himself. If he hadn't been able totalk and move, the boy would have believed that it was a doll.Instantly, the little one ordered Per Ola to pick up a long, slenderpole that lay in the bottom of the scow, and try to pole it toward oneof the reed-islands. Per Ola obeyed him, and he and the tiny creature,together, steered the scow. With a couple of strokes they were on alittle reed-encircled island, and now Per Ola was told that he must stepon land. And just the very moment that Per Ola set foot on land, thescow was filled with water, and sank to the bottom. When Per Ola sawthis he was sure that father and mother would be very angry with him. Hewould have started in to cry if he hadn't found something else to thinkabout soon; namely, a flock of big, gray birds, who lighted on theisland. The little midget took him up to them, and told him their names,and what they said. And this was so funny that Per Ola forgoteverything else.
Meanwhile the folks on the farm had discovered that the boy haddisappeared, and had started to search for him. They searched theouthouses, looked in the well, and hunted through the cellar. Then theywent out into the highways and by-paths; wandered to the neighbouringfarm to find out if he had strayed over there, and searched for him alsodown by Takern. But no matter how much they sought they did not findhim.
Caesar, the dog, understood very well that the farmer-folk were lookingfor Per Ola, but he did nothing to lead them on the right track;instead, he lay still as though the matter didn't concern him.
Later in the day, Per Ola's footprints were discovered down by theboat-landing. And then came the thought that the old, leaky scow was nolonger on the strand. Then one began to understand how the whole affairhad come about.
The farmer and his helpers immediately took out the boats and went insearch of the boy. They rowed around on Takern until way late in theevening, without seeing the least shadow of him. They couldn't helpbelieving that the old scow had gone down, and that the little one laydead on the lake-bottom.
In the evening, Per Ola's mother hunted around on the strand. Everyoneelse was convinced that the boy was drowned, but she could not bringherself to believe this. She searched all the while. She searchedbetween reeds and bulrushes; tramped and tramped on the muddy shore,never thinking of how deep her foot sank, and how wet she had become.She was unspeakably desperate. Her heart ached in her breast. She didnot weep, but wrung her hands and called for her child in loud piercingtones.
Round about her she heard swans' and ducks' and curlews' shrieks. Shethought that they followed her, and moaned and wailed--they too."Surely, they, too, must be in trouble, since they moan so," thoughtshe. Then she remembered: these were only birds that she heard complain.They surely had no worries.
It was strange that they did not quiet down after sunset. But she heardall these uncountable bird-throngs, which lived along Takern, send forthcry upon cry. Several of them followed her wherever she went; otherscame rustling past on light wings. All the air was filled with moans andlamentations.
But the anguish which she herself was suffering, opened her heart. Shethought that she was not as far removed from all other living creaturesas people usually think. She understood much better than ever before,how birds fared. They had their constant worries for home and children;they, as she. There was surely not such a great difference between themand her as she had heretofore believed.
Then she happened to think that it was as good as settled that thesethousands of swans and ducks and loons would lose their homes here byTakern. "It will be very hard for them," she thought. "Where shall theybring up their children now?"
She stood still and mused on this. It appeared to be an excellent andagreeable accomplishment to change a lake into fields and meadows, butlet it be some other lake than Takern; some other lake, which was notthe home of so many thousand creatures.
She remembered how on the following day the proposition to lower thelake was to be decided, and she wondered if this was why her little sonhad been lost--just to-day.
Was it God's meaning that sorrow should come and open her heart--justto-day--before it was too late to avert the cruel act?
She walked rapidly up to the house, and began to talk with her husbandabout this. She spoke of the lake, and of the birds, and said that shebelieved it was God's judgment on them both. And she soon found that hewas of the same opinion.
They already owned a large place, but if the lake-draining was carriedinto effect, such a goodly portion of the lake-bottom would fall totheir share that their property would be nearly doubled. For this reasonthey had been more eager for the undertaking than any of the other shoreowners. The others had been worried about expenses, and anxious lest thedraining should not prove any more successful this time than it was thelast. Per Ola's father knew in his heart that it was he who hadinfluenced them to undertake the work. He had exercised all hiseloquence, so that he might leave to his son a farm as large again ashis father had left to him.
He stood and pondered if God's hand was back of the fact that Takern hadtaken his son from him on the day before he was to draw up the contractto lay it waste. The wife didn't have to say many words to him, beforehe answered: "It may be that God does not want us to interfere with Hisorder. I'll talk with the others about this to-morrow, and I think we'llconclude that all may remain as it is."
While the farmer-folk were talking this over, Caesar lay before thefire. He raised his head and listened very attentively. When he thoughtthat he was sure of the outcome, he walked up to the mistress, took herby the skirt, and led her to the door. "But Caesar!" said she, andwanted to break loose. "Do you know where Per Ola is?" she exclaimed.Caesar barked joyfully, and threw himself against the door. She openedit, and Caesar dashed down toward Takern. The mistress was so positivehe knew where Per Ola was, that she rushed after him. And no sooner hadthey reached the shore than they heard a child's cry out on the lake.
Per Ola had had the best day of his life, in company with Thumbietot andthe birds; but now he had begun to cry because he was hungry and afraidof the darkness. And he was glad when father and mother and Caesar camefor him.
ULVASA-LADY
THE PROPHECY
_Friday, April twenty-second_.
One night when the boy lay and slept on an island in Takern, he wasawakened by oar-strokes. He had hardly gotten his eyes open before therefell such a dazzling light on them that he began to blink.
At first he couldn't make out what it was that shone so brightly outhere on the lake; but he soon saw that a scow with a big burning torchstuck up on a spike, aft, lay near the edge of the reeds. The red flamefrom the torch was clearly reflected in the night-dark lake; and thebrilliant light must have lured the fish, for round about the flame inthe deep a mass of dark specks were seen, that moved continually, andchanged places.
There were two old men in the scow. One sat at the oars, and the otherstood on a bench in the stern and held in his hand a short spear whichwas coarsely barbed. The one who rowed was apparently a poor fisherman.He was small, dried-up and weather-beaten, and wore a thin, threadbarecoat. One could see that he was so used to being out in all sorts ofweather that he didn't mind the cold. The other was well fed and welldressed, and looked like a prosperous and self-complacent farmer.
"Now, stop!" said the farmer, when they were opposite the island wherethe boy lay. At the same time he plunged the spear into the water. Whenhe drew it out again, a long, fine eel came with it.
"Look at that!" said he as he released the eel from the spear. "That wasone who was worth while. Now I think we have so many that we can turnback."
His comrade did not lift the oars, but sat and looked around. "It islovely out here on the lake to-night," said he. And so it was. It wasabsolutely still, so that the entire water-surface lay in undisturbedrest with the exception of the streak where the boat had gone forward.This lay like a path of gold, and shimmered in the firelight. The skywas clear and dark blue and thickly studded with stars. The shores werehidden by the reed islands except toward the west. There Mount Ombergloomed up high and dark, much more impressive than usual
, and, cut awaya big, three-cornered piece of the vaulted heavens.
The other one turned his head to get the light out of his eyes, andlooked about him. "Yes, it is lovely here in Oestergylln," said he."Still the best thing about the province is not its beauty." "Then whatis it that's best?" asked the oarsman. "That it has always been arespected and honoured province." "That may be true enough." "And thenthis, that one knows it will always continue to be so." "But how in theworld can one know this?" said the one who sat at the oars.
The farmer straightened up where he stood and braced himself with thespear. "There is an old story which has been handed down from father toson in my family; and in it one learns what will happen toOestergoetland." "Then you may as well tell it to me," said the oarsman."We do not tell it to
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