The Adventures of Marco Polo

Author: (Sweden) Selma Lagerl?f
Translator: Bai Lin / Country: Sweden
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-07-01
Features: This is the only children's novel to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, also the most famous work by Swedish female writer Selma Lagerl?f, and a renowned educational children's literary work that combines artistic, intellectual, and scientific elements. The little boy Nils is transformed by a fairy into a thumb-sized, bird-speaking creature. Guided and helped by the wise goose Ake and her flock, he embarks on an adventurous journey riding on a goose's back. Along the way, he encounters the pursuit of a fox, the impact of towering waves, fierce eagles, cunning crows, various difficulties in life, a magical underwater city, a magic flute, a swarm of dark mice, and an owl that manipulates magic. Through these experiences, Nils transforms from a lazy, book-hating boy who often bullies small animals into a thoughtful and understanding one.
In the long history of world children's literature, the classic works of these masters continue to influence generations of young readers. This book is part of the "World Children's Literature Classics Series," which selects and republishes influential world children's literary masterpieces through re-editing. The main purpose is to provide young readers with better literary reading materials, allowing them to gain more valuable insights from these children's literary classics, thereby broadening their horizons, refining their character, enriching their imagination, and making their lives more colorful and interesting.
However, the geese continued to fly south along the narrow coastal areas, while the boy could not help but sit up straight, his head sticking out from the goose's neck, his eyes fixed intently on the ground. He saw the hills gradually becoming fewer, the plains opening up widely. At the same time, he also noticed that the coastline was no longer as fragmented as before, the rocky islet outside the coast were becoming fewer, and the vast, blue ocean was directly connected to the land. The boundless forest also disappeared entirely. The northern highlands of that province had many fertile plains, but most were surrounded by dense forests. In the northern areas, there were vast forests, as if trees were the true masters of this land, while the plains were merely large, flat, barren areas within the forest. Even on each plain, there were scattered small forests, as if to show that the forest could always reclaim the land.
However, the scenery in this southern region was vastly different. Here, the plains dominated, truly flat and boundless. There were also large forests, but they were not wild; they were cultivated. It was precisely because of the endless plains, intersecting fields, and contiguous ridges that the boy's thoughts took flight, and he immediately thought of Scania. The bare coastline with sand and seaweed also seemed familiar to him. Moved by the scenery, he felt a mix of joy and sorrow, his emotions fluctuating wildly.
"Wow, I must be getting close to home now," he thought silently. The scenery here was also full of ups and downs and great diversity. Many rivers rushed down from Sydland and Sm?land, breaking the monotony of the endless plains. In the plains, lakes were scattered everywhere, with marshes and deserts in some areas, as well as sandy patches, all of which were obstacles to farming. Yet, the farmland still extended to the border of Scania until blocked by the deep, narrow Halland Mountains.
During the flight, the young geese repeatedly asked the older geese, "What does foreign land look like? What does foreign land look like?"
"Don't hurry, don't hurry, you'll see soon enough," the geese who had traveled all over the country replied. The young geese saw the lush mountains of Fjordland, dense forests stretching endlessly, and lakes shimmering with light between the high peaks. They also saw the towering mountains of Bohusland, with their rolling ridges, and the picturesque peaks and valleys of Sydland. Thus, they were filled with joy and asked repeatedly, "Is this the scenery all over the world? Is this the scenery all over the world?"
"Don't hurry, don't hurry! You'll soon see what most of the world looks like!" the older geese replied.
After flying over the Halland Mountains, the geese continued to fly for a while within Scania, and then Ake suddenly shouted, "Look down quickly! Look around! This is what foreign land looks like!"
At that moment, the geese were flying over the S?der Mountains, a winding mountain covered in dense beech forests. Amid the shade of the trees, tall towers and deep manors stood. Deer were chewing on grass at the edge of the forest, and goats were playing and leaping on the grasslands near the forest. The horns of hunters echoed in the sky, and the barking of hunting dogs could even be heard by the geese flying in the air. Wide roads wound through the forest. Groups of elegant gentlemen and ladies, some in splendid carriages and others on noble horses, were racing forward. At the foot of the mountain lay the shimmering waters of the Lagen Lake, with the ancient B?se Abbey perched on a small promontory, perfectly mirrored in the lake. In the middle of the mountain range, the Sel?rd Gorge split the cliffs, deep and mysterious. The misty air in the valley was filled with murmuring streams, and vines clung to the cliffs, ancient trees towering above.
"Is this what foreign land looks like? Is this what foreign land looks like?" the young geese asked.
"Yes, this is what foreign land with forests on the mountains looks like," Ake replied. "But such places are not very common! Don't hurry, in a little while, you'll see ordinary scenes of foreign land."
P266-267