Nils's Wonderful Journey with the Wild Geese (second version)
Selma Lagerlöf
Nils' wonderful journey with wild geese
Chapter I. FOREST GNOME
In the small Swedish village of Vestmenheg, there once lived a boy named Nils. In appearance - a boy like a boy.
And there was no trouble with him.
During lessons, he counted crows and caught twos, destroyed birds' nests in the forest, teased geese in the yard, chased chickens, threw stones at cows, and pulled the cat by the tail, as if the tail was a rope from a doorbell.
He lived like this until he was twelve years old. And then an extraordinary incident happened to him.
That's how it was.
One Sunday, father and mother gathered for a fair in a neighboring village. Nils couldn't wait for them to leave.
“Let’s go quickly! - Nils thought, looking at his father’s gun, which was hanging on the wall. “The boys will burst with envy when they see me with a gun.”
But his father seemed to guess his thoughts.
Look, not a step out of the house! - he said. - Open your textbook and come to your senses. Do you hear?
“I hear,” Nils answered, and thought to himself: “So I’ll start spending Sunday on lessons!”
Study, son, study,” said the mother.
She even took out a textbook from the shelf herself, put it on the table and pulled up a chair.
And the father counted out ten pages and strictly ordered:
So that by the time we return he knows everything by heart. I'll check it myself.
Finally, father and mother left.
“It’s good for them, they walk so merrily! - Nils sighed heavily. “I definitely fell into a mousetrap with these lessons!”
Well, what can you do! Nils knew that his father was not to be trifled with. He sighed again and sat down at the table. True, he was looking not so much at the book as at the window. After all, it was much more interesting!
According to the calendar, it was still March, but here in the south of Sweden, spring had already managed to outdo winter. Water ran merrily in the ditches. The buds on the trees have swelled. The beech forest straightened its branches, numb in the winter cold, and now stretched upward, as if it wanted to reach the blue spring sky.
And right under the window, chickens walked with an important air, sparrows jumped and fought, geese splashed in muddy puddles. Even the cows locked in the barn sensed spring and mooed loudly, as if asking: “You-let us out, you-let us out!”
Nils also wanted to sing, and scream, and splash in puddles, and fight with the neighboring boys. He turned away from the window in frustration and stared at the book. But he didn't read much. For some reason the letters began to jump before his eyes, the lines either merged or scattered... Nils himself did not notice how he fell asleep.
Who knows, maybe Nils would have slept all day if some rustling had not woken him up.
Nils raised his head and became wary.
The mirror that hung above the table reflected the entire room. There is no one in the room except Nils... Everything seems to be in its place, everything is in order...
And suddenly Nils almost screamed. Someone opened the lid of the chest!
The mother kept all her jewelry in the chest. There lay the outfits that she wore in her youth - wide skirts made of homespun peasant cloth, bodices embroidered with colored beads; starched caps as white as snow, silver buckles and chains.
Mother did not allow anyone to open the chest without her, and she did not let Nils come close to it. And there’s nothing to even say about the fact that she could leave the house without locking the chest! There has never been such a case. And even today - Nils remembered this very well - his mother returned from the threshold twice to tug on the lock - did it latch well?
Who opened the chest?
Maybe while Nils was sleeping, a thief got into the house and is now hiding somewhere here, behind the door or behind the closet?
Nils held his breath and peered into the mirror without blinking.
What is that shadow there in the corner of the chest? Here it moved... Now it crawled along the edge... A mouse? No, it doesn't look like a mouse...
Nils couldn't believe his eyes. There was a little man sitting on the edge of the chest. He seemed to have stepped out of a Sunday calendar picture. On his head is a wide-brimmed hat, a black caftan is decorated with a lace collar and cuffs, stockings at the knees are tied with lush bows, and silver buckles glitter on red morocco shoes.
“But it’s a gnome! - Nils guessed. “A real gnome!”
Mother often told Nils about gnomes. They live in the forest. They can speak human, bird, and animal. They know about all the treasures that were buried in the ground at least a hundred or a thousand years ago. If the gnomes want it, the flowers will bloom in the snow in winter; if they want it, the rivers will freeze in the summer.
Well, there’s nothing to be afraid of the gnome. What harm could such a tiny creature do?
Moreover, the dwarf did not pay any attention to Nils. He seemed to see nothing except a velvet sleeveless vest, embroidered with small freshwater pearls, that lay in the chest at the very top.
While the gnome was admiring the intricate ancient pattern, Nils was already wondering what kind of trick he could play with his amazing guest.
It would be nice to push it into the chest and then slam the lid. And here's what else you can do...
Without turning his head, Nils looked around the room. In the mirror she was all there in front of him in full view. A coffee pot, a teapot, bowls, pots were lined up in strict order on the shelves... By the window there was a chest of drawers filled with all sorts of things... But on the wall - next to my father's gun - was a fly net. Just what you need!
Nils carefully slid to the floor and pulled the net off the nail.
One swing - and the gnome hid in the net like a caught dragonfly.
His wide-brimmed hat was knocked to one side, his feet were entangled in the skirts of his caftan. He floundered at the bottom of the net and waved his arms helplessly. But as soon as he managed to rise a little, Nils shook the net, and the gnome fell down again.
Listen, Nils,” the dwarf finally begged, “let me go free!” I'll give you a gold coin for this, as big as the button on your shirt.
Nils thought for a moment.
Well, that’s probably not bad,” he said and stopped swinging the net.
Clinging to the sparse fabric, the gnome deftly climbed up. He had already grabbed the iron hoop, and his head appeared above the edge of the net...
Then it occurred to Nils that he had sold himself short. In addition to the gold coin, he could demand that the dwarf teach his lessons for him. You never know what else you can think of! The gnome will now agree to everything! When you're sitting in a net, you can't argue.
And Nils shook the net again.
But then suddenly someone gave him such a slap in the face that the net fell out of his hands, and he rolled head over heels into a corner.
For a minute Nils lay motionless, then, groaning and groaning, he stood up.
