little patch of ground
there at home.

On Wednesday he believed that the wild geese thought of keeping him with
them; but on Thursday he lost hope again.

Thursday began just like the other days; the geese fed on the broad
meadows, and the boy hunted for food in the park. After a while Akka
came to him, and asked if he had found anything to eat. No, he had not;
and then she looked up a dry caraway herb, that had kept all its tiny
seeds intact.

When the boy had eaten, Akka said that she thought he ran around in the
park altogether too recklessly. She wondered if he knew how many enemies
he had to guard against--he, who was so little. No, he didn't know
anything at all about that. Then Akka began to enumerate them for him.

Whenever he walked in the park, she said, that he must look out for the
fox and the marten; when he came to the shores of the lake, he must
think of the otters; as he sat on the stone wall, he must not forget the
weasels, who could creep through the smallest holes; and if he wished to
lie down and sleep on a pile of leaves, he must first find out if the
adders were not sleeping their winter sleep in the same pile. As soon as
he came out in the open fields, he should keep an eye out for hawks and
buzzards; for eagles and falcons that soared in the air. In the
bramble-bush he could be captured by the sparrow-hawks; magpies and
crows were found everywhere and in these he mustn't place any too much
confidence. As soon as it was dusk, he must keep his ears open and
listen for the big owls, who flew along with such soundless wing-strokes
that they could come right up to him before he was aware of their
presence.

When the boy heard that there were so many who were after his life, he
thought that it would be simply impossible for him to escape. He was not
particularly afraid to die, but he didn't like the idea of being eaten
up, so he asked Akka what he should do to protect himself from the
carnivorous animals.

Akka answered at once that the boy should try to get on good terms with
all the small animals in the woods and fields: with the squirrel-folk,
and the hare-family; with bullfinches and the titmice and woodpeckers
and larks. If he made friends with them, they could warn him against
dangers, find hiding places for him, and protect him.

But later in the day, when the boy tried to profit by this counsel, and
turned to Sirle Squirrel to ask for his protection, it was evident that
he did not car