They said "hullo" to each other and then wandered down to the river and sat on the bridge with their legs dangling over the water. The sun had risen above the tree tops by this time, and it shone right in their eyes.
"We sat just like this in the spring," said Moomintroll. "Do you remember, we had woken up from our winter sleep and it was the very first day? All the others were still asleep."
Snufkin nodded. He was busy making reed-boats and sailing them down the river.
"Where are they going?" asked Moomintroll.
"To places where I'm not," Snufkin answered as, one after another, the little boats swirled away round the bend of the river and disappeared.
"Loaded with cinnamon, shark's teeth and emeralds," said Moomintroll. "You talked of plans," he went on. "Have you got any yourself?"
"Yes," said Snufkin. "I have a plan. But it's a lonely one, you know."
Moomintroll looked at him for a long time, and then he said: "You're thinking of going away."
Snufkin nodded, and they sat for a while swinging their legs over the water, without speaking, while the river flowed on and on beneath them to all the strange places that Snufkin longed for and would go to quite alone.
"When are you going?" Moomintroll asked.
"Now -- immediately!" said Snufkin throwing all the reed-boats into the water at once, and he jumped down from the bridge and sniffed the morning air. It was a good day to start a journey; the crest of the hill beckoned to him in the morning sunshine, with the road winding up and disappearing on the other side to find a new valley, and then a new hill....
Moomintroll stood looking on while Snufkin packed up his tent. "Are you staying away long?" he asked.
"No," said Snufkin, "on the first day of spring I shall be here again whistling under your window -- a year goes by so quickly!"
"Yes," said Moomintroll. "Cheerio then!"
"So long!" said Snufkin.
Moomintroll was left alone on the bridge. He watched Snufkin grow smaller and smaller, and at last disappear among the silver poplars and the plum trees. But after a while he heard the mouth organ playing "All small beasts should have bows in their tails," and he knew that his friend was happy.
