The Wonderful Adventures of Nils and The Further Adventures of Nils Holgersson: Selma Lagerlof

This was a children's fantasy/ morale collection of stories. I have evidently lost my child like wonder because I was thinking "Really?" a lot. A little boy, Nils, is mean to animals and is taught a lesson when he spies an elf and tries to harm it he becomes elf size himself. The Animals think it is funny that now they can get revenge on the little boy who terrorized them. The boy climbs on a goose's back and it takes flight with wild geese when the little goose decides to join them. The wild geese pick on the tame goose because he can't keep up. HELLO, he has a child riding on his back! The story continues as they travel the country and Nils realizes he likes the animals and learns the importance of kindness. Eventually he comes home with the goose and his parents are overjoyed to have the goose and his new family which they are going to butcher. Nils becomes himself again once he defends the goose and saves his life, therefore learning a lesson on love.