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it against the prow of the sailing boat, while Moominmamma proudly proclaimed: 'Herewith I christen you now and forever The Adventure.'
    Everybody cheered, and then they put the baskets, blankets, umbrella, fishing rod, cushions, saucepans and bathing suits on board, and the Moomin family and their friends set sail for the wild, green sea.
    *
    It was a fine day. Perhaps not quite clear, because a gold haze lay over the sun, but The Adventure spread her white sails and headed out to sea at a good speed. The waves slapped the sides of the boat and the wind sang, and mermaids and mermen danced around the bows, while big white birds circled up above.
    Sniff had tied his six little boats in a line, one after the other, and now the whole fleet sailed in The Adventure's wake. Moominpappa steered and Moominmamma sat dozing. It was seldom she had such peace around her.
    'Where shall we go?' asked the Snork.
    'Let's go to an island!' begged the Snork Maiden. 'I've never been to a little island before.'
    'You shall do it now,' said Moominpappa. 'We'll land on the first island we see.'
    Moomintroll was sitting farthest up in the bows keeping a look-out for reefs. It was so wonderful to stare down into the green depths and watch The Adventure's prow cutting through the white foam.
    'Pee-hoo!' shouted Moomintroll. 'We're going to an island!'
    Far out to sea lay the Hattifatteners' Lonely Island, surrounded by reefs and breakers. (Once a year the Hattifatteners collect there before setting out again on their endless foraging expedition round the world. They come from all points of the compass, silent and serious with their small, white empty faces, and why they hold this yearly meeting it is difficult to say, as they can neither hear nor speak, and have no object in life but the distant goal of their journey's end. Perhaps they like to have a place where they feel at home and can rest a little and meet friends. The yearly meeting is always in June, and thus it was that the Moomin family and the Hattifatteners arrived on Lonely Island at about the same time.) Wild and tempting it rose from the sea, wreathed in white breakers and crowned with green trees as if dressed for a gala.
    'Land ahead!' shouted Moomintroll, and they all hung over the rail to look. 'There's a sandy beach,' cried the Snork Maiden.
    'And a fine harbour!' cried Moominpappa, steering skilfully into land between the reefs. The Adventure ran deep into the sand, and Moomintroll jumped ashore with the painter.
    The beach was soon seething with activity. Moominmamma dragged up some stones to make a fireplace to warm up the pancakes; she collected wood and spread out the tablecloth with a little stone on each corner to stop it blowing away; she put out all the cups and sank the butter jar in the wet sand in the shade of a stone, and finally she arranged a bouquet of beach-lilies in the middle of the table.
    'Can we help you with anything?' asked Moomintroll, when everything was ready.
    'You can explore the island,' said Moominmamma (who knew that was what they were longing to do). 'It's important to know where we've landed. It could be dangerous, couldn't it?'
    'Exactly,' said Moomintroll. And off he went with the Snork Maiden and her brother and Sniff towards the south shore, while Snufkin, who loved to discover things alone, set off for the north. The Hemulen took his botanizing-spade, his green collecting tin and his magnifying glass, and wandered into the wood. He thought he might find some wonderful vegetation that nobody had yet discovered.
    Meanwhile Moominpappa sat down on a stone to fish. And the sun sank slowly down while the golden haze blotted out the sea.
    In the middle of the island lay a green glade with a smooth floor, surrounded by flowering shrubs. Here the Hattifatteners had their secret meeting place where they forgathered once a year at midsummer. About three hundred of them had already found their way there and at least four hundred more were expected. In