The gnome is already gone. The chest was closed, and the net hung in its place - next to his father's gun.
“I dreamed all this, or what? - thought Nils. - No, my right cheek is burning, as if an iron was passed over it. This gnome hit me so hard! Of course, father and mother will not believe that the gnome visited us. They will say - all your inventions, so as not to learn your lessons. No, no matter how you look at it, we must sit down to read the book again!”
Nils took two steps and stopped. Something happened to the room. The walls of their small house moved apart, the ceiling went high, and the chair on which Nils always sat rose above him like an impregnable mountain. To climb it, Nils had to climb the twisted leg, like a gnarled oak trunk. The book was still on the table, but it was so huge that Nils could not see a single letter at the top of the page. He lay down on his stomach on the book and crawled from line to line, from word to word. He was literally exhausted while reading one phrase.
"Nils's Wonderful Journey with the Wild Geese"(“The Wonderful Journey of Nils Holgersson in Sweden”, Swedish. Nils Holgerssons underbara resa genom Sverige) is a fairy tale story written by Selma Lagerlöf.
Encyclopedic YouTube
-
1 / 5
The book was originally conceived as a fascinating guide to the geography of Sweden in literary form for first grade students, 9 year olds. In Sweden, a “State Reading Book” already existed since 1868, but, innovative for its time, it lost relevance by the end of the 19th century.
One of the leaders of the General Union of Public School Teachers, Alfred Dahlin, proposed creating new book, on which educators and writers would collaborate. His choice fell on Selma Lagerlöf, already famous for her novel "The Saga of Jöst Berling", and besides, she was a former teacher. Lagerlöf agreed to Dahlin's proposal, but refused to collaborate. She began work on the book in the summer of 1904.
The writer believed that it was necessary to create several textbooks for schoolchildren of different ages: the first grade should have received a book on the geography of Sweden, the second - on native history, the third and fourth - descriptions of other countries of the world, discoveries and inventions, the social structure of the country. The Lagerlöf project was eventually implemented, and the first in a series of textbook books was "The Amazing Journey of Nils...". Then they went out "The Swedes and their leaders" Werner von Heidenstam and "From Pole to Pole" Sven Hedin.
At the suggestion of Lagerlöf, Alfred Dahlin, wishing to obtain as complete information as possible on the lifestyle and occupations of the population in different corners countries, as well as ethnographic and folklore materials, compiled and sent out questionnaires for public school teachers in the summer of 1902.
Lagerlöf was working on a novel at the time "Jerusalem" and was getting ready to travel around Italy:
...I will think about the form of the book that would most effectively help to put wisdom about our country into these little heads. Perhaps old legends will help us... And that’s why I would like to start by looking at the materials that you managed to obtain. (From a letter from Lagerlöf to Dahlin)
Studying the collected material, the writer, by her own admission, realized how little she knew about the country:
All sciences have stepped forward so incredibly since I graduated from school!
To increase her knowledge, she traveled to Blekinge, Småland, Norrland and the Falun mine. Returning to work on the book, Lagerlöf was looking for a plot that would help her create huge amount complete information work of art. The solution was suggested to her:
- books by Rudyard Kipling, where talking animals were the main characters;
- story by August Strindberg "The Journey of Lucky Feather";
- fairy tale by Richard Gustafson "Unknown Paradise" about a boy from Skåne who flew around the country with birds.
The first volume was published in Stockholm on November 24, 1906, the second in December 1907. The work became the most read in Scandinavia. By showing the country in the perception of a child and originally combining geography and fairy tales in one work, Lagerlöf, as the poet Karl Snoilsky said, infused “life and color into the dry desert sand of a school lesson.”
Nils, out of habit, grabs Morten's neck and ends up flying away with him. After some time, he decides that traveling to Lapland is much more interesting than his old life, and so refuses when the brownie informs him that he will make him human again if at the moment Nils decides to return home. Later, he accidentally learns that the brownie will return him to his previous appearance if Nils makes every effort to ensure that Morten returns home alive in the fall.
Selma Lagerlöf
Nils' Wonderful Journey with the Wild Geese
Chapter I. FOREST GNOME
In the small Swedish village of Vestmenheg, there once lived a boy named Nils. In appearance - a boy like a boy.
And there was no trouble with him.
During lessons, he counted crows and caught twos, destroyed birds' nests in the forest, teased geese in the yard, chased chickens, threw stones at cows, and pulled the cat by the tail, as if the tail was a rope from a doorbell.
He lived like this until he was twelve years old. And then an extraordinary incident happened to him.
That's how it was.
One Sunday, father and mother gathered for a fair in a neighboring village. Nils couldn't wait for them to leave.
“Let’s go quickly! - Nils thought, looking at his father’s gun, which was hanging on the wall. “The boys will burst with envy when they see me with a gun.”
But his father seemed to guess his thoughts.
Look, not a step out of the house! - he said. - Open your textbook and come to your senses. Do you hear?
“I hear,” Nils answered, and thought to himself: “So I’ll start spending Sunday on lessons!”
Study, son, study,” said the mother.
She even took out a textbook from the shelf herself, put it on the table and pulled up a chair.
And the father counted out ten pages and strictly ordered:
So that by the time we return he knows everything by heart. I'll check it myself.
Finally, father and mother left.
“It’s good for them, they walk so merrily! - Nils sighed heavily. “I definitely fell into a mousetrap with these lessons!”
Well, what can you do! Nils knew that his father was not to be trifled with. He sighed again and sat down at the table. True, he was looking not so much at the book as at the window. After all, it was much more interesting!
According to the calendar, it was still March, but here in the south of Sweden, spring had already managed to outdo winter. Water ran merrily in the ditches. The buds on the trees have swelled. The beech forest straightened its branches, numb in the winter cold, and now stretched upward, as if it wanted to reach the blue spring sky.
And right under the window, chickens walked with an important air, sparrows jumped and fought, geese splashed in muddy puddles. Even the cows locked in the barn sensed spring and mooed loudly, as if asking: “You-let us out, you-let us out!”
