BERNDT MICHAELIN UNI
by Zacharias Topelius · from Lukemisia lapsille 5
Adapted Version
Berndt closes his eyes. He has a big dream. He is the wind! He feels big and strong. He feels happy and free.
He rides a fluffy cloud. The cloud is soft and white. He is a big, friendly wind. He flies over the green hills. He flies over the blue rivers. He flies over the little towns. He sees all things below.
He sees a little boat. The boat is lost on the water. It looks sad. Berndt blows gently. He blows a soft wind. The wind pushes the boat. It helps the boat find its way home. The boat is safe now.
He blows warm air. The warm air touches the cold flowers. The cold flowers open up. They are pretty and bright. He blows cool air. The cool air touches the hot pets. The hot pets feel better. They are happy.
He blows away the sad clouds. The sad clouds go away. The sun comes out. People smile again. He carries food to the hungry pets. The pets eat the food. He helps all people feel happy and safe.
Now he is tired. But he is very happy. He comes back home. He says goodnight to his cloud friend. "Goodnight, cloud," he says. The cloud floats away.
He gives Mama a big kiss. He closes his eyes. He smiles a little smile. He dreams about his big trip.
Mama smiles too. She touches his warm cheek. Her hand is soft. "You are so brave," she says. "But look—people near our home need you too. They need your help."
"You are never alone," Mama says. Her voice is gentle. "Someone good watches over you. He helps you be kind and brave. You can help people here."
Berndt falls asleep. He smiles in his sleep. Mama watches him. She pulls the blanket up. He is safe and warm. The room is quiet. The night is calm.
Original Story
BERNDT MICHAELIN UNI.
Jos mä lounaismyrskynä pauhaisin,
Asuntoin olis ilmassa vain,
Hevon korskuvan seljässä kiitelisin,
Syyspilvi mun tanteren ain,
Ja mä kulkisin vaan
Yli vetten ja maan,
Sekä oikaisten,
Yli ihmisien
Hälyn, kourani tarmoisen;
Sydän-yöhön mä aamun koitosta niin
Läpi Pohjolan liitelisin;
Someroon erämaihin kaukaisiin
Minä rosvoja hautaisin;
Meren aavikotkin
Minä piiskaisin,
Kunnes saan aluksen
Joka ainoisen
Meren nielemän ilmoillen.
Minä myös sulattaisin jäät napojen,
Elon pois kun ne karkoittaa,
Vilvottaisin kuuman mä vyöhykkehen,
Joka vehreän kuihduttaa.
Ja mä iskisinkin
Alas sortajihin
Tulen turmiokkaan,
Joka polttelis vaan
Sitehet, vapauttaen maan.
Parantaisin haavat mä hurmehiset,
Hädän kaiken mä poistaisin
Sekä pyyhkisin kärsivän kyynelehet,
Ruoan köyhälle antaisin;
Vale, vilppi se vain
Kuolis miekallain;
Hyveen halveksitun
Sekä unhotetun
Näkis nousevan suojassa mun.
Väsyneenä kun töistäni kääntyisin
Isän armahan kartanohon,
Hevon siivikkähän minä päästäisin
Vähäin siskojen hoitelohon,
Sekä hiljallehen
Sua suudellen,
Oma äitini, saan
Heti uinuamaan
Urostöistäni ympäri maan.
Mut sä mun tulikuumalle poskelleni
Hymyten kätes laskisit taas,
Sanoen: rajupäinen mun tuuloseni,
Sua vaativi viel' isänmaasi
Isä taivahan, maan,
Pyhä ainoa vaan,
Ei sun eksyä suo,
Avun, johdon Hän tuo,
Pyhän voiman sun miekkahas luo.
Story DNA
Plot Summary
The narrator imagines himself as a mighty southwest storm, capable of flying across the world, righting wrongs, punishing evildoers, and alleviating suffering. He envisions performing grand heroic deeds, from raising sunken ships to melting polar ice and striking down oppressors. After his imagined labors, he returns home to his mother, seeking rest. His mother, however, gently reminds him that his homeland still needs him, and that divine power will guide his efforts, imbuing his sword with holy strength.
