Nils and the wild ones. School encyclopedia. Book by Selma Lagerlöf in Russia

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 you,” answered Nils, 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 he knows everything by heart by the time we return.” 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 pull the lock - did it click 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? Now she moved... Now she 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 her 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, 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.

- What is this? So you won’t even get to the end of the page by tomorrow! – Nils exclaimed 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, a vest and a plaid shirt with large buttons.

It was a warm, clear day. By noon the sun began to get hot, and in Lapland this rarely happens even in summer.

That day, Martin and Martha decided to give their goslings their first swimming lesson.

On the lake they were afraid to teach them - lest some disaster happen! And the goslings themselves, even the brave Yuksi, never wanted to get into the cold lake water.

Fortunately, it had rained heavily the day before and the puddles had not dried up yet. And in puddles the water is warm and shallow. And so at the family council it was decided to teach the goslings to swim in a puddle first. They were lined up in pairs, and Yuxie, as the eldest, walked in front.

Everyone stopped near a large puddle. Martha went into the water, and Martin pushed the goslings towards her from the shore.

Be brave! Be brave! - he shouted at the chicks. - Look at your mother and imitate her in everything.

But the goslings stomped at the very edge of the puddle and did not go further.

You will disgrace our entire family! - Martha shouted at them. - Now go into the water!

And in her hearts she hit the puddle with her wings.

The goslings were still marking time.

Then Martin picked up Uxie with his beak and put him right in the middle of the puddle. Yuxie immediately went into the water up to the top of his head. He squeaked, floundered, desperately beat his wings, began to work with his paws and... swam.

A minute later he was already on the water perfectly and looked with a proud look at his indecisive brothers and sisters.

It was so offensive that the brothers and sisters immediately climbed into the water and began to work with their paws no worse than Yuxie. At first they tried to stay close to the shore, and then they grew bolder and also swam to the very middle of the puddle.

Following the geese, Nils decided to go for a swim.

But at this time some wide shadow covered the puddle.

Nils raised his head. An eagle soared directly above them, spreading its huge wings.

Hurry to the shore! Save the chicks! - Nils shouted to Martin and Marta, and he rushed to look for Akka.

Hide! - he shouted along the way. - Save yourself! Beware!

Alarmed geese looked out of their nests, but when they saw an eagle in the sky, they only waved Nils away.

Are you all blind, or what? - Nils strained himself. - Where is Akka Kebnekaise?

I'm here. Why are you shouting, Nils? - he heard Akka’s calm voice, and her head poked out of the reeds. “Why are you scaring the geese?”

Don't you see? Eagle!

Well, of course I see. He's already coming down.

Nils looked at Akka with wide eyes. He didn't understand anything.

The eagle approaches the flock, and everyone sits calmly, as if it were not an eagle, but some kind of swallow!

Almost knocking Nils off his feet with his wide, strong wings, the eagle landed right next to Akki Kebnekaise’s nest.

Hi friends! - he said cheerfully and clicked his terrible beak.

The geese poured out of their nests and nodded welcomingly to the eagle.

And old Akka Kebnekaise came out to meet him and said:

Hello, hello, Gorgb. Well, how are you living? Tell us about your exploits!

“It’s better not to tell me about your exploits,” answered Gorgo. “You won’t praise me very much for them!”

Nils stood aside, looked, listened and did not believe either his eyes or his ears.

“What miracles!” he thought. “It seems that this Gorgo is even afraid of Akki. It’s as if Akka is an eagle, and he is an ordinary goose.”

And Nils came closer to get a better look at this amazing eagle...

Gorgo also stared at Nils.

What kind of animal is this? - he asked Akka. “Isn’t he of human breed?”

This is Nils,” said Akka. “He is indeed of the human race, but still our best friend.”

“Akki’s friends are my friends,” the eagle Gorgo said solemnly and slightly bowed his head.

Then he turned back to the old goose.

I hope no one is offending you here without me? - asked Gorgo. - Just give a sign, and I will deal with everyone!

Well, well, don’t be arrogant,” said Akka and lightly hit the eagle’s head with her beak.

Well, isn't that right? Does any of the bird people dare to contradict me? I don’t know anyone like that. Perhaps only you! “And the eagle affectionately patted the goose’s wing with its huge wing. “Now I have to go,” he said, casting an eagle glance at the sun. “My chicks will scream themselves hoarse if I’m late with dinner.” They're all into me!

Well, thank you for visiting,” said Akka. “I’ll tell you

always glad.

