The sea-green billows rolled
forward, with seething foam on their crests. Each one surged higher than
the other. It was as though they raced with each other, to see which
could foam the wildest. But the wild geese were not afraid of the
swells. On the contrary, this seemed to afford them much pleasure. They
did not strain themselves with swimming, but lay and let themselves be
washed up with the wave-crests, and down in the water-dales, and had
just as much fun as children in a swing. Their only anxiety was that the
flock should be separated. The few land-birds who drove by, up in the
storm, cried with envy: "There is no danger for you who can swim."
But the wild geese were certainly not out of all danger. In the first
place, the rocking made them helplessly sleepy. They wished continually
to turn their heads backward, poke their bills under their wings, and go
to sleep. Nothing can be more dangerous than to fall asleep in this way;
and Akka called out all the while: "Don't go to sleep, wild geese! He
that falls asleep will get away from the flock. He that gets away from
the flock is lost."
Despite all attempts at resistance one after another fell asleep; and
Akka herself came pretty near dozing off, when she suddenly saw
something round and dark rise on the top of a wave. "Seals! Seals!
Seals!" cried Akka in a high, shrill voice, and raised herself up in the
air with resounding wing-strokes.
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