They Got Her for Free

Mystery and fantasy mix with reality in Nurit Zarchi’s tale about a lonely little girl and how she finally beats her loneliness.

Maggie’s father left, never to return. Her mother set out to look for him, only to disappear as well. Maggie’s aunt and uncle have taken her in out of a sense of duty, and Maggie feels that no one really loves her. One day Maggie is given a pair of goslings and she insists on keeping them, despite her aunt’s objections. A flock of geese passes by, and the goslings join them, carrying Maggie on their backs so she can search abroad for a special person to love her. When the goslings return, they take Maggie’s aunt and fly her out over the sea. Aunt Hassia sees the great big world and suddenly realizes that a child needs lots and lots of love. The goslings take her back to Maggie and then fly towards the horizon, to far-off lands.