Themes
Emotional Arc
desire for power to peaceful resolution
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Zacharias Topelius was a prominent Finnish author, poet, and journalist, known for his historical novels, fairy tales, and patriotic works. This poem, while short, embodies themes of national awakening and moral righteousness common in his era.
Plot Beats (12)
- The narrator imagines himself as a powerful southwest storm, dwelling in the air, riding a snorting steed, with autumn clouds as his ground.
- He would travel across waters and lands, over the clamor of people, with his mighty hand.
- He would fly through the North from dawn to midnight, burying robbers in distant wildernesses.
- He would lash the ocean deserts until every sunken ship is brought to the surface.
- He would melt the polar ice that banishes life and cool the hot zones that wither greenery.
- He would strike down oppressors with destructive fire, burning only the chains to free the land.
- He would heal bloody wounds, remove all distress, wipe away the tears of the suffering, and feed the poor.
- Falsehood and deceit would die by his sword, and despised, forgotten virtue would rise under his protection.
- Tired from his work, he would return to his dear father's manor, releasing his winged steed to his little sisters' care.
- He would then gently kiss his mother and fall asleep, dreaming of his heroic deeds across the land.
- His mother would then smile, place her hand on his fiery cheek, and tell him that his homeland still needs him.
- She would assure him that the Heavenly Father, the holy and only one, would not let him stray, bringing help and guidance, and placing holy power in his sword.
Characters
Berndt Michaelin Uni (The Dreamer)
A young man of average height and build, with a strong, determined posture. His face is often flushed with passion and energy, indicating a fiery spirit.
Attire: Simple, sturdy clothing suitable for a young man of the 19th century in Finland, perhaps a homespun linen shirt, wool trousers, and a practical leather vest, indicating a life of work and action rather than luxury.
Wants: To right wrongs, alleviate suffering, fight oppression, and bring freedom and virtue to the world, driven by a deep sense of justice and compassion.
Flaw: Perhaps a touch of youthful impetuousness or a tendency to dream on a grand, almost impossible scale, needing the grounding influence of his mother.
He begins with a desire for immense, almost god-like power to reshape the world. He learns, through his mother's gentle guidance, that true strength and guidance come from a higher power and that his path is guided by his homeland's needs and divine will.
Passionate, idealistic, powerful (in his dreams), justice-seeking, protective, and ultimately, obedient to his mother's wisdom.
The Mother
A gentle woman, likely of a mature age, with a comforting presence. Her hands are soft, suggesting a life of care and wisdom.
Attire: Traditional Finnish peasant attire of the 19th century, such as a long, modest dark wool skirt, a white linen blouse with simple embroidery, and a practical apron, all in muted, earthy tones, indicating her grounded nature.
Wants: To guide her son towards a righteous path, reminding him of divine guidance and the true source of strength for his homeland.
Flaw: None explicitly stated, but her gentleness might be perceived as a weakness by those who value brute force, though it is her strength here.
She remains a steadfast source of wisdom and love, providing the necessary guidance for her son's grand aspirations.
Wise, gentle, loving, guiding, patient, and spiritually grounded.
Locations
The Air/Sky
An expansive, boundless realm above the earth, where the protagonist, imagined as a southwest storm, would reside. It is a place of constant motion, traversed on the back of a snorting horse, with autumn clouds serving as the ground.
Mood: Wild, untamed, powerful, free, dynamic
The imagined domain of the protagonist's boundless power and freedom, where he would travel across the world.
The Northern Lands and Distant Deserts
A sweeping, diverse landscape encompassing the cold, vast expanses of the North and the remote, sandy deserts. This is where the protagonist would fly from dawn to midnight, burying robbers in the gravel of distant wildernesses.
Mood: Remote, desolate, wild, dangerous, a place for justice
The protagonist's imagined journey across vast distances to dispense justice and bury wrongdoers.
The Father's Manor (Kartanohon)
The beloved home of the protagonist's father, a place of warmth and familial comfort where he would return after his heroic deeds. It is where his little sisters would care for his winged horse, and his mother would greet him.
Mood: Warm, loving, safe, comforting, familial
The imagined return home after heroic deeds, finding solace and love in the family's embrace, and receiving further encouragement from his mother.