United States or Colombia ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
There was a strong west wind; people were glad of that, for it dried up the roads, which had been soaked by the heavy rains of the day before. Early in the morning the two Småland children, Osa, the goose girl, and little Mats, were out on the highway leading from Sörmland to Närke.
It wasn't fair to say that Osa, the goose-girl, had annoyed him. She was much too wise for that. But the one who could be aggravating with a vengeance was her brother, little Mats. "Have you heard, Nils Goose-boy, how it went when Småland and Skåne were created?" he would ask, and if Nils Holgersson said no, he began immediately to relate the old joke-legend.
Think of the bays and islets, and the manors, and the groves!" said Osa. "Yes, that's true enough," little Mats admitted. "And don't you remember," continued Osa, "the school teacher said that such a lively and picturesque district as that bit of Småland which lies south of Lake Vettern is not to be found in all Sweden?
But Mats was only a little tot, and Osa, the goose-girl, who was a year older than he, ran forward instantly to help him. Good-natured though she was, she sprang like a lion as soon as anyone touched her brother. And Nils Holgersson did not care to fight a girl, but turned his back, and didn't look at those Småland children for the rest of the day.
The father looked less bent and weary and his eyes were clear and good, as if at last he had found the answer to that which had troubled him so long. Osa, the goose girl, did not glance longingly about, for she had found some one to care for her, and now she could be a child again. Saturday, October first. The boy sat on the goosey-gander's back and rode up amongst the clouds.
I think you'll say that she will be a good daughter to me." The Swede rushed on so rapidly that the Laplander could hardly keep pace with him. After a moment Ola said to his companion: "Now I recall that her name is Osa this girl I'm adopting." The other man only kept hurrying along and old Ola Serka was so well pleased that he wanted to laugh aloud.
"But perhaps it would be an even greater sorrow were they to see me as I now am." While he stood there, hesitating, a cart drove up to the gate. The boy smothered a cry of surprise, for who should step from the cart and go into the house yard but Osa, the goose girl, and her father! They walked hand in hand toward the cabin.
She knew that they could take care of themselves. Osa and Mats were allowed to keep the room on condition that they would tend the geese, as it was always hard to find children willing to do that work. It turned out as the mother expected: they did maintain themselves. The girl made candy, and the boy carved wooden toys, which they sold at the farm houses.
They were from Sunnerbo township, in Småland, and had once lived with their parents and four brothers and sisters in a little cabin on the heath. While the two children, Osa and Mats, were still small, a poor, homeless woman came to their cabin one night and begged for shelter. Although the place could hardly hold the family, she was taken in and the mother spread a bed for her on the floor.
Word Of The Day