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diff --git a/old/66819-0.txt b/old/66819-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index a4ee7d2..0000000 --- a/old/66819-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8501 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Sampo, by James Baldwin - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: The Sampo - A Wonder Tale of the Old North - -Author: James Baldwin - -Illustrator: N. C. Wyeth - -Release Date: November 25, 2021 [eBook #66819] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed Proofreading - Team at https://www.pgdp.net/ for Project Gutenberg (This file - was produced from images generously made available by The - Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SAMPO *** - - - - HEROES OF THE OLDEN TIME - - - THE SAMPO - A WONDER TALE OF THE OLD NORTH - - - BY - JAMES BALDWIN - Illustrated by N. C. Wyeth - - - NEW YORK - CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS - 1917 - - - - - - - - -PROEM - - -This is a tale which the runolainen of the far North used to sing in -hovel and hall, and which the heroes of primeval times learned by heart -and taught to their children. In its original form it was related, not -in plain, unvarnished prose, as you shall find it here, but in endless -monotonous measures, tuned to the music of the kantele. [A] It was made -up of numerous stories, songs, folk-melodies, and incantations, with -which were interwoven many independent episodes that are neither -interesting nor necessary to its completeness. The weaver of tales, who -now relates these adventures to modern readers, has chosen to deviate -widely from the methods of the ancient story-tellers. He has combined -various parts, as pleased his fancy, into one complete harmonious -fabric, and, while he has retained much of the original warp and woof, -he has added various and many colorings and connecting threads of his -own invention. In doing this he has merely exercised the time-honored -right of poets and story-tellers—the right to make new cloth out of -old. - - - - - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER PAGE - - I MISTRESS AND MINSTREL 1 - II THE MAID OF BEAUTY 14 - III THE GRAYBEARD AND HIS SON 21 - IV THE WICKED HORNET 32 - V THE TREE OF MAGIC 43 - VI THE SMITHY 49 - VII THE TEMPEST 59 - VIII THE RECIPE 66 - IX THE CALDRON 73 - X THE FORGING OF THE SAMPO 86 - XI THE HOMESICK HERO 97 - XII THE UNFINISHED BOAT 109 - XIII THE LAND OF TUONELA 125 - XIV THE HAG OF THE ROCK 137 - XV THE HERO’S RETURN 145 - XVI THE WISDOM KEEPER 151 - XVII THE LAUNCHING 162 - XVIII THE MAID OF THE MORNING 168 - XIX THE UNEXPECTED JOURNEY 178 - XX THE FRIENDLY RIVALS 190 - XXI THE BARKING DOGS 196 - XXII THE OLD MAN’S WOOING 207 - XXIII THE FIELD OF SERPENTS 214 - XXIV THE GREAT PIKE 225 - XXV THE BRIDEGROOM’S TRIUMPH 235 - XXVI THE WEDDING FEAST 242 - XXVII THE HOME COMING 253 - XXVIII THE SLAVE BOY 257 - XXIX A DREADFUL VENGEANCE 271 - XXX THE GOLDEN MAIDEN 278 - XXXI THE FAMINE 292 - XXXII THE WEEPING SHIP 298 - XXXIII THE KANTELE 311 - XXXIV THE TRIUMPH OF MUSIC 320 - XXXV THE FLIGHT 332 - XXXVI THE PURSUIT 346 - XXXVII THE FATE OF THE SAMPO 353 - - - - - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - - - The Golden Maiden Frontispiece - - The flames died suddenly away, and out of the - vessel there sprang a wonderful image—the image - of a beautiful maiden. - - FACING PAGE - - The Magician and the Maid of Beauty 16 - - High in the sky he saw a rainbow, and on it the - Maid of Beauty. - - The Hag of the Rock 138 - - An old, old woman, gray-eyed, hook-nosed, wrinkled, - was sitting on the rock and busily spinning. - - The Slave Boy 262 - - Then, at length, when all were peacefully feeding, - he sat down upon a grassy hummock and looked around - him, sad, lonely, vindictive. - - - - - - - - -THE SAMPO - - -CHAPTER I - -MISTRESS AND MINSTREL - - -“You must rise early in the morning,” said Dame Louhi, the Wise Woman -of the North. She stood at the door of her chamber and looked back into -the low-raftered hall where her daughter was spinning. Her face was -wrinkled and grim, her thin lips were puckered over her toothless -mouth, her gray-green eyes sparkled beneath her shaggy eyebrows. - -She paused and listened. No answer came from her busy daughter. The day -was almost ended. Already the swallows were asleep under the eaves, the -reindeer were lying down in their paddock, all the underlings of Dame -Louhi’s household had retired to rest. So near was her dwelling to the -sea that she could hear the waves lapping on the beach and the -ice-floes crunching and grinding and pounding against the shore. But -other sounds there were none. - -The Mistress, Dame Louhi, grew impatient. She stamped her foot angrily, -and loudly repeated her command: “You must rise early in the morning, -my daughter.” - -This time the maiden heard her. She ceased twirling her spindle, and -sweetly answered, “Yes, mother, for there is a great deal to be done -to-morrow.” - -The Mistress was satisfied; and as she turned to enter her chamber you -should have seen how unlike the mother was the fair daughter whom men -called the Maid of Beauty. Nature had given to the maiden all the -loveliness that had been denied to the dame. And she was not only -surpassingly beautiful, but she was wise and skilful and very -industrious. The housekeeping in the roomy dwelling beside the sea -would have been shabbily attended to had it not been for her daily -care; and the sun would have shone but seldom in the Frozen Land [B] -had not the Maid of Beauty encouraged it with her smiles. - -So, on the morrow, long before any one else had risen, she was up and -bustling hither and thither, attending to this thing and that and -putting the house in order. She went out to the sheepfold and sheared -six fat lambs. She spun their six white fleeces into snowy yarn, and of -the yarn she wove enough cloth for six warm garments. - -Then she went into the kitchen and rekindled the fire upon the hearth. -She swept the floor and dusted the long benches. She scrubbed the -birchwood tables till they were as white and glistening as the -frost-covered meadows. She made the rooms neat and tidy and set the -breakfast things to cooking. By this time the day was dawning; the sky -in the east was becoming flecked with yellow and red; the cock was -crowing, wild ducks were quacking by the shore, sparrows were chirping -under the eaves. - -The maiden paused and listened—listened long and intently. She heard -the joyful sounds of the morning; she heard the cold waves lapping and -splashing upon the shore. She looked out of the door and saw the first -rays of the sun dancing and glancing upon the uneasy surface of the -sea. Away from the shore, she saw the broad meadows lying lonely and -still under the lonely sky and beyond them the dark line which marked -the beginning of the forest and the rugged land of mountains. - -Suddenly, as she looked and listened, she heard a wailing which was not -the wailing of the sea. She held her breath and listened again. She -heard a cry which was not the cry of a sea-bird. - -“Oh, mother,” she called, “what is that strange sound? The wild geese -never call so hoarsely; the waves never make such moaning. Listen, -mother! What can it be?” - -Wise old Louhi, grim and toothless, rose quickly and hastened to the -door, chattering and mumbling and grumbling. She paused and listened, -but the sound seemed very faint. She ran down to the landing-place -before the house, and there she listened again. Soon the sound came to -her ears, louder and more distinct, and yet hard to make out. Once, -twice, thrice she heard the call; and then she knew what it meant. - -“It is a man’s voice,” she said. “Some hero has been shipwrecked near -our shore. He is in distress; he calls for help.” - -She leaped nimbly into her boat. She pushed it from the shore and rowed -with speed out of the little inlet and around the rocky point which -jutted far into the sea. The cries grew louder, the calls were more -frequent as she urged her boat forward over the sullen, icy-cold waves. - -Soon she saw the shipwrecked man. He was not fighting the waves as she -had supposed, but was clinging to the branches of a tree that had been -uprooted and carried to sea. Ah, the sad plight of the poor man! He -seemed wounded and helpless; his face was gaunt and pale; his eyes were -filled with sadness and salt-water; he was shivering with cold and deep -despair. - -Shouting words of cheer, the Mistress hurried to him. She lifted him -from the place of danger and seated him in her boat. Then with steady -arms and mighty strokes she rowed homeward, nor did she pause until the -boat’s keel grated on the beach before her door. - -She carried the stranger into the house; she placed him by the warm -fire; she bathed his limbs, his face, his head in tepid water and -wrapped him up in soft skins of the reindeer. For three long days—yes, -for four summer days—she tended him as though he were her son, and no -questions did she ask. Then, to her great joy, he sat up and soon grew -well and strong. - -“Now, friend and fellow of the sea,” said the gray woman, “tell me your -name. Tell me why and how you have come to our lovely land and to -Pohyola, the sweetest of homes.” - -The stranger, who also was old and gray, answered, “My name is -Wainamoinen, and all the world knows me; for I am the first of -minstrels, the prince of wizards, the man whom other men delight to -honor. Luckless was the hour when I embarked on a ship to go fishing; -still more luckless was it when a storm overturned the vessel. Nine -days did the sea toss me—yes, ten days did the waves buffet me—ere I -was cast upon these shores.” - -“I welcome you, Wainamoinen!” cried the grim Mistress. “Welcome, -welcome to this northern land! Your name is well known to me, and long -have I honored it. Men call you the sweet singer of Hero Land, and they -say that no other songs cheer the dreary hours of winter as yours do. -You shall stay here in Pohyola and sing to me and my people. My house -shall be your home and this delightful land shall be your country.” - -The gray-bearded Minstrel shook his head and sighed. He looked out and -saw the lonely meadows and the snowy mountains and the cold gray sea. -Then his eyes filled with tears and he wept. - -“O singer of Hero Land, why are you so sad?” asked the woman. “Have I -not been kind to you? Why, then, do you weep and gaze towards the sea?” - -“I weep for my own dear country; I am sick for my home,” answered the -Minstrel. “I do not wish to remain in this Frozen Land. I am lonely and -heart-broken.” - -“Cheer up, cheer up!” said Dame Louhi, trying to look pleasant. -“Beautiful Pohyola shall be your country. This comfortable house shall -be your home. My fireside shall be your fireside, and my friends shall -be your friends.” - -But the Minstrel still wept. - -“Stay here and be our honored guest,” continued the Mistress. “You -shall sleep in the warmest corner, you shall sit at the head of our -table. Good food we will give you—choice bacon, fresh salmon from the -sea, white cakes of barley, hot from the oven. Stay with us and cheer -us with your sweet songs.” - -“Nay, nay!” moaned the sad Minstrel. “How can I sing in a strange land? -My own country is the fairest; my own home is the dearest; my own table -is the sweetest. All that I can ever do in this Frozen Land is to sigh -and weep; and I shall sigh and weep till my eyes are out and my voice -is gone forever.” - -“You are foolish,” then said the unlovely Mistress. “Pohyola is the -fairest place in all the world, and you must learn to love it.” - -The Minstrel still shook his head and sighed. All his thoughts were -with his home land. - -The summer passed swiftly, but to Wainamoinen the days were full of -loneliness. He wandered over the silent meadows, he went out with the -fishermen to catch salmon in the sea, he visited one place and another -in the vast Frozen Land, vainly trying to forget his grief. And not -once did he open his lips in song, for there was no music in his heart; -and how shall a minstrel sing if his heart is empty? - -At length Dame Louhi relented. - -“How much will you give me if I send you back to your own country?” she -asked. “Come, let us make a bargain.” - -“How much will I give?” answered he. “I have nothing here that is my -own, but I promise to send you many rich treasures. I will send you -gold, I will send you silver.” - -“But you claim to be a mighty wizard,” said Dame Louhi. “Show us some -of your work in magic.” - -“Never was there a greater magician than I,” returned the Minstrel -boastfully. “You have but to name some wonderful act and forthwith I -will perform it. But first, I must have your promise to send me home. -My heart is so full of the thought.” - -“Very well, then,” answered the gray woman. “If you will make the magic -Sampo for me, I promise to send you home at once. It must be the real, -the wonderful Sampo; I will have nothing else.” - -“The Sampo! What is that?” - -“Do you ask me what is the Sampo? Minstrels from the earliest times -have sung of its power, and all the wizards of the North have tried -their spells, hoping to make something equally precious and