Finn Family Moomintroll by Tove Jansson Read Free Book Online Page A

awful feeling. Something had touched her face. She didn't dare to look but sniffed uneasily around her. There was a smell of burning, so she pulled the blanket over her head and called tremulously to Moomintroll.
    He woke up at once and asked her what was the matter.
    'There's something dangerous in here,' came a muffled voice from under the blanket. 'I can feel it.'
    Moomintroll stared into the darkness. There was something! Little lights... Pale gleaming shapes that pattered to and fro between the sleepers. Moomintroll was terrified and woke Snufkin.
    'Look!' he gasped. 'Ghosts!'
    'It's all right,' said Snufkin. 'Those are Hattifatteners. The thundery weather has electrified them - that's why they shine so. Keep quite still, otherwise you might get an electric shock.'
    The Hattifatteners seemed to be looking for something. They poked about in all the hampers, and the burning smell became stronger, and then suddenly they all collected in the corner where the Hemulen was sleeping.
    'Do you think they're after him?' asked Moomintroll, anxiously.
    'They're probably only looking for the barometer,' said Snufkin. 'I warned him not to take it. Now they've found it.'
    The Hattifatteners were all clinging to the barometer and had clambered up on to the Hemulen so as to reach it better; the smell of burning was very strong now.
    Sniff woke up and began to whimper, and at the same time there was a piercing scream. A Hattifattener had trodden on the Hemulen's nose.
    In a moment everybody was awake and on their feet. Pandemonium broke loose. Hattifatteners were trodden on; Sniff got an electric shock; the Hemulen rushed about screaming with terror, and then entangled himself in the sail so that the whole tent collapsed on top of them. It was quite frightful.
    Sniff maintained afterwards that it was at least an hour before they had found their way out of the sail. (Perhaps he exaggerated a bit.)
    But by the time they had all sorted themselves out the Hattifatteners had disappeared into the wood with the barometer. And nobody had the least desire to follow them.
    The Hemulen, moaning piteously, thrust his nose into the sand. 'This has gone too far!' he said. 'Why can't a poor innocent botanist live his life in peace and quiet?'
    'Life is not peaceful,' said Snufkin, contentedly.
    'Look children!' said Moominpappa, 'it has cleared up. Soon it'll begin to get light.'
    Moominmamma shivered and clutched her handbag tight as she looked out over the stormy night sea. 'Shall we build a new house and try to sleep again?' she asked.
    'That wouldn't be any use,' said Moomintroll. 'We'll wrap ourselves up in the blankets and wait till the sun gets up.'
    So they sat in a row on the beach, very close to one another, and Sniff sat in the middle because he thought it was safest.
    The night was nearly over now and the storm was far away, but the breakers still thundered in over the sand. The sky began to grow pale in the east and it

    was very cold. Then, in the first light of dawn, they saw the Hattifatteners setting off from the island. Boatloads of them glided away like shadows from behind the point and steered out to sea.
    The Hemulen breathed a sigh of relief. 'I hope I never see a Hattifattener again,' he said.
    'They're probably looking for a new island for themselves,' said Snufkin, enviously. 'A secret island that nobody will ever find!' And he followed the little boats with longing eyes.
    The Snork Maiden was sleeping with her head in Moomintroll's lap when the first golden streak showed on the eastern horizon. A few little puffs of cloud that the storm had forgotten turned a soft shell pink, and then the sun lifted his shining head over the sea.
    Moomintroll bent down to wake the Snork Maiden up, and then he noticed a terrible thing. Her beautiful fluffy fringe was burnt right off. It must have happened when the Hattifatteners brushed against her. What would she say? How could he comfort her? It was a catastrophe!
    The Snork Maiden opened her