Nils Holgerssons underbara resa. English

by Selma Lagerlöf

here?"

  "I understand that you take me for one of the tiny folk," said themidget, "but I'm a human being, like yourself, although I have beentransformed by an elf."

  "That is the most remarkable thing I have ever heard! Wouldn't you liketo tell me how you happened to get into such a plight?"

  The boy did not mind telling her of his adventures, and, as thenarrative proceeded, she who listened to him grew more and moreastonished and happy.

  "What luck to run across one who has travelled all over Sweden on theback of a goose!" thought she. "Just this which he is relating I shallwrite down in my book. Now I need worry no more over that matter. It waswell that I came home. To think that I should find such help as soon asI came to the old place!"

  Instantly another thought flashed into her mind. She had sent word toher father by the doves that she longed for home, and almost immediatelyshe had received help in the matter she had pondered so long. Might notthis be the father's answer to her prayer?

  THE TREASURE ON THE ISLAND

  ON THEIR WAY TO THE SEA

  _Friday, October seventh_.

  From the very start of the autumn trip the wild geese had flown straightsouth; but when they left Fryksdalen they veered in another direction,travelling over western Vermland and Dalsland, toward Bohuslaen.

  That was a jolly trip! The goslings were now so used to flying that theycomplained no more of fatigue, and the boy was fast recovering his goodhumour. He was glad that he had talked with a human being. He feltencouraged when she said to him that if he were to continue doing goodto all whom he met, as heretofore, it could not end badly for him. Shewas not able to tell him how to get back his natural form, but she hadgiven him a little hope and assurance, which inspired the boy to thinkout a way to prevent the big white gander from going home.

  "Do you know, Morten Goosey-Gander, that it will be rather monotonousfor us to stay at home all winter after having been on a trip likethis," he said, as they were flying far up in the air. "I'm sitting herethinking that we ought to go abroad with the geese."

  "Surely you are not in earnest!" said the goosey-gander. Since he hadproved to the wild geese his ability to travel with them all the way toLapland, he was perfectly satisfied to get back to the goose pen inHolger Nilsson's cow shed.

  The boy sat silently a while and gazed down on Vermland, where the birchwoods, leafy groves, and gardens were clad in red and yellow autumncolours.

  "I don't think I've ever seen the earth beneath us as lovely as it isto-day!" he finally remarked. "The lakes are like blue satin bands.Don't you think it would be a pity to settle down in West Vemminghoeg andnever see any more of the world?"

  "I thought you wanted to go home to your mother and father and show themwhat a splendid boy you had become?" said the goosey-gander.

  All summer he had been dreaming of what a proud moment it would be forhim when he should alight in the house yard before Holger Nilsson'scabin and show Dunfin and the six goslings to the geese and chickens,the cows and the cat, and to Mother Holger Nilsson herself, so that hewas not very happy over the boy's proposal.

  "Now, Morten Goosey-Gander, don't you think yourself that it would behard never to see anything more that is beautiful!" said the boy.

  "I would rather see the fat grain fields of Soederslaett than these leanhills," answered the goosey-gander. "But you must know very well thatif you really wish to continue the trip, I can't be parted from you."

  "That is just the answer I had expected from you," said the boy, and hisvoice betrayed that he was relieved of a great anxiety.

  Later, when they travelled over Bohuslaen, the boy observed that themountain stretches were more continuous, the valleys were more likelittle ravines blasted in the rock foundation, while the long lakes attheir base were as black as if they had come from the underworld. This,too, was a glorious country, and as the boy saw it, with now a strip ofsun, now a shadow, he thought that there was something strange and wildabout it. He knew not why, but the idea came to him that once upon atime there were many strong and brave heroes in these mystical regionswho had passed through many dangerous and daring adventures. The oldpassion of wanting to share in all sorts of wonderful adventures awokein him.

  "I might possibly miss not being in danger of my life at least onceevery day or two," he thought. "Anyhow it's best to be content withthings as they are."

