he ought to dumphis casks and jugs out of the sledge, to lighten the load. He onlywhipped up the horse and made the best speed he could, but he soonobserved that the wolves were gaining on him. The shores were desolateand he was fourteen miles from the nearest farm. He thought that hisfinal hour had come, and was paralyzed with fear.
"While he sat there, terrified, he saw something move in the brush,which had been set in the ice to mark out the road; and when hediscovered who it was that walked there, his fear grew more and moreintense.
"Wild beasts were not coming toward him, but a poor old woman, namedFinn-Malin, who was in the habit of roaming about on highways andbyways. She was a hunchback, and slightly lame, so he recognized her ata distance.
"The old woman was walking straight toward the wolves. The sledge hadhidden them from her view, and the man comprehended at once that, if hewere to drive on without warning her, she would walk right into the jawsof the wild beasts, and while they were rending her, he would have timeenough to get away.
"The old woman walked slowly, bent over a cane. It was plain that shewas doomed if he did not help her, but even if he were to stop and takeher into the sledge, it was by no means certain that she would be safe.More than likely the wolves would catch up with them, and he and she andthe horse would all be killed. He wondered if it were not better tosacrifice one life in order that two might be spared--this flashed uponhim the minute he saw the old woman. He had also time to think how itwould be with him afterward--if perchance he might not regret that hehad not succoured her; or if people should some day learn of the meetingand that he had not tried to help her. It was a terrible temptation.
"'I would rather not have seen her,' he said to himself.
"Just then the wolves howled savagely. The horse reared, plungedforward, and dashed past the old beggar woman. She, too, had heard thehowling of the wolves, and, as the man from Hede drove by, he saw thatthe old woman knew what awaited her. She stood motionless, her mouthopen for a cry, her arms stretched out for help. But she neither criednor tried to throw herself into the sledge. Something seemed to haveturned her to stone. 'It was I,' thought the man. 'I must have lookedlike a demon as I passed.'
"He tried to feel satisfied, now that he was certain of escape; but atthat very moment his heart reproached him. Never before had he done adastardly thing, and he felt now that his whole life was blasted.
"'Let come what may,' he said, and reined in the horse, 'I cannot leaveher alone with the wolves!'
"It was with great difficulty that he got the horse to turn, but in theend he managed it and promptly drove back to her.
"'Be quick and get into the sledge,' he said gruffly; for he was madwith himself for not leaving the old woman to her fate.
"'You might stay at home once in awhile, you old hag!' he growled. 'Nowboth my horse and I will come to grief on your account.'
"The old woman did not say a word, but the man from Hede was in no moodto spare her.
"'The horse has already tramped thirty-five miles to-day, and the loadhasn't lightened any since you got up on it!' he grumbled, 'so that youmust understand he'll soon be exhausted.'
"The sledge runners crunched on the ice, but for all that he heard howthe wolves panted, and knew that the beasts were almost upon him.
"'It's all up with us!' he said. 'Much good it was, either to you or tome, this attempt to save you, Finn-Malin!'
"Up to this point the old woman had been silent--like one who isaccustomed to take abuse--but now she said a few words.
"'I can't understand why you don't throw out your wares and lighten theload. You ca
n come back again to-morrow and gather them up.'
"The man realized that this was sound advice and was surprised that hehad not thought of it before. He tossed the reins to the old woman,loosed the ropes that bound the casks, and pitched them out. The wolveswere right upon them, but now they stopped to examine that which wasthrown on the ice, and the travellers again had the start of them.
"'If this does not help you,' said the old woman, 'you understand, ofcourse, that I will give myself up to the wolves voluntarily, that youmay escape.'
"While she was speaking the man was trying to push a heavy