
A lively portrait of a late‑19th‑century Finnish household bursts to life as the Tähtinen family prepares for their first grand trip abroad. Father Tähtinen, ever the planner, hustles the household—packing striped travel clothes, iron, toys and even a tiny beaver‑shaped doll—while the children’s excitement erupts in a chorus of imaginative chatter about distant lands, exotic snakes and volcanoes. Their mother, practical and sweet, adds the finishing touches, turning the chaotic kitchen into a hub of anticipation as the whole clan readies for the steamship “Döbeln.”
The journey itself becomes a playground of wonder, with the youngsters marveling at the bustling port of Stockholm and the novelty of foreign tongues that sound like a theatrical performance. Inside their hotel, the children discover secret buttons, mirrored windows and hidden compartments that spark spontaneous games and curious experiments. Through humor and vivid detail, the story captures the blend of familial affection and the wide‑eyed curiosity of youth as they step beyond the familiar streets of Helsinki into the wider world.
Language
fi
Duration
~4 hours (275K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2018-10-18
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1854–1910
A Finnish writer and journalist who brought warmth and moral clarity to children’s and young adult literature around the turn of the 20th century. Her work grew out of a literary family legacy but found its own gentle voice.
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