# The Next Morning explained — The Wonderful Adventures of Nils

> Chapter companion for The Wonderful Adventures of Nils by Selma Lagerlöf.

## What happens

Ola Serka, a distinguished Lapp, hesitates to tell Jon Esserson that his daughter Osa has arrived, fearing Jon's aversion to children. Meanwhile, Aslak tells Osa a story about a Lapp boy and a Swedish girl who survived the Black Plague and chose to live with the Sami, illustrating the appeal of their lifestyle. Ola Serka then approaches Jon, who is fishing, and uses a story about adopting a girl to gently reveal that Osa is his daughter. Jon, initially resistant, eventually accepts her, and they reunite, transformed by their meeting.

## Themes in this chapter

### Humanity and Compassion

Ola Serka's careful handling of Jon Esserson's fear of children and the eventual reunion between father and daughter highlight themes of empathy and care.

### Folklore and Swedish Heritage

Aslak's story about the Black Plague and the Sami way of life draws on Swedish folklore and cultural heritage.

### Interconnectedness of Life

The story of the Lapp boy and Swedish girl illustrates how different lives and cultures can intertwine and enrich each other.

## Character check-ins

### Ola Serka

The distinguished Lapp who deliberates how to tell Jon Esserson about Osa's arrival, then cleverly uses a story to break the news.

### Osa

The goose girl who has come to find her father; she listens to Aslak's story and later reunites with Jon Esserson.

### Aslak

A young Lapp boy who tells Osa a story about the Black Plague and the life of the Sami people.

### Jon Esserson

Osa's father, a fisherman who is afraid of children and initially despondent, but eventually accepts his daughter.

## Key lines

> He was an odd sort of man who was afraid of children. He used to say that the sight of them made him so melancholy that he could not endure it.

Jon Esserson had a peculiar fear of children, claiming that seeing them filled him with unbearable sadness.

_Describes Jon Esserson's unusual aversion to children, which Ola Serka must navigate._

> The Swedish girl begged the Lapp boy to accompany her southward, where she could meet people of her own race. She did not wish to tarry longer in Jämtland, where there were only vacant homesteads.

The Swedish girl asked the Lapp boy to take her south to find other Swedes, as she couldn't bear staying in the empty, desolate Jämtland.

_Part of Aslak's story about the Black Plague survivors._

> I have lived the life of the Samifolk almost a year now. I can’t return to my people and live the shut-in life after having wandered freely on mountains and in forests.

After nearly a year with the Sami, the girl felt she could no longer return to her former confined existence, having grown to love the freedom of the mountains and forests.

_The Swedish girl's realization that she prefers the Sami lifestyle._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_wonderful_adventures_of_nils_se/chapters/the-next-morning
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_wonderful_adventures_of_nils_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_wonderful_adventures_of_nils_se/chapters