at he had not
room enough to spread his wings. All around him the swans stretched
their long necks, opened their strong bills, and plucked his feathers.

Morten Goosey-Gander defended himself as best he could, by striking and
biting. The wild geese also began to fight the swans.

It was obvious how this would have ended had the geese not received help
quite unexpectedly.

A red-tail noticed that they were being roughly treated by the swans.
Instantly he cried out the shrill call that little birds use when they
need help to drive off a hawk or a falcon.

Three calls had barely sounded when all the little birds in the vicinity
came shooting down to Hjaelsta Bay, as if on wings of lightning.

These delicate little creatures swooped down upon the swans, screeched
in their ears, and obstructed their view with the flutter of their tiny
wings. They made them dizzy with their fluttering and drove them to
distraction with their cries of "Shame, shame, swans!"

The attack of the small birds lasted but a moment. When they were gone
and the swans came to their senses, they saw that the geese had risen
and flown over to the other end of the bay.

THE NEW WATCH-DOG

There was this at least to be said in the swans' favour--when they saw
that the wild geese had escaped, they were too proud to chase them.
Moreover, the geese could stand on a clump of reeds with perfect
composure, and sleep.

Nils Holgersson was too hungry to sleep.

"It is necessary for me to get something to eat," he said.

At that time, when all kinds of things were floating on the water, it
was not difficult for a little boy like Nils Holgersson to find a craft.
He did not stop to deliberate, but hopped down on a stump that had
drifted in amongst the reeds. Then he picked up a little stick and began
to pole toward shore.

Just as he was landing, he heard a splash in the water. He stopped
short. First he saw a lady swan asleep in her big nest quite close to
him, then he noticed that a fox had taken a few steps into the water and
was sneaking up to the swan's nest.

"Hi, hi, hi! Get up, get up!" cried the boy, beating the water with his
stick.

The lady swan rose, but not so quickly but that the fox could have
pounced upon her had he cared to. However, he refrained and instead
hurried straight toward the boy.

Thumbietot saw the fox coming and ran for his life.

Wide stretches of meadow land spread before him. He saw no tree that he
could climb, no