See you soon! - the eagle shouted.

He flapped his wings, and the wind rustled over the crowd of geese.

Nils stood for a long time, raising his head, looking at the eagle disappearing into the sky.

What, flew away? - he asked in a whisper, crawling out onto the shore.

He flew away, flew away, don’t be afraid, he’s no longer visible! - said Nils.

Martin turned back and shouted:

Martha, children, get out! He flew away!

An alarmed Martha looked out from the dense thickets.

Martha looked around, then looked at the sky, and only then came out of the reeds. Her wings were spread wide, and the frightened goslings huddled under them.

Was it really a real eagle? - asked Martha.

“The real one,” said Nils. “And what a terrible one.” If he touches you with the tip of his beak, he will kill you. And if you talk to him a little, you won’t even be able to tell that it’s an eagle. She talks to our Akka as if she were her own mother.

How else could he talk to me? - said Akka. “I’m like a mother to him.”

At this point Nils’s mouth completely gaped in surprise.

“Well, yes, Gorgo is my adopted son,” said Akka. “Come closer, I’ll tell you everything now.”

And Akka told them an amazing story.

Chapter 5. Magic pipe

Glimmingen Castle is surrounded on all sides by mountains. And even the castle's watchtowers seem like mountain peaks.

No entrances or exits are visible anywhere. The thickness of the stone walls is cut through only by narrow windows, like slits, which barely let daylight into the gloomy, cold halls.

In ancient times, these walls reliably protected the inhabitants of the castle from the attacks of warlike neighbors.

But in those days when Nils Holgerson traveled in the company of wild geese, people no longer lived in Glimmingen Castle and only grain was stored in its abandoned chambers.

True, this does not mean at all that the castle was uninhabited. Owls and an eagle owl settled under its arches, a wild cat took refuge in an old collapsed fireplace, bats were corner residents, and storks built a nest on the roof.

Before reaching Glimmingen Castle a little, Akki Kebnekaise's flock sank onto the ledges of a deep gorge.

About a hundred years ago, when Akka led the flock north for the first time, a mountain stream was seething here. And now, at the very bottom of the gorge, a thin stream barely made its way. But it was still water. That is why the wise Akka Kebnekaise brought her flock here.

Before the geese had time to settle down in their new place, a guest immediately appeared to them. It was the stork Ermenrich, the oldest resident of Glimmingen Castle.

The stork is a very awkward bird. Its neck and body are slightly larger than those of an ordinary domestic goose, and for some reason its wings are huge, like those of an eagle. And what kind of legs does a stork have! Like two thin poles painted red. And what a beak! It’s very long, thick, and attached to a very small head. The beak pulls the head down. That’s why the stork always walks with his nose hanging down, as if he’s always preoccupied and dissatisfied with something.

Approaching the old goose, the stork Ermenrich tucked one leg close to his stomach, as decency requires, and bowed so low that his long nose got stuck in the crevice between the stones.

“I’m glad to see you, Mr. Ermenrich,” Akka said to Kebnekaise, returning his bow with a bow. - I hope everything is fine with you? How is your wife's health? What are your venerable neighbors, the owl aunts, doing?

The stork tried to answer something, but its beak was firmly stuck between the stones, and only gurgling was heard in response.

I had to break all the rules of decency, stand on both legs and, leaning harder into the ground, pull my beak like a nail from a wall.

Finally, the stork coped with this matter and, clicking its beak several times to check whether it was intact, spoke:

- Ah, Mrs. Kebnekaise! It's not a good time for you to visit our places! A terrible disaster threatens this house.

The stork sadly hung his head, and his beak again got stuck between the stones.

It is not without reason that they say that the only reason a stork opens its beak is to complain. In addition, he churns out the words so slowly that they have to be collected, like water, drop by drop.

“Listen, Mr. Ermenrich,” said Akka to Kebnekaise, “can you somehow pull out your beak and tell me what happened there?”

With one jerk the stork pulled its beak out of the crevice and exclaimed in despair:

—Are you asking what happened, Mrs. Kebnekaise? The insidious enemy wants to destroy our homes, make us poor and homeless, and destroy our wives and children! And why did I yesterday, not sparing my beak, spend the whole day plugging up all the cracks in the nest! Can you really argue with my wife? Whatever you say to her, it’s like water off a duck’s back.

Here the stork Ermenrich shut his beak in embarrassment. And how he lost it about the goose!

But Akka Kebnekaise ignored his words. She considered it beneath her dignity to be offended by any chatter.