Nils also wanted to sing, and scream, and splash in puddles, and fight with the neighboring boys. He turned away from the window in frustration and stared at the book. But he didn't read much. For some reason the letters began to jump before his eyes, the lines either merged or scattered... Nils himself did not notice how he fell asleep.
Who knows, maybe Nils would have slept all day if some rustling had not woken him up.
Nils raised his head and became wary.
The mirror that hung above the table reflected the entire room. There is no one in the room except Nils... Everything seems to be in its place, everything is in order...
And suddenly Nils almost screamed. Someone opened the lid of the chest!
The mother kept all her jewelry in the chest. There lay the outfits that she wore in her youth - wide skirts made of homespun peasant cloth, bodices embroidered with colored beads; starched caps as white as snow, silver buckles and chains.
Mother did not allow anyone to open the chest without her, and she did not let Nils come close to it. And there’s nothing to even say about the fact that she could leave the house without locking the chest! There has never been such a case. And even today - Nils remembered this very well - his mother returned from the threshold twice to tug on the lock - did it latch well?
Who opened the chest?
Maybe while Nils was sleeping, a thief got into the house and is now hiding somewhere here, behind the door or behind the closet?
Nils held his breath and peered into the mirror without blinking.
What is that shadow there in the corner of the chest? Here it moved... Now it crawled along the edge... A mouse? No, it doesn't look like a mouse...
Nils couldn't believe his eyes. There was a little man sitting on the edge of the chest. He seemed to have stepped out of a Sunday calendar picture. On his head is a wide-brimmed hat, a black caftan is decorated with a lace collar and cuffs, stockings at the knees are tied with lush bows, and silver buckles glitter on red morocco shoes.
“But it’s a gnome! - Nils guessed. “A real gnome!”
Mother often told Nils about gnomes. They live in the forest. They can speak human, bird, and animal. They know about all the treasures that were buried in the ground at least a hundred or a thousand years ago. If the gnomes want it, the flowers will bloom in the snow in winter; if they want it, the rivers will freeze in the summer.
Well, there’s nothing to be afraid of the gnome. What harm could such a tiny creature do?
Moreover, the dwarf did not pay any attention to Nils. He seemed to see nothing except a velvet sleeveless vest, embroidered with small freshwater pearls, that lay in the chest at the very top.
While the gnome was admiring the intricate ancient pattern, Nils was already wondering what kind of trick he could play with his amazing guest.
It would be nice to push it into the chest and then slam the lid. And here's what else you can do...
Without turning his head, Nils looked around the room. In the mirror she was all there in front of him in full view. A coffee pot, a teapot, bowls, pots were lined up in strict order on the shelves... By the window there was a chest of drawers filled with all sorts of things... But on the wall - next to my father's gun - was a fly net. Just what you need!
Nils carefully slid to the floor and pulled the net off the nail.
One swing - and the gnome hid in the net like a caught dragonfly.
His wide-brimmed hat was knocked to one side, his feet were entangled in the skirts of his caftan. He floundered at the bottom of the net and waved his arms helplessly. But as soon as he managed to rise a little, Nils shook the net, and the gnome fell down again.
Listen, Nils,” the dwarf finally begged, “let me go free!” I'll give you a gold coin for this, as big as the button on your shirt.
Nils thought for a moment.
Well, that’s probably not bad,” he said and stopped swinging the net.
Clinging to the sparse fabric, the gnome deftly climbed up. He had already grabbed the iron hoop, and his head appeared above the edge of the net...
Then it occurred to Nils that he had sold himself short. In addition to the gold coin, he could demand that the dwarf teach his lessons for him. You never know what else you can think of! The gnome will now agree to everything! When you're sitting in a net, you can't argue.
And Nils shook the net again.
But then suddenly someone gave him such a slap in the face that the net fell out of his hands, and he rolled head over heels into a corner.
For a minute Nils lay motionless, then, groaning and groaning, he stood up.
The gnome is already gone. The chest was closed, and the net hung in its place - next to his father's gun.
“I dreamed all this, or what? - thought Nils. - No, my right cheek is burning, as if an iron was passed over it. This gnome hit me so hard! Of course, father and mother will not believe that the gnome visited us. They will say - all your inventions, so as not to learn your lessons. No, no matter how you look at it, we must sit down to read the book again!”
Current page: 1 (book has 10 pages in total)
Selma Lagerlöf
Nils' Wonderful Journey with the Wild Geese© Retelling, Zadunayskaya Z.M., inheritance, 2017
© Retelling, Lyubarskaya A.I., inheritance, 2017
© Translation, Marshak S.Ya., inheritance, 2017
© Bulatov E.V., ill., 2017
© Vasiliev O.V., ill., succession, 2017
© AST Publishing House LLC, 2017
* * *
Artists
E. Bulatov and O. Vasiliev
Chapter I
Forest gnome1
In the small Swedish village of Västmenhög there lived a boy named Nils. In appearance - a boy like a boy. And there was no trouble with him. During lessons, he counted crows and caught twos, destroyed birds' nests in the forest, teased geese, chased chickens, and threw stones at cows. He lived like this until he was twelve years old. And then an extraordinary incident happened to him. It was like this.
Nils was sitting at home alone.
The day was Sunday, and father and mother went to a neighboring village for a fair. Nils was also going with them. He even put on his festive plaid shirt with big, mother-of-pearl buttons like plaques and new leather pants. But this time he didn’t manage to show off his outfit.
As luck would have it, my father decided to check his school diary just before leaving. The grades were no worse than last week - even, perhaps, better: three twos and one one. How can you please your father?
His father ordered Nils to stay at home and study.
Of course, it was possible not to obey, but father recently bought a wide, hard belt with a heavy copper buckle and promised to replace it on Nils’ back at the first opportunity. What can you do?
Nils sat down at the table, opened the book and... began to look out the window.
Snow, warmed up March sun, has already melted.
Muddy streams ran merrily throughout the yard, spilling into wide lakes.
