The Most Beloved Works and Christmas Books of Selma Lagerlöf. Selma Lagerlöf

Akka and the other wild geese tried to swim over to him, but were jostled hither and thither and could not get to him.

      The old swan-king, who was the strongest among them, swam off quickly, pushed all the others aside, and made his way over to the big white gander. But when he saw that there really was a white goose on the water, he was just as indignant as the rest.

      He hissed with rage, flew straight at Morten Goosey-Gander and tore out a few feathers.

      "I'll teach you a lesson, wild goose," he shrieked, "so that you'll not come again to the swans, togged out in this way!"

      "Fly, Morten Goosey-Gander! Fly, fly!" cried Akka, for she knew that otherwise the swans would pull out every feather the goosey-gander had.

      "Fly, fly!" screamed Thumbietot, too.

      But the goosey-gander was so hedged in by the swans that he had not room enough to spread his wings. All around him the swans stretched their long necks, opened their strong bills, and plucked his feathers.

      Morten Goosey-Gander defended himself as best he could, by striking and biting. The wild geese also began to fight the swans.

      It was obvious how this would have ended had the geese not received help quite unexpectedly.

      A red-tail noticed that they were being roughly treated by the swans. Instantly he cried out the shrill call that little birds use when they need help to drive off a hawk or a falcon.

      Three calls had barely sounded when all the little birds in the vicinity came shooting down to Hjälsta Bay, as if on wings of lightning.

      These delicate little creatures swooped down upon the swans, screeched in their ears, and obstructed their view with the flutter of their tiny wings. They made them dizzy with their fluttering and drove them to distraction with their cries of "Shame, shame, swans!"

      The attack of the small birds lasted but a moment. When they were gone and the swans came to their senses, they saw that the geese had risen and flown over to the other end of the bay.

      THE NEW WATCH-DOG

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      There was this at least to be said in the swans' favour—when they saw that the wild geese had escaped, they were too proud to chase them. Moreover, the geese could stand on a clump of reeds with perfect composure, and sleep.

      Nils Holgersson was too hungry to sleep.

      "It is necessary for me to get something to eat," he said.

      At that time, when all kinds of things were floating on the water, it was not difficult for a little boy like Nils Holgersson to find a craft. He did not stop to deliberate, but hopped down on a stump that had drifted in amongst the reeds. Then he picked up a little stick and began to pole toward shore.

      Just as he was landing, he heard a splash in the water. He stopped short. First he saw a lady swan asleep in her big nest quite close to him, then he noticed that a fox had taken a few steps into the water and was sneaking up to the swan's nest.

      "Hi, hi, hi! Get up, get up!" cried the boy, beating the water with his stick.

      The lady swan rose, but not so quickly but that the fox could have pounced upon her had he cared to. However, he refrained and instead hurried straight toward the boy.

      Thumbietot saw the fox coming and ran for his life.

      Wide stretches of meadow land spread before him. He saw no tree that he could climb, no hole where he might hide; he just had to keep running.

      The boy was a good runner, but it stands to reason that he could not race with a fox!

      Not far from the bay there were a number of little cabins, with candle lights shining through the windows. Naturally the boy ran in that direction, but he realized that long before he could reach the nearest cabin the fox would catch up to him.

      Once the fox was so close that it looked as if the boy would surely be his 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 the latter 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 boy ask 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 the men taking him for a dog, for he went straight up to them.

      "Whose dog can that be sneaking around here?" queried one. "He looks as though 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 to the 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 go in with them; but when he got to the stoop he saw a big, shaggy watch-dog rush out from his kennel to greet his master. Suddenly the boy changed his mind and remained out in the open.

      "Listen, watch-dog!" whispered the boy as soon as the men had shut the door. "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 being chained.

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

      "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 dog returned. "They say that you have done wonderful things for one of your size."

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

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

      "It will take something besides a fine bark to scare that fox!" the boy remarked. "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 was quiet he crept along cautiously. He scented the boy all the way to the kennel, but halted at a safe distance and sat down to think of some way to 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 more hunting 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.