As he stood there hungry and drowsy, and looked around in all
directions, his glance fell upon a pair of squirrels, who played upon
the wooded point, directly opposite the rock island. He wondered if the
squirrels still had any of their winter supplies left, and asked the
white goosey-gander to take him over to the point, that he might beg
them for a couple of hazelnuts.
Instantly the white one swam across the sound with him; but as luck
would have it the squirrels had so much fun chasing each other from tree
to tree, that they didn't bother about listening to the boy. They drew
farther into the grove. He hurried after them, and was soon out of the
goosey-gander's sight--who stayed behind and waited on the shore.
The boy waded forward between some white anemone-stems--which were so
high they reached to his chin--when he felt that someone caught hold of
him from behind, and tried to lift him up. He turned round and saw that
a crow had grabbed him by the shirt-band. He tried to break loose, but
before this was possible, another crow ran up, gripped him by the
stocking, and knocked him over.
If Nils Holgersson had immediately cried for help, the white
goosey-gander certainly would have been able to save him; but the boy
probably thought that he could protect himself, unaided, against a
couple of crows.
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