SALAMETSÄSTÄJÄT
by Zacharias Topelius · from Lukemisia lapsille 7
Adapted Version
Matti and Paavo played in the forest. “Where are you going?” asked Paavo. “I am going hunting!” said Matti. “But you have no gun,” said Paavo. “I have a good stick,” said Matti. Paavo found a stick too. “What will you catch?” “I will catch a rabbit for my mother!” said Matti. A rabbit, Pupu, heard them. He hid behind a bush. “What are they saying?” Pupu thought. “I will listen.” “I am a hunter,” said Matti. “I am a hunter too,” said Paavo. “What is a hunter?” “A hunter crawls on his belly,” said Matti. “Why?” asked Paavo. “So the rabbit thinks it’s a log,” said Matti. “Is the rabbit so silly?” asked Paavo. “Yes!” said Matti. “He is very silly and very scared.” Pupu twitched his nose. “They are so silly,” he thought. “What do we do with the rabbit?” asked Paavo. “I’ll put him in my bag,” said Matti. “But your bag is full of sandwiches,” said Paavo. “I will eat my sandwiches,” said Matti. They ate their sandwiches. “Then we will cook the rabbit,” said Matti. “Yum!” said Paavo. Pupu shook his head. “They are very silly boys,” he thought. “How do we find the rabbit?” asked Paavo. “We will scare him,” said Matti. “Let’s count to ten!” “One, two, three…” said Matti. “Four, five, six…” said Paavo. “Seven, eight, nine, ten!” they said together. They started again. “One, two, three…” They got stuck. “What comes after three?” asked Paavo. Pupu laughed quietly. “They cannot count!” he thought. Pupu was tired of their game. “I will teach them,” he thought. Pupu jumped out! He ran fast between their legs! “Ahhh!” screamed Paavo. “A big wolf!” “Ahhh!” screamed Matti. “A big bear!” The boys fell on their stomachs. They were very scared. Pupu laughed. “Ha ha!” he said. “I tricked two hunters!” “Boasting is not good,” said Pupu. “Even small rabbits can be smart!” Pupu hopped away happily. The boys felt very silly.
Original Story
SALAMETSÄSTÄJÄT.
Kesäleikki.
HENKILÖT:
Matti, Paavo ja Pupu.
(Matti ja Paavo kohtaavat toisensa metsässä.)
PAAVO. Minne sinä menet?
MATTI. Metsästämään.
PAAVO. Mutta sinulla ei ole pyssyä.
MATTI. Minulla on hyvä keppi.
PAAVO. Minäkin etsin itselleni hyvän kepin. Mitä sinä aijot ampua?
MATTI. Minä ammun pupun paistiksi äidille.
(Pupu tulee hyppien heidän selkänsä takana.)
PUPU. Mitä ne sanovat? Aikovatko ampua minut? Uh, tuollaiset
metsästäjät! Onpa toki onni, että niillä on selkänsä tänne päin.
Menenpä piiloon tänne pensaan taakse ja kuuntelen, mitä ne sanovat.
(Menes, piiloon.)
MATTI. Minä olen salametsästäjä.
PAAVO. Minä olen myöskin salametsästäjä. Mikä mies on salametsästäjä oikeastaan?
MATTI. Salametsästäjä on ampuja, joka ryömii vatsallaan metsässä.
PAAVO. Sepä oli omituista. Miksi ryömii hän vatsallaan?
MATTI. Että pupu luulisi häntä hirreksi.
PAAVO. Ohoh! Onko pupu niin tyhmä?
MATTI. On, hän on niin tyhmä, tiedätkös, että kun hän pistää päänsä pensaaseen, luulee hän, ettei kukaan häntä näe.
PUPU (Pensaassa.) Se minun tulee muistaa.
MATTI. Ja sitte on hän niin hirveän pelkuri! Kun pupu näkee variksen, niin luulee se sitä sudeksi.
PUPU. Tokkohan?
PAAVO. Minä en yhtään pelkäisi sutta.
MATTI. Ja minä ottaisin karhua kauluksesta.
PUPU. No, mutta äläpäs! Nyt ne rupeavat kerskailemaan! Ne eivät olekaan mitään vaarallisia metsästäjiä.