potent. And -do you, a minstrel and a wizard, ask what it is?” - -The Minstrel was cunning, and he answered: “In my own country we call -it by another name. If you will describe it I will tell you what that -name is and also some strange things which no other minstrel knows.” - -The Mistress was off her guard. “The Sampo,” she said, “is the mill of -fortune which wise men, since the beginning of things, have sought to -invent. It is the magic mill which grinds out all sorts of treasures -and gives wealth and power to its possessor. One has only to whisper -his wishes to it and they will all come true.” [C] - -“Ah!” answered the Minstrel. “In our country we call it the Stone of -the Wise Men.” - -“That is a good name. And now, if I promise to send you safe home, will -you try your magic power and forge me such a mill? Have you the skill -to fit it with wheels and levers? Can you hammer into shape a becoming -lid for it—a lid of rainbow colors?” - -Wainamoinen sat silent for a long time, shaking his head and thinking. -Then he said: - -“It is a thing so strange and so difficult that I must have time to -consider my strength. In three days you shall have my answer.” - -He went out alone, and for many tedious hours he walked up and down by -the seashore pondering upon the subject. He repeated all the magic -runes that he remembered, he recited spells to the winds and the waves -and the gray-blue sky, he recalled all the words of power that he had -learned from the sages of old. Then, at length, on the third day, he -went back to the house where Dame Louhi was still sitting by her -fireside. - -“I cannot make the Sampo for you,” he said. “My magic is not strong -enough; my skill is not of the kind that forges mills of fortune. But I -have a friend who can do wonderful things. It was he who shaped the sky -that bends above our country; and, surely, to forge the Sampo is no -more difficult than that.” - -“Ah, that is the man whom I am looking for,” cried the woman eagerly. -“What is his name? Will you send him to me?” - -“His name is Ilmarinen, and he is dear to me as a brother,” answered -the Minstrel. “He is the prince of all smiths, and there is nothing in -magic or in smithing that he cannot do. If you will permit me to return -to my dear home land, to the Land of Heroes, I will send him to you -without delay.” - -“But suppose he doesn’t wish to come?” - -“Then I will send him against his will. My magic is strong enough to -command him.” - -“Can I trust you? Do you promise?” - -“You have my word, and I will perform,” answered the Minstrel. “Never -yet have I failed to do that which I have agreed to do.” - -“You shall go home, then, quickly,” said the gray woman. “You may -promise the skilful smith a rare reward if he will forge the Sampo for -me. I will even give him, if he so desire, my daughter for his -wife—this I promise.” - -Forthwith she hurried to the paddock. She chose the fleetest reindeer -and harnessed it to her birchwood sledge. She brought warm furs for the -Minstrel to wrap around him. She put the whip and the long reins in his -hands. - -“Now fare you well, and speed you to your home land!” she said. “Drive -swiftly while the sun shines, but remember to keep your eyes upon your -pathway, and do not look upward. If you should gaze towards the -mountain top or the sky, sad misfortune will befall you. Fare you well, -first of minstrels! Send me the wizard, the prince of smiths, and fail -not, lest my curses follow you and blight your life.” - -The Minstrel cracked his whip joyfully, the reindeer sprang forward, -the journey homeward was begun. Merrily did the birchwood runners -whistle as they glided over the half-frozen earth. With a glad heart -did Wainamoinen speed across the brown meadows and into the silent -forest; his face beamed like the sunlight, his eyes glowed like twin -stars, and a song was ready to burst from his lips. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER II - -THE MAID OF BEAUTY - - -Swiftly as a shooting star did the reindeer rush through the forest -ways. In his sledge, the Minstrel sat upright and deftly handled the -whip and the reins. His eyes were upon the road before him, and all his -thoughts were about his home land and his own pleasant fireside so far, -far away. - -Now he was among the snowy mountains; and now his sledge was skimming -along untravelled paths in the deep and shadowy valleys. Suddenly his -thoughts were disturbed by a strange sound in the air above him. Was it -the song of a bird? Was it the sighing of the wind? Was it the humming -of wild bees? Or was it the sound of some distant waterfall? - -He listened. Could it be the buzzing of a weaver’s shuttle shooting -through some loom on the craggy heights above him? It certainly sounded -so; and yet it was so loud, so musical. Forgotten, then, was Dame -Louhi’s latest caution. Quickly the Minstrel checked his reindeer -steed; quickly, and in wonder, he lifted his eyes and looked aloft. -High in the sky he saw a rainbow, and on it sat the Maid of Beauty, -busily weaving with a golden shuttle. Swiftly, to and fro, she drove -the shuttle, and the fabric which she wove was wondrously fine. Threads -of silver, threads of gold, threads of every brilliant color were -mingled in that web of magic. But fairer than that fairy fabric, fairer -than all else in that radiant vision was the maiden’s radiant face. - -Wainamoinen pulled upon the reins with all his might; his steed stopped -short upon a hillside. Then he called loudly to the maiden on the -rainbow. - -“Come hither, come hither, most beautiful one,” he said. “Come down and -sit in this sledge by my side.” - -Faster and faster flew the magic shuttle, and the buzzing sounded -louder; but the maiden had heard the Minstrel’s call. She turned her -face towards him and spoke disdainfully. - -“Who are you?” she asked. “And why should I sit in your sledge?” - -“I am Wainamoinen, chief of singers, master of wizards,” answered the -hero. “I am now on my way to my sweet home country, the Land of Heroes. -I know you would love that land, and I would rejoice to take you -thither with me. You shall be the queen of my house. You shall bake my -honey cakes, fill my cups with barley-water, sing at my table. All my -people will honor you.” - -The Maid of Beauty looked down from her rainbow seat and laughed. - -“You are a foolish old man,” she said, “to think that I care for you or -for all that you promise. Let me tell you a story.” - -“Certainly,” said the Minstrel. - -“Well, yesterday I was walking in the meadows of the West. I was -picking flowers and making this wreath which you see on my head. -Suddenly I heard a thrush singing sweetly to his mate and nestlings. I -stopped and listened to the little songster, and this is what I heard -him sing: - - - “Summer days are warm and bright; - A maiden’s heart is always light. - Winter days are bitter cold; - Beware, beware of the suitor bold— - Beware the more if he is old.” - - -“That was a very silly bird,” said Wainamoinen, “and I wonder that his -mate listened to such foolish chatter.” - -“But his song was very pretty,” laughed the maiden. - -“I too can sing,” said Wainamoinen. “I am the sweet singer of Hero -Land. I am a great wizard. I am a hero. Come with me to my dear home -land and be my queen.” - -The Maid of Beauty looked down from her rainbow throne, and the -mountains echoed with her laughter. - -“If you are indeed a wizard,” she said, “show me some of your magic -arts. Can you split a hair with a knife which has no edge? Can you -snare a bird’s egg with a thread too small to be seen?” - -“Nothing is easier to one skilled in magic,” answered the hero. And -thereupon he picked up a golden hair which the maiden had let fall, and -with a blunted knife he split it into halves and quarters. Then from a -bird’s nest on the side of the cliff he drew up an egg with a snare too -fine for eyes to see. - -“Now I have done what you wished,” he said. “Come and sit in my -birchwood sledge. Swiftly will we speed to Hero Land, and great honor -shall be yours, for you shall be a minstrel’s queen.” - -“Not yet, not yet, O matchless hero,” she answered, still laughing. -“Let me see some more of your wonderful magic. Split this cliff of -sandstone with your bare fingers. Then cut a whipstock from the ice in -the gorge below you and leave no splinter.” - -“Nothing is easier to one skilled in magic,” answered the hero. Then he -climbed the tall cliff and split the sandstone with his fingers; and -next he leaped upon the river of ice beneath him and cut therefrom a -slender whipstock, losing not the smallest fragment. - -“You have done well,” said the Maid of Beauty, and she smiled from her -rainbow throne. “But I will give you another task. Here is my spindle -and here is my shuttle. See, I break them into splinters and I throw -the fragments at your feet. If you wish me to go home with you, you -must pick up these fragments and build a boat from them. Then you must -launch the boat, using neither arm nor foot to set it floating. Is your -magic equal to that?” - -Wainamoinen stroked his gray beard, for he was puzzled. “Your task is -very hard,” he said, “and I am the only person under the sun who can -perform it. But perform it I will, and you shall see what a master of -magic I am.” - -Then he picked up the fragments of the spindle, he took the splinters -of the shuttle in his hands, and began to build the fairy boat. But -such a task could not be done in a moment. It required time. One whole -day he swung his hammer; two whole days he plied his hatchet; three -days and more he worked to join the many pieces together. - -At length the boat was almost finished. Proudly the Minstrel looked -upon it. He hewed it on this side, he shaped it on that, he smoothed it -fore and aft; and the Maid of Beauty looked on and smiled. Suddenly the -hero’s sharp-edged hatchet of iron flew from his grasp. It broke the -fairy boat in pieces, undoing the work of many days. It struck the -Minstrel’s knee, cutting a red gash that was both wide and deep. - -A stream of blood gushed forth; it flowed like a crimson torrent down -the mountain side; it stained the snow in the forest and the brown -grass in the meadows. Great pain fell upon the Minstrel, and yet he was -fearless and undaunted. He quickly gathered lichens and mosses from the -tree trunks and the rocks, and these he bound upon the wound to stanch -the bleeding. - -“O cruel hatchet,” he cried, “why were you so disobedient, so -ungrateful? You may cut the pine tree and the willow; you may cut the -birch tree and the cedar; but turn not your edge against your master.” - -He looked upward. The rainbow had vanished and the Maid of Beauty had -fled. Then, too late, he remembered Dame Louhi’s caution: “Keep your -eyes upon your pathway. If you should gaze towards sky or mountain top, -sad misfortune will befall you.” - -His wound was very painful, so painful that he groaned with anguish. He -felt that he must find help, and find it quickly. He looked about for -the reindeer which the Mistress had lent him and which had wandered -into the woods while he was working magic. When he had found the beast -he harnessed it to the sledge again. Then he climbed in carefully, -painfully, and sat down on the soft furs. He cracked his whip, he -shouted, and the long-legged racer flew swiftly over meadows and -forests, over mountains and lowlands. