The Wonderful Adventures of Nils 1732 Studios

Swedish · The Wonderful Adventures of Nils

Översvämningen

The Flood

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  1. 1

    For several days, dreadful weather prevailed in the regions north of Lake Mälaren.

    Ifori · prepositionpreposition marking dar
    fleraseveralflera · adjective, nominative, pluralmodifies dar
    dardaysda · noun, nominative, common gender, pluraloblique complement of rådde

    colloquial short plural of dag (dagar).

    råddeprevailedrå · verb, past, indicative, activemain verb of the sentence
    ettaen · determiner, neuter, singulardeterminer of väder
    förskräckligtdreadfulförskräcklig · adjective, nominative, neuter, singularmodifies väder
    väderweatherväder · noun, nominative, neuter, singularsubject of rådde
    iini · prepositionpreposition marking trakterna
    trakternadistrictstrakt · noun, nominative, common gender, pluralmodifies väder
    norrnorthnorr · adverbmodifies trakterna
    omofom · prepositionpreposition marking Mälaren
    MälarenMälarenmälar · proper noun, nominativeoblique complement of norr

    Lake Mälaren, near Stockholm.

  2. The sky stood a uniform gray, the wind howled, and the rain lashed down.

  3. Both people and animals knew that spring could not come without this, but they still found it almost unbearable.

  4. 2

    When it had rained for a day, the snow masses in the spruce forests began to melt in earnest, and the spring brooks got underway.

  5. Every puddle in the farmyards, the sluggish water in the ditches, the water that trickled up between the tussocks in bogs and marshes — all of it came into motion and tried to find its way to the brooks, to be carried along to the sea.

  6. 3

    The brooks hurried as fast as they could toward the Mälar rivers, and the rivers did their best to carry the water masses down to Mälaren.

  7. But then all the small lakes in Uppland and in Bergslagen cast off their ice cover on one and the same day, so that the rivers filled with ice floes and very quickly rose all the way up to their banks.

  8. So swollen had the rivers now become that they poured themselves out into Mälaren, and it was not long before the lake had received as much water as it could comfortably hold.

  9. It fell into a violent current down toward the outlet, but Norrström is a narrow channel, and it could not let the water through as fast as was needed.

  10. On top of that there was a strong east wind, so that the sea water surged toward land and stood blocking the way for the Ström, when it wanted to carry the fresh water out into the Baltic.

  11. And since the rivers ceaselessly brought new water to Mälaren and the Ström could not manage to carry it away, there was nothing left for the great lake to do but rise over its banks.

  12. 4

    It rose very slowly, and as if unwilling to harm its beautiful shores.

  13. But since these are almost everywhere low and gently sloping, it did not take long before the water had reached several meters inland, and no more than that was needed to cause the greatest commotion.

  14. 5

    There is something peculiar about Mälaren.

  15. It consists of nothing but narrow fjords, bays, and sounds.

  16. Nowhere does it spread out into broad, storm-lashed surfaces.

  17. It is as if it were created for nothing but pleasure trips and sailing outings and happy fishing catches.

  18. And it owns so many lovely, tree-clad islands, islets, and headlands.

  19. Nowhere does it show bare, desolate, wind-blasted shores.

  20. It is as if it had never imagined that its shores should bear anything but pleasure palaces, summer villas, manor houses, and places of amusement.

  21. But it is perhaps for this very reason — because it usually shows itself so friendly and mild — that such a spectacle arises when it sometimes, in springtime, sets aside its smiling look and shows that it can turn dangerous in earnest.

  22. 6

    When it now seemed to want to bring about a flood, all the boats and dugout canoes that had been laid up on land during the winter were hastily caulked and tarred, so that they could be put to water as soon as possible.

  23. Washing docks were carried up onto land, and country road bridges were reinforced.

  24. The trackwalkers, whose job it was to watch over the stretches of railway that ran along the shore, walked back and forth on the embankment without pause and did not dare sleep, neither night nor day.

  25. 7

    Farmers who had hay or dry leaves stored in barns on the low islets hurried to bring it to safety on land.

  26. The fishermen took up their fish traps and nets, so that these would not be washed away by the flood.

  27. At the ferry landings there was a great crowding of travelers.

  28. All who needed to go home or away had to hurry, while they could still be sure the crossing would not be hindered.

  29. 8

    In the Stockholm area, where the shores are lined with summer house after summer house, there prevailed nonetheless the worst haste of all.

  30. Most of the villas stood high enough up on land that they were in no danger, but each of them had a boat dock and a bathhouse, and these had to be brought to safety.

