s brought up their young. He had also made the acquaintance
of the tame reindeer that grazed in herds along the shores of the
beautiful Torne Lake, and he had been down to the great falls and
brought greetings to the bears that lived thereabouts from their friends
and relatives in Westmanland.

Ever since he had seen Osa, the goose girl, he longed for the day when
he might go home with Morten Goosey-Gander and be a normal human being
once more. He wanted to be himself again, so that Osa would not be
afraid to talk to him and would not shut the door in his face.

Yes, indeed, he was glad that at last they were speeding southward. He
waved his cap and cheered when he saw the first pine forest. In the same
manner he greeted the first gray cabin, the first goat, the first cat,
and the first chicken.

They were continually meeting birds of passage, flying now in greater
flocks than in the spring.

"Where are you bound for, wild geese?" called the passing birds. "Where
are you bound for?"

"We, like yourselves, are going abroad," answered the geese.

"Those goslings of yours aren't ready to fly," screamed the others.
"They'll never cross the sea with those puny wings!"

Laplander and reindeer were also leaving the mountains. When the wild
geese sighted the reindeer, they circled down and called out:

"Thanks for your company this summer!"

"A pleasant journey to you and a welcome back!" returned the reindeer.

But when the bears saw the wild geese, they pointed them out to the cubs
and growled:

"Just look at those geese; they are so afraid of a little cold they
don't dare to stay at home in winter."

But the old geese were ready with a retort and cried to their goslings:

"Look at those beasts that stay at home and sleep half the year rather
than go to the trouble of travelling south!"

Down in the pine forest the young grouse sat huddled together and gazed
longingly after the big bird flocks which, amid joy and merriment,
proceeded southward.

"When will our turn come?" they asked the mother grouse.

"You will have to stay at home with mamma and papa," she said.

LEGENDS FROM HAeRJEDALEN

_Tuesday, October fourth_.

The boy had had three days' travel in the rain and mist and longed for
some sheltered nook, where he might rest awhile.

At last the geese alighted to feed and ease their wings a bit. To his
great relief the boy saw an observation tower on a hill close by, and
dragged himself to it.