happy?”
“That’s right…”
“Because then you’ll be happy too?”
“Yes. Very happy.”
Sadie thought for a moment.
“I am actually going to my sister’s on
Saturday.”
She thought again.
88
“So why shouldn’t you come too?” she said
finally. “Let’s do that…”
Dani lit up. And she remembered to say thank
you.
“Thank you!” she said. “Thanks in advance,
Sadie! You don’t know how much this means to
me.”
Then she helped Sadie dry all the glasses that
were left and put them away in the cupboard,
before sitting at the kitchen table to eat the
corncob Sadie had heated up for her.
89
Chapter 18
And then it was dessert: ice cream with meringue
and hot chocolate sauce.
“I still haven’t heard a thing about the Iceland
pony expedition,” Dad reminded them.
“We’re going back again soon,” Sadie told him.
“Is that right? So it was a great success!”
“Let’s concentrate on the ice cream,” said Dani.
So they did.
Then Sven told his latest riddles. The first went like this:
“What can everyone see but no one touch?”
“Smoke,” guessed Sadie.
“Correct!” said Sven. “Now for the next: Who
never misses a ball?”
“Dani,” guessed Dani’s grandpa.
“Wrong!” said Sven.
“The wall,” Sadie guessed.
“Correct!” The third riddle: Who’s been around
the world the most times?”
But they were interrupted again by Dani’s
father. He wanted to know if they thought the
chicken had tasted good.
90
“Not bad,” Grandma admitted, and she started
leafing through one of his Italian newspapers lying on the sofa.
She was trying to learn Italian so she could
travel with Dani to Rome to meet Dani’s
grandmother and cousins.
“The chicken was excellent!” said Grandpa,
turning on the TV to see the news.
“The corn was also excellent!” said Dani. “The
tastiest corn I’ve ever eaten!”
“Who’s been around the world the most times?”
Sven repeated impatiently.
“The moon,” Sadie guessed.
“Correct again!” yelled Sven. “Sadie got them
all right!”
“Fantastic, Sadie!” exclaimed Dani’s father.
He didn’t know that Sadie had read the riddles
and answers on the same milk carton as Sven.
He thought Sadie really was smart!
91
Chapter 19
Moments later all the guests went home, including Sadie. And Dani was finally alone with her father.
“It all worked out well in the end,” he said.
“Don’t you think, Dani?”
“What did?” Dani was watching the candle
burning down.
“With Sadie.”
“Oh,” said Dani. “I thought you meant with the
corncob.”
“Don’t you agree?” he persisted.
“Not bad,” Dani admitted, sounding like her
grandmother.
Her father sank into silence.
For a long time there was only the sound of the
radio talking to itself out in the kitchen.
But suddenly Dani said: “What about Mama?”
Her father gave a start.
“Have you forgotten her now?”
“How could I forget her?”
“But you like Sadie?”
“Yes, I do. Very much.”
92
He got up and Dani saw that he had tears in his
eyes.
It still happened sometimes when Dani’s
mother was mentioned, even though it was nearly
five years since she died.
He limped from the room and Dani went and lay
on the sofa where Cat was waiting for her.
“How could I ever forget Ella?” she said,
stroking its back.
The cat watched her thoughtfully.
“But I like you too,” she hurried to add. “Very
much.”
She stretched out on the sofa and began to think
up a little poem for Ella.
She does that sometimes, pulling small poems
right out of the air.
Ella! Ella! You are my dearest!
93
Don’t be unhappy, or I can’t be happy.
If you’re sad I’ll break into a thousand pieces!
She stopped.
The poem didn’t have a single rhyme but she
was pleased with it anyway, because it was true.
She was about to go on when the phone rang. It
was Ella, who had come back home and wanted to
speak to her. But it was almost impossible to hear her because she was crying so hard.
“I j-just wanted to tell you s-something on the
bus,” she sobbed. “S-someone has dug up our
tr-tr-treasure!”
Dani sank into the chair beside the telephone
table and laughed.
“I know!”
The sobbing stopped at once.
“How can you know that?”
“Because I’m the one who did it!”
94
It was a few seconds before Ella understood.
She gasped—and suddenly it was as if the sun
had come out after rain.
“Well done,” she said and sniffed so loudly that
it hissed into the phone. “When did you say we’d
see each other again?”
This time Dani had the best possible answer:
“On Saturday. We can go with Sadie again to
see the Iceland ponies.”
Ella almost whinnied with happiness.
“I can manage till then.”
“Do you mean with your class?”
“I mean with anything. As long as I can see
you! Thank you, Dani! You’ve saved my life!”
“It was nothing,” said Dani.
“Night night!”
“Night,” said Dani, smiling happily.
95
Chapter 20
She was still smiling as she undressed and
brushed her teeth and put on her nightie and lay
in her comfy bed.
“It doesn’t really matter so much that Sadie
was here today,” she explained when her father
popped in. “I forgive you. This once.”
“Thank you, Dani,” said her father, putting the
night cover over the guinea pigs.
“How was Skansen?” he suddenly remembered.
“Good,” said Dani. “I met Ella.”
Her father straightened up.
“Ella this and Ella that! How many children are
there actually in your class?”
“Twenty-two,” said Dani. “Why?”
96
“Then can’t you find one of them to be friends
with?”
