# The Rat Charmer explained — The Wonderful Adventures of Nils

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

## What happens

The gray rats infiltrate Glimminge Castle, expecting a fight with the black rats, but find it empty. As they begin to feast on the grain, a mysterious pipe lures them away. Nils, playing the pipe, charms the rats out of the castle and leads them far away, saving the grain.

## Themes in this chapter

### Adventure and Exploration

Nils undertakes a daring mission to charm the gray rats, exploring the castle and leading them on a winding journey.

### Humanity and Compassion

Nils uses the pipe not for harm but to protect the black rats' grain and preserve the castle's balance.

## Character check-ins

### Nils Holgersson

The tiny creature who plays the pipe to charm the gray rats away from Glimminge Castle.

### Akka

Awakened by the lady owl in the stork-nest; she had arranged for the pipe to be sent via Flammea.

### Bataki

The raven who helped identify the pipe as an ancient rat-charming horn; friend of Akka.

### Flammea

The steeple owl who found the pipe in Lund cathedral and sent it to Akka.

## Key lines

> The gray rat sat still for a moment in the hole, and waited for an attack from within. The leader of the defenders was certainly away, but she assumed that the black rats who were still in the castle wouldn't surrender without a struggle.

The gray rat paused in the hole, expecting an ambush from the black rats, but all was quiet.

_Highlights the tension and the gray rats' cautious advance._

> Again the pipe sounded a sharp and piercing note—and now something wonderful happened. One rat, two rats—yes, a whole lot of rats left the grain, jumped from the bins and hurried down cellar by the shortest cut, to get out of the house.

The pipe's sharp note caused many rats to abandon the grain and flee the castle.

_Illustrates the magical power of the pipe over the rats._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_wonderful_adventures_of_nils_se/chapters/the-rat-charmer
- 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