Free The Reindeer Girl by Holly Webb

widened in shock, and she leaned down to Lotta. “What did you say? Flower? You saved Flower? And the baby? Karl?”
    “Mmm. And there were wolves,” Lotta added sleepily. “Johan and Matti chased them away.”
    “Lotta, I never told you this…” Oldeforeldre looked confused, but excited, too. “You couldn’t have known about Flower. I don’t think I’ve ever told anyone about her, not even your mormor. It was so sad. I wanted to forget, but I never have.”
    Lotta looked up at her, her eyes full of tears. “Then – when that was all real – could you not save Flower?”
    Oldeforeldre looked down at her hands, twisting them over and over. “Flower came back – she managed to find us all in the end. But by then, her calf… He was so little and he wouldn’t take any food, even though we tried so hard, my cousin Lotta and I. He died, Lotta.”

    “He didn’t.” Lotta shook her head firmly. “We went and got Flower. We brought her back for him.”
    Oldeforeldre laughed, but she was crying at the same time. “I almost believe you did,” she murmured. Then she got up carefully, balancing on her stick. “Stay there, Lotta. I have something for you.” She went over to a wooden box in the corner of the room and lifted the lid, searching around inside it.
    Lotta leaned against the chair, wrapped in her blankets.
    She looked up as Oldeforeldre came back, carrying something small, wrapped in a piece of blue cloth. Lotta was almost sure it was part of a
gakti
. She could see the embroidery.
    “Here.” Oldeforeldre pressed it intoher hands. She was smiling, but Lotta could see the shining tracks of tears on her cheeks.
    Lotta unwrapped the little bundle and laughed delightedly as she held up a tiny piece of carved reindeer horn. “Johan’s carving! He finished it!”
    Her great-grandmother nodded. “Yes. It took him all that springtime, until we reached the summer pastures. Weeks of work.”
    “It’s beautiful,” Lotta whispered, standing up to hold the carving closer to the light. “And so delicate. She even has her earmarks, I can feel them! I can’t believe he managed to carve Karl, too, when he was so tiny.”
    “What?” Oldeforeldre peered over at the carving. “No, Lotta. It’s only Flower.Johan carved it for me and my cousin Lotta, I remember.” She sighed. “He didn’t put Karl in, after what happened. It was too sad.”
    Lotta shook her head and smiled, turning the little carving around. “But he did. Look.”
    She held the carving out to show her great-grandmother – a mother reindeer, her head curved lovingly round her baby, walking safe by her side.

GLOSSARY
    Beaska – a thick coat made from reindeer fur
    Bunad – a traditional folk costume in Norway, often worn by the Sami. Nowadays people wear them for special occasions
    Four Winds Cap – a Sami hat with four points, which represent the winds from the north, south, east and west
    Gákti – a Sami tunic that is often finely embroidered and decorated with buttons and jewellery
    Joik – a Sami song, often sung without instruments

    Lavvu – a Sami tent, supported by wooden poles and traditionally covered with reindeer hides
    Lutefisk – a smelly fish dish, made from whitefish that has been soaked to give it a jelly-like texture
    Morfar – Grandfather
    Mormor – Grandmother
    Nisse – a Norwegian elf. Nisse may be small but they are very strong. They protect farmers and their children at night
    Oldeforeldre – Great-grandmother
    Pepperkaken – Christmas biscuits made with ginger and other spices

The World of the Sami
A REINDEER’S LIFE
    Reindeer live in the far north of Europe, Russia and America, in a region known as the Arctic. These animals are very tough, with thick coats to keep out the freezing cold. Even baby reindeer are sturdy – at just one day old, a calf can outrun a grown man!

    Reindeer are the only kind of deer where both males and females grow antlers. The males use their antlers for fighting over mates,