red that the cowshed was not empty. But he soon saw that there
was not more than one cow, and three or four chickens; and then he took
courage again. "We are three poor travellers who want to come in
somewhere, where no fox can assail us, and no human being capture us,"
said he. "We wonder if this can be a good place for us." "I cannot
believe but what it is," answered the cow. "To be sure the walls are
poor, but the fox does not walk through them as yet; and no one lives
here except an old peasant woman, who isn't at all likely to make a
captive of anyone. But who are you?" she continued, as she twisted in
her stall to get a sight of the newcomers. "I am Nils Holgersson from
Vemminghoeg, who has been transformed into an elf," replied the first of
the incomers, "and I have with me a tame goose, whom I generally ride,
and a gray goose." "Such rare guests have never before been within my
four walls," said the cow, "and you shall be welcome, although I would
have preferred that it had been my mistress, come to give me my supper."

The boy led the geese into the cowshed, which was rather large, and
placed them in an empty manger, where they fell asleep instantly. For
himself, he made a little bed of straw and expected that he, too, should
go to sleep at once.

But this was impossible, for the poor cow, who hadn't had her supper,
wasn't still an instant. She shook her flanks, moved around in the
stall, and complained of how hungry she was. The boy couldn't get a wink
of sleep, but lay there and lived over all the things that had happened
to him during these last days.

He thought of Osa, the goose-girl, and little Mats, whom he had
encountered so unexpectedly; and he fancied that the little cabin which
he had set on fire must have been their old home in Smaland. Now he
recalled that he had heard them speak of just such a cabin, and of the
big heather-heath which lay below it. Now Osa and Mats had wandered back
there to see their old home again, and then, when they had reached it,
it was in flames.

It was indeed a great sorrow which he had brought upon them, and it hurt
him very much. If he ever again became a human being, he would try to
compensate them for the damage and miscalculation.

Then his thoughts wandered to the crows. And when he thought of
Fumle-Drumle who had saved his life, and had met his own death so soon
after he had been elected chieftain, he was so distressed that tears
filled his eyes. He had had a