  31. 9

    But it was not only the people who found themselves in trouble because Mälaren began to rise over its banks.

  32. The ducks that had laid their eggs among the shoreline bushes, the voles and shrews that lived along the shore and had small helpless young in their nests, were seized with the greatest anxiety.

  33. Even the proud swans felt uneasy that their nests and eggs might be destroyed.

  34. 10

    And all these fears were not without cause, for with every moment that passed, Mälaren rose.

  35. 11

    The willows and alders that grew along the water's edge already had water high up their trunks.

  36. In the gardens the water had come in and was rearranging the vegetable beds in its own fashion, and in the rye fields that lay where it could reach them, it did the greatest damage.

  37. 12

    The lake continued to rise for several days.

  38. The marshy meadows around Gripsholm went under water, so that the great castle was separated from land not merely by a narrow moat, but by broad channels of water.

  39. In Strängnäs the beautiful shore promenade was turned into a rushing stream, and in Västerås people made ready to travel by boat along the streets.

  40. A pair of elk that had wintered on an islet in Mälaren found their standing ground put underwater and came swimming toward land.

  41. Whole woodpiles, masses of logs and boards, a great many brewing vats and tubs had come adrift, and everywhere people were out in their boats to salvage what they could.

  42. 13

    During this hard time it happened that Smirre Fox came one day slinking through a birch grove that lay some distance north of Mälaren.

  43. He walked along as usual, thinking about the wild geese and Thumbietot, and wondering how he was to go about finding them, for he had entirely lost the trail.

  44. 14

    When he was walking along feeling at his most discouraged, he caught sight of Agar the carrier pigeon, who had settled on a birch twig.

  45. "How splendid, Agar, that I should meet you," said Smirre.

  46. "Perhaps you can tell me where Akka from Kebnekaise and her flock are staying nowadays."

  47. — "It's quite possible that I know where they are," said Agar, "but I certainly won't tell you."

  48. — "It could be all the same," said Smirre, "if you would only pass on a greeting that I have for them.

  49. You know well enough how badly things stand at Mälaren these days.

  50. There's a great flood there, and the many swan-folk who live at Hjälstaviken are having their nests and eggs destroyed.

  51. But Dagaklar, the swan king, has heard tell of that youngster who travels with the wild geese and who can find a remedy for anything, and he has sent me to ask Akka whether she will come down to Hjälstaviken with Thumbietot."

  52. 15

    "I can certainly pass on the greeting," said Agar.

  53. "But I don't understand how the little youngster could possibly help the swans."

  54. — "I don't understand that either," said Smirre.

  55. "But he can manage to bring off anything at all, it seems."

  56. — "It also surprises me that Dagaklar sends his greetings to the geese by way of a fox," objected Agar.

  57. — "You're quite right that we're otherwise enemies," said Smirre in a mild voice.

  58. "But when there's such great need at hand, one must be willing to help one another.

  59. You may in any case refrain from telling Akka that you got the greeting through a fox, for she's rather suspicious by nature, I should think."

  60. 16

    THE SWANS OF HJÄLSTAVIKEN.

  61. 17

    The safest refuge for waterfowl to be found in the whole Mälaren region is Hjälstaviken, which is the innermost part of Ekolsundsviken, which in turn is a branching-off of Norra Björköfjärden, which is the second largest of the long bays that Mälaren sends inland toward Uppland.

  62. 18

    Hjälstaviken has flat shores, shallow water, and a great many reed thickets, quite like Tåkern.

  63. It is nowhere near as large as that famous bird lake, but it is nevertheless an excellent bird home, because it has been under protection for many years now.

  64. It is, namely, a haunt for a great swan-folk, and the owner of the old manor of Ekolsund, which lies nearby, has forbidden all hunting on the bay, so that the swans might not be disturbed or troubled.

  65. 19

    As soon as Akka had received word that the swan-folk needed her help, she had hastened to set off for Hjälstaviken.

  66. She arrived there with the flock one evening and saw at once that grievous misfortunes had occurred there.

  67. The great swan nests had been torn loose from their moorings and were drifting across the bay in the strong wind.

  68. Some had already fallen apart, a couple had capsized, and the eggs that had been in them lay gleaming on the lake bottom.

  69. 20

    When Akka came down into the bay, all the swans who lived there were gathered over by the eastern shore, where they were best sheltered from the wind.

  70. Although they had suffered greatly from the flood, they were far too proud to show any grief.

  71. "It's not worth grieving over," they said.