“Mmm, I probably can,” yawned Dani. “But not
best friends in the world.”
“But Dani, don’t you understand? Children
can’t see each other very often when they live as far apart as you and Ella.”
His cell phone rang.
“Just a minute,” he said and took it out to the
living room.
Dani
reached out her arm and lifted the edge of
the guinea pigs’ cover.
“Did you hear that?” she whispered. “They
always want to keep me and Ella apart! Always,
always, always. But they can’t, because we keep
seeing each other!”
The guinea pigs chattered knowingly.
“If only you knew how happy you are when
you’re happy,” continued Dani.
The guinea pigs looked at each other. What was
she talking about now?
97
Guinea pigs always know how happy they are when they’re happy. You can tell by the way their eyes glitter.
“Night night to you too!” Dani dropped the
cover back and waited for her father.
Why was he taking so long on the phone?
“That was Sadie,” he said when he finally came
back. “She thinks I behaved badly with you today.”
Dani closed her eyes.
Must he talk about that again? She had already
forgiven him.
But her father went on. He was very upset.
“I didn’t mean to. I never want to make you
unhappy, Dani! Do you understand that?”
He looked beseechingly at her, but Dani wasn’t
listening. It had been a long day and she only
wanted to sleep.
When he saw that, he tucked her in.
“Amore,” he said, almost to himself. “I don’t
know what gets into me.”
“Relax!” said Dani, and she rolled herself into a ball, just like Cat.
Her father turned out the light and crept from
the room.
“Good night, Ella,” Dani mumbled in the direction of Ella’s house. “At last I can sleep. See you when I see you. No, I mean on Saturday!”
She thought a bit.
“I can manage till then, too,” she added. “With
anything.”
And she fell asleep
98
99
Print edition first published in 2017 by Gecko Press PO Box 9335, Wellington 6141, New Zealand
info@geckopress.com
English language edition © Gecko Press Ltd 2017
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted or utilized in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Vi ses när vi ses
Text © Rose Lagercrantz 2016
Illustrations © Eva Eriksson 2016
First published by Bonnier Carlsen, Stockholm, Sweden Published in the English language by arrangement with Bonnier Group Agency, Stockholm, Sweden
Translated by Julia Marshall
Edited by Penelope Todd
Typesetting by Vida & Luke Kelly, New Zealand Hardback (USA) ISBN: 978-1-776571-29-1
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-776571-30-7
Ebook ISBNs: 978-1-776571-31-4 (epub);
978-1-776571-32-1 (mobi);
978-1-776571-33-8 (pdf)
For more curiously good books, visit www.geckopress.com
More curiously good books from
GECKO PRESS
Life According to Dani
by Rose Lagercrantz, ill. by
Eva Eriksson
Age 6+
Chapter book
A stand-alone follow-up to
the acclaimed and beloved
chapter books My Happy
Life and My Heart is
Laughing.
Reviews
“Another sterling early chapter book by this duo. ”
— Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews
“Subtle, joyful, funny, challenging — Lagercrantz’s books are true classics for modern families
everywhere.” — The Times
“Sweet, charismatic drawings by Eriksson
complement the spare text perfectly and will
endear Dani to readers… Many readers, especially
those dealing with similar situations to those faced by the main characters, will identify strongly and compassionately. ” — School Library Journal
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My Heart is Laughing
by Rose Lagercrantz, ill. by
Eva Eriksson
Age 6+
Chapter book
The standalone sequel to
the acclaimed illustrated
chapter book My Happy
Life (a New York Times
Notable Children’s Book).
“Dani is always happy, except when she’s not.
A delightful story about being sad, being
happy, best friends and hopefulness. Another
adorable book from the author and illustrator
of My Happy Life. These books are just the
best – you will love the characters; the stories
are splendid and the drawings charming –
perfect as a read-aloud for 4-up and a
readalone for 6-8yrs.” — Page and Blackmore
Booksellers
“Lagercrantz has the ability to develop her
characters fully, while keeping the story
approachable for young readers just wanting
to tackle chapter books. Genuine feelings such
as humor, honesty, and heartbreak will leave
readers yearning for Dani to return once
again.” — School Library Journal, starred
review
“A forthright early chapter book about resilience…
This deeply respectful book validates and
celebrates the daily challenges of being a child in today’s world.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Salty and sweet, this is umami for the emerging
reader.” — The Horn Book Magazine, starred review
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My Happy Life
by Rose Lagercrantz, ill. by
Eva Eriksson
Age 6+
Chapter book
The perfect first chapter
book about the
irrepressibly happy Dani,
who starts school and
meets a new friend.
Reviews
“One of those joyous rarities: a book about
girls who are neither infallible nor
pratfall-prone, but who are instead very
real—both admirable and relatable… If only all
early chapter books were this beautifully
conceived.” — The New York Times, Notable
Book of 2013
“This tale is a winner.” — The Independent, Books of the Year 2012
“Acclaimed Swedish writer Lagercrantz applies
exactly the right amount of whimsical
childhood observation and attitude to a serious
exploration of a very young, broken heart… A
sweet read for both children and their parents,
who may be grateful at the reminder of
emotional complexity lurking behind their
children’s smiles.” — Kirkus Reviews
Document Outline
Cover
Title Page
Contents
PART 1
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
PART 2
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Copyright Information
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