The Wonderful Adventures of Nils
Commissioned as a geography reader for Swedish schoolchildren, Selma Lagerlof’s book became something far larger: a beloved children’s classic read around the world. Nils Holgersson is a lazy, unkind farm boy who torments the animals around him until an offended elf shrinks him to the size of a thumb. Clinging to the neck of the family’s white goose, Nils is carried off with a flock of wild geese on a sweeping journey across the whole of Sweden, from the far south to Lapland and back. Along the way he learns courage, kindness, and the geography of his homeland. Tender and adventurous, it wears its lessons lightly. Free to read as a PDF and EPUB edition.
About the Author
Selma Lagerlof (1858-1940) was a Swedish writer and teacher whose storytelling blended folklore, faith, and vivid landscape. The first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, she remains one of Sweden’s most cherished authors, known best for this book and Gosta Berling’s Saga.
See all books by Selma Lagerlöf →
Listen to The Wonderful Adventures of Nils Audiobook Free
Listen to The Wonderful Adventures of Nils by Selma Lagerlöf free online. The full audiobook (17 hr 38 min, 45 chapters, read by Lars Rolander (1942-2016)) streams free on this page.
The Wonderful Adventures of Nils (1906) is a public domain work.
| # | Chapter | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Boy | 42:08 | |
| 2 | Akka from Kebnekaise | 41:17 | |
| 3 | The Wonderful Journey of Nils | 51:12 | |
| 4 | Glimminge Castle | 34:07 | |
| 5 | The Great Crane Dance on Kullaberg | 25:33 | |
| 6 | In Rainy Weather | 16:17 | |
| 7 | The Stairway with the Three Steps | 10:31 | |
| 8 | By Ronneby River | 24:20 | |
| 9 | Karlskrona | 22:11 | |
| 10 | The Trip to Oeland | 11:12 | |
| 11 | Oeland's Southern Point | 21:52 | |
| 12 | The Big Butterfly | 11:14 | |
| 13 | Little Karl's Island | 31:50 | |
| 14 | Two Cities | 30:55 | |
| 15 | The Legend of Smaland | 13:41 | |
| 16 | The Crows | 44:28 | |
| 17 | The Old Peasant Woman | 26:42 | |
| 18 | From Taberg to Huskvarna | 10:38 | |
| 19 | The Big Bird Lake | 39:52 | |
| 20 | Ulvasa Lady | 14:06 | |
| 21 | The Homespun Cloth | 10:00 | |
| 22 | The Story of Karr and Grayskin Pt 1 - Karr | 23:16 | |
| 23 | The Story of Karr and Grayskin Pt 2 - Helpless the Water Snake | 20:02 | |
| 24 | The Story of Karr and Grayskin Pt 3 - The Big War of the Moths | 29:16 | |
| 25 | The Wind Witch | 35:34 | |
| 26 | The Breaking up of the Ice | 10:23 | |
| 27 | Thumbietot and the Bears | 35:12 | |
| 28 | The Flood | 22:58 | |
| 29 | Dunfin | 26:20 | |
| 30 | Stockholm | 34:19 | |
| 31 | Gorgo the Eagle | 26:45 | |
| 32 | On over Gaestrikland | 15:04 | |
| 33 | A Day in Haelsingland | 33:25 | |
| 34 | In Medelpad | 13:50 | |
| 35 | A Morning in Angermanland | 18:04 | |
| 36 | Westbottom and Lappland | 31:01 | |
| 37 | Osa, the Goose Girl, and Little Mats | 17:36 | |
| 38 | With the Lapplanders | 19:48 | |
| 39 | Homeward Bound | 8:35 | |
| 40 | Legends from Haerjedalen | 21:25 | |
| 41 | Vermland and Dalsland | 26:28 | |
| 42 | The Treasure on the Island | 17:33 | |
| 43 | The Journey to Vemminghoeg | 6:30 | |
| 44 | Home at last | 23:45 | |
| 45 | The Parting with the Wild Geese | 6:57 |
Prefer reading? Read The Wonderful Adventures of Nils online free or download the PDF and EPUB above.
