shy and peculiar;but these seemed to have no idea of how they should conduct themselves.Finally an old ewe, who had a long and pathetic face and a dolefulvoice, said: "There isn't one among us that refuses to let you stay; butthis is a house of mourning, and we cannot receive guests as we did informer days." "You needn't worry about anything of that sort," saidAkka. "If you knew what we have endured this day, you would surelyunderstand that we are satisfied if we only get a safe spot to sleepon."
When Akka said this, the old ewe raised herself. "I believe that itwould be better for you to fly about in the worst storm than to stophere. But, at least, you shall not go from here before we have had theprivilege of offering you the best hospitality which the house affords."
She conducted them to a hollow in the ground, which was filled withwater. Beside it lay a pile of bait and husks and chaff; and she badethem make the most of these. "We have had a severe snow-winter thisyear, on the island," she said. "The peasants who own us came out to uswith hay and oaten straw, so we shouldn't starve to death. And thistrash is all there is left of the good cheer."
The geese rushed to the food instantly. They thought that they had faredwell, and were in their best humour. They must have observed, of course,that the sheep were anxious; but they knew how easily scared sheepgenerally are, and didn't believe there was any actual danger on foot.As soon as they had eaten, they intended to stand up to sleep as usual.But then the big ram got up, and walked over to them. The geese thoughtthat they had never seen a sheep with such big and coarse horns. Inother respects, also, he was noticeable. He had a high, rollingforehead, intelligent eyes, and a good bearing--as though he were aproud and courageous animal.
"I cannot assume the responsibility of letting you geese remain, withouttelling you that it is unsafe here," said he. "We cannot receive nightguests just now." At last Akka began to comprehend that this wasserious. "We shall go away, since you really wish it," said she. "Butwon't you tell us first, what it is that troubles you? We know nothingabout it. We do not even know where we are." "This is Little Karl'sIsland!" said the ram. "It lies outside of Gottland, and only sheep andseabirds live here." "Perhaps you are wild sheep?" said Akka. "We're notfar removed from it," replied the ram. "We have nothing to do with humanbeings. It's an old agreement between us and some peasants on a farm inGottland, that they shall supply us with fodder in case we havesnow-winter; and as a recompense they are permitted to take away thoseof us who become superfluous. The island is small, so it cannot feedvery many of us. But otherwise we take care of ourselves all the yearround, and we do not live in houses with doors and locks, but we residein grottoes like these."
"Do you stay out here in the winter as well?" asked Akka, surprised. "Wedo," answered the ram. "We have good fodder up here on the mountain, allthe year around." "I think it sounds as if you might have it better thanother sheep," said Akka. "But what is the misfortune that has befallenyou?" "It was bitter cold last winter. The sea froze, and then threefoxes came over here on the ice, and here they have been ever since.Otherwise, there are no dangerous animals here on the island." "Oh, oh!do foxes dare to attack such as you?" "Oh, no! not during the day; thenI can protect myself and mine," said the ram, shaking his horns. "Butthey sneak upon us at night when we sleep in the grottoes. We try tokeep awake, but one must sleep some of the time; and then they come uponus. They have already killed every sheep in the other grottoes, andthere were herds that were just as large as mine."
"It isn't pleasant to tell that we are so helpless," said the old ewe."We cannot help ourselves any better than if we were tame sheep." "Doyou think that they will come here to-night?" asked Akka. "There isnothing else in store for us," answered the old ewe. "They were herelast night, and stole a lamb from us. They'll be sure to come again, aslong as there are any of us alive. This is what they have done in theother places." "But if they are allowed to keep this up, you'll becomeentirely exterminated," said Akka. "Oh! it won't be long before it isall over with the sheep on Little Karl's Island," said the ewe.
