METSÄSTÄJÄN ENSIMMÄINEN SAALIS
by Zacharias Topelius · from Lukemisia lapsille 3
Adapted Version
Kalle has a new toy gun. He is very happy. He is five years old. He holds it tight. "I am a big hunter!" he says loudly. His sisters laugh. "Are you playing a game?" they ask. "I will bring you a leaf!" Kalle says.
Kalle walks to the garden. The sun is warm. The flowers smell sweet. The birds sing happy songs. Kalle feels good. He wants to use his toy. He sees many butterflies. They are yellow and blue. He points his toy gun. Then he stops. "No," he thinks. "That is not kind."
He looks up in a tree. He sees a bird. The bird has a worm in its beak. It flies to a nest. Baby birds are there. They chirp for food. Kalle feels sad. He does not want to scare her.
He points his toy gun at the tree. He is not sure. He wants to be a hunter. But the bird is a good mother. He sees something else. Two eyes are watching. It is the cat! The cat is watching the bird.
The cat is low on the ground. It is very still. Kalle does not know what to do. He wants to help the bird. The cat wants to catch it. He moves his toy gun. He points it at the cat. He does not mean to. His finger slips.
Bang! The toy gun makes a loud noise! The cat jumps! It is very scared. It runs away fast into the bushes. The mother bird flies away too. She is safe. Kalle is happy the bird is safe. But he feels bad. He scared the cat.
Kalle goes home. He feels sad. His sisters see him. "What did you find?" they ask. Kalle says nothing. He looks at the ground. He finds his friend Matti. "I did a bad thing," Kalle says. He tells Matti about the cat.
Matti listens. "It is okay," Matti says. "The cat hunts by nature. It is not bad." "But I scared it," Kalle says. "I was not kind." "You can be kind now," Matti says softly.
Kalle thinks. He puts his toy gun away. He will not play hunter anymore. He will be gentle with all animals. The garden is quiet again. The sun shines. Kalle smiles. He will be kind to all animals.
Original Story
METSÄSTÄJÄN ENSIMMÄINEN SAALIS.
Sai pyssyn viidentoista vanha Kalle.
Kahdennentoista Kaarlen kalpaa vailla,
Vaan sulka lakissa, hän aikalailla
Rehenteli ja näytti urhoisalle.
Lyseessä on hän, arka arvostansa,
Halveksii rummun lyöjää poikalasta,
Vaan karhu nähdä olis mielukasta
Ja leijona: sais koittaa vertaistansa.
Olalle pyssy! Sitä koittamahan!
Se oiva on! Kun ampua vain saisi!
Jos hirven paistia ei tarvittaisi,
Niin ampuisi hän edes kotka pahan.
Pilaksi näytti seikka sisarista:
— Sotaanko, uljas ritari, näin varhain? —
Hän tekee kunniaa kuin osaa parhain
Ja lausuu: — Kyökkiin tuon ma paistamista.
Hän puistoon käy. On aamu, tuoksuu kukka,
Sinertää taivas, lintuin laulu soipi,
Ja mehiläiset, perhot ilakoipi,
Ja kastehelmin hohtaa nurmen nukka.
Olaltas tammen alla pyssy päästä!
Kas, Luojan kiitos soi, ja luonto lauha
Rukoilee koko luomiselle rauhaa.
Rakasta, ollos onnekas ja säästä!
Tylympi muita ei tok' Kallen povi:
Raitista elämää se mielin henkii;
Vaan koiteltava olis pyssynenki, —
Huvia tuota soimata ei sovi.
Hän tarkkaa, tarkkaa. Päilyy kastehelmi.
Eiks otsoa tääll' ole ollenkana?
Janoopi pyssy, vireillä on hana.
Ken ampuu perhoja, on hupsu, kelmi.
Vaan… mikä heiluu tuolla niinipuussa?
Kai kotka?… Varpunen vain pieni raukka,
Mi, väijynnästä tietämättä, kaukaa
Tuo pesään poikasilleen ruokaa suussa.
Sä raukka! Kalle häpee kavaluutta.
Vaan pyssyn pitää kaataa metsän viljaa;
Ja Kalle hiipii puuta kohden hiljaa
Ja pyssynsä puun oksan nojaan muuttaa.
Nyt tähtää hän… Noh, mutta mitä tässä?