Chickens and roosters, raising their paws high, carefully walked around the puddles, and geese boldly climbed into cold water and they floundered in it and splashed, so that the splashes flew in all directions.
Nils himself would not have minded splashing on the water, if not for these unfortunate lessons.
He sighed heavily and stared at the textbook with annoyance.
But suddenly the door creaked and a large fluffy cat slipped into the room. Nils was very happy with him. He even forgot about all the abrasions and scratches that remained as a memory of their last battle.
- Mur-mur-mur! – Nils called the cat.
Seeing Nils, the cat arched its back and backed towards the door - he knew very well who he was dealing with. And his memory was not so short. After all, it’s also three days No sooner had Nils singed his mustache with a match.
- Well, go, go, my cat, go, little cat! Let’s play a little,” Nils persuaded him.
He leaned over the arm of the chair and lightly tickled the cat behind the ear.
It was very pleasant: the cat immediately softened, purred and began to rub against Nils’ leg.
And Nils was just waiting for this.
Once! – and the cat hung by its own tail.
- Me-a-a-u! – the cat screamed shrilly.
- Ay-yay! – Nils shouted even louder and threw the cat away: twisting in the air, the cat still managed to stroke Nils with its claws.
That's where their game ended.
The cat ran away, and Nils buried his face in the book again.
But he read a little.
For some reason the letters began to jump before his eyes, the lines either merged or scattered... Nils himself did not notice how he fell asleep.
2
Nils did not sleep for long - he was awakened by some rustling.
Nils raised his head. The mirror that hung above the table reflected the entire room.
Stretching his neck, Nils began to peer carefully into the mirror.
There was no one in the room.
And suddenly Nils saw that the chest in which his mother kept her party dresses, for some reason it is open.
Nils was scared. Maybe while he was sleeping, a thief got into the room and is now hiding somewhere here, behind a chest or closet?
Nils cowered and held his breath.
And then a shadow flashed in the mirror. It flashed again. More…
Someone was crawling slowly and carefully along the edge of the chest.
Mouse? No, not a mouse.
Nils stared straight into the mirror.
What a miracle! On the edge of the chest he clearly saw a small man. This little man had a pointed cap on his head, a long-skirted caftan that reached to his very heels, and on his feet were red morocco boots with silver buckles.
Why, it's a gnome! The real gnome!
Mother often told Nils about gnomes. They live in the forest. They can speak human, bird, and animal. They know about all the treasures that lie in the ground. If the gnomes want, flowers will bloom in the snow in winter; if they want, the rivers will freeze in summer.
But why did the gnome get here? What is he looking for in their chest?
- Come on, wait! “Here I am now,” Nils whispered and pulled the butterfly net off the nail.
One swing - and the gnome hid in the net like a caught dragonfly. His cap slipped down his nose and his legs got tangled in his wide caftan. He floundered helplessly and waved his arms, trying to grab the net. But as soon as he managed to get up, Nils shook the net, and the gnome fell down again.
“Listen, Nils,” the dwarf finally begged, “let me go free!” I'll give you a gold coin for this, as big as a button on your shirt.
Nils thought for a moment.
“Well, that’s probably not bad,” he said and stopped swinging the net.
Clinging to the rare fabric, the gnome deftly climbed up. Now he grabbed the iron hoop, and his cap appeared above the edge of the net...
Then it occurred to Nils that he had sold himself short. In addition to the gold coin, he could demand that the dwarf teach his lessons for him. You never know what else you can think of! The dwarf will now agree to everything! When you're sitting in a net, you won't bargain.
And Nils shook the net again.
But suddenly he received such a huge slap to the face that the net fell out of his hands, and he rolled head over heels into the corner.
3
For a minute Nils lay motionless, and then, groaning and groaning, he stood up.
The gnome is already gone. The chest was closed, and the butterfly net hung in its place - between the window and the closet.
– I dreamed all this, or what? - said Nils and, limping, trudged to his chair.
He took two steps and stopped. Something happened to the room. The walls of their small house moved apart, the ceiling went high, and the chair on which Nils always sat rose in front of him like an impregnable mountain. To climb it, Nils had to climb the twisted leg, like a gnarled oak trunk.
The book was still on the table, but it was so huge that Nils could not see a single letter at the top of the page. He lay down on his stomach on the book and slowly crawled from line to line, from word to word.
He started to sweat while he read one sentence.
- What the hell! “But I won’t even crawl to the end of the page by tomorrow,” said Nils and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.
And suddenly he saw that a tiny man was looking at him from the mirror - exactly the same as the gnome who was caught in his net. Only dressed differently: in leather pants and a plaid shirt with large buttons.
“Yes, there’s another one! – thought Nils. - And dressed up like that! I just came for a visit!”
- Hey, you, what do you want here? – Nils shouted and shook his fist at the little man.
The little man also shook his fist at Nils.
Nils put his hands on his hips and stuck out his tongue. The little man also put his hands on his hips and also stuck his tongue out at Nils.
Nils stamped his foot. And the little man stamped his foot.
Nils jumped, spun like a top, waved his arms, but the little man did not lag behind him. He also jumped, also spun like a top and waved his arms.
Then Nils sat down on the book and cried bitterly. He realized that the dwarf had bewitched him and that the little man looking at him from the mirror was himself, Nils Holgerson.
After crying a little, Nils wiped his eyes and decided to go look for the gnome. Maybe if he asks for forgiveness well, the gnome will turn him into a boy again?
Nils ran out into the yard. A sparrow was jumping in front of the house.
As soon as Nils appeared on the threshold, a sparrow flew up onto the fence and shouted at the top of its sparrow voice:
- Look at Nils! Look at Nils!
And the chickens flapped their wings and clucked vyingly:
- It serves him right! It serves him right!
And the amazing thing is that Nils understood everyone perfectly.
The geese surrounded Nils on all sides and, stretching their necks, hissed in his very ear:
- Good! Well, that's good! What, are you afraid now? Are you afraid? “And they pecked him, pinched him, gouged him with their beaks, pulled first by his arms, then by his legs.