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER III - -THE GRAYBEARD AND HIS SON - - -All night the Minstrel rode wildly towards the South Country, never -looking behind him, never pausing to rest. The day was breaking when he -reached the end of the mighty forest. There, on the slope of a barren -mountain, the road divided into three paths, and at the end of each -path he saw a small house with smoke rising from the chimney. And now -his pain increased, and the blood began to pour anew from his deep -wound. - -Weak and weary, he turned boldly into the lowest pathway and drove his -steed up to the little homestead. - -“Hail, ho!” he cried; and a piping voice inside answered, “Hail, ho!” - -The door was open, and the Minstrel saw a little child sitting on the -hearth beside the blazing fire. - -“Hail, ho!” he cried again; and the child laughed and said, “Welcome, -stranger!” - -Wainamoinen sat upright in his sledge; his wound pained him; he was in -much distress. - -“Is there any one in this house that can heal the wounds of Iron?” he -asked. - -“No, no,” answered the child. “All gone but me. Drive away, big man! -Drive away to some other house.” - -The Minstrel pulled the reins and turned his sledge about. He cracked -his whip, and the steed leaped forward. Soon he came into the middle -pathway, and madly he drove to the second little cottage. He drove -right up under the window and looked in. There he saw an old woman -resting on a couch, while another woman was spinning by the fire. They -were telling pleasant tales of their neighbors and of goblins and -ghosts and unnamable things. - -“Hail, ho!” cried the Minstrel, not too loudly. - -The women jumped up in alarm; but when they saw his pale and weary face -they answered, “Welcome, stranger! Alight, and rest thyself by our -fireside.” - -Wainamoinen sat still in his sledge. The blood was pouring in torrents -from his wound. - -“Tell me,” he said, “is there any one in this house that can stop the -flow of blood, that can heal the wounds of Iron?” - -“Ah, no!” answered the elder of the two, and her three teeth gnashed -together. “Naught do we know about blood or iron. Drive away to some -other house. Speed thee, rash man!” - -Again the Minstrel pulled the reins and turned the sledge about in the -narrow pathway. Again he cracked his whip, and the steed rushed onward. -With furious speed he drove into the upper pathway, and paused not -until he reached the highest cottage. There he drew up before the -doorway and called as before, but very feebly: - -“Hail, ho! Hail, ho!” - -“Welcome, stranger!” was the answer from within. Then an old Graybeard -opened the door and repeated, “Welcome, stranger!” - -“Welcome, stranger!” echoed the Graybeard’s son, peeping over his -father’s shoulder. “Alight and rest yourself and your steed.” - -“First tell me,” said the Minstrel feebly, “tell me if you can stop -this flow of blood and heal this wound of Iron.” - -“Three magic words may stop the flood, three magic drops may heal the -wound,” answered the Graybeard. - -And the young man added, “Come in and let us see what can be done.” - -The Minstrel climbed out of his sledge slowly, painfully. He staggered -into the house. He lay down upon the couch by the fireside. The wound -was bleeding sorely. - -“Ah, save us!” cried the Graybeard. “What hero is this? Bring something -to catch the flowing blood.” - -His son ran quickly and fetched a golden goblet; but it was far too -small to hold the gushing flood. He ran for other vessels. Seven pails -he brought, then eight, and all were filled to overflowing. The -Graybeard shook his head; he lifted his eyes; he clinched his fists. -Then he spoke harshly to the crimson flood: - -“Hear me, O thou blood-stream! Cease thy flowing. Fill no more pails. -Flow not upon the floor. Stay in the veins of this hero and give him -strength. Stay in his heart and give him courage. Hear me, O thou -blood-stream!” - -Forthwith the red stream grew smaller; but still the drops trickled -from the wound. All the strength of the Minstrel was gone. - -The Graybeard looked upward, he turned his face towards heaven. He -spoke in tones that were soft and pleading: - -“O thou great Creator, thou lover of heroes! Come down and help us. -Stop this rushing red river. Heal this gaping wound. Restore to this -hero the strength that is rightfully his.” - -Then he grasped the Minstrel’s knee just above the place where the -wicked axe had struck it. He pressed the sides of the wound together -firmly, gently. The bleeding ceased; and now not even the smallest drop -escaped. The Graybeard bound soft bands of linen around the limb, he -laid the Minstrel upon his own rude bed, he covered him with warm robes -and bade him rest quietly. - -“The flow of blood is stanched,” he said; “we must now heal Iron’s -bitter bite, we must close up the gaping, ugly wound.” - -Then turning to his son, he said, “Go now to our smithy on the -mountain. Take with you a supply of healing herbs, as I have taught -you. Bake them, boil them, mix them, brew them into a magic ointment -that will heal all manner of wounds. When you have finished the mixture -and tested it, bring it hither to me.” - -“That I will do, father,” answered the young man; and with a basket on -his arm and a glad song rising from his lips, he hastened away. - -Half-way up the mountain side he came to a gnarly old oak. - -“Friend oak, so good and strong,” he said, “have you any honey on your -branches?” - -“Look and see,” answered the oak. “Yesterday I had such plenty that the -bees came to carry it away.” - -The young man gathered many handfuls of slender twigs from the tree, -and saw that on each twig was a tiny drop of dew. Then he wandered -hither and thither among the rocks, seeking all kinds of healing herbs -and putting them in his basket. When, at length, the basket was filled, -he went on, whistling, to the little smithy on the mountain top. - -Soon a fire was roaring in the furnace. A pot was filled with the herbs -and twigs and set to boiling on the coals. The pungent odor of the -mixture pervaded the air; every corner of the smithy was lit up with -the glare of the flames; the smoke rolled in clouds from the smoke hole -in the roof. - -For three sunny days and three lonely nights the youth stood over the -furnace and stirred the magic mixture. He threw fuel upon the flames, -he poured fresh spring water into the seething pot. And all the while -he sang weird songs and muttered strange charms such as his father had -taught him. Then for nine nights he caught the moonbeams and mingled -them with the mixture; and for nine days he entrapped the sunlight and -added it to the magic ointment. - -On the tenth day he looked into the pot and saw that all was of a rich -golden color, bright and sparkling, with pretty rainbows mingled here -and there in many a curious pattern. - -“It is done,” he said. “I will test its power.” - -He lifted the pot from the fire and allowed the mixture to cool, still -singing his songs of magic. Then he went out to find something that had -been wounded and might be healed. - -Half-way down the mountain side there was a giant pine tree which the -lightning had split from crown to roots. Its two halves gaped wide -apart; its torn and broken branches hung dangling in the wind. - -“Ah! here is a case to test,” said the young man. Then, with the -greatest care, he took a small portion of the ointment upon his finger; -he smeared it gently upon the trunk and branches of the wounded pine; -he sang softly a little song of magic: - - - “Make it whole and make it strong, - Heal it all its length along; - Join part to part, restore its heart, - And make it straight as hunter’s dart. - Thus your magic power show, - And let all men your virtue know.” - - -As he spoke the last words he clapped his hands together and shouted; -and lo! the parts of the pine tree came suddenly into their right -places, and it stood there as whole and as beautiful as it had been -before the lightning smote it. - -“Good!” cried the young man. “The ointment is as it should be. None -could be better.” - -Then, with the pot balanced carefully on his shoulder, he started -homeward. Every now and then, as he went down the slope, he paused to -try the healing mixture on splintered rocks and broken bowlders; and he -smiled as he saw the rough stones knit themselves together and the -gaping fissures close up and disappear. - -When at length he approached his father’s cottage he heard loud groans -within—groans of some one suffering deadly pain. He listened and knew -that they came from the wounded Minstrel; he knew that now there was -great need of his magic ointment. - -The Graybeard met him at the door. “What news, my son?” - -“Good news, my father,” he answered. “Never was there better salve than -this. I could fuse the hills together with it if I had the mind to -try.” - -The father took the pot and carried it into the house. He dipped his -finger gently into the ointment; he touched it to the tip of his -tongue. - -“The mixture seems perfect,” he said. “Now we shall see wonders.” - -The Minstrel was lying upon the bed and groaning at every breath. True, -the bleeding had ceased, but the fever of Iron was upon him. He knew -not where he was. He had forgotten his family, his home, and his sweet -country. The madness of Iron had clouded his mind. - -The Graybeard smeared a little of the ointment on the Minstrel’s -wounded knee; he stroked the poor man’s back, his hands, his head. He -waved his palms slowly to and fro before his eyes. And all the while he -softly muttered a little song of wisdom and power. - -The groans of the wounded man waxed louder and louder. He turned this -way and that, seeking ease; but at each moment the pain grew greater, -and he writhed in anguish. Then the Graybeard raised his voice and -angrily commanded the pain to depart. - -“Hear me, pitiless pain!” he cried. “Go away from this house! Depart! -Vanish! Leave this worthy stranger and betake yourself to your own -place. Hide yourself in the Hill of Tortures. There, if you choose, you -may fill the stones with anguish; you may rend the rocks with torment. -But now let this hero rest in peace. Depart! Depart! Depart!” - -As he uttered the last word the pain vanished. The Minstrel’s mind grew -clear; he felt his strength returning; he laughed right joyfully and -rose from his bed. The wound was healed, the ugly gash had disappeared, -every trace of pain had vanished from his body. - -“I never felt so well in my life!” he shouted as he danced about the -room. Then remembering himself, he threw his arms around the -Graybeard’s neck and thanked him for his exceeding kindness. - -“No thanks are due to me,” said the old man, leading him to a seat by -the fireside. “I have done nothing myself; Jumala did it all. Give -praises to Jumala, the great Creator, from whom all good things come.” - -Thereupon the Minstrel raised his hands towards heaven, and cried, “To -thee, O Jumala, the gracious, I humbly offer thanks. To thee I owe my -life, my strength, my all—accept my gratitude.” - -“Jumala only is good,” said the Graybeard. “He only is merciful and -kind. But what shall we say of Iron—of Iron, the spiteful, the -treacherous, the wicked? Tell me, my friend, why should Iron bear a -grudge against you? Why should he seek to destroy your life?” - -Wainamoinen, first of minstrels, answered, “Iron has no grudge against -me. He wounded me, it is true, but not purposely. Had it not been for a -wicked hornet, Iron would never have harmed me—would never have harmed -any one. Blame not Iron. Blame the hornet that made him what he is.” - -“Pray tell me how that can be,” said the Graybeard. - -Then, sitting by the pleasant fireside, the Minstrel answered him by -telling a story—a story as old as the race of man on earth. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -THE WICKED HORNET - - -This is the tale [D] which Wainamoinen, old and truthful, told to the -listening Graybeard while the fire blazed and crackled on the hearth -between them. It is a tale which he himself had learned from the -minstrels of a former age. - -The first of all mothers was Air, and she had three daughters. Of these -three maidens there is much to be said. They were as lovely as the -rainbow after a storm; they were as fair as the full moon shining above -the mountains. They walked with noiseless feet among the clouds and -showered gifts upon the earth. They sent the refreshing rain, the -silent dew, and the nipping frost, each in its season. They gave life -to the fields, and strength to the mountains, and grandeur to the sea. -And because of their bounty the earth was glad and the stars twinkled -for joy. - -“What more can we do to make the land fit for men to dwell in?” asked -the eldest of the sisters. - -And the youngest said, “Let us send down iron—iron of which tools may -be made, iron of which sharp weapons may be shaped. For without tools -man will not be able to plough, to reap, or to build; and without -weapons he cannot defend himself against the savage beasts of the -forest.” - -So, when the sun was about going down, the sisters went forth in -trailing robes of purple and crimson and gold; and in their hands they -bore mighty vessels of foaming milk. The eldest sprinkled red milk in -the brooks and marshes and along the banks of the rivers. The middle -one scattered white milk on the wooded hills and the stony mountains. -The youngest showered blue milk in the valleys and by the gray -seashore. And on the morrow, where the red milk had been sprinkled, red -and brittle ore of iron flecked the ground; where the white milk had -been scattered, powdery ore of a yellow hue abounded; and where the -blue milk had been showered, flaky masses of crude iron, tough and -dark, lay hidden beneath the soil. - -Thus came Iron into the world—Iron, the youngest of three brothers. -Next older than he was Fire, a raging, dangerous fellow when free, but -loving and faithful when held in bonds. Older still was Water, terrible -in strength but, when not aroused, as gentle as a mother’s caress. - -Years upon years went by, and at length one day Iron set out to visit -his brothers. He found Water at home in the deep sea, and by him he was -welcomed kindly enough. But when he climbed a mountain to see his -second brother he had quite another reception. Fire was in a raging -mood. The terrible fellow leaped and roared, and stretched out his long -red fingers as though he would devour his visitor. - -Iron was so terrified that he turned and fled down the steep slopes, -never stopping nor pausing to look behind. He ran on, hiding in clefts -and chasms, creeping under rocks, and lurking in the dry beds of -mountain torrents. When, by and by, he reached the level plain, he -glanced backward. The hills and the whole mountain top were aflame. - -Wild with terror, he hurried on, hiding himself in the woods and under -the roots of trees, and resting at last in reedy marshes where swans -build their nests and wild geese rear their young. - -For ages and ages—nobody knows how many—Iron lay hidden