- What happened anyway? she asked. - Maybe people are returning to the castle?

- Oh, if only it were so! - Ermenrich the stork said sadly. “This enemy is more terrible than anything in the world, Mrs. Kebnekaise.” Rats, gray rats are approaching the castle! - he exclaimed and again hung his head.

— Gray rats? Why have you been silent until now? - exclaimed the goose.

- Am I really silent? I just talk about them all the time. These robbers will not notice that we have been living here for so many years.

They do what they want. They got wind that grain was stored in the castle, so they decided to seize the castle. And how cunning, how cunning! You know, of course, Mrs. Kebnekaise, that tomorrow at noon there will be a holiday in Kulaberg? So, just tonight, hordes of gray rats will break into our castle. And there will be no one to protect him. For a hundred miles around, all the animals and birds are preparing for the holiday. You won't find anyone now! Oh, what a misfortune! What a misfortune!

“This is not the time to shed tears, Mr. Ermenrich,” Akka Kebnekaise said sternly. “We mustn’t waste a minute.” I know one old goose who will not allow such lawlessness to happen.

“Aren’t you going to, dear Akka, enter into battle with the gray rats?” - the stork grinned.

“No,” said Akka Kebnekaise, “but I have one brave warrior in my flock who can cope with all the rats, no matter how many there are.”

“Can’t I take a look at this strong man?” - Ermenrich asked, bowing his head respectfully.

“Well, you can,” Akka answered. - Martin! Martin! - she screamed.

Martin quickly ran up and politely bowed to his guest.

“Is this your brave warrior?” - Ermenrich asked mockingly. - Not a bad goose, fat.

Akka did not answer anything and, turning to Martin, said:

- Call Nils.

A minute later Martin returned with Nils on his back.

“Listen,” the old goose said to Nils, “you must help me in one important matter.” Do you agree to fly with me to Glimmingen Castle?

Nils was very flattered. Of course, Akka Kebnekaise herself turns to him for help. But before he had time to utter a word, the stork Ermenrich, as if with tongs, picked him up with his long beak, tossed him, caught him again on the tip of his own nose, tossed him again and caught him again.

He performed this trick seven times, and then put Nils on the back of the old goose and said:

“Well, if the rats find out who they have to deal with, they will, of course, run away in fear.” Farewell! I am flying to warn Mrs. Ermenrich and my respectable neighbors that their savior will now come to them. Otherwise they will be scared to death when they see your giant.

And, clicking its beak again, the stork flew away.

There was a commotion at Glimmingen Castle. All the residents abandoned their homes and ran to the roof of the corner tower - the stork Ermenrich lived there with his stork.

Their nest was excellent. The storks built it on an old cart wheel, laid it out in several rows with twigs and turf, and lined it with soft moss and down. And outside the nest was overgrown with thick grass and even small bushes.

No wonder the stork Ermenrich and his stork were proud of their home!

Now the nest was packed with residents of Glimmingen Castle. In ordinary times, they tried not to catch each other's eyes, but the danger that threatened the castle brought everyone closer together.

Two venerable aunt owls were sitting on the edge of the nest. They blinked their round eyes in fear and vied with each other to tell terrible stories about the bloodthirstiness and cruelty of rats.

The feral cat hid at the very bottom of the nest, at the feet of Mrs. Ermenrich, and meowed pitifully like a little kitten. She was sure that the rats would kill her first in order to settle accounts with the entire cat family.

And along the walls of the nest, bats were hanging upside down. They were very embarrassed. After all, gray rats were related to them. The poor bats always felt sideways glances at them, as if it were all their fault.

In the middle of the nest stood the stork Ermenrich.

“We must run,” he said decisively, “otherwise we will all die.”

- Well, yes, we will die, we will all die! - the cat squealed. - Do they have a heart, these robbers? They will certainly bite off my tail. - And she looked reproachfully at the bats.

- There is something to grieve about - about some shabby tail! - Old Aunt Owl was indignant. “They are capable of killing even small chicks.” I know this brat well. All rats are like that. And mice are no better! - And she flashed her eyes angrily.

- Oh, what will happen to us, what will happen to us! - the stork moaned.

- They're coming! They're coming! - Flimnea the owl suddenly hooted. He sat at the tip of the tower spire and, like a sentinel, looked around.

Everyone, as if on command, turned their heads and froze in horror.

At this time, Akka Kebnekaise flew up to the nest with Nils. But no one even looked at them. As if enchanted, everyone looked somewhere down, in one direction.

