Ronia the Robber’s Daughter by Astrid Lindgren. Short summary

5 seconds

Rani, the daughter of the robber ataman, notices that a rival gang has taken up residence in the next half of their castle. She meets the son of her father’s enemy, with whom she soon becomes friends.

1 minute

The outlaw ataman Mattis had a daughter, Roni, by his wife Lovisa. The ataman’s gang lived in an old castle located in a deep forest. On the night of Roni’s birth, it was split in two by lightning.

Mattis’s daughter was distinguished by her courage, sincerity, and kindness. The ataman and his subordinates loved her dearly. The girl loved to walk around the castle and its surroundings.

One day she saw that in the second half of the castle settled another gang, run by the ataman Borki. He had a son, Birk, who was born on the same night as Rani. After a while, the children of the sworn enemies became friends and decided to become brother and sister in secret. Their friendship is hindered by the enmity of their parents. The heroes quarrel with them and run away into the woods.

Here the boys encounter the dangers of the wilderness and fairy tale monsters. They test their friendship and get into various adventures. The parents stop feuding to bring the children home. Later, the atamans decide to unite the clans, but Rani and Birk refuse to follow in their footsteps.