Akka stood there hesitatingly. It was not pleasant, by any means, toventure out in the storm again, and it wasn't good to remain in a housewhere such guests were expected. When she had pondered a while, sheturned to Thumbietot. "I wonder if you will help us, as you have done somany times before," said she. Yes, that he would like to do, he replied."It is a pity for you not to get any sleep!" said the wild goose, "but Iwonder if you are able to keep awake until the foxes come, and then toawaken us, so we may fly away." The boy was so very glad of this--foranything was better than to go out in the storm again--so he promisedto keep awake. He went down to the grotto opening, crawled in behind astone, that he might be shielded from the storm, and sat down to watch.
When the boy had been sitting there a while, the storm seemed to abate.The sky grew clear, and the moonlight began to play on the waves. Theboy stepped to the opening to look out. The grotto was rather high up onthe mountain. A narrow path led to it. It was probably here that he mustawait the foxes.
As yet he saw no foxes; but, on the other hand, there was somethingwhich, for the moment, terrified him much more. On the land-strip belowthe mountain stood some giants, or other stone-trolls--or perhaps theywere actual human beings. At first he thought that he was dreaming, butnow he was positive that he had not fallen asleep. He saw the big men sodistinctly that it couldn't be an illusion. Some of them stood on theland-strip, and others right on the mountain just as if they intended toclimb it. Some had big, thick heads; others had no heads at all. Somewere one-armed, and some had humps both before and behind. He had neverseen anything so extraordinary.
The boy stood and worked himself into a state of panic because of thosetrolls, so that he almost forgot to keep his eye peeled for the foxes.But now he heard a claw scrape against a stone. He saw three foxescoming up the steep; and as soon as he knew that he had something realto deal with, he was calm again, and not the least bit scared. It struckhim that it was a pity to awaken only the geese, and to leave the sheepto their fate. He thought he would like to arrange things some otherway.
He ran quickly to the other end of the grotto, shook the big ram's hornsuntil he awoke, and, at the same time, swung himself upon his back. "Getup, sheep, and well try to frighten the foxes a bit!" said the boy.
He had tried to be as quiet as possible, but the foxes must have heardsome noise; for when they came up to the mouth of the grotto theystopped and deliberated. "It was certainly someone in there thatmoved," said one. "I wonder if they are awake." "Oh, go ahead, you!"said another. "At all events, they can't do anything to us."
When they came farther in, in the grotto, they stopped and sniffed. "Whoshall we take to-night?" whispered the one who went first. "To-night wewill take the big ram," said the last. "After that, we'll have easy workwith the rest."
The boy sat on the old ram's back and saw how they sneaked along. "Nowbutt straight forward!" whispered the boy. The ram butted, and the firstfox was thrust--top over tail--back to the opening. "Now butt to theleft!" said the boy, and turned the big ram's head in that direction.The ram measured a terrific assault that caught the second fox in theside. He rolled around several times before he got to his feet again andmade his escape. The boy had wished that the third one, too, might havegotten a bump, but this one had already gone.
"Now I think that they've had enough for to-night," said the boy. "Ithink so too," said the big ram. "Now lie down on my back, and creepinto the wool! You deserve to have it warm and comfortable, after allthe wind and storm that you have been out in."
HELL'S HOLE
The next day the big ram went around with the boy on his back, andshowed him the island. It consisted of a single massive mountain. It waslike a large house with perpendicular walls and a flat roof. First theram walked up on the mountain-roof and showed the boy the good grazinglands there, and he had to admit that the island seemed to be especiallycreated for sheep. There wasn't much else than sheep-sorrel and suchlittle spicy growths as sheep are fond of that grew on the mountain.<
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But indeed there was something beside sheep fodder to look at, for onewho had gotten well up on the steep. To begin with, the largest part ofthe sea--which now lay blue and sunlit, and rolled forward in glitteringswells--was visible. Only upon one and another point, did the foam sprayup. To the east lay Gottland, with even and long-stretched coast; and tothe southwest lay Great Karl's Island, which was built on the same planas the little island. When the ram walked to the very edge of
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