Read Finn Family Moomintroll for Free Online Page B
Authors: Tove Jansson
Hattifatteners can neither talk nor hear, and they see very badly. But they can feel extremely well! Try to jerk the pole backwards and forwards. The Hattifatteners will feel it in the ground and be frightened. It goes right up into their tummies, you see! They're like wireless sets!'
The Hemulen tried to swing to and fro on the pole.
'I'm falling down!' he burst out in alarm.
'Faster, faster!' cried Snufkin. 'Tiny little movements.'
The Hemulen managed a few more desperate rocks, and then the Hattifatteners began to feel uncomfortable in the soles of their feet. They began to rustle and to move anxiously about. And the next minute, just as the voles had done, they took to their heels and ran.
In a couple of seconds the glade was empty. Snufkin felt them against his legs as they scattered into the wood, and they stung him rather like nettles.
The Hemulen slid down on to the grass completely exhausted.
'Oh!' he moaned. 'There has never been anything but trouble and danger since I came into the Moomin family.'
'Do calm yourself, Hemul,' said Snufkin. 'After all you've been pretty lucky.'
'Wretched Hatti-creatures,' grumbled the Hemulen. 'I shall take their barometer with me anyhow, to punish them.'
'Better let it be,' warned Snufkin.
But the Hemulen unhooked the big, shiny barometer from the pole and stuck it triumphantly under his arm.
'Now we'll go back to the others,' he said. 'I'm awfully hungry.'
When they arrived all the others were eating pancakes, and tunnyfish which Moominpappa had caught in the sea.
'Hi!' cried Moomintroll. 'We've been round the whole island, and on the farther side there is a dreadful wild cliff that goes right down into the sea.'
'And we've seen a mass of Hattifatteners!' Sniff told them. 'At least a hundred!'
'Don't mention those creatures again,' said the Hemulen with deep feeling. 'I can't stand it. But here, come and see my war trophy.' And he proudly put the barometer in the middle of the tablecloth.
'Oh! So bright and beautiful!' exclaimed the Snork Maiden. 'Is it a clock?'
'No, it's a barometer,' said Moominpappa. 'It tells you if the weather will be fine or stormy. Sometimes it's quite right.' And he tapped the barometer. Then he put his face into a serious crease and said: 'It is stormy!'
'A big storm?' asked Sniff anxiously.
'Look for yourself,' replied Moominpappa. 'The barometer points to "00" and that is the lowest a barometer can point to - if it isn't fooling us.'
But it certainly didn't look as if it were fooling. The golden mist had thickened to a yellow-grey fog, and out towards the horizon the sea was strangely black.
'We must go home!' said the Snork.
'Not yet!' begged the Snork Maiden. 'We haven't had time to explore the cliff on the other side properly! We haven't even bathed!'
'We can wait a little and see what happens, can't we?' said Moomintroll. 'It would be such a pity to go home just when we've discovered this island!'
'But if there's a storm we shan't be able to go at all!' said the Snork, brightly.
'That would be wonderful!' burst out Sniff. 'We could stay here for ever and ever.'
'Quiet children, I must think,' said Moominpappa. He went down to the beach and sniffed the air, turned his head in all directions and wrinkled his forehead.
There was a rumble in the distance.
'Thunder!' said Sniff. 'Ooh, how awful!'
Over the horizon loomed a threatening bank of cloud. It was dark blue and drove little light puffy clouds in front of it. Now and then a great flash of lightning lit up the sea.
'We stay' decided Moominpappa.
'The whole night?' squeaked Sniff.
'I think so,' Moominpappa replied. 'Hurry up now and build a house, as the rain will come soon.'
The Adventure was dragged high up on to the sand, and on the edge of the wood they quickly made a house with the sail and some blankets. Moominmamma filled up the gaps with moss, and the Snork dug a ditch round it so that the rainwater would have somewhere to go. Everybody ran to and fro putting
The Hemulen tried to swing to and fro on the pole.
'I'm falling down!' he burst out in alarm.
'Faster, faster!' cried Snufkin. 'Tiny little movements.'
The Hemulen managed a few more desperate rocks, and then the Hattifatteners began to feel uncomfortable in the soles of their feet. They began to rustle and to move anxiously about. And the next minute, just as the voles had done, they took to their heels and ran.
In a couple of seconds the glade was empty. Snufkin felt them against his legs as they scattered into the wood, and they stung him rather like nettles.
The Hemulen slid down on to the grass completely exhausted.
'Oh!' he moaned. 'There has never been anything but trouble and danger since I came into the Moomin family.'
'Do calm yourself, Hemul,' said Snufkin. 'After all you've been pretty lucky.'
'Wretched Hatti-creatures,' grumbled the Hemulen. 'I shall take their barometer with me anyhow, to punish them.'
'Better let it be,' warned Snufkin.
But the Hemulen unhooked the big, shiny barometer from the pole and stuck it triumphantly under his arm.
'Now we'll go back to the others,' he said. 'I'm awfully hungry.'
When they arrived all the others were eating pancakes, and tunnyfish which Moominpappa had caught in the sea.
'Hi!' cried Moomintroll. 'We've been round the whole island, and on the farther side there is a dreadful wild cliff that goes right down into the sea.'
'And we've seen a mass of Hattifatteners!' Sniff told them. 'At least a hundred!'
'Don't mention those creatures again,' said the Hemulen with deep feeling. 'I can't stand it. But here, come and see my war trophy.' And he proudly put the barometer in the middle of the tablecloth.
'Oh! So bright and beautiful!' exclaimed the Snork Maiden. 'Is it a clock?'
'No, it's a barometer,' said Moominpappa. 'It tells you if the weather will be fine or stormy. Sometimes it's quite right.' And he tapped the barometer. Then he put his face into a serious crease and said: 'It is stormy!'
'A big storm?' asked Sniff anxiously.
'Look for yourself,' replied Moominpappa. 'The barometer points to "00" and that is the lowest a barometer can point to - if it isn't fooling us.'
But it certainly didn't look as if it were fooling. The golden mist had thickened to a yellow-grey fog, and out towards the horizon the sea was strangely black.
'We must go home!' said the Snork.
'Not yet!' begged the Snork Maiden. 'We haven't had time to explore the cliff on the other side properly! We haven't even bathed!'
'We can wait a little and see what happens, can't we?' said Moomintroll. 'It would be such a pity to go home just when we've discovered this island!'
'But if there's a storm we shan't be able to go at all!' said the Snork, brightly.
'That would be wonderful!' burst out Sniff. 'We could stay here for ever and ever.'
'Quiet children, I must think,' said Moominpappa. He went down to the beach and sniffed the air, turned his head in all directions and wrinkled his forehead.
There was a rumble in the distance.
'Thunder!' said Sniff. 'Ooh, how awful!'
Over the horizon loomed a threatening bank of cloud. It was dark blue and drove little light puffy clouds in front of it. Now and then a great flash of lightning lit up the sea.
'We stay' decided Moominpappa.
'The whole night?' squeaked Sniff.
'I think so,' Moominpappa replied. 'Hurry up now and build a house, as the rain will come soon.'
The Adventure was dragged high up on to the sand, and on the edge of the wood they quickly made a house with the sail and some blankets. Moominmamma filled up the gaps with moss, and the Snork dug a ditch round it so that the rainwater would have somewhere to go. Everybody ran to and fro putting
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