Kaks silmää lehtein takaa säihkyy julmaa;
Huh, hirvittää! Vaan tässä sattui pulma:
Ne varpusta on myöskin väijymässä.
Mi tullutkaan on pyssyyn tarkkaan, varmaan?
Nyt äitilintuun suorastaan se kääntyy,
Nyt julmiin silmiin päin taas siitä vääntyy…
Pau!… Pyssy kaasi talon kissan harmaan!
Ja Kalle seisoopi kuin satimissa.
Vaan varpunen pois peljästyen kiitää;
Kuink' pyssy laukes, ei saa selvää siitä,
Verenkin tyrehdyttää kuollut kissa.
On kuin se lausuis ankarana ratki:
Häpeä, poika, kun mun tapoit! miksi.
Jos minä olen julma, synnyin siksi,
Vaan sinä huviksesi kuoletatki.
Ja Kalle kiitää yli ruohonurmen,
Kuin kissan kynnet hällä niskassansa,
Ja pyssy polttaa hänen pivoansa:
Voi, kuinka vuodatti se kissan hurmeen?
Sisaret seisoo vartoomassa veikkaa:
— Kuulimme ampuman; no, paisti, Kalle?
Vaan metsämiespä näytti nolommalle;
Ei ilmaista hän siskoille voi seikkaa.
Hän käy luo Mattikuskin, ystävänsä:
— Minua, Matti kulta, hiukan auta;
Käy yöllä salaa metsään, kissa hautaa!
Lehmuksen alla on se verissänsä.
— No, kysyy Matti, kenen tuo on tointa?
— Niin; paha himo kissass' oli tässä
Kävellä lintusia väijymässä;
Ei kenkään kärsi kavaluutta mointa.
Ja Matti nyökkäs, seikan laadun arvas.
Pois laski pyssyn Kalle: metsästyksen
Hän suhteen joutunut on pettymykseen.
Öin näkyy hälle kissan katse karvas.
Hyvästi, herra metsämies! Taas paistaa
Puistossa kirkas aurinko yön päästä.
Rakasta, ollos onnekas ja säästä!
Sun suokoon Luoja rakkauttaan maistaa!
Story DNA
Moral
Taking a life, even for sport or perceived justice, carries a heavy burden and can lead to regret and a loss of innocence.
Plot Summary
Young Kalle receives his first rifle and, full of bravado, sets out to hunt in the garden. He initially struggles with the idea of harming small, innocent creatures. When he spots a sparrow feeding its young, he feels shame, but then sees the house cat also stalking the bird. In a moment of confusion or moral dilemma, Kalle's rifle fires, killing the cat. Overwhelmed with guilt and shame, Kalle secretly buries the cat with the help of a friend, abandoning his hunting ambitions and forever haunted by the experience.
Themes
Emotional Arc
boastfulness to shame and regret
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Zacharias Topelius was a prominent Finnish-Swedish author, often writing moralistic tales and poetry that celebrated nature and instilled virtues, typical of the Romantic era in Finland.
Plot Beats (17)
- Kalle, a fifteen-year-old, receives his first rifle and brags about his potential as a hunter, dreaming of grand prey like bears or eagles.
- His sisters tease him, asking if he's going to war, and he playfully promises to bring back something for the kitchen.
- Kalle goes to the garden on a beautiful morning, feeling the peacefulness of nature, but still determined to test his rifle.
- He struggles with the idea of shooting small, innocent creatures like butterflies, feeling foolish.
- He spots a small sparrow bringing food to its nestlings in a linden tree, and feels shame at the thought of harming it.
- However, he still feels compelled to use his rifle and aims at the sparrow.
- Suddenly, he notices two cruel eyes watching the sparrow from behind the leaves – it's the house cat.
- Kalle is faced with a choice: shoot the sparrow, or the cat that is also stalking the sparrow.
- His rifle fires, and to his horror, he has shot and killed the house cat.
- The sparrow flies away, startled, and Kalle is left standing in shock, unable to comprehend what happened.
- The dead cat's gaze seems to accuse him, reminding him that while it hunts by nature, Kalle killed for sport.
- Kalle flees, feeling immense guilt and the rifle burning in his hand.
- His sisters ask about his catch, but Kalle, looking ashamed, cannot tell them.
- He confides in his friend Matti, asking him to secretly bury the cat under the linden tree.
- Kalle tries to justify his action by saying the cat was evil for stalking birds, but Matti understands the true nature of the event.