Poor Nils would have had a very bad time if at that time a flock of wild geese had not flown over their village. They flew high in the sky, stretched out in a regular triangle, but when they saw their relatives - domestic geese - they descended lower and shouted:
- Ha-ha-ha! Fly with us! Fly with us! We're flying north to Lapland! To Lapland!
The domestic geese immediately forgot about Nils. They became excited, cackled, and flapped their wings, as if they were trying to see if they could fly. But the old goose - she was the grandmother of a good half of the geese - ran around them and shouted:
- They're crazy! We're crazy! Don't do anything stupid! After all, you are not some tramps, you are respectable domestic geese!
And then she raised her head and screamed into the sky:
- We’re good here too! We feel good here too!
Only one young goose did not listen to the advice of the old grandmother. Spreading his large white wings wide, he quickly ran across the yard.
- Wait for me, wait for me! - he shouted. - I'm flying with you! With you!
“But this is Martin, my mother’s best goose,” thought Nils. “Good luck, he’ll actually fly away!”
- Stop, stop! – Nils shouted and rushed after Martin. Nils barely caught up with him. He contrived, jumped up and, wrapping his arms around Martin’s long neck, hung on him. But the goose didn’t even feel it, as if Nils wasn’t there. He flapped his wings vigorously - once, twice - and, without expecting it, flew into the air.
Before Nils realized what had happened, they were already high in the sky.
Chapter II
Riding a goose1
The wind hit my face, tore my hair, howled and whistled in my ears. Nils sat astride the goose, like a rider on a galloping horse: he pulled his head into his shoulders, shrank and pressed his whole body against Martin’s neck. He grabbed the goose feathers tightly with his hands and closed his eyes in fear.
“Now I’ll fall, now I’ll fall,” he whispered with each flap of his large white wings. But ten minutes passed, twenty minutes passed, and he did not fall. Finally he gained courage and opened his eyes a little.
The gray wings of wild geese flashed to the right and left, clouds floated above Nils’s head, almost touching him, and far, far below the earth darkened. It didn't look like earth at all. It seemed as if someone had spread a huge checkered scarf. Some cells were completely black, others were yellowish-gray, and others were light green.
These were meadows covered with barely emerging grass, and newly plowed fields.
Fields gave way to dark forests, forests to lakes, lakes again to fields, and the geese kept flying and flying.
Nils was completely depressed.
“Good luck, they will actually take me to Lapland!” - he thought.
- Martin! Martin! - he shouted to the goose. - Turn home! Enough, let's attack!
But Martin didn't answer.
Then Nils spurred him with all his might with his wooden shoes.
Martin turned his head slightly and hissed:
- Listen, you! Sit still, or I’ll throw you off... Then you’ll fly upside down!
I had to sit still.
2
All day long the white goose Martin flew at a par with the whole flock, as if he had never been a domestic goose, as if all his life he had done nothing but fly.
“Where did he get such agility?” – Nils was surprised.
But by evening Martin began to give in. Now everyone could see that he was flying for almost a day: sometimes he would suddenly fall behind, sometimes he would rush forward, sometimes he would seem to fall into a hole, sometimes he would jump up.
And the wild geese saw it too.
– Akka Knebekaise! Akka Knebekaise! - they shouted.
– What do you need from me? - shouted the goose, flying ahead of everyone.
- White is behind!
– He should know that flying fast is easier than flying slowly! - the goose shouted without even turning around.
Martin tried to flap his wings harder and more often, but his tired wings became heavy and no longer obeyed him.
- Akka! Akka Knebekaise!
– What else do you need from me?
“White can’t fly that high!”
– He should know that flying high is easier than flying low!
Poor Martin is tense last strength and took off as high as he could. But then his breath caught, and his wings completely weakened.
– Akka Knebekaise! White is falling!
“Whoever can’t fly like us should stay at home, tell that to the white man!” – Akka shouted, without slowing down her flight.
“It’s true, it would be better for us to stay at home,” Nils whispered and clung tighter to Martin’s neck.
Martin fell down as if shot.
It was also fortunate that they found some skinny willow below. Martin got caught on the top of a tree and got stuck among the branches.
So they sat on the willow tree.
Martin's wings sagged, his neck dangled like a rag, he breathed loudly, opening his beak wide, as if he wanted to grab more air.
Nils felt sorry for Martin. He even tried to console him.
“Dear Martin,” Nils said affectionately, “don’t be sad that they abandoned you.” Well, judge for yourself: how can you compete with them? Just rest a little and then we’ll return home.
But this was little consolation. How?! Give up at the very beginning of the journey? No, no way!
“You’d better not bother with your advice,” Martin hissed. - Hold your tongue!
And he flapped his wings with such fury that he immediately rose high and soon caught up with the flock.
Luckily for him, it was already evening.
Black shadows lay on the ground: a thick fog stretched from the lake over which wild geese were flying.
Akki Knebekaise's flock went down to spend the night.
3
As soon as the geese touched the coastal strip of land, they immediately climbed into the water. Only Martin the goose and Nils remained on the shore.
Like with ice slide, Nils slid off Martin's slippery back. Finally he is on earth! He straightened his numb arms and legs and looked around.
The place was deserted. Tall spruce trees approached the lake itself like a black wall. From the dark depths of the forest some crackling and rustling was heard. Everywhere the snow had already melted, but here, near the gnarled, overgrown roots, the snow still lay in a dense thick layer. One would think that the ate would never want to part with winter.
Nils felt uneasy.
How far they have flown! Now, even if Martin wants to return, they still won’t find their way home... But still, Martin is great!.. But where is he?
- Martin! Martin! – Nils called.
Nobody answered. Nils looked around in confusion.
Poor Martin! He lay as if dead, his wings spread on the ground and his neck stretched out. His eyes were covered with a cloudy film.
Nils was scared.
