the usual gray variety, and one white goosey-gander, who carried on
his back a tiny lad dressed in yellow leather breeches, green vest, and
a white woollen toboggan hood.

They were now very near the Eastern sea; and on the meadow where the
geese had alighted the soil was sandy, as it usually is on the
sea-coast. It looked as if, formerly, there had been flying sand in this
vicinity which had to be held down; for in several directions large,
planted pine-woods could be seen.

When the wild geese had been feeding a while, several children came
along, and walked on the edge of the meadow. The goose who was on guard
at once raised herself into the air with noisy wing-strokes, so the
whole flock should hear that there was danger on foot. All the wild
geese flew upward; but the white one trotted along on the ground
unconcerned. When he saw the others fly he raised his head and called
after them: "You needn't fly away from these! They are only a couple of
children!"

The little creature who had been riding on his back, sat down upon a
knoll on the outskirts of the wood and picked a pine-cone in pieces,
that he might get at the seeds. The children were so close to him that
he did not dare to run across the meadow to the white one. He concealed
himself under a big, dry thistle-leaf, and at the same time gave a
warning-cry. But the white one had evidently made up his mind not to let
himself be scared. He walked along on the ground all the while; and not
once did he look to see in what direction they were going.

Meanwhile, they turned from the path, walked across the field, getting
nearer and nearer to the goosey-gander. When he finally did look up,
they were right upon him. He was so dumfounded, and became so confused,
he forgot that he could fly, and tried to get out of their reach by
running. But the children followed, chasing him into a ditch, and there
they caught him. The larger of the two stuck him under his arm and
carried him off.

When the boy, who lay under the thistle-leaf saw this, he sprang up as
if he wanted to take the goosey-gander away from them; then he must have
remembered how little and powerless he was, for he threw himself on the
knoll and beat upon the ground with his clenched fists.

The goosey-gander cried with all his might for help: "Thumbietot, come
and help me! Oh, Thumbietot, come and help me!" The boy began to laugh
in the midst of his distress. "Oh, yes! I'm just the right one to help
anyb