goose who had neither home norprotection, could not help thinking to herself: "If I had things ascomfortable as you have, Herr Ermenrich, I should be above complaining.You have remained a free and wild bird; and still you stand so well withhuman beings that no one will fire a shot at you, or steal an egg fromyour nest." But all this she kept to herself. To the stork she onlyremarked, that she couldn't believe he would be willing to move from ahouse where storks had resided ever since it was built.
Then the stork suddenly asked the geese if they had seen the gray ratswho were marching toward Glimminge castle. When Akka replied that shehad seen the horrid creatures, he began to tell her about the braveblack rats who, for years, had defended the castle. "But this nightGlimminge castle will fall into the gray rats' power," sighed the stork.
"And why just this night, Herr Ermenrich?" asked Akka.
"Well, because nearly all the black rats went over to Kullaberg lastnight," said the stork, "since they had counted on all the rest of theanimals also hurrying there. But you see that the gray rats have stayedat home; and now they are mustering to storm the castle to-night, whenit will be defended by only a few old creatures who are too feeble to goover to Kullaberg. They'll probably accomplish their purpose. But I havelived here in harmony with the black rats for so many years, that itdoes not please me to live in a place inhabited by their enemies."
Akka understood now that the stork had become so enraged over the grayrats' mode of action, that he had sought her out as an excuse tocomplain about them. But after the manner of storks, he certainly haddone nothing to avert the disaster. "Have you sent word to the blackrats, Herr Ermenrich?" she asked. "No," replied the stork, "thatwouldn't be of any use. Before they can get back, the castle will betaken." "You mustn't be so sure of that, Herr Ermenrich," said Akka. "Iknow an old wild goose, I do, who will gladly prevent outrages of thiskind."
When Akka said this, the stork raised his head and stared at her. And itwas not surprising, for Akka had neither claws nor bill that were fitfor fighting; and, in the bargain, she was a day bird, and as soon as itgrew dark she fell helplessly asleep, while the rats did their fightingat night.
But Akka had evidently made up her mind to help the black rats. Shecalled Iksi from Vassijaure, and ordered him to take the wild geese overto Vonib Lake; and when the geese made excuses, she saidauthoritatively: "I believe it will be best for us all that you obey me.I must fly over to the big stone house, and if you follow me, the peopleon the place will be sure to see us, and shoot us down. The only onethat I want to take with me on this trip is Thumbietot. He can be ofgreat service to me because he has good eyes, and can keep awake atnight."
The boy was in his most contrary mood that day. And when he heard whatAkka said, he raised himself to his full height and stepped forward, hishands behind him and his nose in the air, and he intended to say thathe, most assuredly, did not wish to take a hand in the fight with grayrats. She might look around for assistance elsewhere.
But the instant the boy was seen, the stork began to move. He had stoodbefore, as storks generally stand, with head bent downward and the billpressed against the neck. But now a gurgle was heard deep down in hiswindpipe; as though he would have laughed. Quick as a flash, he loweredthe bill, grabbed the boy, and tossed him a couple of metres in theair. This feat he performed seven times, while the boy shrieked and thegeese shouted: "What are you trying to do, Herr Ermenrich? That's not afrog. That's a human being, Herr Ermenrich."
Finally the stork put the boy down entirely unhurt. Thereupon he said toAkka, "I'll fly back to Glimminge castle now, mother Akka. All who livethere were very much worried when I left. You may be sure they'll bevery glad when I tell them that Akka, the wild goose, and Thumbietot,the human elf, are on their way to rescue them." With that the storkcraned his neck, raised his wings, and darted off like an arrow when itleaves a well-drawn bow. Akka understood that he was making fun of her,but she didn't let it bother her. She waited until the boy had found hiswooden shoes, which the stork had shaken off; then she put him on herback and followed the stork. On his own account, the boy made noobjection, and said not a word about not wanting to go along. He hadbecome so furious with the stork, that he actually sat and puffed. Thatlong, red-legged thing believed he was of no account just because he waslittle; but he would show him what kind of a man Nils Holgersson fromWest Vemminghoeg was.