“Dear goose Martin,” said Nils, leaning towards him, “take a sip of water!” You will see, you will immediately feel better.
But the goose did not move.
Then Nils grabbed him by the neck with both hands and dragged him towards the water.
It was not an easy task. The goose was the best on their farm, and his mother fed him well. And Nils is now barely visible from the ground. But still, he dragged Martin all the way to the lake and stuck his head straight into the chilly water.
Martin immediately came to life. He opened his eyes, took a sip or two, and struggled to his feet. He stood for a minute, swaying from side to side, then climbed into the lake and slowly swam between the ice floes. Every now and then he plunged his beak into the water, and then, throwing back his head, greedily swallowed algae.
“It’s good for him,” Nils thought with envy, “but I also haven’t eaten anything since the morning.”
And Nils immediately felt so hungry that he even felt a queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.
At this time, Martin swam to the shore. He had a silver fish clutched in his beak. He put the fish in front of Nils and said:
“We weren’t friends at home.” But you helped me in trouble, and I want to thank you.
Nils had never tried raw fish before. But what can you do, you have to get used to it! You won't get another dinner.
He rummaged in his pockets, looking for his penknife.
The little knife, as always, lay on the right side, only it became small, like a pin - however, just within the pocket.
Nils opened his knife and began to gut the fish.
Suddenly he heard some noise and splashing: it was wild geese shaking themselves off and coming ashore.
“Make sure you don’t let it slip that you’re a human,” Martin whispered to Nils and respectfully stepped forward, greeting the flock.
Now we could get a good look at the whole company. I must admit that they did not shine with beauty, these wild geese. And they weren’t tall enough, and they couldn’t show off their outfit. Everything is as if it were gray, as if covered with dust - if only someone had one white feather!
And how they walk! They jump at every step, trip over every stone, and almost plow the ground with their beaks.
Nils even snorted. And Martin spread his wings in surprise. Is this how decent geese walk? You need to walk slowly, carefully pressing your foot to the ground, and keep your head high. And these ones hobble around like lame people.
An old, old goose walked ahead of everyone. Well, she was a beauty too! The neck is skinny, bones stick out from under the feathers, and the wings look like someone has chewed them off. But all the geese looked at her respectfully, not daring to speak until she was the first to say her word.
It was Akka Knebekaise herself, the leader of the pack.
She had already led the geese from south to north a hundred times and returned with them from north to south a hundred times. Akka Knebekaise knew every bush, every island on the lake, every clearing in the forest. No one knew how to choose a place to spend the night better than Akka Knebekaise, no one knew better than she how to hide from the cunning enemies that awaited the geese at every turn.
Akka looked at Martin for a long time from the tip of his beak to the tip of his tail and finally said:
– Our flock cannot accept the first comers. Everyone you see in front of you belongs to the best goose families. And you don't even know how to fly properly. What kind of goose are you, what family and tribe are you?
“My story is not long,” Martin said sadly. “I was born last year in the town of Svanegolm, and in the fall I was sold to a neighboring village to Holger Nilsson. That's where I lived until today.
- How did you get the courage to fly with us? – Akka Knebekaise was surprised.
– I really wanted to see what kind of Lapland this is. And at the same time, I decided to prove to you, wild geese, that we, domestic geese, are capable of something.
Akka silently looked at Martin with curiosity.
“You are a brave goose,” she said finally. “And he who is brave can be a good comrade on the road.”
Suddenly she saw Nils.
- Who else is with you? – Akka asked. “I’ve never seen anyone like him.”
Martin hesitated for a moment.
“This is my comrade...” he said uncertainly.
But then Nils stepped forward and decisively declared:
– My name is Nils Holgerson. My father is a peasant, and until today I was a man, but this morning...
He failed to finish. Hearing the word “man,” the geese backed away and, stretching out their necks, hissed angrily, cackled, and flapped their wings.
“A man has no place among wild geese,” said the old goose. – People were, are and will be our enemies. You must leave the pack immediately.
Martin could not resist and intervened:
– But you can’t even call him a human! Look how small he is! I guarantee that he will not do you any harm. Let him stay at least one night.
Akka looked searchingly at Nils, then at Martin, and finally said:
– Our grandfathers, great-grandfathers and great-great-grandfathers bequeathed to us never to trust a person, be he small or big. But if you vouch for him, then so be it - today let him stay with us. We spend the night on a large ice floe in the middle of the lake. And tomorrow morning he must leave us.
With these words, she rose into the air, and the whole flock flew after her.
“Listen, Martin,” Nils asked timidly, “are you going to fly with them?”
- Well, of course I’ll fly! – Martin said proudly. – It’s not every day that a domestic goose has such an honor - to fly in the flock of Akki Knebekaise!
- What about me? – Nils asked again. “There’s no way I can get home alone.” Now I’ll get lost in the grass, let alone in this forest.
“I don’t have time to take you home, you understand,” Martin said. “But here’s what I can offer you: let’s fly to Lapland together.” Let's see how it is and what's going on, and then we'll return home together. I’ll somehow persuade Akka, but if I don’t persuade her, I’ll deceive her. You are small now, it is not difficult to hide you. Well, now let's get down to business! Gather some dry grass quickly. Yes, more!
When Nils picked up a whole armful of last year's grass, Martin carefully picked him up by the collar of his shirt and carried him to a large ice floe in the middle of the lake.
The wild geese were already sleeping, their heads tucked under their wings.
“Now spread out the grass,” Martin commanded, “otherwise, without any bedding, my paws will freeze to the ice.”
Although the litter turned out to be somewhat liquid (how much grass could Nils carry away now!), it still somehow covered the ice.
Martin stood on top of her, grabbed Nils by the collar again and pushed him under his wing.
- Good night! - Martin said and pressed the wing tighter so that Nils wouldn’t fall out.
Selma Lagerlöf fairy tale "Nils's Wonderful Journey with the Wild Geese"
The main characters of the fairy tale "Nils's Wonderful Journey with the Wild Geese"
- Nils, a 12-year-old boy, at the beginning of the story is a mischievous bully who no one liked. In the end he becomes sympathetic and kind. During his travels he helps birds and animals and everyone loves and praises him.