“What’s wrong with them? What did they see there? - thought Nils and sat up on the goose’s back.

Below the ramparts stretched a long road paved with gray stones.

At first glance it looks like an ordinary road. But when Nils looked closer, he saw that this road was moving, as if alive, moving, becoming wider, then narrower, now stretching, now shrinking.

- Yes, these are rats, gray rats! - Nils shouted. - Let's quickly fly out of here!

“No, we will stay here,” Akka Kebnekaise said calmly. - We must save Glimmingen Castle.

- You probably don’t see how many there are? Even if I were a boy like a boy, I wouldn’t be able to do anything.

“If you were big, like a real boy, you wouldn’t be able to do anything, but now that you’re small, like a sparrow, you will defeat all the gray rats.” Come to my beak, I have to tell you something in your ear.

Nils approached her, and she whispered something to him for a long time.

- This is clever! - Nils laughed and slapped himself on the knee. - They will dance with us!

- Shhh, shut up! - the old goose hissed.

Then she flew up to Flimnea the owl and began to whisper to him about something.

And suddenly the eagle owl hooted cheerfully, fell off the spire and flew somewhere.

It was already completely dark when the gray rats approached the walls of Glimmingen Castle. They walked around the entire castle three times, looking for at least some crack to get inside. There is no loophole, no ledge, nowhere to stick your paw, nothing to grab onto.

After a long search, the rats finally found a stone that protruded slightly from the wall. They attacked him from all sides, but the stone did not give way. Then the rats began to gnaw at him with their teeth, scratch him with their claws, and dig up the ground under him. With a running start, they threw themselves at the stone and hung on it with all their weight.

And then the stone trembled, swayed and fell off the wall with a dull roar.

When everything was quiet, the rats, one after another, climbed into the black square hole. They climbed carefully, stopping every now and then. In a strange place you can always stumble upon an ambush. But no, everything seems to be calm - not a sound, not a rustle.

Then the rats began to climb up the stairs more boldly.

Whole mountains of grain lay in large abandoned halls. The rats were hungry, and the smell of grain was so tempting! And yet the rats did not touch a single grain.

Maybe this is a trap? Maybe they want to take them by surprise? No! They will not fall for this trick! Until they search the entire castle, you can’t think about rest or food.

The rats searched all the dark corners, all the nooks and crannies, all the passages and passages. No one anywhere.

Apparently, the owners of the castle got cold feet and fled.

The castle belongs to them, the rats!

In a continuous avalanche they rushed to where the grain lay in heaps. The rats burrowed headlong into the crumbling mountains and greedily gnawed golden wheat grains. They were not even half full when suddenly they heard from somewhere the thin, clear sound of a pipe.

The rats raised their muzzles and froze.

The pipe fell silent, and the rats again attacked the tasty food.

But the pipe began to play again. At first she sang barely audible, then more and more boldly, more and more loudly, more and more confidently. And finally, as if breaking through the thick walls, a ringing trill echoed throughout the castle.

One after another, the rats abandoned their prey and ran towards the sound of the pipe. The most stubborn ones never wanted to leave - they greedily and quickly gnawed at the large, strong grains. But the pipe called them, she ordered them to leave the castle, and the rats did not dare to disobey her.

The rats rolled down the stairs, jumped over each other, rushed down straight from the windows, as if they were hurrying as quickly as possible to the courtyard, from where an insistent and inviting song was rushing.

Below, in the middle of the castle courtyard, a little man stood and played a pipe.

The rats surrounded him in a dense ring and, raising their sharp muzzles, did not take their eyes off him. There was nowhere to step in the courtyard, and more and more hordes of rats were running out of the castle.

As soon as the pipe fell silent, the rats moved their whiskers, bared their mouths, and clicked their teeth. Now they will rush at the little man and tear him to shreds.

But the pipe played again, and the rats again did not dare to move.

Finally the little man gathered all the rats and slowly moved towards the gate. And the rats obediently followed him.

The little man whistled on his pipe and walked forward and forward. He went around the rocks and went down into the valley. He walked through fields and ravines, and a continuous stream of rats followed him.

The stars had already gone out in the sky when the little man approached the lake.

Near the shore, like a boat on a leash, a gray goose swayed on the waves.

Without ceasing to play the pipe, the little man jumped on the back of the goose, and she swam to the middle of the lake.

The rats scurried about and ran along the shore, but the pipe rang even louder over the lake, calling them even louder to follow it.