PAAVO. Minne me panemme pupun, kun olemme sen ampuneet?
MATTI. Minä pistän hänet "kantajaani".
PAAVO. Mutta sehän on voileipiä täynnä.
MATTI. Sen vuoksi syön minä heti voileipäni, että pupu mahtuu "kantajaan". (Molemmat syövät.) Mutta jos pupu ei mahdukaan "kantajaan"; jos sen jalat jäävät ulos?
MATTI. Silloin leikkaamme käpälät poikki ja pyyhimme niillä taulujamme.
PUPU. Kiitoksia paljo!
MATTI. Sitte laitamme pupupaistia, ja syömme sitä kurkkujen kanssa.
PUPU. Hyvää ruokahalua!
PAAVO. Ei, tiedätkös, minä pidän paljo enempi puolukkahillosta ja paistetuista perunoista.
MATTI. No niin, ja vohvelia jälkiruoaksi. Kyllä äiti pitää meille aika kemut, kun tuomme hänelle pupupaistin!
PUPU. Niin, ajatelkaas, miten iloiseksi äiti tulee!
PAAVO. Mutta, rakas Matti, mitä me teemme pupu-pienen nahkalla? Eihän sen nahkaa tavallisesti paisteta.
PUPU. Ei, sillä minun nahkani tarttuisi pikku herrojen kurkkuun.
MATTI. Niin, mitäs me teemme nahkalla? Mahtaneekohan porsas syödä sitä?
PUPU (Nauraa.) Oho-ho-ho! Porsas? Tämä rupeaa hauskaksi.
PAAVO. Joll'ei porsas sitä tahdo, kelpaa se Liinalle tomunpyyhkeeksi.
MATTI. Eipäs, mutta me myymme nahkan ja ostamme rahoilla nekkuja.
PAAVO (Syöden.) Sen teemme. Mutta miten me nyt voimme menetellä, että saamme ampua pupua?
MATTI (Syöden.) Salametsästäjillä on niin monta keinoa. Säikäyttäkäämme häntä siten, että luemme sataan. Yks, kaks, kolme, neljä…
PAAVO. Kuustoista, seitsemäntoista, kahdeksantoista, yhdeksäntoista…
MATTI. Kakskymmentäseitsemän, kakskymmentäkahdeksan, kakskymmentäyhdeksän, kakskymmentäkymmenen…
PAAVO. Kaksikymmentäyksitoista, kakskymmentä kaksitoista…
PUPU. Nyt ne sotkeutuvat.
MATTI. Kakskymmentäyhdeksäntoista, kakskymmentäkakskymmentä, kakskymmentäkakskymmentäyks…
PAAVO. Ei, tiedätkös, nyt se menee hullusti!
MATTI (Alkaa syödä uutta voileipää.) Odotapas, niin aloitamme taas alusta! Yks, kaks…
(He laskevat taas ja tulevat lukuun kaksikymmentä kaksikymmentäkaksikymmentä.)
PUPU. Mitä metsämiehiä sellaiset ovat, jotka eivät osaa laskea kolmeenkymmeneen? Tahdonpa opettaa heitä sanomaan minua tyhmäksi!
(Pupu hypähtää pensaasta ja laukkaa Paavon ja Matin
jalkojen välitse. He heittäytyvät vatsalleen.)
PAAVO (Huutaen.) Auttakaa! Auttakaa! Susi!
MATTI (Voileipä kurkussa.) Ka… ka… ka… karhu!
PUPU (Nauraen.) Ei, ainoastaan pieni jänöpupu, joka on ampunut kaksi salametsästäjää. Uhu-hu-huh! Nyt olen nauranut suuni halki!
Story DNA
Moral
Boasting and overconfidence can lead to embarrassment, and even the smallest creature can outsmart those who underestimate them.
Plot Summary
Two young boys, Matti and Paavo, meet in the forest, pretending to be poachers hunting a rabbit. Unbeknownst to them, a real rabbit named Pupu overhears their boastful and naive plans, including their misconceptions about rabbits and their clumsy attempts to count to a hundred to 'scare' their prey. Frustrated by their incompetence, Pupu leaps out from his hiding spot, startling the boys. Matti and Paavo, terrified, mistake the small rabbit for a wolf and a bear, falling to the ground in fear, while Pupu laughs triumphantly at having outsmarted the 'poachers'.