- Goose Martin was a pet, but he flew to Lapland, found a bride, returned home and had goslings
- Akka, the leader of the flock of geese. Fair and strict, but kind and sympathetic. When he gets to know Nils better, he tries to help him in everything
- Fox Smirre, cunning and cruel, envious, treacherous, vindictive, chained
- Caught gnome
- Nils is getting small
- Flying with Martin
- Fox Smirre
- Nils and the little squirrel
- Nils and the rats
- Holiday
- Banishing the Fox
- Smirre is chasing geese
- Crows and jug
- Smirra on a chain
- Bronze king and wooden boatswain
- Strange city underwater
- Nils in the den
- Nils saves the bears
- shoe
- Martin in captivity
- Martin met Marta
- In Lapland
- Gorgo and the Secret of the Owls
- Way back
- Lucky Man and the Manuscript
- Home Sweet Home
- Gosling Yuxie
- Farewell to Akka
The short summary of the fairy tale "Nils's Wonderful Journey with the Wild Geese" for reader's diary in 6 sentences
- Nils catches the gnome and becomes small, he flies away with Martin, the white goose
- Nils saves a goose from a fox and is accepted into the flock
- Nils helps the squirrel find the baby squirrel. chases away rats, chains a fox and saves bears.
- Nils ends up in Lapland, and Martin the goose finds a bride and has goslings.
- Nils learns how to become human, but helps Lucky to return the manuscript.
- Nils returns home and casts a spell over the capricious gosling Uxie, he becomes a boy and his parents are happy.
The main idea of the fairy tale "Nils's Wonderful Journey with the Wild Geese"
Life is beautiful and amazing, like the world around us, but it is given for good deeds.What does the fairy tale "Nils's Wonderful Journey with the Wild Geese" teach us?
This fairy tale teaches you to be kind and honest. Teaches you to sacrifice your interests for the sake of your friends, teaches you not to be afraid of enemies and to find a way out in difficult situations. This fairy tale teaches us responsiveness, courage, and selflessness. Teaches to love nature, teaches that every living creature has the right to happiness in the world.Review of the fairy tale "Nils's Wonderful Journey with the Wild Geese"
This is a very beautiful and interesting fairy tale, in which the boy Nils has many dangerous and exciting adventures. From a mischievous and hooligan, Nils becomes a kind and honest boy, always ready to help a friend. He grows up and understands that the world is beautiful, and a person should take care of and protect it. I really liked this fairy tale and I didn’t regret reading it at all.Proverbs for the fairy tale "Nils's Wonderful Journey with the Wild Geese"
Life is given for good deeds.
Live for people, people will live for you.
Anyone who has not encountered difficulties in life will not become a real person.
Summary, brief retelling fairy tales "Nils's Wonderful Journey with the Wild Geese" chapter by chapter
1. Forest gnome.
In a Swedish village there lived a boy, Nils, a great prankster and mischief-maker. When he was 12 years old, his father and mother went to the fair, and Nils was ordered to study his homework.
Nils read a book for a while and fell asleep. And when I woke up I saw an open chest lid and a small gnome. Nils caught the gnome in a net and he began to ask to let him go, promising a gold coin. Nils decided that this was not enough, but suddenly he received a slap on the wrist and dropped the net.
The room suddenly became very large, and he, Nils, became the size of a sparrow.
Nils goes out into the yard and the chickens start nibbling on him. The cat also refused to help him and almost ate him.
At this time, wild geese flew past and invited the domestic geese to take them to Lapland. Goose Martin was about to fly, Nils clung to him and ended up in the air.
2. Riding a goose.
Nils was afraid of falling, but soon got used to flying on a goose. He began to ask Martin to turn home, but he threatened to throw Nils off.
Soon Martin began to get tired, but Akka, the leader of the swans, did not stop. Martin began to fall and got caught in a willow. On it he rested and with new strength flew after the wild geese. Martin caught up with the pack.
The geese landed by the lake, but Martin was too tired to walk to the water. Nils reached him and Martin, drunk, came to his senses. He brought Nils a crucian carp and thanked him for his help.
Akka questioned Martin and allowed him to fly with the wild geese, she liked the goose’s courage. But she demanded that Nils not be there.
Martin decided to carry Nils secretly.
3. Night thief.
At night, the fox Smirre crept up to the geese and dragged away one goose. Nils rushed after him and grabbed the fox by the tail. Smirre released the goose and wanted to take it out on Nils. Nils climbed a tree and laughed at the fox from there. The geese began to tease the fox, and he, trying to catch them, became completely exhausted. Martin took Nils out of the tree and the geese flew on.
4. New friends and new enemies
Nils flew with the geese. He had to eat nuts, and once he was attacked by ants. The ants bit Nils badly and he fell ill. Martin and Akka looked after him.
One day Martin brought Nils some nuts from the squirrel Sirle, Nils decided to go to the squirrel and thank her. The magpie wanted to show Nils the way, but he led him into a thicket and flew away.
Nils finds a squirrel's nest and learns that one baby squirrel is missing. Nils finds the baby squirrel and returns it to Sirla. Forest birds praise him.
5. Magic pipe
A flock of geese lands near a stream near Glimmengen Castle. The stork Ermenrich comes to visit the geese. The stork talks about the rats that are attacking the castle. Nils agrees to help and flies with the stork and Akka.
The rats surrounded the castle, but Nils played the pipe and led the rats into the water. The magic pipe, which all animals obey, was brought by an owl, to whom a forest gnome gave it.
Nils was known as a fearless rat conqueror.
6. Holiday on Mount Kulaberg
Nils is taken to a festival of birds and animals, which not a single person has attended. Birds flew in whole clouds. Among the animals was the fox Smirre, who wanted to catch the wild goose of their flock, but the sparrow warned the geese. Smirre killed a sparrow and was judged by all the animals and birds. Smirre was expelled from the pack and the tip of his ear was bitten off.