  He did not speak of this idea to the big white gander, because the geesewere now flying over Bohuslaen with all the speed they could muster, andthe goosey-gander was puffing so hard that he would not have had thestrength to reply.

  The sun was far down on the horizon, and disappeared every now and thenbehind a hill; still the geese kept forging ahead.

  Finally, in the west, they saw a shining strip of light, which grewbroader and broader with every wing stroke. Soon the sea spread beforethem, milk white with a shimmer of rose red and sky blue, and when theyhad circled past the coast cliffs they saw the sun again, as it hungover the sea, big and red and ready to plunge into the waves.

  As the boy gazed at the broad, endless sea and the red evening sun,which had such a kindly glow that he dared to look straight at it, hefelt a sense of peace and calm penetrate his soul.

  "It's not worth while to be sad, Nils Holgersson," said the Sun. "Thisis a beautiful world to live in both for big and little. It is also goodto be free and happy, and to have a great dome of open sky above you."

  THE GIFT OF THE WILD GEESE

  The geese stood sleeping on a little rock islet just beyond Fjaellbacka.When it drew on toward midnight, and the moon hung high in the heavens,old Akka shook the sleepiness out of her eyes. After that she walkedaround and awakened Yksi and Kaksi, Kolme and Neljae, Viisi and Kuusi,and, last of all, she gave Thumbietot a nudge with her bill thatstartled him.

  "What is it, Mother Akka?" he asked, springing up in alarm.

  "Nothing serious," assured the leader-goose. "It's just this: we sevenwho have been long together want to fly a short distance out to seato-night, and we wondered if you would care to come with us."

  The boy knew that Akka would not have proposed this move had there notbeen something important on foot, so he promptly seated himself on herback. The flight was straight west. The wild geese first flew over abelt of large and small islands near the coast, then over a broadexpanse of open sea, till they reached the large cluster known as theVaeder Islands. All of them were low and rocky, and in the moonlight onecould see that they were rather large.

  Akka looked at one of the smallest islands and alighted there. Itconsisted of a round, gray stone hill, with a wide cleft across it, intowhich the sea had cast fine, white sea sand and a few shells.

  As the boy slid from the goose's back he noticed something quite closeto him that looked like a jagged stone. But almost at once he saw thatit was a big vulture which had chosen the rock island for a nightharbour. Before the boy had time to wonder at the geese recklesslyalighting so near a dangerous enemy, the bird flew up to them and theboy recognized Gorgo, the eagle.

  Evidently Akka and Gorgo had arranged the meeting, for neither of themwas taken by surprise.

  "This was good of you, Gorgo," said Akka. "I didn't expect that youwould be at the meeting place ahead of us. Have you been here long?"

  "I came early in the evening," replied Gorgo. "But I fear that the onlypraise I deserve is for keeping my appointment with you. I've not beenvery successful in carrying out the orders you gave me."

  "I'm sure, Gorgo, that you have done more than you care to admit,"assured Akka. "But before you relate your experiences on the trip, Ishall ask Thumbietot to help me find something which is supposed to beburied on this island."

  The boy stood gazing admiringly at two beautiful shells, but when Akkaspoke his name, he glanced up.

  "You must have wondered, Thumbietot, why we turned out of our course tofly here to the West Sea," said Akka.

  "To be frank, I did think it strange," answered the boy. "But I knew, ofcourse, that you always have some good
reason for whatever you do."

  "You have a good opinion of me," returned Akka, "but I almost fear youwill lose it now, for it's very probable that we have made this journeyin vain.

  "Many years ago it happened that two of the other old geese and myselfencountered frightful storms during a spring flight and were wind-drivento this island. When we discovered that there was only open sea beforeus, we feared we should be swept so far out that we should never findour way back to land, so we lay down on the waves between these barecliffs, where the storm compelled us to remain for several days.

  "We suffered terribly from hunger; once we ventured up to the cleft onthis island in search of food. We couldn't find a green blade, but wesaw a number of