Page:The Wonderful Adventures of Nils.djvu/122

94 And a lucky thing it was that the woman hadn't started the dipping sooner. Now only two quills had fallen under the shears when the door was opened—and the boy stood on the door-sill. But a creature like that the woman had never seen before. She couldn't believe anything else but that it was Goa-nisse himself; and in her terror she dropped the shears, clasped her hands—and forgot to hold on to the goosey-gander.

As soon as he felt himself freed, he ran toward the door. He didn't give himself time to stop; but, as he ran past him, he grabbed the boy by the neck-band and carried him along with him. On the stoop he spread his wings and flew up in the air; at the same time he made a graceful sweep with his neck and seated the boy on his smooth, downy back. And off they flew—while all Vittskövle stood and stared after them.



that day, when the wild geese played with the fox, the boy lay and slept in a deserted squirrel nest. When he awoke,