  72. "There are plenty of root-stalks and reed shoots.

  73. We can soon build ourselves new nests."

  74. Not one of them had had the thought of calling in a stranger to help, and they had no idea that Smirre had sent for the wild geese.

  75. 21

    There were several hundred of them, and they had arranged themselves by rank and order: the young and inexperienced at the outer edge of the circle, the old and wise farther in.

  76. Innermost of all lay Dagaklar, the swan king, and Snöfrid, the swan queen, who were older than all the others and counted most of the swan-folk as their own descendants.

  77. 22

    Dagaklar and Snöfrid could tell of the days when swans of their line lived nowhere wild in Sweden, but existed only as tame birds in castle moats and ponds.

  78. 23

    But then a pair of swans had escaped their captivity and settled at Hjälstaviken, and from these two all the swans that lived there were descended.

  79. Nowadays there was wild swan-folk in many of the Mälaren bays, as well as in Tåkern and Lake Hornborga.

  80. All these settlers had come from Hjälstaviken, and the swans who lived there were very proud that their line had thus spread from lake to lake.

  81. 24

    The wild geese had happened to land on the western shore, but when Akka saw where the swans lay, she began at once to swim toward them.

  82. She herself was greatly astonished that they had sent for her, but she considered it an honor and would not for a moment neglect to assist them.

  83. 25

    When Akka came near the swans, she paused to make sure that the geese following her swam forward in a straight line and at even intervals.

  84. "Swim on now, briskly and well!" she said.

  85. "Don't look at the swans as though you'd never seen anything beautiful before, and pay no mind to whatever they say to you!"

  86. 26

    It was not the first time that Akka had sought out the old swan lord and lady, and they had always received her in the manner that so well-traveled and respected a bird as Akka might rightly claim.

  87. But she did not care for swimming forward among all the swans that lay around them.

  88. Never did she feel so small and gray as when she found herself among the swans, and one or another of them was apt to let drop a word or two about gray drudges and poor folk.

  89. But such things it was wisest not to notice.

  90. 27

    This time everything seemed to go unusually well.

  91. The swans moved quietly aside, and the wild geese swam forward as though through a lane, lined by the great, shimmering white birds.

  92. It was very beautiful to see them lying there, wings spread like sails, to show themselves off well before the strangers.

  93. They held back all remarks, and Akka was quite astonished.

  94. "Dagaklar must have found out about their bad manners and told them to conduct themselves in a courteous fashion," thought the leader-goose.

  95. 28

    But just as the swans were straining in this way to observe good manners, they caught sight of the white gander swimming last in the long line of geese.

  96. Then a murmur of astonishment and indignation went through the company, and in an instant all the fine behavior was at an end.

  97. 29

    "What's this?" cried one of them.

  98. "Do the wild geese intend to get themselves white feathers?"

  99. 30

    "They needn't think they'll become swans on that account," was shrieked from every side.

  100. 31

    They began crying out to one another with their ringing, powerful voices.

  101. It was impossible to explain to them that it was a tame gander who had come along with the wild geese.

  102. 32

    "It's surely the very goose-king who's coming," they jeered.

  103. 33

    "There's no end to such impudence."

  104. 34

    "It's not a goose at all, it's only a tame duck."

  105. 35

    The great white one remembered Akka's command not to take any notice of whatever he might have to hear.

  106. He kept himself silent and swam onward as briskly as he could manage, but it did not help.

  107. The swans grew ever more forward.

  108. "What kind of frog is he carrying on his back?" asked one.

  109. "They surely think we won't notice it's a frog, just because he's dressed up like a person."

  110. 36

    The swans, who a moment before had lain in such fine order, now swam about one another in the fiercest confusion.

  111. Everyone wanted to press forward to catch sight of the white wild goose.

  112. 37

    "That white gander ought at least to be ashamed to come and show himself among us swans."

  113. 38

    "He's surely just as gray as the others.

  114. He's simply dipped himself in a flour bin on some farm."

  115. 39

    Akka had just barely reached Dagaklar and was about to ask what kind of help he wanted from her, when the king noticed the commotion among the swan-folk.

  116. "What's going on now?

  117. Haven't I commanded that they be courteous to strangers?" he said, looking displeased.

  118. 40

    Snöfrid, the swan queen, swam off to keep her people in order, and Dagaklar turned back toward Akka.

  119. Then Snöfrid came back looking greatly upset.

  120. "Can't you make them be quiet?" the swan king called to her.

  121. — "There's a white wild goose over there," answered Snöfrid.

  122. "It's a disgrace to see.

