Once, at Skansen, the boy had sat under the steps at Bollnäs cottage and
had overheard Clement Larsson and the old Laplander talk about Norrland.
Both agreed that it was the most beautiful part of Sweden. Clement
thought that the southern part was the best, while the Laplander
favoured the northern part.
As they argued, it became plain that Clement had never been farther
north than Härnösand. The Laplander laughed at him for speaking with
such assurance of places that he had never seen.
"I think I shall have to tell you a story, Clement, to give you some
idea of Lapland, since you have not seen it," volunteered the Laplander.
"It shall not be said of me that I refuse to listen to a story,"
retorted Clement, and the old Laplander began:
"It once happened that the birds who lived down in Sweden, south of the
great Saméland, thought that they were overcrowded there and suggested
moving northward.
"They came together to consider the matter. The young and eager birds
wished to start at once, but the older and wiser ones passed a
resolution to send scouts to explore the new country.
"'Let each of the five great bird families send out a scout,' said the
old and wise birds, 'to learn if there is room for us all up there--food
and hiding places.'
"Five intelligent and capable birds were immediately appointed by the
five great bird families.
"The forest birds selected a grouse, the field birds a lark, the sea
birds a gull, the fresh-water birds a loon, and the cliff birds a snow
sparrow.
"When the five chosen ones were ready to start, the grouse, who was the
largest and most commanding, said:
"'There are great stretches of land ahead. If we travel together, it
will be long before we cover all the territory that we must explore. If,
on the other hand, we travel singly--each one exploring his special
portion of the country--the whole business can be accomplished in a few
days.'
"The other scouts thought the suggestion a good one, and agreed to act
upon it.
"It was decided that the grouse should explore the midlands. The lark
was to travel to the eastward, the sea gull still farther east, where
the land bordered on the sea, while the loon should fly over the
territory west of the midlands, and the snow sparrow to the extreme
west.
"In accordance with this plan, the five birds flew over the whole
Northland. Then they turned back and told the assembly of birds what
they had discovered.
"The gull, who had travelled along the sea-coast, spoke first.
"'The North is a fine country,' he said. 'The sounds are full of fish,
and there are points and islands without number. Most of these are
uninhabited, and the birds will find plenty of room there. The humans
do a little fishing and sailing in the sounds, but not enough to disturb
the birds. If the sea birds follow my advice, they will move north
immediately.'
"When the gull had finished, the lark, who had explored the land back
from the coast, spoke:
"'I don't know what the gull means by his islands and points,' said the
lark. I have travelled only over great fields and flowery meadows. I
have never before seen a country crossed by some large streams. Their
shores are dotted with homesteads, and at the mouth of the rivers are
cities; but for the most part the country is very desolate. If the field
birds follow my advice, they will move north immediately.'
"After the lark came the grouse, who had flown over the midlands.
"'I know neither what the lark means with his meadows nor the gull with
his islands and points,' said he. 'I have seen only pine forests on this
whole trip. There are also many rushing streams and great stretches of
moss-grown swamp land; but all that is not river or swamp is forest. If
the forest birds follow my advice, they will move north immediately.'
"After the grouse came the loon, who had explored the borderland to the
west.
"I don't know what the grouse means by his forests, nor do I know where
the eyes of the lark and the gull could have been,' remarked the loon.
There's hardly any land up there--only big lakes. Between beautiful
shores glisten clear, blue mountain lakes, which pour into roaring
water-falls. If the fresh-water birds follow my advice, they will move
north immediately.'
"The last speaker was the snow sparrow, who had flown along the western
boundary.
"'I don't know what the loon means by his lakes, nor do I know what
countries the grouse, the lark, and the gull can have seen,' he said. 'I
found one vast mountainous region up north. I didn't run across any
fields or any pine forests, but peak after peak and highlands. I have
seen ice fields and snow and mountain brooks, with water as white as
milk. No farmers nor cattle nor homesteads have I seen, but only Lapps
and reindeer and huts met my eyes. If the cliff birds follow my advice,
they will move north immediately.'
"When the five scouts had presented their reports to the assembly, they
began to call one another liars, and were ready to fly at each other to
prove the truth of their arguments.
"But the old and wise birds who had sent them out, listened to their
accounts with joy, and calmed their fighting propensities.
"'You mustn't quarrel among yourselves,' they said. 'We understand from
your reports that up north there are large mountain tracts, a big lake
region, great forest lands, a wide plain, and a big group of islands.
This is more than we have expected--more than many a mighty kingdom can
boast within its borders.'"