A couple of moments later Akka stood in the storks' nest. It had a wheelfor foundation, and over this lay several grass-mats, and some twigs.The nest was so old that many shrubs and plants had taken root up there;and when the mother stork sat on her eggs in the round hole in themiddle of the nest, she not only had the beautiful outlook over a goodlyportion of Skane to enjoy, but she had also the wild brier-blossoms andhouse-leeks to look upon.
Both Akka and the boy saw immediately that something was going on herewhich turned upside down the most regular order. On the edge of thestork-nest sat two gray owls, an old, gray-streaked cat, and a dozenold, decrepit rats with protruding teeth and watery eyes. They were notexactly the sort of animals one usually finds living peaceably together.
Not one of them turned around to look at Akka, or to bid her welcome.They thought of nothing except to sit and stare at some long, graylines, which came into sight here and there--on the winter-nakedmeadows.
All the black rats were silent. One could see that they were in deepdespair, and probably knew that they could neither defend their ownlives nor the castle. The two owls sat and rolled their big eyes, andtwisted their great, encircling eyebrows, and talked in hollow,ghost-like voices, about the awful cruelty of the gray rats, and thatthey would have to move away from their nest, because they had heard itsaid of them that they spared neither eggs nor baby birds. The oldgray-streaked cat was positive that the gray rats would bite him todeath, since they were coming into the castle in such great numbers, andhe scolded the black rats incessantly. "How could you be so idiotic asto let your best fighters go away?" said he. "How could you trust thegray rats? It is absolutely unpardonable!"
The twelve black rats did not say a word. But the stork, despite hismisery, could not refrain from teasing the cat. "Don't worry so, Monsiehouse-cat!" said he. "Can't you see that mother Akka and Thumbietot havecome to save the castle? You can be certain that they'll succeed. Now Imust stand up to sleep--and I do so with the utmost calm. To-morrow,when I awaken, there won't be a single gray rat in Glimminge castle."
The boy winked at Akka, and made a sign--as the stork stood upon thevery edge of the nest, with one leg drawn up, to sleep--that he wantedto push him down to the ground; but Akka restrained him. She did notseem to be the least bit angry. Instead, she said in a confident tone ofvoice: "It would be pretty poor business if one who is as old as I amcould not manage to get out of worse difficulties than this. If only Mr.and Mrs. Owl, who can stay awake all night, will fly off with a coupleof messages for me, I think that all will go well."
Both owls were willing. Then Akka bade the gentleman owl that he shouldgo and seek the black rats who had gone off, and counsel them to hurryhome immediately. The lady owl she sent to Flammea, the steeple-owl,who lived in Lund cathedral, with a commission which was so secret thatAkka only dared to confide it to her in a whisper.
THE RAT CHARMER
It was getting on toward midnight when the gray rats after a diligentsearch succeeded in finding an open air-hole in the cellar. This waspretty high upon the wall; but the rats got up on one another'sshoulders, and it wasn't long before the most daring among them sat inthe air-hole, ready to force its way into Glimminge castle, outsidewhose walls so many of its forebears had fallen.
The gray rat sat still for a moment in the hole, and waited for anattack from within. The leader of the defenders was certainly away, butshe assumed that the black rats who were still in the castle wouldn'tsurrender without a struggle. With thumping heart she listened for theslightest sound, but everything remained quiet. Then the leader of thegray rats plucked up courage and jumped down in the coal-black cellar.
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One after another of the gray rats followed the leader. They all keptvery quiet; and all expected to be ambushed by the black rats. Not untilso many of them had crowded into the cellar that the floor couldn't holdany more, did they venture farther.
Although they had never before been inside the building, they had nodifficulty in finding their way. They soon found the passages in thewalls which the black rats had used to get to the upper floors. Beforethey began to clamber up these narrow and steep steps, they listenedagain with great attention. They felt more frightened because the blackrats held themselves aloof in this way, than if they had met them inopen battle. They could hardly believe their luck when they reached thefirst story without any mishaps.
Immediately upon their entrance
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