in bogs and -forests and lonely caverns. Fear of his raging brother made him lurk in -lonely places, made him cover up his face. Lazy bears went ambling -through the rocky places; wolves rushed madly over the oozy marshlands; -and timid deer ran and leaped among the trees. In time the -hiding-places of Iron were uncovered. Where the paws of bears had -plodded often, where the feet of wolves had pattered, where the sharp -hoofs of deer had trodden, there the timid metal, red, gray, yellow, -black, peeped shyly out. - -At length, into that same land there came a skilful Smith. He carried a -hammer of stone in one hand and tongs of bronze in the other; and a -song of peace was upon his lips. On a green hillock, where the south -wind blew, he built him a smithy, and in it he placed the tools of his -craft. His anvil was a block of gray granite; his forge was carefully -builded of sand and clay; his bellows was made of the skins of mountain -goats sewn together. - -The Smith heaped live coals in his forge and blew with his bellows -until the flames leaped up, roaring and sparkling, and the smoke rose -in dense clouds over the roof of the smithy. “This forge will do its -work well,” he said. Then he checked the bellows and smothered the -flames and raked ashes upon the fire until the red coals slumbered -unseen at the mouth of the forge. - -Out into the forest the Smith wandered. Closely he scanned the -hillsides and the boggy thickets and the paths among the trees. And -there, where the bears had trailed and the wolves had rushed and the -deer had left their footprints, he found ruddy Iron, dusky Iron, yellow -ore of Iron peeping, trembling, hiding. The heart of the Smith was -glad. His eyes danced merrily, and he sang a song of magic to the timid -metal: - - - “Iron, Iron, hearken while I call you! - Let no false and foolish fears appall you, - Come from out the crevices that hide you, - Leave the worthless stones that are beside you, - Leave the earth that lies around, above you, - And come with me, for I do dearly love you.” - - -Iron moved not, but timidly answered, “I dare not leave my -hiding-places; for Fire, my brother, waits to devour me. He is strong -and fierce. He has no pity.” - -The Smith shook his head and made reply, still singing: - - - “No! your brother does not wish to harm you,— - Willingly he never would alarm you. - With his glowing arms he would caress you, - Make you pure and with his kisses bless you. - So come with me, my smithy waits to greet you; - In my forge your brother waits to meet you— - Waits to throw his loving arms around you, - Glad indeed that thus, at last, he’s found you.” - - -These words made Iron feel much braver; and they were spoken in tones -so sweet and persuasive that he was almost minded to obey without -another word. But he asked, “Why should I leave these places where I -have rested so long? What will become of me after I have made friends -with Fire?” - -The Smith answered: - - - “Come with me, for kindly we will treat you. - On my anvil gently will I beat you; - With my tongs, then, deftly will I hold you; - With my hammer I will shape and mould you - Into forms so fair that all will prize you, - Forms so rare that none will e’er despise you: - Axes, knives (so men will wish to use you) - Needles, pins (so women too, will choose you). - Come with me, your brother will not harm you, - Come with me, my smithy sure will charm you.” - - -Hearing this, Iron came out of his lurking-places and without more ado, -bashfully followed the cunning Smith. But no sooner was he in the -smithy than he felt himself a prisoner. The tongs of bronze gripped him -and thrust him into the forge. The bellows roared, the Smith shouted, -and Fire leaped joyfully out of the ashes and threw his arms around his -helpless younger brother. And bashful, bashful Iron turned first red -and then white, and finally became as soft as dough and as radiant as -the sun. - -Then the tongs of bronze drew him forth from the flames, and twirled -him in the air, and threw him upon the anvil; and the hammer of stone -beat him fiercely again and again until he shrieked with pain. - -“Oh, spare me! spare me!” he cried. “Do not deal so roughly with me. -Let me go back to my lonely hiding-places and lie there in peace as in -the days of old.” - -But the tongs pinched him worse than before, and the hammer beat him -still harder, and the Smith answered: “Not so, not so! Be not so -cowardly. We do not hurt you; you are only frightened. Be brave and I -will shape you into things of great use to men. Be brave and you shall -rule the world.” - -Then, in spite of Iron’s piteous cries, he kept on pounding and -twisting and turning and shaping the helpless metal until at length it -was changed into many forms of use and beauty—rings, chains, axes, -knives, cups, and curious tools. But it was so soft, after being thus -heated and beaten, that the edges of the tools were quickly dulled. Try -as he might, the Smith did not know how to give the metal a harder -temper. - -One day a honeybee strolled that way. It buzzed around the smithy and -then lit on a clover blossom by the door. - -“O bee,” cried the busy Smith, “you are a cunning little bird, and you -know some things better than I know them. Come now and help me temper -this soft metal. Bring me a drop of your honey; bring the sweet liquor -which you suck from the meadow flower; bring the magic dew of the -wildwood. Give me all such things that I may make a mixture to harden -Iron.” - -The bee answered not—it was too busy with its own affairs. It gathered -what honey it could from the blossom, and then flew swiftly away. - -Under the eaves above the smithy door an idler was sitting—a -mischief-making hornet who heard every word that the Smith said. - -“I will help him make a mixture,” this wicked insect muttered. “I will -help him to give Iron another temper.” - -Forthwith he flew to the thorny thickets and the miry bogs and the -fever-breeding marshes, to gather what evils he might. Soon he returned -with an armload—the poison of spiders, the venom of serpents, the -miasmata of swamps, the juice of the deadly nightshade. All these he -cast into the tub of water wherein the Smith was vainly trying to -temper Iron. - -The Smith did not see him, but he heard him buzzing, and supposed it -was the honeybee with sweets from the meadow flowers. - -“Thank you, pretty little bird,” he said. “Now I hope we shall have a -better metal. I hope we shall make edges that will cut and not be -dulled so easily.” - -Thereupon he drew a bar of the metal, white-hot, from the forge. He -held it, hissing and screeching, under the water into which the poisons -had been poured. Little thought he of the evil that was there. He heard -the hornet humming and laughing under the eaves. - -“Tiny honeybee,” he said, “you have brought me much sweetness. Iron -tempered with your honey will be sweet although sharp. Nothing shall be -wrought of it that is not beautiful and helpful and kind.” - -He drew the metal from the tub. He thrust it back among the red coals. -He plied the bellows and the flames leaped up. Then, when the metal was -glowing again, he laid it on the anvil and beat it with strong, swift -strokes; and as he worked he sang: - - - “Ding! Ding! Ding-a-ling, ding! - Of Iron, sharp Iron, strong Iron, I sing, - Of Iron, my servant, of Iron, my king— - Ding! Ding-a-ling, ding!” - - -Forthwith, Iron leaped up, angry and biting and fierce. He was not a -soft and ductile metal as before, but Iron hardened into tough blue -steel. Showers of sparks flew from him, snapping, burning, threatening; -and from among them sprang swords and spears and battle-axes, and -daggers keen and pointed. Out of the smithy and out through the great -world these cruel weapons raced, slashing and clashing, thrusting and -cutting, raging and killing, and carrying madness among men. - -The wicked hornet, idling under the eaves, rejoiced at the mischief he -had wrought. But the Smith was filled with grief, and the music of his -anvil became a jangling discord. - -“O Iron,” he cried, “it was not for this that I caused you to leave -your hiding-places in the hills and bogs! The three sisters intended -that you should be a blessing to mankind; but now I greatly fear that -you will become a curse.” - -At that moment the honeybee, laden with the sweets of field and wood, -came buzzing into the smithy. It whispered hopefully into the ear of -the Smith: “Wait until my gifts have done their work.” - - - -Here the Minstrel paused. - -“Is that all?” asked the Graybeard. - -“Yes, it is all,” was the answer; “for now I can think of nothing but -my dear home land. My sweet country calls me, and I must hasten on my -journey. So, let my sledge be made ready and the steed harnessed before -it, and I will bid you good-bye.” - -“In the morning you may go,” said the Graybeard. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER V - -THE TREE OF MAGIC - - -Very early in the morning the Minstrel rose from his couch. He opened -the door and looked out. The sun was not yet up, but a tinge of yellow -in the eastern sky foretold the coming of brilliant day. The stars of -the Great Bear were still visible, twinkling dimly above the pine -trees. The air was sharp and biting; the frost lay thick on the -hilltops and the barren moorland; patches of newly formed ice glared -white in the marshes. - -“What a fine day for my journey!” said the Minstrel. - -Presently the Graybeard’s son brought the red reindeer to the door and -harnessed it to the birchwood sledge. - -“You will have a fine day for your journey,” he said. - -The Graybeard helped the Minstrel into the sledge; he wrapped the robes -of fur around him and threw over his shoulders a bearskin cloak that -was both ample and warm. Then he packed beneath the seat a store of -food for the long journey—eight large jars of bread and deer meat, yes, -nine great jars of toothsome victuals. - -“Farewell, kind host and skilful surgeon!” - -“Farewell, great guest! My blessings go ever with you!” - -Thus the good-bye words were spoken. Then the Minstrel seized the reins -and cracked his long whip. The reindeer leaped forward; the journey was -begun. - -Swift as the wind the well-built sledge glided on its course. Loudly -the birchwood runners rang upon the frozen ground, smoothly they sped -over the hoarfrost and the glistening ice. Through fens and woodlands, -across the meadows and the moorlands, the red reindeer rushed -unwearied, never pausing to rest, never thinking of food. - -For one whole day the Minstrel held the reins and shouted urgently to -his faithful steed. Yes, for two days and two long, silent nights he -sat in the sledge and drove onward with no slackening of speed—so -impatient was he to reach his dear home land, to behold his own -fireside. The third day came, and still onward flew the tireless -reindeer. The fourth day came; it was half gone when the Minstrel -uttered a shout so joyful that the woodlands rang with the sound, and -the wild geese in the marshes answered it gleefully. - -He shouted again and again, for now he was among familiar scenes. Here -was the forest road which he had often travelled in his youth and later -manhood. Here was the long, rough causeway across the treacherous fen -land—he knew it so well that it seemed like the face of a friend. -Straight ahead, only three leagues farther, the little village of -Wainola was nestling warmly in a wooded glen close by the sea; in that -village was the snug cottage which the Minstrel called his home; and in -that cottage was the fireside around which his friends were sitting and -bewailing his absence. What wonder that he shouted so joyfully! - -All at once, however, his joy was dimmed; the memory of something -unpleasant came into his mind. A cloud passed over his face, and the -last shout died, half-uttered, on his lips. The birchwood runners -bumped hard on the rough causeway. The reindeer slackened its speed; it -seemed ready to sink in its tracks. The Minstrel’s mind was far away; -it was with the grim, gray Mistress of the Frozen Land. For suddenly he -had thought of the promise he had given her—“I will send you Ilmarinen, -the skilfulest of smiths; he will forge the Sampo for you.” - -In another hour—yes, in half that time—he would meet Ilmarinen face to -face. Would he be able to redeem his promise? - -“I am a wizard; I can do wonderful things by magic,” said the Minstrel -to himself. “If my friend, the Smith, will not be persuaded, I will -prevail upon him through other means.” - -Then he chuckled to the reindeer, and the birchwood runners glided more -smoothly over the causeway. - -On the farther side of the great fen there was a grove of pine trees, -and in the midst of the grove was a green, grassy space as round as the -moon and as level as the sea. At this spot the Minstrel paused; he -brought the reindeer to a sudden stop. He leaped from the sledge and -began to draw magic circles upon the ground. He muttered strange words -which only wizards and magicians know. He lifted his arms above his -head, and sang a song so weird and wild that the pine trees shuddered -and shrieked. - -He ceased; and instantly in the centre of the green space a slender -twig sprang out of the ground and grew. It grew and grew, unfolding -leaves and buds and blossoms. It grew and grew until it became a -flower-crowned tree which seemed to pierce the clouds and sweep the -solemn sky. No one knows how tall it might have grown. It might have -grown till it touched the stars had not the Minstrel bidden it to cease -expanding. - -Then he sang another song quite different from the first—a song so -sweet, so persuasive, that the wild creatures in the forest and the fen -came out of their dens and listened to it. The white-faced moon heard, -and sat herself down among the branches of the tree of magic. The seven -stars of the Great Bear also heard; and they came circling from the sky -and began to dance and play amid the leaves and blossoms. - -Cunning, indeed, was Wainamoinen, cunning and old; and when he saw the -work of his magic, he was pleased beyond measure. He clapped his hands -together in triumph; he leaped and danced around the tree like one gone -mad. Then he climbed into the sledge and sat down upon the furry robes; -he shook the long reins and spoke gently to his steed. Slowly and -thoughtfully, as one well contented with himself, he drove onward along -the well-known pathway that led towards the village. His sharp gray -eyes looked first this way and then that; his ears were open to the -slightest sound; all his senses were alert. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -THE SMITHY - - -As the Minstrel journeyed onward the road gradually became broader and -there were more signs of travel. Wainamoinen remembered every object; -he knew every shrub and tree and every hummock and bog-hole. A sunny -smile overspread his face, and his eyes twinkled for joy; for was he -not again in his own dear home land, and would he not soon grasp the -hands of his kinsmen and friends whom he had not seen for many months? - -At every turn in the road the country became more open, and little by -little the forest gave way to fields. Then in the distance thin wreaths -of smoke could be seen rising above the crest of a hill—and the -Minstrel knew that at the foot of that hill his own little village of -Wainola was nestling in peace and quietude. His heart beat fast and his -hands trembled as he thought of the welcome that was waiting for him -there. - -Suddenly, as he rounded a turn in the road, he came in full view of a -grove of poplar trees in the middle of a field. He drove forward -slowly, cautiously. He approached the field and paused quite near to -the grove, listening, smiling as though he expected something. Then -suddenly, from among the poplars, came well-remembered sounds—the sound -of a hammer, cling-clanging upon an anvil, and the melodious tones of a -manly voice singing in unison therewith. The Minstrel had heard that -song a thousand times before; nevertheless, it seamed strangely new to -him, and he leaned forward to listen to the words: - - - “Cling, cling, clinkety cling! - With Iron I labor, of Iron I sing; - I heat it, I beat it, I make it ring, ring, - I scold it, I mould it—my hammer I swing— - Cling, cling, clinkety cling! - - “Ding, ding, dinkety ding! - O honeybee, hasten, come hither and bring - Your sweets from the wildwood, the flowers of spring, - Help make of this Iron some beautiful thing— - Ding, ding, dinkety ding! - - “Cling, cling, clinkety cling! - Beware of the hornet, beware of his sting, - Beware of the evils he surely will bring; - In all things be gentle, O Iron, my king— - Cling, cling, clinkety cling!” - - -The Minstrel from his sledge could see the smithy from which the music -came—a long, low building of logs in the very centre of the grove. It -was dark and dingy and begrimed with smoke, but through the open door -the fire of the forge glowed brightly, lighting up the whole interior -and revealing even the smallest object; and there, before his anvil, -stood the Smith, swinging his hammer and twirling his tongs and -thinking only of his pleasant work. - -Wainamoinen leaped from his sledge and ran forward; he stood in the -doorway and called loudly to his busy friend: - -“Hail, ho, Ilmarinen! Hail, dearest brother!” - -The astonished Smith dropped his tongs; he threw his hammer down; he -ran to greet his unexpected visitor. - -“O Wainamoinen!” he cried. “Wainamoinen, prince of minstrels, wisest of -men, best of friends—welcome, welcome! How glad I am to see you!” - -“And how sweet it is to grasp your hand again,” said the Minstrel -warmly. “Oh, what joy to see home and comrades and country once again!” - -Ilmarinen led the Minstrel into the smithy; he made him sit down on the -edge of his workbench; and all the time he kept his arm around his neck -in loving, brotherly embrace. Each gazed into the other’s eyes, and for -a time not another word was spoken—the hearts of both were so full of -joy. - -At length the Smith made out to stammer, “Tell me, my brother, where -have you been these many months?” - -“Far from home, Ilmarinen—yes, very far,” answered the Minstrel. “I -have been tossed on the sea; I have been in many countries; I have seen -the whole vast world.” - -“Tell me all about it,” said the Smith. “You were gone so long that we -gave you up as lost. Where have you been these many weeks, these long, -long months? Tell me all about it.” - -Then, in a few words wisely spoken, the Minstrel told of his shipwreck, -and how for eight days—yes, for nine long, wearisome days—he had been -carried hither and thither on the crests of the waves. - -“I see! I understand!” said the impatient Smith. “Hard, indeed, was -your lot, and fraught with danger. Tell me quickly, how did you escape -from the seething waters? To what place did the mad waves carry you? On -what savage shore were you cast?” - -“Have patience, brother, and I will tell you all,” answered the -Minstrel. “Never did I think that Fate would carry me to the cold and -misty shores of Pohyola, the Frozen Land; but it happened even so. -There, for three months—yes, for four long and dismal months—I was -forced to tarry. I learned wisdom from the Mistress of that land; and -indeed it was she who snatched me from the jaws of the sea and nursed -me to health and strength. Never saw I a wiser woman, although she is -not strikingly fair. I sat by her fireside; I listened to her words; I -ate at her table. On her snowshoes I skimmed hither and thither over -her cheerless land. In her boat I went fishing in the quiet inlets of -the shore. But no matter where I went, no matter what I did, my heart -was always sick for my home land; I sighed for the dear friends I had -left behind me.” - -“O great Wainamoinen!” cried the Smith, embracing him again. “O cunning -magician, sweetest of singers! Tell me now about your escape from that -dismal land. Tell me about your journey homeward. I am anxious to -hear.” - -“There is not much to say,” answered the Minstrel. “The journey -homeward was easy—it was delightful. As for my escape—well, I escaped -by promising to send you to the Frozen Land, my dear brother.” - -“What do you say?” cried the Smith in wonder. “Send me to the Frozen -Land! Never will I go—no, not even to please my best friend.” - -“Indeed you must go,” said the Minstrel curtly and decisively. “I have -promised, and you know the penalty of a broken promise.” - -“Nay, nay, great Wainamoinen!” and dismay was pictured in the face of -the Smith. “Is this your love for me, that you cause me to perish in -order to save yourself?” - -“Calm yourself, young brother,” said the Minstrel soothingly. “You -shall not perish. I have arranged it all. You are to do some skilful -blacksmithing—use a little of your wondrous magic—and your reward shall -be the loveliest wife in the world. The Mistress of Pohyola has -promised.” - -The Smith spoke quickly, angrily: “You may make bargains for yourself, -not for me. I want no wife. My own mother is the queen of my house, and -none other shall enter my door. Our dear village of Wainola is my home; -it is the place of all places; I will never leave it.” - -“But if you could know how lovely she is—this Maid of Beauty—you would -do as I desire, you would go to Pohyola,” said the Minstrel with -increasing earnestness. - -“Never! never!” shouted the Smith, trembling with anger. - -“Yes, I am sure you would go,” said the cunning Minstrel. “There is no -other maiden like unto this daughter of the Frozen Land. She is wise, -industrious, brave. Her face is fairer than the moonlight on a -midsummer eve; her eyes are like two suns; her lips are like twin -berries, red and luscious; her voice is sweeter than the song of the -meadow lark. All the young men in the countries of the North have -sought to win her.” - -“And win her they may!” shouted the Smith. “Now say no more about her; -change the subject; tell me a new story. I am sick of such twaddle.” - -“Come, come, dear brother!” said the Minstrel gently, as though -conceding all. “Let us not quarrel. You are wise, your judgment is -good, and I love you. Forgive me if I have offended you. Come and sit -by me again, and we will talk of other things.” - -The Smith forgot his anger; he threw his arms about the Minstrel’s neck -and burst into tears. - -“There! there!” said his old friend kindly, coaxingly. “Think no more -of my words. I was hasty; I was rash. Come now and let us hasten home, -for I long to see my own dear fireside—to hear the voices of my -kinsmen.” - -“Yes, let us go,” said the Smith joyfully; and he hastened to cover the -fire in his forge, to put his tools in their places, to remove his -sooty apron. - -“We will ride together in my birchwood sledge,” said the Minstrel. “My -reindeer steed will carry us briskly over the hill. But I wish first to -drive back to the end of the causeway and show you a wonderful tree -that I saw standing there.” - -“I will go with you willingly, gladly,” answered the Smith, “but I know -every tree in the forest and the fen, and I call none of them -wonderful. Indeed, I passed by the end of the causeway yesterday, and I -saw only whispering pines and dwarf oaks and a few stunted poplars.” - -“Well, but the tree which I saw there is the most wonderful sight in -the world,” said Wainamoinen. “Its topmost branches brush the sky. It -is full of gorgeous flowers. The white moon sits on one of its -branches; and the seven stars of the Great Bear play hide-and-seek -among its leaves and blossoms. I saw it all with my own eyes not an -hour ago.” - -The Smith laughed loudly, merrily. “Oh, my wise and truthful brother, -tell me a story, two stories tell me! Travellers’ tales are wondrous, -pleasing; but only fools believe them.” - -They climbed into the birchwood sledge; they sat down on the furs; they -talked of this thing and of that as the reindeer drew them swiftly back -towards the fen and the long causeway. The road seemed short to both, -and both were surprised when they found themselves in the grove of pine -trees beside the green and magic circle. - -“Wonderful! wonderful!” cried the astonished Smith as he gazed upward -at the flower-crowned tree of magic. “Forgive me, my best of friends, -sweetest of minstrels. You spoke the truth; you always speak the truth. -I will believe whatever you say, I will do whatever you bid—only, I -will never go to Pohyola.” - -“Well, then,” said the cunning Minstrel, “let us make what we can of -this wonderful tree; for it may disappear as suddenly as it came. I am -old, my legs are stiff, my arms rheumatic. It is long since I climbed a -tree. But you—you are young and nimble, strong and supple, and spry as -a squirrel when the nuts are ripening. You can climb and never grow -tired.” - -“Yes, dear Minstrel, but why should I climb?” asked Ilmarinen. - -“To gather those gorgeous blossoms,” answered Wainamoinen; “to pick the -rare fruit which you see; and, most of all, to bring down the -white-faced moon and the seven golden stars that are playing among the -branches. O Ilmarinen, skilfulest of men, if you are not afraid, climb -quickly up and fetch down those matchless treasures.” - -“I am not afraid,” cried Ilmarinen; and he began at once to climb the -tree of magic. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -THE TEMPEST - - -With painful labor, Ilmarinen climbed from branch to branch. He looked -upward and saw the moon with silver face smiling from the topmost -boughs. He saw the seven stars of the Bear glittering like gold amid -the leaves and blossoms. They seemed almost within his grasp. They -beckoned to him, called to him; and he, with right goodwill, climbed -up, up, towards the moonlight and the starlight. - -“Foolish fellow!” he heard a voice whispering. “Foolish fellow! foolish -fellow! foolish fellow!” - -“Who is it that calls me names—me the prince of all smiths?” he asked -in anger. - -“It is I,” came the answer. “I am the tree which you are -climbing—foolish fellow, foolish fellow, foolish fellow! The moon which -you are after is only a shadow, foolish fellow. The stars are false as -jack-o’-lanterns, foolish fellow. Even I, the tree, am a delusion. Save -yourself while you may, foolish fellow, foolish fellow!” - -The Smith heard, but he heeded not. The moon was just a little above -him; the stars were right at his fingers’ ends; in another moment he -would grasp them all. On the ground far below him, the Minstrel was -working his spells of magic. Ilmarinen saw him dancing, heard him -singing, but understood him not. - - - “Come storm wind, come whirlwind, - Come swiftly, I say now; - Pick up the wise blacksmith - And bear him away, now. - - “Seize on him, and into - Your flying boat lay him; - Then far to the Frozen North, - Gently convey him. - - “Blow storm wind, blow whirlwind, - Let nothing delay you. - Blow swiftly, blow fiercely, - Blow, blow, I pray you!” - - -Suddenly there was a roaring in the air and in the tree tops, and the -sky grew dark and very dark. Then a mighty tempest came hurtling over -the land. In a moment the tree of magic melted into nothingness, and -the fairy moon and the dancing stars vanished in the murk and gloom. -The winds lifted the venturesome Smith in their arms; they laid him -softly in their swiftly sailing cloud boat; they hurried him over -forests and marsh lands, over mountains and sea, and at the hour of -midnight dropped him gently on the frozen shores of Pohyola. - -Wise old Louhi, gray and grim and toothless, was standing in her -doorway. She heard the roar of the tempest and the shrieks of the night -wind. She saw the inky clouds swiftly sailing from the South Land and -the gray wolves of the air racing madly over the sea. Then in the misty -darkness she heard footsteps; but the watch dogs lay sleeping in the -sledgeway, their ears were closed, they did not bark. She listened, and -presently a voice—a strange and manly voice—was heard above the storm -wind’s roar; but still the watch dogs slept and gave no alarm. - -The Mistress, grim and fearless, spoke up bravely in the darkness, -heeding not the dreadful turmoil. “Who goes there?” she cried. “Who is -it that comes on the storm wind’s back, and yet so quietly that he does -not rouse nor waken my watch dogs?” - -Then the voice answered from out the turmoil and the gloom, and a young -man tall and handsome stepped into view. “I am a wayfarer and a -stranger,” he said, “and I am not here through my own choice. -Nevertheless, I beg that I may find in this place some shelter till -this fearful storm has passed.” - -“You have no need to ask shelter of me,” answered the woman; “for when -did the Mistress of Pohyola turn a stranger from her door? When did she -refuse to give a wayfarer the warmest place by her fireside?” - -Forthwith she led him into her long, low hall; she gave him a seat by -the pleasant fire. She brought food in plenty and set it before him. -She did everything that would take away his weariness, everything that -would add to his comfort. - -At length, when he had warmed and rested himself and had satisfied his -hunger, she ventured to ask him a question. “Have you ever in all your -travels met a minstrel, old and steady, whom men call Wainamoinen?” - -“Oh, yes, surely,” answered the Smith. “He is an ancient friend of -mine, dear as a brother, precious as a father. He has just returned -home from a long visit to this North Country. He tells wonderful -stories of the good people of Pohyola—pleasant tales of a pleasant -land.” - -“How glad I am,” said the Wise Woman. “Now tell me if in all your -travels you have ever met a certain smith, young and wondrously -skilful, whom men call Ilmarinen.” - -The stranger leaped to his feet and answered, “Surely, surely, I have -often met that famous workman. Indeed, I myself am he; I am Ilmarinen, -the Prince of Smiths, the maker of beautiful things, the skilfulest of -men.” - -“Then, welcome, welcome!” cried Louhi, grim and gray; and she grasped -the stranger’s hand. “We have been waiting for you a long time. We -expect you to forge the Sampo for us. I know you will do so, for -Wainamoinen the Minstrel promised me.” - -“The Sampo! the Sampo! What is the Sampo?” stammered Ilmarinen. “The -Minstrel spoke of skilful smithing, but he mentioned not the Sampo. -Never have I heard that name, although I have travelled wide.” - -“Oh, you shall hear enough about it, and you will forge it for us, I -know,” said the Mistress, grim but joyful. And then she turned and left -him—left him standing by the hearth-side and gazing sadly, -thoughtfully, into the flames. - -“Now I understand it all,” he softly muttered to himself. “Wainamoinen -has betrayed me. He has sent me to this dreary Frozen Land to do a task -too great for his skill, too wonderful for his magic. He is old, he is -cunning, he has outwitted me; shall I do the thing which he sent me to -perform?” - -Meanwhile the gray Mistress of the Frozen Land hurried from the long -hall. She paused not till she reached her daughter’s chamber. Briskly -she went in, and softly she closed the door behind her. - -“My child, my beautiful child,” she cried, “he has come at last. He is -young and tall and handsome. He will forge the Sampo for us; he will -put the wonderful mill together; henceforth we shall want for nothing.” - -“Yes, mother,” said the Maid of Beauty. - -“Dress yourself, now, fair daughter. Put on your finest raiment and -deck your hair with jewels. Don’t forget the golden chain that goes -around your neck; nor the belt with copper buckle; nor your earrings; -nor the silken ribbons for your hair; nor the jewelled band that goes -upon your forehead. And oh, my dear child, do look pleasant, pretty, -comely, and let your face be bright and cheerful.” - -“Yes, mother,” said the dutiful daughter. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -THE RECIPE - - -Smith Ilmarinen stood thoughtfully, silently, beside the fire. The low, -dark hall was full of shadows; dim figures lurked in the corners and -danced among the rafters; the air was grimy with smoke; the flames -burned blue and fitfully on the ash-strewn hearth. - -Out-of-doors the storm was raging. The winds whooped and howled in -savage combat. They reached their chilly fingers down through the -chimney-hole as though they would snatch up the luckless Smith and bear -him still farther away into regions untraversed and unknown. - -He stood and listened. He heard the shrieking of the tempest demons; he -heard the hail pelting upon the roof and the rain dashing and splashing -upon the half-frozen ground; he heard the sea roaring fearfully in the -darkness and the mad waves pounding upon the dumb and patient shore. - -“In such a storm as this, any shelter is sweet,” he said; and he -stirred the fire logs till the sparks shot upward and filled the hall -with the sound of their merry snapping. Then the thought came to him of -his own fireside at home—of his mother and sister and the friends whom -he loved—and he groaned aloud in anguish. - -“O Wainamoinen, prince of minstrels!” he moaned. “Why have you treated -me so unkindly? Why have you betrayed me—me your friend and brother? -Never could I have believed that your magic power was so much greater -than my own. Never——” - -He paused suddenly, for he heard a rustling which was not the rustling -of leaves, a breathing which was not the breathing of the South Wind, a -pitty-pat of soft footsteps upon the floor. He turned and looked, and -lo! a radiant vision appeared before him in the firelight. It was the -Maid of Beauty, the peerless daughter of the grim Mistress of Pohyola. -Right winsomely she came forward to greet him, her cheeks blushing red, -her eyes sparkling and joyous. The Smith’s heart was beating hard and -fast like a sledge-hammer beneath his waistcoat. He trembled and grew -pale. Never had he seen, never had he imagined, a maiden so wondrously -fair. - -“O Prince of Smiths,” she said in tones more sweet than the warble of -birds, “I welcome you to our pleasant land of Pohyola.” - -Not even when the storm winds seized him had Ilmarinen felt so helpless -and utterly overcome. He could scarcely say a word in answer; he could -hardly lift his eyes; his hands hung as though palsied at his side; his -feet were rooted to the floor. Then, ere he could recover from his -confusion, he saw the Mistress herself advancing—the grim and toothless -Mistress of the Frozen Land. She spoke, and her voice was cracked and -harsh and grating. - -“O master of smiths,” she said, “this is my daughter, the fairest of -all maidens. Now say, will you not forge the Sampo? Will you not hang -its weights, adjust its levers? Will you not hammer its lid of many -colors, even as your brother, the Minstrel, assured me you would?” - -“Yes, yes, yes!” stammered the poor Smith, scarcely knowing what he -said. “I will do anything, everything that lies in my power. But I have -never seen a Sampo, and I know not what it is. Tell me what it is like; -tell me of its various uses.” - -“The Sampo,” answered the Maid of Beauty—and her voice was like the -ripple of wavelets on the shore of the summer sea—“the Sampo is the -mill of fortune—the magic grinder that will grind whatever its owner -most desires: money, houses, ships, silver, flour, salt—everything!” - -“Silver, flour, salt—everything!” echoed the Smith. - -“Yes. Do you think that you have the skill to forge it?” - -“Well, I have done greater things than that,” he answered boastingly. -“Long ago, when the world was young, I found Iron, ruddy Iron, hiding -in the bogs, skulking in the woods, basking in the sunlight of the -hills. I caught him and subdued him; I taught him to serve me; I gave -him to the world to be a joy forever.” - -“We have often heard of your skill, and your praise is in all men’s -mouths,” said the eager Mistress. “But the Sampo can be forged only by -a great master of magic. Your friend, the Minstrel, although he was -able to do many very wonderful things, would not undertake a task so -difficult.” - -“Truly, I have performed harder tasks,” answered the boaster. “Why, it -was I that forged the blue sky that bends over the earth in summer. I -hammered it out of a single piece of metal. I fashioned it into a -dome-shaped lid to shut down over the earth and air. I painted it pale -blue and azure and murky brown. Nothing is too great for my magic. Give -me but one hint regarding its shape and nature, and I will make the -Sampo—yes, a hundred Sampos—for you.” - -Toothless though she was, the wise old Mistress smiled—she smiled -fearfully, cunningly, as one pleased and plotting. - -“I cannot describe its shape,” she answered, “for it is still uncreated -and therefore formless; but its composition is quite simple and its -ingredients are of the commonest kind. If by your power in magic you -can mix these ingredients properly, the mill is made—it will do its -work. But talk not of a hundred Sampos; the world can never hold but -one.” - -“And I promise that with my magic skill I will put that one together,” -said the Smith; “but what can you tell me about its ingredients? Tell -me all you know about its composition.” - -“I have a recipe which has come down through the ages,” said the woman, -“a recipe for making the Sampo; but no magician has ever yet been wise -enough, strong enough to make use of it. Here it is, written in runes -on a white whalebone: - - - “‘Take the tips of two swan feathers; - Add the milk of a young heifer; - Add a single grain of barley; - Mix and stir with wool of lambkin; - Heat the mixture, quickly, rightly; - In a magic caldron boil it; - On a magic anvil beat it; - Hammer its lid of many colors; - Furnish it with wheels and levers; - Set it up, and start it going.’” - - -Ilmarinen listened. “The directions are plain and easily followed,” he -said. “To a smith who has shaped the mountains and hammered out the sky -it will be an easy task, the pleasant pastime of a few fleeting days. -But it must not be undertaken in the winter time. We must wait till the -sky is clear and the sun shines warm on land and sea.” - -“And will you then forge the much-desired Sampo?” inquired the -Mistress. - -“I promise you,” answered the Smith. - -Thus the boasting Ilmarinen, having come suddenly, unexpectedly, -unwillingly to the land of Pohyola, was conquered by the power of -beauty. And thus he promised, not once alone, but thrice, promised -solemnly on his honor, that he with his magic power would forge the -wondrous mill of fortune and shape its lid of rainbow colors. And the -cunning Mistress grimly smiled and joyfully gave him a home in her -broad, low dwelling—she gave him food and lodging, the softest seat -beside her hearth, the warmest bed beneath her rafters. And he, -forgetful of his home and kinsmen, sat content in the glow of the -blazing fire logs, and counted the days till the storm should pass, the -weeks till the winter should end. