Muckletåget by Sven Nordqvist

1. Cover 15+3=18

Swedish text

Muckletåget — Sven Nordqvist

English

The Muckle Train — Sven Nordqvist

Motif

Front cover. The little steam train with two open wooden wagons packed with animals (pig, cows, hens, fox, dog, horse and the two striped mucklor standing in front) rolls past a pile of boulders. Painted on the rocks: "15+3=18". A timber stack, pine tree and giant dandelion behind. Publisher Opal logo bottom right.

🚂 Mucklor on the train after this page: 18

⚠️ The cover scene is the same motif as the Steninge spread (order 9).

2. Title page

Swedish text

Muckletåget — Sven Nordqvist — Opal

English

The Muckle Train — Sven Nordqvist — Opal (publisher)

Motif

Title page. Hand-lettered title in grey on white. Along the bottom runs a railway track across both pages; at the right edge the two striped mucklor (Minus and Plusk) walk along the rail carrying little suitcases.

3. Mucklebo 2+1=3

Swedish text

Här står tåget vid Mucklebo station. Två mucklor sitter i vagnen. De heter Minus och Plusk. – Är alla med? ropar lokföraren. Då åker vi! – Nej, vänta! Grisen vill också med!

English

Here is the train at Mucklebo station. Two mucklor are sitting in the wagon. Their names are Minus and Plusk. "Is everyone aboard?" calls the engine driver. "Then off we go!" "No, wait! The pig wants to come too!"

Motif

A sleepy countryside halt called Mucklebo: stone cottages, a red treehouse, an apple tree full of red apples holding a painted banner "2+1=3". The little black steam engine with its wooden wagon waits on the track, two brown long-eared mucklor aboard, while a pink pig runs to catch the train. Mushroom houses and a hayfield in the background.

🚂 Mucklor on the train after this page: 3

4. Syrenköping 3-1+2=4

Swedish text

Då blev de tre mucklor i vagnen. Vid nästa station stiger grisen av och två andra vill åka med. – Hur många är ni nu? ropar lokföraren.

English

Now there were three mucklor in the wagon. At the next station the pig gets off and two others want to come along. "How many are you now?" calls the driver.

Motif

A yellow wooden station house with a green roof (sign "SYRENKÖPING") beside an enormous purple lilac bush in full bloom (syren = lilac). The pig hops off, and two blue striped mucklor with suitcases wait to board. Painted on a rock by the fence: "3-1+2=4".

🚂 Mucklor on the train after this page: 4

5. Hatthult 4-2=2 · 2+3=5

Swedish text

Nu var de fyra i vagnen. I Hatthult stiger två av och tre andra hoppar på. – Jag undrar hur många vi är nu? säger Minus. – Inte så många …, säger Plusk.

English

Now there were four in the wagon. At Hatthult two get off and three others hop on. "I wonder how many we are now?" says Minus. "Not that many…" says Plusk.

Motif

Hatthult ("hat" grove): a red barn carries two posters, "4-2=2" and "2+3=5". The station shelter and the hill behind it are shaped like giant hats, and giant top hats and bowler hats lie scattered on the slope. A waterfall and a pear tree on the left. Two mucklor hop off, three new ones (a black one, a brown one, and one with a hat) climb aboard.

🚂 Mucklor on the train after this page: 5

6. Grefveholm 5-2=3 · 3+5=8

Swedish text

I Grefveholm stiger två mucklor av. Där står fem mucklor som vill åka med. Det får de. – Hur många är ni nu? ropar lokföraren. Det vet inte mucklorna för de kan inte räkna.

English

At Grefveholm two mucklor get off. Five mucklor are standing there wanting to come along. And they may. "How many are you now?" calls the driver. The mucklor don't know, because they can't count.

Motif

A grand little station with a tower, clock and flag, sign "GREFVEHOLM", rose bushes around the platform. In the pasture two brown cows wear the sums on their bodies: "5-2=3" and "3+5=8". A covered wooden bridge and red farmhouses behind. A crowd of odd little creatures queues at the wagon.

🚂 Mucklor on the train after this page: 8

7. Torp 8+5=13

Swedish text

Åtta mucklor är de i vagnen. När tåget kommer till Torp står där fem till som vill åka med. – Det får bara plats tio i vagnen, ropar lokföraren. Vi behöver en vagn till. Och då kommer det en vagn till!

English

There are eight mucklor in the wagon. When the train comes to Torp, five more are standing there wanting to come along. "There's only room for ten in the wagon," calls the driver. "We need another wagon." And then another wagon appears!

Motif

A tiny red croft station ("TORP") under fruit trees, with a haystack, birch and daisies. The sum "8+5=13" is written in the sky as a thin cloud/contrail. Now the train has TWO wooden wagons; five strange creatures (a tall spotted one, a green one, a striped one…) wait to board.

🚂 Mucklor on the train after this page: 13

8. 13+2=15

Swedish text

Nu är det långt till nästa station. Två fåglar vill också åka med. – Får de det? ropar Minus. – Ja, alla får åka med! säger lokföraren.

English

Now it is a long way to the next station. Two birds want to come along too. "May they?" calls Minus. "Yes, everyone may come along!" says the driver.

Motif

The richest spread in the book — a fairy-tale landscape while the train travels between stations: a red propeller plane tows a banner "13+2=15"; a king sleeps on a throne outdoors; giant gardening shears stick out of the ground; red spotted cows, palm-like trees, a windmill, a treehouse town with lightbulbs hanging from a huge tree, and a garden with giant bottles. The two birds sit in the first wagon.