Themes
Emotional Arc
boasting to humiliation
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Zacharias Topelius was a prominent Finnish-Swedish author, known for his fairy tales and historical novels, often with moral or educational undertones. This story is a 'Kesäleikki' (summer play), suggesting it might have been intended for children to perform.
Plot Beats (13)
- Matti and Paavo meet in the forest, Matti declares he's going hunting with a stick.
- Paavo joins Matti, and they decide to hunt a rabbit for Matti's mother.
- A rabbit, Pupu, overhears them and hides in a bush to listen.
- Matti explains that 'poachers' crawl on their stomachs so rabbits think they are logs, and that rabbits are 'stupid' and 'cowardly'.
- Pupu reacts internally to the boys' incorrect assumptions about rabbits.
- The boys discuss how they will carry the rabbit, eat their sandwiches to make room, and what they will do with the rabbit's paws and skin.
- Pupu continues to listen and mock their plans internally.
- The boys decide to 'scare' the rabbit by counting to a hundred.
- They repeatedly fail to count correctly, getting stuck and making mistakes.
- Pupu, annoyed by their incompetence, decides to teach them a lesson.
- Pupu leaps out, runs between the boys' legs, startling them.
- Matti and Paavo scream, mistaking Pupu for a wolf and a bear, and fall to their stomachs.
- Pupu laughs triumphantly, declaring he has 'shot' two poachers.
Characters
Matti
A sturdy Finnish boy of average height for his age, with a slightly round build from enjoying his sandwiches. His movements are energetic but can be clumsy when startled.
Attire: A simple, practical outfit typical of a Finnish peasant boy in the late 19th or early 20th century: a homespun grey linen tunic, sturdy dark brown wool trousers, and worn leather boots. He carries a small, well-used canvas satchel.
Wants: To play an exciting game of hunting and impress his friend, and ultimately to bring a 'rabbit roast' home to his mother.
Flaw: Overconfidence, a vivid imagination that blurs reality, and a tendency to panic when faced with actual unexpected events.
He learns a humorous lesson about the difference between make-believe hunting and real-world encounters, realizing his own vulnerability.
Imaginative, boastful, slightly naive, and easily distracted by food. He enjoys playing make-believe and is quick to invent rules for his games.
Paavo
A slightly leaner Finnish boy than Matti, of similar height. He moves with a curious, sometimes hesitant energy.
Attire: Practical and simple, similar to Matti's: a light blue linen shirt, patched brown breeches, and sturdy, well-worn leather shoes. He does not carry a satchel.
Wants: To join Matti in an exciting game and share in the adventure, and to understand the rules of 'poaching'.
Flaw: Gullibility, a tendency to follow Matti's lead without much critical thought, and a strong fear response.
He experiences a similar humorous realization about the difference between fantasy and reality, learning that even small creatures can be surprising.
Curious, easily influenced, a bit more cautious than Matti, but willing to go along with his friend's imaginative games. He is also easily scared.
Pupu
A small, agile European hare, with long ears and powerful hind legs. Its fur is a mottled brown and grey, providing excellent camouflage in the Finnish forest.
Attire: Natural fur coat, perfectly adapted to its environment.
Wants: To survive and avoid being 'hunted', and to enjoy the entertainment provided by the boys' imaginative play.
Flaw: Its natural instinct to hide, which initially makes it vulnerable to the boys' presence.
It starts as a potential victim but quickly becomes the clever victor, turning the tables on the 'hunters' and proving its own intelligence.
Clever, observant, a bit mischievous, and surprisingly bold. It enjoys listening to the boys' antics and finds their boasts amusing.
Locations
Finnish Forest Clearing
A sun-dappled clearing within a dense Finnish forest, likely composed of birch and pine trees. The ground is covered with moss, pine needles, and possibly some low-growing underbrush and wild berries. A prominent bush or thicket provides a hiding spot for the rabbit.
Mood: Playful, innocent, slightly mischievous, with a sense of childhood adventure.
Matti and Paavo meet, discuss their 'hunting' plans, and the rabbit overhears them from its hiding spot. The climax occurs here when the rabbit surprises them.