- Kalle puts away his rifle, disillusioned with hunting, and is haunted by the cat's bitter gaze in his dreams.
- The story concludes with a reiteration of the garden's peacefulness and a blessing for Kalle to know love and compassion.
Characters
Kalle
A slender, somewhat gangly youth of fifteen years, typical of a young man on the cusp of adulthood. He is likely of average height for a Finnish boy of his age, with a build that suggests more youthful energy than developed strength.
Attire: Simple, practical clothing suitable for a Finnish boy of the 19th century. He wears a sturdy linen or wool shirt, possibly a vest, and trousers made of homespun fabric. A distinguishing feature is a feather tucked into his cap, a symbol of his hunter's ambition, likely a dark, plain feather.
Wants: To prove his manhood and skill as a hunter, to impress his family, and to experience the thrill of the hunt.
Flaw: His youthful bravado and inexperience, which lead him to act without fully considering the consequences of his actions.
Kalle transforms from a boastful, eager hunter into a remorseful and disillusioned one. He learns the profound moral weight of taking a life, even that of a 'pest,' and abandons hunting.
Boastful, naive, easily shamed, sensitive, and ultimately compassionate. He initially seeks glory but is quickly confronted by the moral weight of his actions.
The Gray Cat
A common domestic cat, described as 'gray.' It is likely of average size for a house cat, with a sleek or slightly stocky build. Its fur is a uniform gray, possibly with subtle tabby markings.
Attire: None, as it is an animal.
Wants: To hunt and feed itself, driven by natural instinct.
Flaw: Its focus on prey makes it vulnerable to other dangers.
The cat serves as the unwitting victim that forces Kalle to confront the reality of killing. Its death marks the end of Kalle's hunting aspirations.
Predatory, instinctive, and focused on survival. It is portrayed as 'cruel' from the perspective of its actions towards the sparrow, but this is its natural behavior.
The Sparrow
A small, common sparrow, likely with brown and grey plumage, typical of a house sparrow. It is tiny and vulnerable.
Attire: None, as it is an animal.
Wants: To feed its young and survive.
Flaw: Its small size and vulnerability to predators.
The sparrow is the catalyst for Kalle's moral dilemma. Its vulnerability and innocence highlight the cruelty of both the cat's predation and Kalle's initial intent to hunt.
Industrious, maternal (bringing food to its young), and innocent.
Matti
Likely a sturdy, practical man, possibly older than Kalle, given his role as a confidant and someone Kalle asks for help. He would have a build consistent with manual labor, perhaps a 'coachman' (Mattikuski) as implied by the name.
Attire: Practical, durable clothing suitable for a working man in rural Finland. This would include a sturdy wool or linen jacket, trousers, and perhaps a cap. Colors would be muted and earthy.
Wants: To help a young friend in distress, showing loyalty and discretion.
Flaw: Not explicitly shown, but perhaps a tendency to enable Kalle's secrecy.
Matti remains a static character, serving as a foil and helper for Kalle. He facilitates Kalle's resolution of the immediate problem.
Understanding, discreet, and practical. He doesn't judge Kalle harshly but understands the situation and helps him.
Kalle's Sisters
Likely younger than Kalle, or close in age, with typical Finnish features. They are probably of average height and build for young girls or women of their time.
Attire: Simple, practical dresses made of linen or homespun fabric, common for girls in rural Finland. Colors would be muted, perhaps with some simple patterns or embroidery.
Wants: To tease their brother and inquire about his hunting success.
Flaw: Not applicable, as they are minor characters.
They remain static characters, serving to highlight Kalle's shame and the contrast between his initial bravado and his later remorse.
Teasing, playful, and curious.
Locations
The Family Home
The domestic setting where Kalle receives his rifle and interacts with his sisters before heading out. Implied to be a traditional Finnish dwelling.
Mood: Lively, teasing, familial, with a touch of youthful bravado.
Kalle receives his rifle and boasts to his sisters about bringing back game for the kitchen.
The Park/Garden
A serene, cultivated outdoor space, likely part of the family's estate, featuring oak and linden trees, lush grass, and blooming flowers. It's vibrant with morning dew, birdsong, and insects.
Mood: Peaceful, idyllic, natural, but soon to be disturbed by Kalle's hunting ambition.
Kalle attempts to hunt, first targeting a sparrow, then accidentally shooting the family cat. This is the central location of his moral dilemma.