Nils Holgerssons underbara resa. English

by Selma Lagerlöf

there were a number of little cabins, with candlelights shining through the windows. Naturally the boy ran in thatdirection, but he realized that long before he could reach the nearestcabin the fox would catch up to him.

  Once the fox was so close that it looked as if the boy would surely behis prey, but Nils quickly sprang aside and turned back toward the bay.By that move the fox lost time, and before he could reach the boy thelatter had run up to two men who were on their way home from work.

  The men were tired and sleepy; they had noticed neither boy nor fox,although both had been running right in front of them. Nor did the boyask help of the men; he was content to walk close beside them.

  "Surely the fox won't venture to come up to the men," he thought.

  But presently the fox came pattering along. He probably counted on themen taking him for a dog, for he went straight up to them.

  "Whose dog can that be sneaking around here?" queried one. "He looks asthough he were ready to bite."

  The other paused and glanced back.

  "Go along with you!" he said, and gave the fox a kick that sent it tothe opposite side of the road. "What are you doing here?"

  After that the fox kept at a safe distance, but followed all the while.

  Presently the men reached a cabin and entered it. The boy intended to goin with them; but when he got to the stoop he saw a big, shaggywatch-dog rush out from his kennel to greet his master. Suddenly the boychanged his mind and remained out in the open.

  "Listen, watch-dog!" whispered the boy as soon as the men had shut thedoor. "I wonder if you would like to help me catch a fox to-night?"

  The dog had poor eyesight and had become irritable and cranky from beingchained.

  "What, I catch a fox?" he barked angrily. "Who are you that makes fun ofme? You just come within my reach and I'll teach you not to fool withme!"

  "You needn't think that I'm afraid to come near you!" said the boy,running up to the dog.

  When the dog saw him he was so astonished that he could not speak.

  "I'm the one they call Thumbietot, who travels with the wild geese,"said the boy, introducing himself. "Haven't you heard of me?"

  "I believe the sparrows have twittered a little about you," the dogreturned. "They say that you have done wonderful things for one of yoursize."

  "I've been rather lucky up to the present," admitted the boy. "But nowit's all up with me unless you help me! There's a fox at my heels. He'slying in wait for me around the corner."

  "Don't you suppose I can smell him?" retorted the dog. "But we'll soonbe rid of him!" With that the dog sprang as far as the chain wouldallow, barking and growling for ever so long. "Now I don't think he willshow his face again to-night!" said the dog.

  "It will take something besides a fine bark to scare that fox!" the boyremarked. "He'll soon be here again, and that is precisely what I wish,for I have set my heart on your catching him."

  "Are you poking fun at me now?" asked the dog.

  "Only come with me into your kennel, and I'll tell you what to do."

  The boy and the watch-dog crept into the kennel and crouched there,whispering.

  By and by the fox stuck his nose out from his hiding place. When all wasquiet he crept along cautiously. He scented the boy all the way to thekennel, but halted at a safe distance and sat down to think of some wayto coax him out.

  Suddenly the watch-dog poked his head out and growled at him:

  "Go away, or I'll catch you!"

  "I'll sit here as long as I please for all of you!" defied the fox.

  "Go away!" repeated the dog threateningly, "or there will be no morehunting for you after to-night."

  But the fox only grinned and did not move an inch.

  "I know how far your chain can reach," he said.

  "I have warned you twice," said the dog, coming out from his kennel."Now blame yourself!"

  With that the dog sprang at the fox and caught him without the leasteffort, for he was loose. The boy had unbuckled his collar.

  There was a hot struggle, but it was soon over. The dog was the victor.The fox lay on the ground and dared not move.

  "Don't stir or I'll kill you!" snarled the dog. Then he took the fox bythe scruff of the neck and dragged him to the kennel. There the boy wasready with the chain. He placed the dog collar around the neck of thefox, tightening it so that he was securely chained. During all this thefox had to lie still, for he was afraid to move.

  "Now, Smirre Fox, I hope you'll make a good watch-dog," laughed the boywhen he had finished.

  DUNFIN

  THE CITY THAT FLOATS ON THE WATER

  _Friday, May sixth_.

  No one could be more gentle and kind than the little gray goose Dunfin.All the wild geese loved her, and the tame white goosey-gander wouldhave died for her. When Dunfin asked for anything not even Akka couldsay no.

  As soon as Dunfin came to Lake Maelar the landscape looked familiar toher. Just beyond the lake lay the sea, with many wooded islands, andthere, on a little islet, lived her parents and her brothers andsisters. She begged the wild geese to fly to her home before travellingfarther north, that she might let her family see that she was stillalive. It would be such a joy to them.

  Akka frankly declared that she thought Dunfin's parents and brothers andsisters had shown no great love for her when they abandoned her atOeland, but Dunfin would not admit that Akka was in the right. "What elsewas there to do, when they saw that I could not fly?" she protested."Surely they couldn't remain at Oeland on my account!"

  Dunfin began telling the wild geese all about her home in thearchipelago, to try to induce them to make the trip. Her family lived ona rock island. Seen from a distance, there appeared to be nothing butstone there; but when one came closer, there were to be found thechoicest goose tidbits in clefts and hollows, and one might search longfor better nesting places than those that were hidden in the mountaincrevices or among the osier bushes. But the best of all was the oldfisherman who lived there. Dunfin had heard that in his youth he hadbeen a great shot and had always lain in the offing and hunted birds.But now, in his old age--since his wife had died and the children hadgone from home, so that he was alone in the hut--he had begun to carefor the birds on his island. He never fired a shot at them, nor would hepermit others to do so. He walked around amongst the birds' nests, andwhen the mother birds were sitting he brought them food. Not one wasafraid of him. They all loved him.

  Dunfin had been in his hut many times, and he had fed her with breadcrumbs. Because he was kind to the birds, they flocked to his island insuch great numbers that it was becoming overcrowded. If one happened toarrive a little late in the spring, all the nesting places wereoccupied. That was why Dunfin's family had been obliged to leave her.

  Dunfin begged so hard that she finally had her way, although the wildgeese felt that they were losing time and really should be goingstraight north. But a little trip like this to the cliff island wouldnot delay them more than a day.

  So they started off one morning, after fortifying themselves with a goodbreakfast, and flew eastward over Lake Maelar. The boy did not know forcertain where they were going; but he noticed that the farther east theyflew, the livelier it was on the lake and the more built up were theshores.

  Heavily freighted barges and sloops, boats and fishing smacks were ontheir way east, and these were met and passed by many pretty whitesteamers. Along the shores ran country roads and railway tracks--all inthe same direction. There was some place beyond in the east where allwished to go to in the morning.

  On one of the islands the boy saw a big, white castle, and to the eastof it the shores were dotted with villas. At the start these lay farapart, then they became closer and closer, and, presently, the wholeshore was lined with them. They were of every variety--here a castle,there a cottage; then a low manor house appeared, or a mansion, withmany small towers. Some stood in gardens, but most of them were in thewild woods which bordered the shores. Despite their dissimilarity, theyhad one point of resemblance--they
were not plain and sombre-looking,like other buildings, but were gaudily painted in striking greens andblues, reds and white, like children's playhouses.

  As the boy sat on the goose's back and glanced down at the curious shoremansions, Dunfin cried out with delight: "Now I know where I am! Overthere lies the City that Floats on the Water."

  The boy looked ahead. At first he saw nothing but some light clouds andmists rolling forward over the water, but soon he caught sight of sometall spires, and then one and another house with many rows of windows.They appeared and disappeared--rolling hither and thither--but not astrip of shore did he see! Everything over there appeared to be restingon the water.

  Nearer to the city he saw no more pretty