Nils hears the owls talking and learns that there is a way to become human
7. Chase.
Geese fly north in the rain. The fox Smirre follows the geese. One day he persuades the marten to attack the geese, but the geese fly away, and the marten says that a white goose threw a stone at her. Again Smirre catches up with the geese and persuades the otter, but the otter returns with a thorn in its paw.
Smirre demands that Nils be given to him, but Akka refuses, and the fox promises to pursue the pack to the end.
8. Crows from Robber Mountain
Smirre meets old friends - crows who cannot open the jug. Smirre says that there is silver in the jug and invites the crows to kidnap Nils.
The crows kidnap Nils, but Nils manages to shout to the starlings that he was dragged away by the crows.
Nils opens a jug of coins to the crows and the chieftain of the crows, Fumle-Drumle, takes it to the village so that it does not end up with Smirra.
Nils hides from the fox under the feet of the peasants, who kick the fox, mistaking him for a dog. then Nils hides in the doghouse. The dog knocks Smirre down and Nils puts a collar on the fox.
The geese fly in and laugh when they learn that Nils has put the fox on a chain.
9. Bronze and wood.
The geese stopped for the night in the city. Nils wants to look at people. Nils teases the bronze statue and it follows him. Nils runs away from bronze man and sees a wooden man. Nils gives the wooden man a coin and he hides Nils in his hat.
The bronze one turns out to be the king and tells the wooden boatswain to follow him. They go to the shipyard and salute the old ship by removing their hats. The bronze one sees Nils and breaks the wooden one in rage.
Nils makes a wooden monument and returns to the geese.
10. Underwater city
Geese were flying over the sea. The geese wait out the storm on the waves and almost get caught by the seals.
Nils throws a coin into the sea, but it falls on the sand. Nils runs for the coin and ends up in the city. All the residents of the city looked at tower clock. The merchants bring Nils a variety of goods and ask only for one coin. Nils remembers that the coin was left on the shore, runs to it and the city disappears.
Nils is found by geese. Akka tells the story of a city whose inhabitants were very greedy and sank all the ships so as not to show the way to their city. I got angry at them for this sea king and flooded the city. Once a century the city floats up for an hour, and if some stranger enters the city and buys something, the curse will subside.
11. In the bear's den
Nils fell from Martin and fell into the bear's den. The cubs play with Nils and completely torture him. Then they go to bed and Nils also falls asleep. At night a bear comes and wants to eat a man, but the she-bear stands up for Nils.
When the bears fall asleep, Nils runs away. He meets the hunters and finds out that they are going to the den. Nils returns and warns the bears. The bear takes his family away and, having learned that Nils is the one traveling with the geese, decides to help him. He calls the raven Fumle-Drumle, and he takes Nils to the wild geese.
12. Captivity
Nils's shoe falls and he and Martin go down to get it. But the shoe is found by Oosa and Mats, a boy and a girl. They decide to try the shoe on their cat. Martin snatches the shoe, but Mats catches Martin and calls him Marty.
The hostess sees that it is someone else's goose and carries it into the house. Nils enters the house and cuts the ropes. Martin runs away, but the owner grabs him. Nils stabbed the hostess with a knife and she let Martin go in amazement.
13. Goose Country
Martin and Nils stop to rest and Nils meets the goose Martha. Martin and Nils invite Martha to fly with them. They catch up with the flock and find themselves in Lapland. Akka greets Nils, who tells him about the bride for Martin.
More and more geese are flying around, and Nils is building himself a house with the help of swallows.
Martin and Martha give birth to goslings
14. Adopted.
Gorgo the eagle flies to the geese. He says Akki’s friends are his friends. When the eagle flies away Akka tells his story.
When Gorgo was a chick, he lost his parents and Akka fed him. Gorgo grew up with geese and considered himself a goose. But everyone around him was afraid and Akka told Gorgo the truth about his birth. Gorgo remained in Lapland.
15. The secret of owls.
Akka shows Nils Lapland, and he, seeing snow on the mountains, remembers the troll who wanted to build a house on the top of the mountain and froze.
Nils sees the plague and the locals.
Nils tells Akka about the conversation of the owls and she promises to find out the secret of how Nils can become human again.
After three, Akka calls Nils and he sees an eagle next to the goose. It turns out that the eagle flew into the castle and became friends with the owls. The eagle tells Nils how to become human and forces him to learn a spell.
16. Lucky and Loser
Geese say goodbye to Lapland and head south. Raven Fumle-Drumle tells Nils that he has found someone who wants to change places with him. He brings Nils to the young man's house.
Two students lived in Uppsala - Lucky and Loser.
The Loser brought his manuscript to the Lucky Man. the manuscript was so interesting that Lucky forgot about the exam, and when he jumped up, the wind carried away all the sheets. At the exam, Lucky received a bad mark and did not know how to tell Loser about the lost manuscript. Lucky agrees to switch places with Nils so that the birds will carry him.
Nils reads the spell but stops. He and the raven collect the manuscript and return it to Lucky.
17. At home.
Nils returns home and sees his parents sadly wondering where their son is.
Nils says goodbye to Martin. But the little gosling Yuxie does not want to fly and says that he dreams of being like Nils. Then Nils casts a spell and Uxie becomes the size of a sparrow. And Nils becomes a boy again. The parents are happy.
Nils no longer understands the geese, he goes to say goodbye to Akka. Akka hugs the boy and the geese fly away.
Nils started going to school again and now gets straight A's.Signs fairy tale in the fairy tale "Nils's Wonderful Journey with the Wild Geese"
- Magical creature - gnome
- Fairytale transformations - Nils becomes small, and then big again.
We also recommend
The relationship between man and nature
Contemporary heroes. Heroes of Russia. Work for courageous people
Temple of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God on Ave.
The miraculous icon of St. Nicholas of Zaraisk St. Nicholas of Zaraisk with life
How to smoke cheek meat at home
Receiving a property deduction through an employer