the roof-tree at Glimminge Castle, had been totally destroyed by winter storms;
and no food could he get any more in Skåne. The people of Skåne were
appropriating all his possessions. They dug out his marshes and laid waste his
swamps. He intended to move away from this country, and never return to it
again.
While the stork grumbled, Akka, the wild goose, who had neither home nor
protection, could not help thinking to herself: "If I had things as comfortable
as you have, Herr Ermenrich, I should be above complaining. You have remained a
free and wild bird; and yet you stand so well with human beings that no one will
fire a shot at you, or steal an egg from your nest." But all this she kept to
herself. To the stork she only remarked that she couldn't believe he would be
willing to move from a house where storks had resided ever since it was built.
Then the stork suddenly asked the geese if they had seen the gray rats who were
marching toward Glimminge Castle. When Akka replied that she had seen the horrid
creatures, he began to tell her all about the brave black rats who, for years,
had defended the castle. "But this night Glimminge Castle will fall into the
gray rats' power," sighed the stork.
"And why just this night, Herr Ermenrich?" asked Akka.
"Well, because nearly all the black rats went over to Kullaberg last night,"
said the stork, "since they had counted on all the rest of the animals also
hurrying there. But you see that the gray rats have stayed at home; and now they
are mustering to storm the castle to-night, when it will be defended by only a
few old creatures who are too feeble to go over to Kullaberg. They'll probably
accomplish their purpose. But I have lived here in harmony with the black rats
so many years that the idea of living in a place inhabited by their enemies is
not agreeable to me."
Akka understood now that the stork had become so enraged over the gray rats'
mode of action that he had sought her out as an excuse to complain about them.
But after the manner of storks, he had certainly done nothing to avert the
disaster. "Have you sent word to the black rats, Herr Ermenrich?" she asked.
"No," replied the stork, "that would be of no use. Before they can get back, the
castle will be taken." "You mustn't be so sure of that, Herr Ermenrich," said
Akka. "I know an old wild goose, I do, who would gladly prevent outrages of this
kind."
When Akka said that, the stork raised his head and stared at her. And it was not
surprising, for Akka had neither claws nor bill that were fit for fighting; and,
in the bargain, she was a day bird, and as soon as it grew dark she fell
helplessly asleep, while the rats did their fighting at night.
But Akka had evidently made up her mind to help the black rats. She called Iksi
from Vassijaure, and ordered him to take the wild geese over to Vomb Lake; and
when the geese made excuses, she said authoritatively: "I believe it will be
best for us all that you obey me. I must fly over to the big stone house, and if
you follow me, the people on the place will be sure to see us, and shoot us
down. The only one that I want to take with me on this trip is Thumbietot. He
can be of great service to me because he has good eyes, and can keep awake at
night."
The boy was in his most contrary mood that day. And when he heard what Akka
said, he raised himself to his full height and stepped forward, his hands behind
him and his nose in the air; for he intended to say that he most decidedly did
not wish to take a hand in the fight with gray rats. She might look around for
assistance elsewhere.
But the instant the boy was seen, the stork began to move. He had stood before,
as storks generally stand, with head bent downward and the bill pressed against
the neck. But now a gurgle was heard deep down in his windpipe; as though he
would have laughed. Quick as a flash, he lowered his bill, grabbed the boy, and
tossed him a couple of metres into the air. This feat he performed seven times,
while the boy shrieked and the geese shouted: "What are you trying to do, Herr
Ermenrich? That's not a frog. That's a human being, Herr Ermenrich."
Finally the stork put the boy down, entirely unhurt. Thereupon he said to Akka,
"Now I'll fly back to Glimminge Castle, Mother Akka. All who live there were
very much worried when I left. You may be sure they'll be very glad when I tell
them that Akka, the wild goose, and Thumbietot, the human elf, are on their way
to rescue them." With that the stork craned his neck, spread his wings, and
darted off like an arrow when it leaves a well-drawn bow. Akka understood that
he was making fun of her, but she didn't let it bother her. She waited until the
boy had found his wooden shoes, which the stork had shaken off; then she put him
on her back and followed the stork. On his own account, the boy made no
objection, and said not a word about not wanting to go along. He had become so
furious with the stork that he actually sat and puffed. That long, red-legged
thing believed he was of no account just because he was little; but he would
show him what kind of a man Nils Holgersson from West Vemmenhög was.
A couple of moments later Akka stood in the storks' nest at Glimminge Castle. It
was a fine, large nest. It had a wheel as foundation, and over this lay several
grass mats, and some twigs. The nest was so old that many shrubs and plants had
taken root up there; and when the mother stork sat on her eggs in the round hole
in the middle of the nest, she not only had the beautiful outlook over a goodly
portion of Skåne to enjoy, but she had also the wild brier-blossoms and
house-leeks to look upon.
Both Akka and the boy saw immediately that something was going on here, which
turned up and down in the most regular order. At the edge of the stork-nest sat
two gray owls, an old, gray-streaked cat, and a dozen old, decrepit rats with
protruding teeth and watery eyes. They were not exactly the sort of animals one
usually finds living peaceably together.
Not one among them turned to look at Akka, or to bid her welcome. They thought
of nothing except to sit and stare at some long, gray lines, which hove into
sight here and there ­ on the winter-naked meadows.
All the black rats were silent. It was plain that they were in deep despair, and
probably knew that they could defend neither their own lives nor the castle. The
two owls sat and rolled their big eyes, and twisted their great, encircling
eyebrows, as they talked in hollow, ghost-like voices about the awful cruelty of
the gray rats, and of how they would have to move away from their nest, since
they had heard it said of them that they spared neither eggs nor baby birds. The
old gray-streaked cat was positive that the gray rats would bite him to death,
since they were coming into the castle in such great numbers, and he scolded the
black rats all the while. "How could you be so idiotic to let your best fighters
go away?" said he. "How could you trust the gray rats? It is absolutely
unpardonable!"
