the air without moving his wings, now he flung himself downward with such sudden haste that it seemed as though he would fall to the ground, helpless as a stone; now he had lots of fun flying all around Akka, in great and small circles, like a whirlwind.  The boy had never been on a ride of this sort before; and although he sat there all the while in terror, he had to acknowledge to himself that he had never before known what a good flight meant.

Only a single pause was made during the journey, and that was at Vomb Lake when Akka joined her travelling companions, and called to them that the gray rats had been vanquished.  After that, the travellers flew straight to Kullaberg.

There they descended to the knoll reserved for the wild geese; and as the boy let his glance wander from knoll to knoll, he saw on one of them the many-pointed antlers of the stags; and on another, the gray herons’ neck-crests.  One knoll was red with foxes, one was gray with rats; one was covered with black ravens who shrieked continually, one with larks who simply couldn’t keep still, but kept on throwing themselves in the air and singing for very joy.

Just as it has ever been the custom on Kullaberg, it was the crows who began the day’s games and frolics with their flying-dance.  They divided themselves into two flocks, that flew toward each other, met, turned, and began all over again.  This dance had many repetitions, and appeared to the spectators who were not familiar with the dance as altogether too monotonous.  The crows were very proud of their dance, but all the others were glad when it was over.  It appeared to the animals about as gloomy and meaningless as the winter-storms’ play with the snow-flakes.  It depressed them to watch it, and they waited eagerly for something that should give them a little pleasure.

They did not have to wait in vain, either; for as soon as the crows had finished, the hares came running.  They dashed forward in a long row, without any apparent order.  In some of the figures, one single hare came; in others, they ran three and four abreast.  They had all raised themselves on two legs, and they rushed forward with such rapidity that their long ears swayed in all directions.  As they ran, they spun round, made high leaps and beat their forepaws against their hind-paws so that they rattled.  Some performed a long succession of somersaults, others doubled themselves up and rolled over like wheels; one stood on one leg and swung round; one walked upon his forepaws.  There was no regulation whatever, but there was much that was droll in the hares’ play; and the many animals who stood and watched them began to breathe faster.  Now it was spring; joy and rapture were advancing.  Winter was over; summer was coming.  Soon it was only play to live.