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Updated: June 22, 2025
He took the shortest cut to the elk's haunts, and hurried along his nose close to the earth. When he came to the tree stump where he had met Helpless the year before, the snake was still there, and called to him: "Have you told Grayskin what I said to you when last we met?" asked the water-snake. Karr only growled and tried to get at him.
He was terrified and, raising his foot, he struck so hard with his hoof that he crushed the snake's head. Then, away he ran in hot haste! As soon as Grayskin had gone, another snake, just as long and as black as the first, came up from the pool. It crawled over to the dead one, and licked the poor, crushed-in head. "Can it be true that you are dead, old Harmless?" hissed the snake.
Karr asked when he came up to the elk. They stood with lowered heads, far protruding upper lips, and looked puzzled. "No one can tell," answered Grayskin. "This insect family used to be the least hurtful of any in the forest, and never before have they done any damage. But these last few years they have been multiplying so fast that now it appears as if the entire forest would be destroyed."
Then he felt that the water could hold him up, and began to swim. He swam all around Karr, ducking and snorting, perfectly at home in the water. When they were on shore again, the dog asked if they had not better go home now. "It's a long time until morning," observed Grayskin, "so we can tramp around in the forest a little longer." They went again into the pine wood.
When he saw us wild geese circling above him, he cried out: "'Stay here, wild geese, until all is over! And the next time you fly over Kolmården, look up Karr, and ask him if he doesn't think that his friend Grayskin has met with a happy end?" When Akka had gone so far in her story the old dog rose and walked nearer to her. "Grayskin led a good life," he said. "He understands me.
The old elk came toward him, and instantly they began to fight. Their antlers met and clashed, and Grayskin was driven backward over the whole meadow. Apparently he did not know how to make use of his strength; but when he came to the edge of the forest, he planted his feet on the ground, pushed hard with his antlers, and began to force Antler-Crown back.
Then Karr and Grayskin went into the forest. It was a beautiful moonlight night in late summer; but in among the trees it was dark, and the elk walked along slowly. "Perhaps we had better turn back," said Karr. "You, who have never before tramped the wild forest, might easily break your legs." Grayskin moved more rapidly and with more courage.
"They say that an elk did it, and we were just going to ask if you knew who it was." "No," said Grayskin, "I have never heard of an elk killing a harmless creature." Grayskin parted from the four old elk, and went on with Karr. He was silent and walked with lowered head. They happened to pass Crawlie, the adder, who lay on his shelf of rock.
"I think that the small forest animals are displeased with me because I was the one who proposed that we should ask help of human beings. When the underbrush was cut down, all their lairs and hiding places were destroyed." They walked on together a while longer, and Karr heard the same cry coming from all directions: "There goes Grayskin, who has destroyed the forest!"
He had not the strength even to kill a water-snake. He was not able to save his friend Grayskin from his enemy. One afternoon Akka from Kebnekaise and her flock alighted on the shore of a forest lake. Spring was backward as it always is in the mountain districts. Ice covered all the lake save a narrow strip next the land. The geese at once plunged into the water to bathe and hunt for food.
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