Forgetting about everything in the world, the rats rushed into the water.

When the water closed over the head of the last rat, the goose and its rider rose into the air.

“You did well, Nils,” Akka said to Kebnekaise. - You did a good job. After all, if you didn’t have the strength to play all the time, they would bite you to death.

“Yes, I must admit, I was afraid of this myself,” said Nils. “They kept clicking their teeth as soon as I took a breath.” And who would believe that such a small pipe could pacify an entire army of rats! — Nils pulled the pipe out of his pocket and began to examine it.

“This pipe is magical,” said the goose. - All animals and birds obey her. Kites, like chickens, will peck food from your hands, wolves, like stupid puppies, will caress you, as soon as you play this pipe.

- Where did you get it? - asked Nils.

“Flimnea the owl brought it,” said the goose, “and the forest gnome gave it to the owl.”

- Forest gnome?! - Nils exclaimed, and he immediately felt uneasy.

“Well, yes, a forest gnome,” said the goose. - Why are you so scared? He is the only one who has such a pipe. Apart from me and the old owl Flimnea, no one knows about this. Be careful and don't tell anyone. Yes, hold the pipe tightly, don’t drop it. Even before sunrise, the owl Flimnea must return it to the dwarf. The dwarf didn’t want to give the pipe anyway when he heard that it would fall into your hands. The owl was persuading him, persuading him. I barely persuaded him. And why is the dwarf so angry with you?

Nils didn't answer. He pretended that he had not heard Akki's last words. In fact, he heard everything perfectly well and was very scared.

“So the dwarf still remembers my trick! - Nils thought gloomily.

“Not only did I catch him in a net, but how did I deceive him!” If only he didn't say anything to Akka. She is strict, fair, and if she finds out, she will immediately kick me out of the pack. What will happen to me then? Where am I going to go like this? - And he sighed heavily.

- Why are you sighing? - Akka asked.

- Yes, I just yawned. Somehow I want to sleep. He really soon fell asleep, so soundly that he didn’t even hear them descend to the ground.

The whole flock surrounded them with noise and shouting. And Martin pushed everyone away, took Nils off the old goose’s back and carefully hid him under his wing.

“Go, go,” he urged everyone away. - Let the man sleep!

But Nils didn’t have to sleep for long.

The sun had not yet risen, and the stork Ermenrich had already flown to the wild geese. He certainly wanted to see Nils and express gratitude to him on his own behalf and on behalf of his entire family.

Then the bats appeared. On ordinary days they go to bed at dawn. Their morning is in the evening, and their evening is in the morning. And no one can convince them that this is a mess. But today even they have given up their habits.

A cat came running after the bats, cheerfully waving its surviving tail.

Everyone wanted to look at Nils, everyone wanted to greet him - a fearless warrior, the conqueror of gray rats.
Lagerlöf S.

Audio tale “Nils’s Journey with the Wild Geese, S. Lagerlöf”; author: Swedish writer Selma Lagerlöf; read by Evgeny Vesnik. Creative Media Label. Listen to the children audio tales And audiobooks mp3 in good quality online, for free and without registering on our website. Contents of the audio tale

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 you,” answered Nils, 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 he knows everything by heart by the time we return.” 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 pull the lock - did it click 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? Now she moved... Now she 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 her 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, 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 on the wrist that the net fell out of his hands, and he rolled head over heels into the corner...

1. Nils catches the gnome

2. Nils shrinks in size

3. Song of the Geese

5. The flock settles down for the night

6. Nils fights off a fox attack

7. Geese rescue Nils and take him with them

8. Threat of rat attack

9. Nils and the goose rid the castle of rats

10. Nils is invited to a festival of animals

11. Expulsion of the fox Smirre from the pack

12. Nils is kidnapped by crows

13. Nils opens the jug

14. Nils returns home

15. Nils' Song

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And how they walk! Jumping, skipping, stepping anywhere, without looking at their feet.

Martin even spread his wings in surprise. Is this how decent geese walk? You need to walk slowly, step on your entire paw, and hold 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 her yellow eyes sparkled like two burning coals. All the geese looked at her respectfully, not daring to speak until the goose was the first to say her word.

It was Akka Kebnekaise 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 Kebnekaise 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 Kebnekaise; no one knew better than she how to hide from the cunning enemies who lay in wait for the geese on the way.

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 Holger Nilsson

To the neighboring village of Vestmenheg. That's where I lived until today.

