Nils Holgerssons underbara resa. English

by Selma Lagerlöf

stood here."

  In a twinkling the boy remembered all that he and the goosey-gander hadsuffered on ice-bound lakes and stormy seas and among wild beasts ofprey. His heart swelled with gratitude; he conquered himself and knockedon the door.

  "Is there some one who wishes to come in?" asked his father, opening thedoor.

  "Mother, you sha'n't touch the goosey-gander!" cried the boy.

  Instantly both the goosey-gander and Dunfin, who lay on a bench withtheir feet tied, gave a cry of joy, so that he was sure they were alive.

  Some one else gave a cry of joy--his _mother_!

  "My, but you have grown tall and handsome!" she exclaimed.

  The boy had not entered the cabin, but was standing on the doorstep,like one who is not quite certain how he will be received.

  "The Lord be praised that I have you back again!" said his mother,laughing and crying. "Come in, my boy! Come in!"

  "Welcome!" added his father, and not another word could he utter.

  But the boy still lingered at the threshold. He could not comprehend whythey were so glad to see him--such as he was. Then his mother came andput her arms around him and drew him into the room, and he knew that hewas all right.

  "Mother and father!" he cried. "I'm a big boy. I am a human beingagain!"

  THE PARTING WITH THE WILD GEESE

  _Wednesday, November ninth_.

  The boy arose before dawn and wandered down to the coast. He wasstanding alone on the strand east of Smyge fishing hamlet beforesunrise. He had already been in the pen with Morten Goosey-Gander to tryto rouse him, but the big white gander had no desire to leave home. Hedid not say a word, but only stuck his bill under his wing and went tosleep again.

  To all appearances the weather promised to be almost as perfect as ithad been that spring day when the wild geese came to Skane. There washardly a ripple on the water; the air was still and the boy thought ofthe good passage the geese would have. He himself was as yet in a kindof daze--sometimes thinking he was an elf, sometimes a human being. Whenhe saw a stone hedge alongside the road, he was afraid to go fartheruntil he had made sure that no wild animal or vulture lurked behind it.Very soon he laughed to himself and rejoiced because he was big andstrong and did not have to be afraid of anything.

  When he reached the coast he stationed himself, big as he was, at thevery edge of the strand, so that the wild geese could see him.

  It was a busy day for the birds of passage. Bird calls sounded on theair continuously. The boy smiled as he thought that no one but himselfunderstood what the birds were saying to one another. Presently wildgeese came flying; one big flock following another.

  "Just so it's not my geese that are going away without bidding mefarewell," he thought. He wanted so much to tell them how everything hadturned out, and to show them that he was no longer an elf but a humanbeing.

  There came a flock that flew faster and cackled louder than the others,and something told him that this must be _the_ flock, but now he was notquite so sure about it as he would have been the day before.

  The flock slackened its flight and circled up and down along the coast.

  The boy knew it was the right one, but he could not understand why thegeese did not come straight down to him. They could not avoid seeing himwhere he stood. He tried to give a call that would bring them down tohim, but only think! his tongue would not obey him. He could not makethe right sound! He heard Akka's calls, but did not understand what shesaid.

  "What can this mean? Have the wild geese changed their language?" hewondered.

  He waved his cap to them and ran along the shore calling.

  "Here am I, where are you?"

  But this seemed only to frighten the geese. They rose and flew fartherout to sea. At last he understood. They did not know that he was human,had not recognized him. He could not call them to him because humanbeings can not speak the language of birds. He could not speak theirlanguage, nor could he understand it.

  Although the boy was very glad to be released from the enchantment,still he thought it hard that because of this he should be parted fromhis old comrades.

  He sat down on the sands and buried his face in his hands. What was theuse of his gazing after them any more?

  Presently he heard the rustle of wings. Old mother Akka had found ithard to fly away from Thumbietot, and turned back, and now that the boysat quite still she ventured to fly nearer to him. Suddenly somethingmust have told her who he was, for she lit close beside him.

  Nils gave a cry of joy and took old Akka in his arms. The other wildgeese crowded round him and stroked him with their bills. They cackledand chattered and wished him all kinds of good luck, and he, too, talkedto them and thanked them for the wonderful journey which he had beenprivileged to make in their company.

  All at once the wild geese became strangely quiet and withdrew from him,as if to say:

  "Alas! he is a man. He does not understand us: we do not understandhim!"

  Then the boy rose and went over to Akka; he stroked her and patted her.He did the same to Yksi and Kaksi, Kolme and Neljae, Viisi and Kuusi--theold birds who had been his companions from the very start.

  After that he walked farther up the strand. He knew perfectly well thatthe sorrows of the birds do not last long, and he wanted to part withthem while they were still sad at losing him.

  As he crossed the shore meadows he turned and watched the many flocks ofbirds that were flying over the sea. All were shrieking their coaxingcalls--only one goose flock flew silently on as long as he could followit with his eyes. The wedge was perfect, the speed good, and the wingstrokes strong and certain.

  The boy felt such a yearning for his departing comrades that he almostwished he were Thumbietot again and could travel over land and sea witha flock of wild geese.

  TABLE OF PRONUNCIATION

  The final _e_ is sounded in Skane, Sirle, Gripe, etc.

  The _a_ in Skane and Smaland is pronounced like _o_ in ore.

  _j_ is like the English _y_. Nuolja, Oviksfjaellen, Sjangeli, Jarro,etc., should sound as if they were spelled like this: Nuolya,Oviksfyellen, Syang [one syllable] elee, Yarro, etc.

  _g_, when followed by _e, i, y, ae, oe_, is also like _y_. Example, Goetais pronounced Yoeta.

  When _g_ is followed by _a, o, u_, or _a_, it is hard, as in go.

  _k_ in Norrkoeping, Linkoeping, Kivik (pronounced Cheeveek), etc., is like_ch_ in cheer.

  _k_ is hard when it precedes _a, o, u_, or _a_. Example, Kaksi, Kolmi,etc.

  _ae_ is pronounced like _ae_ in fare. Example, Faers.

  There is no sound in the English language which corresponds to theSwedish _oe_. It is like the French _eu_ in jeu.

  Gripe is pronounced Greep-e.

  In Sirle, the first syllable has the same sound as _sir_, in sirup.

  The names which Miss Lagerloef has given to the animals are descriptive.

  Smirre Fox, is cunning fox.

  Sirle Squirrel, is graceful, or nimble squirrel.

  Gripe Otter, means grabbing or clutching otter.

  Mons is a pet name applied to cats; like our tommy or pussy. Monsiehouse-cat is equivalent to Tommy house-cat.

  Marten gaskarl (Morten Goosie-gander) is a pet name for a tame gander,just as we use Dickie-bird for a pet bird.

  Fru is the Swedish for Mrs. This title is usually applied to gentlewomenonly. The author has used this meaning of "fru."

  A Goa-Nisse is an elf-king, and corresponds to the English Puck or RobinGoodfellow.

  VELMA SWANSTON HOWARD.