🚂 Mucklor on the train after this page: 15

⚠️ Photos 085646 and 085729 are two shots of the same spread; 085646 is kept.

9. Steninge 15+3=18

Swedish text

Nu är de femton i vagnarna. I Steninge kliver tre glada mucklor på. – Hur många är ni nu? ropar lokföraren. – Tusen! ropar en av de glada. – Jag tror han räknade fel, säger Minus.

English

Now there are fifteen in the wagons. At Steninge three happy mucklor climb aboard. "How many are you now?" calls the driver. "A thousand!" shouts one of the happy ones. "I think he counted wrong," says Minus.

Motif

The cover scene: a stop by a huge boulder field ("Steninge" = the stones) with "15+3=18" painted red on two rocks, a sign reading "…NINGE". Timber stack, golden hayfield, giant dandelions. Three cheerful striped mucklor climb on; both wagons are crammed with animals.

🚂 Mucklor on the train after this page: 18

10. Grantofta 18-2=16 · 16-6=10

Swedish text

I Grantofta flyger fåglarna iväg. Sex av mucklorna stiger av tåget. – Hur många är ni nu? ropar lokföraren. – Tiotusen! ropar den glada. – Är vi så många? viskar Plusk.

English

At Grantofta the birds fly away. Six of the mucklor get off the train. "How many are you now?" calls the driver. "Ten thousand!" shouts the happy one. "Are we that many?" whispers Plusk.

Motif

A deep spruce-forest halt ("GRANTOFTA" = spruce grove): a white sign nailed to a huge tree trunk shows "18-2=16" and "16-6=10". Beyond the forest lies an open golden field with a log cabin and a smoking charcoal mound. Six mucklor hop down onto the forest floor; the two birds have flown.

🚂 Mucklor on the train after this page: 10

⚠️ "Tiotusen" read with low confidence from the photo — the joyful exaggeration is the point.

11. Skivlinge 10-3-3=4 · 4+8=12

Swedish text

I Skivlinge hoppar tre glada och tre sura mucklor av. Åtta andra mucklor stiger på. – Är alla med? ropar lokföraren. Hur många är ni nu då?

English

At Skivlinge three happy and three grumpy mucklor hop off. Eight other mucklor get on. "Is everyone aboard?" calls the driver. "How many are you now, then?"

Motif

The station is a giant mushroom ("Skivlinge" = the mushrooms) with the sign "SKIVLINGE" under its cap, more giant mushrooms behind. A grey ruined castle and a stone dolmen on the hill. The sums "10-3-3=4" and "4+8=12" hang as laundry on a clothesline. Three happy and three visibly grumpy mucklor leave; a queue of eight new ones boards.

🚂 Mucklor on the train after this page: 12

12. Skokloster 12+5=17

Swedish text

Nu är de tolv mucklor i vagnarna. I Skokloster hoppar fem mucklor till på. – Får alla plats? ropar lokföraren. – Ja! Här är vi tio, säger de i den första vagnen. – Här är vi bara sju, säger de i den andra vagnen. – Bra, då kör vi! säger lokföraren.

English

Now there are twelve mucklor in the wagons. At Skokloster five more mucklor hop on. "Is there room for everyone?" calls the driver. "Yes! We are ten here," say those in the first wagon. "We are only seven here," say those in the second wagon. "Good, then we're off!" says the driver.

Motif

Skokloster: the station is a giant old shoe with a bell tower on top ("SKOKLOSTER"), next to a red-brick castle ruin. A wooden sign on the stone wall reads "12+5=17". Rolling farmland, poplar trees and a cow in the pasture. Five mucklor squeeze aboard the already full wagons.

🚂 Mucklor on the train after this page: 17

13. Skepplinge 17-7=10 · 10-4=6

Swedish text

Till Skepplinge kommer sjutton mucklor. Sju av dem hoppar av. – Nu kör vi, säger lokföraren. – Nej, vänta, vi vill också gå av, ropar fyra mucklor. – Nu blev det inte så många kvar, säger Plusk. Kanske bara åtta, tolv stycken.

English

Seventeen mucklor arrive at Skepplinge. Seven of them hop off. "Now we're going," says the driver. "No, wait, we want to get off too," call four mucklor. "Now there aren't so many left," says Plusk. "Maybe only eight… twelve of them."

Motif

A lakeside halt ("SKEPPLINGE" = the ships): the station sign hangs on a beached old wooden ship whose two sails carry the sums "17-7=10" and "10-4=6". Reeds, a jetty and a little sailboat on the water. Eleven mucklor in all climb down here.

🚂 Mucklor on the train after this page: 6

14. Mucklebo (return) 6-4=2

Swedish text

Nu är tåget tillbaka i Mucklebo. Fyra mucklor stiger av. Minus och Plusk sitter kvar. – Ska inte ni gå av någon gång? säger lokföraren. – Nej, vi vill åka en gång till! ropar de. – Då kör vi en runda till, säger lokföraren. Men vänta, grisen vill också åka med!

English

Now the train is back in Mucklebo. Four mucklor get off. Minus and Plusk stay on board. "Aren't you two ever getting off?" says the driver. "No, we want to ride once more!" they shout. "Then we'll go another round," says the driver. But wait — the pig wants to come along too!

Motif

Back at Mucklebo where it all began — same apple tree, same banner, now reading "6-4=2", same stone cottages and mushroom houses. Four mucklor hop off, Minus and Plusk stay in the wagon, and the pink pig comes running again — the loop is ready to repeat.

🚂 Mucklor on the train after this page: 2