How did you get the courage to fly with us? - asked Akka Kebnekaise.

“You called us pathetic chickens, and I decided to prove to you, wild geese, that we, domestic geese, are capable of something,” Martin answered.

What are you, domestic geese, capable of? - Akka Kebnekaise asked again. - We’ve already seen how you fly, but maybe you’re an excellent swimmer?

And I can’t boast about that,” Martin said sadly. “I only ever swam in the pond outside the village, but, to tell the truth, this pond is only a little larger than the largest puddle.”

Well, then you're a master of jumping, right?

Jump? No self-respecting domestic goose would allow itself to jump,” Martin said.

And suddenly he came to his senses. He remembered how wild geese bounce funny, and realized that he had said too much.

Now Martin was sure that Akka Kebnekaise would immediately drive him out of his pack.

But Akka Kebnekaise said:

I love that you speak so boldly. He who is brave will be a faithful comrade. Well, it’s never too late to learn what you don’t know how to do. If you want, stay with us.

Really want to! - Martin answered. Suddenly Akka Kebnekaise noticed Nils.

Who else is with you? I have never seen anyone like him.

Martin hesitated for a minute.

This is my friend... - he said uncertainly. Then Nils stepped forward and declared decisively:

My name is Nils Holgerson. My father, Holger Nilsson, is a peasant, and until today I was a man, but this morning...

He failed to finish. As soon as he said the word “man,” the geese backed away and, stretching out their necks, hissed angrily, cackled, and flapped their wings.

“There is no place for a man among wild geese,” said the old goose. - People were, are and will be our enemies. You must leave the pack immediately.

Now Martin could no longer stand it and intervened:

But you can’t even call him a human being! 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. The whole flock flew after her.

Listen, Martin,” Nils asked timidly, “are you going to stay with them?”

Well, of course! - Martin said proudly. “It’s not every day that a domestic goose has the honor of flying in Akki Kebnekaise’s flock.

And 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: we’ll fly with everyone else. Let's see what kind of Lapland this is, and then we'll return home. 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, enough talking! 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 onto a large ice floe. The wild geese were already sleeping, their heads tucked under their wings.

Lay 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!), 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.

Good night! - said Nils, burying his head in the soft and warm goose down.

Chapter III. NIGHT THIEF

When all the birds and animals were fast asleep, the fox Smirre came out of the forest.

Every night Smirre went out hunting, and it was bad for the one who carelessly fell asleep without having time to climb a tall tree or hide in a deep hole.

With soft, silent steps, the fox Smirre approached the lake. He had long tracked down a flock of wild geese and was licking his lips in advance, thinking about the delicious goose.

But a wide black strip of water separated Smirre from the wild geese. Smirre stood on the shore and clicked his teeth in anger.

And suddenly he noticed that the wind was slowly, slowly pushing the ice floe towards the shore.

“Yeah, the prey is mine after all!” - Smirre grinned and, sitting down on his hind legs, began to wait patiently.

He waited for an hour. I waited two hours... three...

The black strip of water between the shore and the ice floe became narrower and narrower.

The goose spirit reached the fox.

Smirre swallowed his saliva.

With a rustling sound and a slight ringing, the ice floe hit the shore...

Smirre contrived and jumped onto the ice.

He approached the flock so quietly, so carefully that not a single goose heard the approach of the enemy. But old Akka heard. Her sharp cry echoed over the lake, woke up the geese, and lifted the entire flock into the air.

And yet Smirre managed to grab one goose.

Martin also woke up from Akki Kebnekaise's scream. With a strong flap, he opened his wings and quickly flew up. And Nils flew down just as quickly.

He hit the ice and opened his eyes. Nils, half asleep, did not even understand where he was or what had happened to him. And suddenly he saw a fox running away with a goose in its teeth. Without thinking for a long time, Nils rushed after him.

The poor goose, caught in Smirra’s mouth, heard the clatter of wooden shoes and, arching his neck, looked back with timid hope.

“Oh, that’s who it is! - he thought sadly. - Well, that means I'm missing. How can someone like that deal with a fox!”

And Nils completely forgot that the fox, if he wanted, could crush him with one paw. He ran on the heels of the night thief and repeated to himself:

Just to catch up! Just to catch up! The fox jumped onto the shore - Nils followed him. The fox rushed towards the forest - Nils followed him - Let go of the goose now! Do you hear? - Nils shouted. “Otherwise I’ll give you such a hard time that you won’t be happy!”

Who's that squeaking there? - Smirre was surprised.