Comet in Moominland

by Tove Jansson

  The Muskrat snorted, gave his whiskers a brushing, and wandered off to see if his hammock was still about.

  ‘Now I’ve got a new chapter for my memoirs,’ said Moominpappa. ‘My goodness! That book is going to be exciting when it’s finished.’

  ‘It certainly is, dear,’ said Moominmamma. ‘But so many exciting things happen to us that I’m afraid the book will never get finished. Oh, what a joy it is to see the sun again!’

  Sniff danced with his tail in a bow and held his dagger up to the sun so that the opals shone. Then he set off with the silk-monkey to see if there were any crabs left after the catastrophe.

  Meanwhile Snufkin had taken out his mouth-organ and was giving it another try. All the notes had come back, even the little ones, so that he could play to his heart’s content.

  Moomintroll went into the cave, dug up his pearls and lay them in the Snork maiden’s lap.

  ‘These are for you,’ he said, ‘so that you can decorate yourself all over the place, and be the most beautiful Snork maiden in the world.’

  But the biggest pearl of all he gave to his mother to wear in her nose.

  ‘Oh Moomintroll! How beautiful!’ she said. ‘But now I want to know what has happened. Do you think the wood is still there, and the house, and the kitchen-garden?’

  ‘I think everything is still there,’ said Moomintroll. ‘Come with me and have a look.’