  123. I'm not surprised that they're indignant."

  124. — "A white wild goose!" said Dagaklar.

  125. "That's too absurd.

  126. No such thing can exist.

  127. You must have seen wrong."

  128. 41

    Around Morten Gander the crush grew ever greater.

  129. Akka and the other wild geese tried to swim forward to him, but they were jostled this way and that and could not reach him.

  130. 42

    The old swan king, who was stronger than any other, then set himself swiftly in motion, shoved all the others aside, and forced his way through to the white one.

  131. But when he saw that it really was a white goose lying there on the water, he grew just as furious as the rest.

  132. He hissed with rage, rushed straight at Morten Gander, and tore a couple of feathers from him.

  133. "I'll teach you, wild goose, to come to the swans got up like this," he said.

  134. 43

    "Fly, Morten Gander, fly, fly!" cried Akka, for she understood that the swans were about to pluck every last feather from the great white one, and "Fly, fly!" cried Thumbietot too.

  135. But the gander lay so jammed in among the swans that he had no room to lift his wings.

  136. And from every side the swans stretched out their strong bills to pluck the feathers from him.

  137. 44

    Morten Gander defended himself against them by biting and striking as best he could, and the other wild geese also went into battle against the swans.

  138. But it was clear how this would have ended, had they not, quite unexpectedly, received help.

  139. 45

    It was a redstart who had noticed that the wild geese had come to grief among the swans, and he at once cried out the sharp rallying call that is customary among the small birds when it is a matter of chasing off a hawk or a falcon.

  140. Scarcely had the call sounded three times before all the small birds of the district, on swift wings, came rushing down toward Hjälstaviken in a great, clamorous swarm.

  141. 46

    And these small, powerless little creatures threw themselves upon the swans.

  142. They shrieked in their ears, they blocked their view with their wings, they made them dizzy with their fluttering, they threw them into confusion by crying: "Shame, shame, swans! Shame, shame, swans!"

  143. 47

    The onslaught of the small birds lasted only a couple of moments, but by the time they were gone and the swans had come back to their senses, they saw that the wild geese had risen and flown across to the other side of the bay.

  144. 48

    THE NEW WATCHDOG.

  145. 49

    It was at least to the swans' credit that, once they saw the wild geese had escaped, they were too proud to chase after them.

  146. The wild geese could therefore settle down in perfect peace to sleep on a reed tussock.

  147. 50

    As for Nils Holgersson, he was too hungry to be able to fall asleep.

  148. "I simply must try to get into some cottage and get myself a little food," he thought.

  149. 51

    In those days, when so many things of every kind were floating about on the lake, it was not hard for someone like Nils Holgersson to find a craft.

  150. He did not stop to think for long, jumped down onto a scrap of board that had washed in among the reeds, fished up a little stick, and began poling himself across the shallow water toward the shore.

  151. 52

    Scarcely had he landed before he heard a splashing in the water beside him.

  152. He held still and saw, first of all, a female swan lying asleep in her great nest only a few meters away from him; and further, he saw a fox that had waded a few steps out into the water to steal up on the swan's nest.

  153. "Hoy, hoy, hoy! Get up! Get up!" shouted the boy, striking the water with his stick.

  154. The swan rose up, but not fast enough that the fox could not have thrown himself upon her, had he wished.

  155. But he gave that up instead and hurried straight toward the boy.

  156. 53

    Thumbietot saw the fox coming and set off toward land.

  157. There lay wide, level meadows before him.

  158. He saw no tree that he could climb up into, no hole where he could hide himself.

  159. There was nothing to do but run away.

  160. The boy was a good runner, but it stood to reason that he could not compete in speed with a fox, when the fox was free and unencumbered and had nothing to drag along.

  161. 54

    A little way from the lake stood a few small crofters' cottages, where light shone from the windows.

  162. The boy ran, naturally, toward that direction, but he had to tell himself that before he reached the houses, the fox would surely have time to catch him many times over.

  163. 55

    Once the fox came so close to him that he thought himself certain of being caught, but then the boy suddenly threw himself to one side and turned back down toward the bay again.

  164. In the turn the fox lost a bit of time, and before he had caught up with the boy again, the boy had hurried up to a couple of men who had been out on the lake all day and evening salvaging drifting goods and were now on their way home.

  165. 56

    The men were tired and sleepy.

  166. They had noticed neither the boy nor the fox, although these had run right in front of them.

  167. The boy, for his part, did not bother to speak to them and ask for help, but contented himself with walking close beside them.

