Down the slope he comes at the top of his speed, his fists clenched, and determination in his face. Gathering himself together as he nears the “take-off,” he bends slightly on his ski, and, with a frantic bound, flies forward into space. For an instant a breathless silence falls on the crowd, and then, as the ski-löber lands at the bottom, and struggles in vain to keep his feet, cheers mingled with laughter fill the air. Number 2 is no more successful than his predecessor; but Number 3 lands on both feet with much grace, continues his way on level ground, and, wheeling round, receives the well-merited applause of the onlookers. Others follow in quick succession, some making brilliant leaps, some having awkward spills; yet one and all racing down to the platform with almost abandoned recklessness. What with the delay caused by accidents, and the time taken in measuring the successful jumps, the contest occupies some hours. Then the judges declare the names of the prize-winners, together with the length of each man’s leap; and, prodigious as it may seem, it is no unusual thing for the champion to accomplish 100 feet, measured on the slope from the “take-off” to the landing-point.

Such are some of the winter sports of Norway. Can anyone wonder that the men who enter into them with so great a zest have earned for themselves the name of “Hardy Norsemen”? Can anyone wonder that Dr. Nansen, in his younger days the champion ski-löber at one of these great meetings, should have defeated all others in the race for the North Pole?

List of Volumes in the Peeps at Many Lands and Cities Series

Each containing 12 full-page illustrations in colour

Belgium Burma Canada Ceylon China Corsica Denmark Edinburgh Egypt England Finland France Germany Greece Holland Holy Land Iceland India Ireland Italy Jamaica Japan Korea Morocco New Zealand Norway Paris Portugal Russia Scotland Siam South Africa South Seas Spain Switzerland
  1. Belgium
  2. Burma
  3. Canada
  4. Ceylon
  5. China
  6. Corsica
  7. Denmark
  8. Edinburgh
  9. Egypt
  10. England
  11. Finland
  12. France
  13. Germany
  14. Greece
  15. Holland
  16. Holy Land
  17. Iceland
  18. India
  1. Ireland
  2. Italy
  3. Jamaica
  4. Japan
  5. Korea
  6. Morocco
  7. New Zealand
  8. Norway
  9. Paris
  10. Portugal
  11. Russia
  12. Scotland
  13. Siam
  14. South Africa
  15. South Seas
  16. Spain
  17. Switzerland

A larger volume in the same style

  1. The World