The Wonderful Adventures of Nils | Page 4

to get at that reading
again," thought he.
But as he walked toward the table, he noticed something remarkable. It
couldn't be possible that the cottage had grown. But why was he
obliged to take so many more steps than usual to get to the table? And
what was the matter with the chair? It looked no bigger than it did a
while ago; but now he had to step on the rung first, and then clamber up
in order to reach the seat. It was the same thing with the table. He could
not look over the top without climbing to the arm of the chair.
"What in all the world is this?" said the boy. "I believe the elf has
bewitched both the armchair and the table--and the whole cottage."
The Commentary lay on the table and, to all appearances, it was not
changed; but there must have been something queer about that too, for
he could not manage to read a single word of it, without actually
standing right in the book itself.
He read a couple of lines, and then he chanced to look up. With that,
his glance fell on the looking-glass; and then he cried aloud: "Look!
There's another one!"
For in the glass he saw plainly a little, little creature who was dressed
in a hood and leather breeches.
"Why, that one is dressed exactly like me!" said the boy, and clasped
his hands in astonishment. But then he saw that the thing in the mirror
did the same thing. Then he began to pull his hair and pinch his arms
and swing round; and instantly he did the same thing after him; he, who
was seen in the mirror.
The boy ran around the glass several times, to see if there wasn't a little
man hidden behind it, but he found no one there; and then he began to
shake with terror. For now he understood that the elf had bewitched
him, and that the creature whose image he saw in the glass--was he,
himself.
THE WILD GEESE
The boy simply could not make himself believe that he had been
transformed into an elf. "It can't be anything but a dream--a queer
fancy," thought he. "If I wait a few moments, I'll surely be turned back
into a human being again."
He placed himself before the glass and closed his eyes. He opened them

again after a couple of minutes, and then expected to find that it had all
passed over--but it hadn't. He was--and remained--just as little. In other
respects, he was the same as before. The thin, straw-coloured hair; the
freckles across his nose; the patches on his leather breeches and the
darns on his stockings, were all like themselves, with this
exception--that they had become diminished.
No, it would do no good for him to stand still and wait, of this he was
certain. He must try something else. And he thought the wisest thing
that he could do was to try and find the elf, and make his peace with
him.
And while he sought, he cried and prayed and promised everything he
could think of. Nevermore would he break his word to anyone; never
again would he be naughty; and never, never would he fall asleep again
over the sermon. If he might only be a human being once more, he
would be such a good and helpful and obedient boy. But no matter how
much he promised--it did not help him the least little bit.
Suddenly he remembered that he had heard his mother say, all the tiny
folk made their home in the cowsheds; and, at once, he concluded to go
there, and see if he couldn't find the elf. It was a lucky thing that the
cottage-door stood partly open, for he never could have reached the
bolt and opened it; but now he slipped through without any difficulty.
When he came out in the hallway, he looked around for his wooden
shoes; for in the house, to be sure, he had gone about in his
stocking-feet. He wondered how he should manage with these big,
clumsy wooden shoes; but just then, he saw a pair of tiny shoes on the
doorstep. When he observed that the elf had been so thoughtful that he
had also bewitched the wooden shoes, he was even more troubled. It
was evidently his intention that this affliction should last a long time.
On the wooden board-walk in front of the cottage, hopped a gray
sparrow. He had hardly set eyes on the boy before he called out:
"Teetee! Teetee! Look at Nils goosey-boy! Look at Thumbietot! Look
at Nils Holgersson Thumbietot!"
Instantly, both the geese and the chickens turned and stared at the boy;
and then they set up