The girl thought that what she had heard was
only goose-cackle; but since she thought she had distinguished a couple
of words, she called out in answer: "Take me along with you!" "Not this
year," replied the boy. "Not this year."
East of the factories rises Joenkoeping, on the most glorious spot that
any city can occupy. The narrow Vettern has high, steep sand-shores,
both on the eastern and western sides; but straight south, the
sand-walls are broken down, just as if to make room for a large gate,
through which one reaches the lake. And in the middle of the gate--with
mountains to the left, and mountains to the right, with Monk Lake behind
it, and Vettern in front of it--lies Joenkoeping.
The wild geese travelled forward over the long, narrow city, and behaved
themselves here just as they had done in the country. But in the city
there was no one who answered them. It was not to be expected that city
folks should stop out in the streets, and call to the wild geese.
The trip extended further along Vettern's shores; and after a little
they came to Sanna Sanitarium. Some of the patients had gone out on the
veranda to enjoy the spring air, and in this way they heard the
goose-cackle. "Where are you going?" asked one of them with such a
feeble voice that he was scarcely heard. "To that land where there is
neither sorrow nor sickness," answered the boy.
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