  168. "The fox surely won't dare come all the way up to the humans," he thought.

  169. 57

    But soon he heard the fox come padding along.

  170. He was counting on the men taking him for a dog, since he came right up close to them.

  171. "What kind of dog is that sneaking along after us?" said one of the men then.

  172. "He's coming as close as if he meant to bite."

  173. The other one stopped and looked around.

  174. "Get away with you!

  175. What business do you have here?" he said, and kicked at the fox so that it flew clear across the road.

  176. After that the fox kept a couple of steps' distance, but he followed along the whole time.

  177. 58

    The men were soon at the crofts and went together into one of the cottages.

  178. The boy had meant to go in with them, but when he had reached the front step, he had seen a large, splendid, long-haired watchdog come rushing out of its kennel to greet its master.

  179. Then the boy had quickly changed his mind and stayed outside in the open.

  180. 59

    "Listen, watchdog!" said the boy in a low voice, as soon as the men had shut the door.

  181. "I wonder if you'd be willing to help me catch a fox tonight."

  182. 60

    The watchdog had poor eyesight, and being tied up had made him hot-tempered and quarrelsome.

  183. "Am I to catch a fox?" he barked out in a fury.

  184. "Who are you, coming here to make fun of me?

  185. Just get within my reach, and you'll learn not to joke with me!"

  186. 61

    "I'm not the least bit afraid to come close to you, believe me," said the boy, and ran up to the dog.

  187. When the dog saw him, he was so astonished that he could not say a word.

  188. 62

    "It is I, who am called Thumbietot, and who travel about with the wild geese," said the boy.

  189. "Haven't you heard tell of me?"

  190. — "The sparrows have certainly chirped about you now and then," said the dog.

  191. "You're said to have done great things for one so small."

  192. — "Things have gone tolerably well for me up to now," said the boy, "but now it will be all up with me, unless you're willing to help me.

  193. I have a fox right on my heels.

  194. He's standing lurking behind the corner."

  195. — "Well, I can certainly smell him, upon my word," said the watchdog.

  196. "We'll soon be rid of him."

  197. And the watchdog rushed off, as far as the chain would allow, and barked and snarled for a good while.

  198. 63

    "Now I don't think he'll show himself again tonight," said the dog.

  199. — "It takes more than a fine bit of barking to frighten off that fox," said the boy.

  200. "He'll soon be back again, and it's just as well, for I've made up my mind that you're to take him prisoner."

  201. — "Are you starting to make sport of me now?" said the dog.

  202. — "Just come with me into the kennel, so the fox can't hear us," said the boy, "and I'll tell you how you're to go about it!"

  203. 64

    The boy and the watchdog crept into the kennel and lay there whispering.

  204. 65

    After a while the fox poked his nose out from behind the corner, and when everything was quiet, he came softly into the yard.

  205. He scented the boy all the way to the doghouse and sat down at a suitable distance to think over how he might lure him out.

  206. Suddenly the watchdog stuck out his head and growled at him: "Get away!

  207. Or else I'll come and take you."

  208. — "I'll sit here as long as I please, for all you care," said the fox.

  209. — "Get away!" said the dog once more, in a threatening tone.

  210. "Or else you'll have hunted for the last time tonight."

  211. But the fox only grinned at him and did not budge from the spot.

  212. "I know quite well how far your chain reaches," he said.

  213. — "I've warned you twice," said the dog, and came out of the kennel.

  214. "Now you have only yourself to blame."

  215. 66

    At the same instant he threw himself with a long leap upon the fox and reached him without the least difficulty, for he was loose.

  216. The boy had unbuckled his collar.

  217. 67

    There arose a few moments' struggle, but it was soon decided.

  218. The dog stood as victor, the fox lay on the ground and did not dare stir.

  219. "Yes, hold still now!" said the dog.

  220. "Or I'll bite you to death."

  221. He took the fox by the scruff of the neck and dragged him to his kennel, and there the boy came with the dog chain and put the collar twice around his neck and fastened it tight, so that he was securely bound.

  222. And through all this the fox had to lie still and dared not stir.

  223. 68

    "Now I hope, Smirre Fox, that you'll make a good watchdog," said the boy, when he was finished.

The particulars

The text
Nils Holgerssons underbara resa genom Sverige, Selma Lagerlöf. The Wonderful Adventures of Nils.
Translation
Public-domain Swedish (Lagerlöf, d. 1940; published 1906–07). English translation © 2026 1732 Studios, LLC.
Words
Every word of the text, by letter.
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Two whoopie pies and a pine. An inside joke.