The twelve black rats did not say a word. But the stork, despite his misery,
could not refrain from teasing the cat. "Don't worry so, Tommy House-cat!" said
he. "Can't you see that Mother Akka and Thumbietot have come to save the castle?
You may be certain that they'll succeed. Now I must stand up to sleep ­ and I do
so with the utmost calm. To-morrow, when I awaken, there won't be a single gray
rat left in Glimminge Castle."
The boy winked at Akka, and made a sign ­ as the stork stood at the very edge of
the nest, with one leg drawn up for sleep ­ that he wanted to push him down to
the ground; but Akka restrained him. She did not seem to be the least bit angry.
Instead, she said in a confident tone of voice: "It would be pretty poor
business if one who is as old as I am could not manage to get out of worse
difficulties than this. If only Mr. and Mrs. Owl, who can stay awake all night,
will fly off with a couple of messages for me, I think that all will go well."
Both owls were willing. Then Akka bade the gentleman owl go seek the black rats
who had gone off, and counsel them to hurry home immediately. The lady owl she
sent to Flammea, the steeple owl, who lived in Lund Cathedral, with a commission
which was so secret that Akka dared confide it to her only in a whisper.
THE RAT CHARMER
IT was drawing on toward midnight when the gray rats, after a diligent search,
succeeded in finding an open air-hole which led to the cellar. This was rather
high upon the wall; but the rats formed a rat-ladder and it wasn't long before
the most daring among them sat in the air-hole, ready to force its way into
Glimminge Castle outside whose walls many of its forebears had fallen.
The gray rat sat still a moment in the hole, awaiting an attack from within. The
commanders of the defenders was surely away, but she took for granted that the
black rats who were still in the castle would not surrender without a struggle.
With thumping heart, she listened for the slightest sound, but all was still.
Then the leader of the gray rats plucked up courage and jumped down into the
coal-black cellar.
One after another the gray rats followed the leader. They all kept very quiet,
and all expected to be ambushed by the black rats. Not until so many of them had
crowded into the cellar that the floor could hold no more, did they venture
farther.
Although they had never before been inside the building, they had no difficulty
in finding their way. They soon found the passages in the walls which the black
rats had used to get to the upper floors. Before they began to clamber up these
narrow and steep steps, they listened again with great attention. They felt more
frightened at the black rats holding themselves aloof in this way than if they
had met them in open battle. They could hardly believe their luck when they had
reached the first story without mishaps.
Immediately upon their entrance the gray rats scented the grain, which was
stored in great bins on the floor. But it was not yet time for them to enjoy
their conquest. They searched first, with the utmost caution, through the
sombre, empty rooms. They ran up into the fireplace, which stood on the floor in
the old castle kitchen, and they almost tumbled into the well, in the inner
room. Not one of the narrow peep-holes did they leave uninspected, but they
found no black rats. When this floor was wholly in their possession, they began,
with the same caution, to acquire the next. Then they had to venture on a bold
and dangerous climb through the walls, while, with breathless anxiety, they
awaited an assault from the enemy. And although they were tempted by the most
delicious odour from the grain bins, they forced themselves most systematically
to inspect the old-time warriors' pillar-propped kitchen; their stone table and
fireplace; the deep window-niches, and the hole in the floor ­ which in olden
times had been opened to pour down boiling pitch on the intruding enemy.
All this time the black rats were invisible. The gray ones groped their way to
the third story, and into the lord of the castle's great banquet hall, which
stood there cold and empty like all the other rooms in the old house. They even
groped their way to the upper story, which had but one big, barren room. The
only place they did not think of exploring was the big stork-nest on the roof ­
where, just at this time, the lady owl awakened Akka, and informed her that
Flammea, the steeple owl, had granted her request, and had sent her the thing
she wished for.
Since the gray rats had so conscientiously inspected the entire castle, they
felt at ease. They took for granted that the black rats had fled, and that they
would offer no resistance. So with light hearts, they ran up into the grain
bins.
But the gray rats had hardly swallowed the first wheat-grains, when the sound of
a little shrill pipe was heard from the courtyard. The gray rats raised their
heads, listened anxiously, ran a few steps, as if to leave the bin, then they
turned back and began to eat once more.
Again the pipe sounded a sharp and piercing note ­ and now something wonderful
happened. One rat, two rats ­ yes, a whole lot of rats left the grain, jumped
from the bins and hurried down cellar by the shortest cut, to get out of the
house. Still there were many gray rats left. These thought of all the toil and
trouble it had cost them to win Glimminge Castle, and they did not want to leave
it. But again they caught the tones from the pipe, and had to follow them.
Wildly excited, they rushed up from the bins, slid down through the narrow holes
in the walls, tumbling over each other in their eagerness to get out.
In the middle of the courtyard stood a tiny creature, who blew upon a pipe. All
around him was a whole circle of rats who listened to him astonished and
fascinated; and each moment brought more. Once he took the pipe from his lips ­
only for a second ­ put his thumb to his nose and wiggled his fingers at the
gray rats; and then it looked as if they were ready to throw themselves on him
and bite him to death; but as soon as he blew on his pipe they were in his
power.
When the tiny creature had played all the gray rats out of Glimminge Castle, he
began to wander slowly from the courtyard out into the highway;and all the gray
rats followed him, because the tones from that pipe sounded so sweet to their
ears that they could not resist them.
The tiny creature walked before them and charmed them along on the road to
Vallby. He led them into all sorts of crooks and turns and bends ­ on through
hedges and down into ditches ­ and wherever he went, they had to follow. He blew
