# Osa — The Wonderful Adventures of Nils character guide

> Osa in The Wonderful Adventures of Nils by Selma Lagerlöf.

**Role:** supporting

**First appearance:** 0085-osa-the-goose-girl-and-little-mats

## Snapshot

A goose girl no older than Nils, she walks Sweden's roads with her little brother Mats, hunting a father who vanished and a place where they might belong.

## Who they are

Osa and Mats are among the poorest travelers on the road, children whose only inheritance is each other and a story about a father they barely remember. Osa carries the plan and the hope; Mats carries the fear, and her patience with him is tested more than once. Their search runs alongside Nils's journey and shows him a kind of hardship and loyalty he never learned at home.

## Relationships

### [Nils Holgersson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wonderful_adventures_of_nils_se/characters/nils_holgersson)

_friendship_

Nils and Osa are childhood friends who share a deep mutual care and loyalty, with Osa often helping Nils in his adventures.

### [Father Bear](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wonderful_adventures_of_nils_se/characters/father_bear)

_friendship_

Father Bear and Osa share a gentle, protective friendship, with Osa showing compassion toward the bear family.

### [Nils Holgersson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wonderful_adventures_of_nils_se/characters/nils_holgersson)

_friendship_

Nils and Osa are childhood friends who share a deep mutual care and loyalty, with Osa often helping Nils in his adventures.

### [Nils Holgersson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wonderful_adventures_of_nils_se/characters/nils_holgersson)

_friendship_

Nils and Osa are childhood friends who share a deep mutual care and loyalty, with Osa often helping Nils in his adventures.

### [Father Bear](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wonderful_adventures_of_nils_se/characters/father_bear)

_friendship_

Father Bear and Osa share a gentle, protective friendship, with Osa showing compassion toward the bear family.

## In the story

### [The Big Checked Cloth](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wonderful_adventures_of_nils_se/chapters/the-big-checked-cloth)

Nils recalls Osa the goose girl, a former comrade from the year before, when he sees Jordberga Sugar Refinery.

### [The Legend of Småland](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wonderful_adventures_of_nils_se/chapters/the-legend-of-sm-land)

Osa is a Småland goose-girl who defends her province's beauty and fertility, listing its rich regions and landmarks.

### [The Cabin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wonderful_adventures_of_nils_se/chapters/the-cabin)

Arrives with Little Mats at the burning cabin; Nils greets her but she is terrified.

### [The Homespun Cloth](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wonderful_adventures_of_nils_se/chapters/the-homespun-cloth)

Finds Nils's wooden shoe on the road and reads the inscription, connecting it to the elf sightings.

### [The Breaking Up of the Ice](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wonderful_adventures_of_nils_se/chapters/the-breaking-up-of-the-ice)

Osa, the goose girl, and little Mats attempt to cross the frozen lake and are guided to safety by the wild geese.

### [Osa, the Goose Girl, and Little Mats](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wonderful_adventures_of_nils_se/chapters/osa-the-goose-girl-and-little-mats)

Osa is the older sister, responsible and serious. After losing her family to tuberculosis, she and her brother Mats travel to find their father and spread knowledge about hygiene.

### [With the Laplanders](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wonderful_adventures_of_nils_se/chapters/with-the-laplanders)

Osa arrives at the Laplander camp seeking her father, having recently buried her brother Mats.

### [The Next Morning](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wonderful_adventures_of_nils_se/chapters/the-next-morning)

The goose girl who has come to find her father; she listens to Aslak's story and later reunites with Jon Esserson.

### [The First Travelling Day](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wonderful_adventures_of_nils_se/chapters/the-first-travelling-day)

Mentioned in Nils's thoughts as the goose girl he saw, whose presence made him long to become human again.

### [Home at Last](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wonderful_adventures_of_nils_se/chapters/home-at-last)

Visits Nils's parents with her father to thank them for Nils's help and offer assistance.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wonderful_adventures_of_nils_se/characters/osa
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wonderful_adventures_of_nils_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_wonderful_adventures_of_nils_se/characters