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -THE CALDRON - - -All through the long and dreary winter, Ilmarinen waited idly by old -Louhi’s hearth-side. “No great thing in magic can be done in stormy -weather,” he said. “Summer and fair days of sunshine are the wizard’s -time for action.” - -The wise men of the North Land came often to see him. Herdsmen from the -frozen meadows, savage fellows from the forest, fishermen from the icy -inlets—these also came to hear the words of the wizard Smith and be -taught by him. They came on snowshoes and in reindeer sledges, battling -with the wintry storm winds and heeding not the cold. Singly and by -twos and threes they came and squatted round Dame Louhi’s fireplace, -rubbing their hands together, warming their shins, and staring into the -face of the marvellous stranger. And Ilmarinen sat in their midst and -told them many tales of wonder, chiefly tales of his own rare skill and -cunning. - -He told them how he had broken the mountains with his hammer, how he -had conquered wild Iron and imprisoned him in his smithy, and how, from -a single lump of metal, he had hammered out the sky and set it up as a -lid to cover the land and the sea. “All these things,” said he, “were -done by me—me, the prince of smiths, me, the skilfulest of men.” - -Then all his listeners, wise men, herdsmen, fishermen, wild men, looked -at him with awe and admiration. They drew up closer to the fire, they -threw fresh logs into the flames, they turned their faces towards him -and asked a thousand curious questions. - -“Who painted the sky and gave it its blue and friendly color?” asked -the wise men. - -“I painted it—I, the first of smiths,” answered Ilmarinen. “And when I -swept my brush across from east to west, some drops of blue fell into -the sea and colored it also.” - -“What are the stars that glitter so brightly above us when the nights -are clear?” asked the herdsmen. - -“They are the sparks from my forge,” was the answer. “I caught them and -fixed them securely in their places; I welded them into the vast -sky-lid so they should never fall out nor fly away.” - -“Where is the home of the Great Pike, the mightiest of all the -creatures that swim in the water?” asked the fishermen. - -“The Great Pike lurks in the hidden places of the deep sea,” said -Ilmarinen; “for he knows that I have forged a hook of iron that will -some day be the cause of his undoing.” - -“Ah! ah! ah!” muttered the wild men. Their mouths were open and their -eyes were staring at the rafters where hung long rows of smoked salmon, -slabs of bacon, and dried herbs of magic power. “Ah! ah! ah! What shall -we do when we are hungry and there are no nuts to be gathered, no roots -to be digged, no small beasts to be captured, no food of any kind? Ah! -ah! ah!” - -“Forget to-day, think only of to-morrow—for then there will be plenty,” -answered Ilmarinen. “Go back to your old haunts in the forest, and -to-morrow I will send you so many nuts and roots and small beasts that -you shall grow fat with the eating of them.” - -Thus, all through the wintry weather, Ilmarinen dispensed wisdom to the -inquiring men who desired it, and there was no question which he could -not answer, no want which he could not satisfy. And at length, when -every mind was filled with knowledge, and every stomach with food from -Dame Louhi’s bountiful stores, the visitors departed. Singly, or by -twos and threes, in sledges, on snowshoes, on foot, they returned to -their respective haunts and homes. “We have seen him, and there is -nothing more to be desired,” they said. - -And now the snow was melting, the grass was green on the hillsides, the -reeds were springing up in the marshes, and the birds were twittering -under the eaves. - -Forthwith, brave Ilmarinen sallied out to find a smithy. Ten men, -willing and strong, followed him, prepared to do any sort of labor, to -undergo any sort of privation. Long did he seek, and far and wide did -he travel, and many were the vain inquiries which he made; but nowhere -in all the Frozen Land could he discover forge or chimney, bellows or -tongs, anvil or hammer. In that dismal, snowy country men had never -needed iron; they had no tools save tools of fish-bone; they had no -weapons save sticks and stones and fists and feet. What wonder, then, -that they had no smithy? - -Some men would have given up in despair, but not so Ilmarinen. “Women -may lose their courage,” he said; “fools may give up a task because it -is hard; but heroes persevere, wizards and smiths conquer.” - -So, still followed by his serving-men, he set out to find a fit place -in which to build a smithy. For nine days he sought—yes, for ten long -summer days he wandered over the brown meadows and among the gloomy -hills of Pohyola. At length, deep in the silent forest he found a great -stone all streaked and striped in colors of the rainbow. - -“This is the place,” he said, never doubting; and he gave orders to -build his smithy there. - -The first day’s task was to build the furnace and the forge with -yawning mouth and towering chimney. On the second day he framed the -bellows and covered it with stout reindeer hide. On the third he set up -his anvil, a block of hardest granite heavy for ten men to roll. - -Then he made his tools. For a hammer he took a smooth stone from the -brook; for tongs he cut a green sapling and bent it in the middle, -forcing the two ends together. Thus his smithy was completed; but how -was he to forge the magic Sampo? With what was he to form its -iridescent lid? - -“Only weaklings say, ‘I cannot,’” said he. “Only want-wits say, ‘It is -too difficult.’ Heroes never give up. Nothing is impossible to a true -smith.” - -Then from a secret pocket he drew the things most needful for his -forging. He counted them over, giving to each a magic number—two tips -of white swan feathers, a bottle of milk from a young red heifer, a -grain of barley grown in a land beyond the sea, and the fleece of a -lambkin not one day old. These he mixed in a magic caldron, throwing -upon them many bits of precious metals, with strange wild herbs and -rank poisons and sweet honey dew. And all the while, he kept muttering -harshly the spells and charms which none but smiths and skilful wizards -understand. - -At length the mixture was completed. Ilmarinen set the caldron firmly -in the furnace, he pushed it far into the yawning cavern. Then he -kindled the fire, he heaped on fuel, he closed the furnace door and -bade the serving-men set the bellows to blowing. - -Tirelessly the ten men toiled, taking turns, five by five, at the -mighty lever. Like the fierce North Wind sweeping over the hills and -rushing through the piney forest, the heaving bellows roared. The -flames leaped up and filled the furnace and the forge. The black smoke -poured from the chimney and rose in cloudlike, inky masses to the sky. -Ilmarinen heaped on more fuel, he opened the draughts of the furnace, -he danced like a madman in the light of the flames, he shouted strange -words of magic meaning. Thus, for three long summer days and three -brief summer nights, the fire glowed and the furnace roared and the men -toiled and watched unceasingly. And round about the feet of the workmen -lichens and leafy plants grew up, and in the crannies of the rocks wild -flowers bloomed, nourished by the warmth from the magic forge. - -On the fourth day, the wizard Smith bade the workmen pause while he -stooped down and looked into the caldron far within the fire-filled -furnace. He wished to see whether anything had begun to shape itself -from the magic mixture, whether anything had been brought forth by the -mighty heat. - -As he looked, lo! a crossbow rose from out the caldron—a crossbow, -perfect in form and carved with figures fantastical and beautiful. On -each side it was inlaid with precious gold, and the tips were balls of -silver. The shaft was made of copper, and the whole bow was wondrously -strong. - -“This is a beautiful thing,” said Ilmarinen, “but it is not the Sampo.” - -Forthwith the crossbow leaped from the caldron; it flew out of the -furnace; it stood humbly bowing before the wizard Smith. - -“Hail, my master!” it said. “Here I am, ready to serve you as you -command. My task is to kill, and I love it, I love it! Send me forth -quickly, and let me begin. On every work-day I’ll kill at least one. On -every holiday I’ll kill more—sometimes two, and sometimes very many. -Oh, yes, I will kill, I will kill!” - -“What will you kill?” asked Ilmarinen. - -“In war, men; in peace, singing birds and timid deer. Oh, I can kill, I -can kill!” - -And having said this, the crossbow began to shoot arrows recklessly -about to the great peril of the ten serving-men. This made Ilmarinen -angry. “You are bad!” he cried. “You love only evil. I have no use for -you!” and he seized the bow and threw it back into the boiling caldron. -Then he bade the workmen blow the bellows as before; and he heaped on -more fuel and more fuel, singing meanwhile a wild, weird song which -made the flames leap out from the very top of the chimney. - -All day, all night, the bellows roared; all day again, and again all -night, the furnace glowed, white-hot, and furious. Then, just at -sunrise, the Smith called to the bellows-men, “Halt!” He stooped down -and gazed steadfastly, curiously, into the magic caldron. As the flames -subsided and the furnace began to grow cool, behold a ship rose from -the mixture—a ship complete with pointed beak and oars and sails, all -ready to be launched upon the sea. Its hull was painted blue and -yellow, its ribs were golden, its prow was of copper, and its sails -were of white linen whereon were depicted most wonderful figures of -dragons and savage beasts; and on its deck and within its hold were all -manner of weapons of war—axes and spears, bows and arrows, sharp -daggers and gleaming swords. - -“Here I am, my master!” said the ship. “I am ready for your service, if -you please. You see that I am well fitted for war, well fitted to -plunder and rob the seaports of other lands. Send me out, that I may -help you slay your enemies and make your name a terror throughout the -world.” - -The wizard Smith drew the ship toward him. Beautiful and well-laden -though it was, he was by no means pleased with it. “I like you not!” he -cried. “You are a destroyer and not a builder. You love evil, and I -will have no part nor parcel of you,” and he broke the ship into a -thousand pieces, and threw the fragments back into the caldron. Then he -bade the serving-men blow the bellows with all their might, while he -heaped fresh fuel upon the flames and sang wild songs of wizardry and -enchantment. - -On the fourth morning Ilmarinen looked again into the caldron. “Surely -something good has been formed by this time,” he said. - -From the caldron a mist was slowly rising, hot, pungent, fog-like; -within it, the magic mixture could be heard bubbling, seething, -hissing. The Smith looked long ere he could see what was forming. Then -suddenly the mist cleared away and a beautiful young heifer sprang out -into the sunlight. Her color was golden, her neck and legs were like -the wild deer’s, her horns were ivory, her eyes were wondrous large, -and on her forehead was a disc of steely sunshine. - -The Smith was delighted, his heart was filled with admiration. -“Beautiful, beautiful creature!” he cried. “Surely, she will be of use -to mankind.” - -Scarcely had he spoken when the heifer rushed out of the smithy, -pausing not a moment to salute her master. She ran swiftly into the -forest, bellowing, horning, fighting, spurning everything that came in -her way. - -“Ah, me!” sighed the Smith, “she, too, has an evil nature. Alas, that -one so wickedly inclined should be blessed with so beautiful a form!” - -Then he bade the serving-men bring her back to the smithy; and when, -with infinite labor, they had done this, he cut her in pieces and threw -her back into the caldron. And now the bellows was set to blowing -again, and it roared like a tempest in a forest of pines; the smoke -rolled darkly from the chimney; and the fire glowed hotter than before -around the seething caldron. And all that day, and through the -midsummer night, the master and his men toiled unceasingly. - -At sunrise on the fifth day, Ilmarinen looked again into the caldron. -As he stooped and gazed, a plough rose suddenly from the magic mixture. -Like a thing of life it glided softly through the furnace door, bowed -low before the wizard Smith, and waited to receive his judgment. It had -been shaped and put together with great skill, and every line was a -line of beauty. The frame was of copper, the share was of gold, the -handles were tipped with silver. - -“Here I am, my master,” it said. “Send me forth to do your bidding.” - -“What good thing can you do?” asked Ilmarinen. - -“I can turn things over, tear things up,” answered the plough. “Nothing -in the fields can stand against me. I will overturn the sod, I will -uproot all growing things whether good or bad. I will go into gardens, -meadows, cornfields, and stir the soil; and woe to the plant that comes -in my way, for I will destroy it.” - -“You are beautiful and you are useful,” said the Smith; “but you are -rude and unkind. You do not know how to discriminate between the evil -and the good. You give pain, you cause death, and therefore I do not -love you.” - -He waited not for the plough’s answer, but struck it with his hammer -and broke it into a thousand fragments; then he threw the fragments -back into the magic caldron and closed the door of the furnace. - -Long and thoughtfully he sat, silent but not despairing. His elbows -rested upon his knees, his head was bowed upon his hands. And he -repeated to himself his favorite saying: “None but cowards say, ‘I -cannot,’ none but weaklings say, ‘Impossible,’ none but women weep for -failure.” - -At length he rose and called to his serving-men; he dismissed them, -every one, and summoned the winds to come and be his helpers. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER X - -THE FORGING OF THE SAMPO - - -The four winds heard the magic call of Ilmarinen, and they hastened -from the corners of the sky to do his bidding. First came the East -Wind, riding over the sea, combing the crests of the waves with his -clammy fingers, and rushing with chilly breath through the dank marshes -and across the lonely meadows. He knocked at the door of the smithy, he -rattled the latch, and shrieked down the chimney: - -“Master of wizards and prince of all smiths, what will you have me do?” - -And Ilmarinen answered, “Set my bellows to blowing that I may forge the -wondrous Sampo.” - -Next there was heard a joyous whistling among the pine trees, and a -whir-whirring as of the wings of a thousand birds; and there was a -fragrance in the air like the fragrance of countless wildflowers, and a -soft breathing like the breath of a sleeping child. The South Wind -crept softly up to the smithy door, it peeped slyly in, and said -merrily: - -“What now, old friend and companion? What will you have me do?” - -And Ilmarinen answered, “Blow into my furnace, and blow hard, that I -may forge the wondrous Sampo.” - -Then came the jolly West Wind, roaring among the mountains, dancing in -the valleys, playing among the willows and the reeds, and frolicking -with the growing grass. He laughed as he lifted the roof of the smithy -and peered down at the furnace and the forge and the tools of the -Smith. - -“Ha, ha!” he called. “Have you some work for me? Let me get at it at -once.” - -And Ilmarinen answered, “Feed my fire, so that I may forge the wondrous -Sampo.” - -He had scarcely spoken when the sky was overcast and heavy gray clouds -obscured the sun. The North Wind, like an untamed monster, came -hurtling over the land, howling and shrieking, as fierce as a thousand -wolves, as fleet as the swiftest reindeer. He filled the air with -snowflakes, he covered the hills with a coating of ice. The pine trees -shivered and moaned because of his chilly breath, and the brooks and -waterfalls were frozen with fear. - -“What do you wish, master of wizards?” he called from every corner of -the smithy. “Tell me how I can serve you.” - -And Ilmarinen answered, “Fan the flames around my magic caldron, so -that I may forge the wondrous Sampo.” - -So, the chilling East Wind, the whistling South Wind, the laughing West -Wind, and the blustering North Wind, joined together in giving aid to -the wizard Smith. From morning till evening, from evening till another -morning, they worked with right good will, as their master directed -them. The great bellows puffed and groaned and shook the very ground -with its roaring. The flames filled the furnace; they wrapped -themselves around the caldron; they burst out through a thousand cracks -and crevices; they leaped, in tongues of fire, through the windows of -the smithy. Showers of red sparks issued from the chimney and flew -upward to the sky. The smoke rose in clouds of ink-like blackness and -floated in vast masses over the mountains and the sea. - -For three anxious days and three sleepless nights the winds toiled and -paused not; and Ilmarinen sang magic incantations, and heaped fresh -fuel upon the fire, and cheered his helpers with shouts and cries and -words of enchantment which wizards alone can speak. - -On the fourth day he bade the winds cease their blowing. He knelt down -and looked into the furnace. He pushed the cinders aside; he uncovered -the caldron and lifted the lid, slowly, cautiously. How strange and -beautiful was the sight that rose before him! Colors of the rainbow, -forms and figures without number, precious metals, floating vapors—all -these were mingled in the caldron. - -Ilmarinen drew the vessel quickly out of the furnace. He thrust his -tongs into the mixture, and seized it with the grip of a giant. He -pulled it bodily from the caldron, writhing, creeping, struggling, but -unable to escape him. He twirled it in the air as blacksmiths sometimes -twirl small masses of half-molten iron; then he held it firmly on his -anvil of granite, while with quick and steady strokes he beat it with -his heavy hammer. He turned it and twisted it and shaped it, and put -each delicate part in its proper place. All night and all day, from -starlight till starlight, he labored tirelessly and without ceasing. - -Slowly, piece by piece and part by part, the magic Sampo with its -wheels and levers grew into being. The wizard workman forged it with -infinite skill and patience, for well he knew that one false stroke -would undo all his labor, would be fatal to all his hopes. He scanned -it from every side; he touched up the more delicate parts; he -readjusted its springs and wheels; he tested its strength and the speed -of its running. Finally, after the mill itself was proved satisfactory, -he forged the lid to cover it; and the lid was the most marvellous part -of all—as many-colored as the rainbow and embossed with gold and lined -with silver and ornamented with beautiful pictures. - -At length everything was finished. The fire in the furnace was dead; -the caldron was empty and void; the bellows was silent; the anvil of -granite was idle. Ilmarinen called to his ten serving-men and put the -precious Sampo upon their shoulders. “Carry this to your Mistress,” he -said, “and beware that you touch not the lid of magic colors.” - -Then, leaving the smithy and all his tools in the silence of the -forest, he followed the laborers to Pohyola, proud of his great -performance, but pale and wan and wellnigh exhausted from long labor -and ceaseless anxiety. - -The Wise Woman was standing in the doorway of her smoke-begrimed -dwelling. She smiled grimly as she saw the working men returning. She -welcomed Ilmarinen not unkindly, and he placed before her the result of -his long and arduous labors. - -“Behold, I bring you the magic Sampo!” he said. “In all the world there -is no other wizard that could have formed it, no other smith that could -have welded its parts together or forged its lid of many colors. You -have only to whisper your wishes into the small orifice on the top of -the mill, and it will begin to run—you can hear its wheels buzzing and -its levers creaking. Lay it on this side and it will grind flour—flour -for your kitchen, flour for your neighbors, flour for the market. Turn -the mill over, thus, and it will grind salt—salt for seasoning, salt -for the reindeer, salt for everything. But the third side is the best. -Lay the mill on that side and whisper, ‘Money.’ Ah! then you will see -what comes out—pieces of gold, pieces of silver, pieces of copper, -treasures fit for a king!” - -The Mistress of Pohyola was overcome with joy. Her toothless face -expanded into a smile—a smile that was grim and altogether ill-favored. -She tried to express her feelings in words, but her voice was cracked -and broken, and her speech sounded like the yelping of a gray wolf in -the frozen marshes. Without delay she set the mill to grinding; and -wonderful was the way in which it obeyed her wishes. She filled her -house with flour; she filled her barns with salt; she filled all her -strong boxes with gold and silver. - -“Enough! enough!” she cried, at length. “Stop your grinding! I want no -more.” - -The tireless Sampo heard not nor heeded. It kept on grinding, grinding; -and no matter on which side it was placed, its wheels kept running, and -flour or salt or gold and silver kept pouring out in endless streams. - -“We shall all be buried!” shouted the Mistress in dismay. “Enough is -good, but too much is embarrassment. Take the mill to some safe place -and confine it within strong walls, lest it overwhelm us with -prosperity.” - -Forthwith she caused the Sampo to be taken with becoming care to a -strong-built chamber underneath a hill of copper. There she imprisoned -it behind nine strong doors of toughest granite, each of which was held -fast shut by nine strong locks of hardest metal. Then she laughed a -laugh of triumph, and said; “Lie there, sweet mill, until I have need -of you again. Grind flour, grind salt, grind wealth, grind all things -good for Pohyola, but do not smother us with your bounties.” - -They closed the strong doors and bolted them and left the Sampo alone -in its dark prison-house; but through the key-hole of the ninth lock of -the ninth door there issued a sweet delightful whirring sound as of -wheels rapidly turning. The Sampo was grinding treasures for Dame -Louhi’s people, and laying them up for future uses—richness for the -land, golden sap for the trees, and warm and balmy breezes to make all -things flourish. - -Meanwhile Ilmarinen sat silent and alone in the Mistress’s hall, -thinking of many things, but mostly of the reward which he hoped to -receive for his labor. For an hour he sat there, waiting—yes, for a day -of sunlight he remained there, his eyes downcast, his head uncovered. - -Suddenly Dame Louhi, the Wise Woman, came out of the darkening shadows -and stood before him. The flames which darted up, flickering, from the -half-burned fagots, lighted her grim features and shone yellow and red -upon her gray head and her flour-whitened face. Very unlovely, even -fearful, did she seem to Ilmarinen. She spoke, and her voice was gruff -and unkind. - -“Why do you sit here idle by my hearth-stone?” she asked. “Why, indeed, -do you tarry so long in Pohyola, wearing out your welcome, and wearying -us all with your presence?” - -The Smith answered her gently, politely, as men should always answer -women: “Have I not forged the Sampo for you—the wondrous Sampo which -you so much desired? Have I not hammered its lid of rainbow colors? -Have I not made you rich—rich in flour, in salt, in silver and gold? I -am now waiting only for my reward—for the prize which you promised.” - -“Never have I promised you any reward,” cried the Mistress angrily. -“Never have I offered to give you a prize;” and her gaunt form and -gruesome features seemed truly terrible in their ugliness. - -But Ilmarinen did not forget himself; the master of magic did not -falter. - -“I have a friend whose name is Wainamoinen,” he answered. “He is the -first of all minstrels, a singer of sweet songs, a man of honor, old -and truthful. Did you not say to him that you would richly reward the -hero who should forge the magic Sampo—that you would give him your -daughter, the Maid of Beauty, to be his wife?” - -“Ah, but that was said to him and not to you,” said the Mistress, and -she laughed until her toothless mouth seemed to cover the whole of her -misshapen face. - -“But a promise is a promise,” gently returned the Smith; “and so I -demand of you to fulfil it.” - -The features of the unlovely Mistress softened, they lost somewhat of -their grimness as she answered: “Willingly would I fulfil it, prince of -wizards and of smiths; but I cannot. Since Wainamoinen’s visit, the -Maid of Beauty has become of age. She is her own mistress, she must -speak for herself. I cannot give her away as a reward or prize—she does -not belong to me. If you wish her to go to the Land of Heroes with you, -ask her. She has a mind of her own; she will do as she pleases.” - -She ceased speaking. The firelight grew brighter and then suddenly died -away, and the room became dark. - -“I will see her in the morning,” said Ilmarinen. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -THE HOMESICK HERO - - -The sunlight was streaming white and yellow, over sea and land. The -wild geese were honking among the reeds. The swallows were twittering -under the eaves. The maids were milking the reindeer in the paddock -behind Dame Louhi’s dwelling. Ilmarinen had slept late. He rose -hurriedly and hastened to go out, not to listen to the varied sounds of -the morning, but to ponder concerning the great problem that was soon -to be solved. - -He opened the door, but quickly started back, trembling, and pale. What -had he seen to give him pause, to cause him to be frightened? Right -before him, so near that he might have touched her with his hand, stood -the Maid of Beauty. Her cheeks were like the dawn of a summer’s -morning; her lips were like two ripe, red berries with rows of pearls -between; her eyes were like glorious suns, shining softly in the midst -of heaven. Who would not have trembled in the presence of such -marvellous beauty? - -Ilmarinen was overcome with bashfulness. He stammered, he paused, he -looked into those wonderful eyes and was covered with confusion. Then -he spoke to his own heart and said, “Why am I so cowardly—I who have -hitherto feared nothing under the sun? I will be brave. I will ask her -the momentous question and abide by her answer.” - -So, with quivering lips and downcast eyes he spoke: “Fairest of -maidens, my task is done. I have forged the Sampo, I have hammered its -marvellous lid, I have proved myself worthy to be called the Prince of -Smiths. Will you not now go with me to my far distant home—to the Land -of Heroes in the sunny south? There you shall be my queen; you shall -rule my house, keep my kitchen, sit at the head of the table. O Maid of -Beauty, it was for you that I forged the Sampo and performed those acts -of magic which no other man would dare to undertake. Be kind, and -disappoint me not.” - -The maiden answered softly, and she blushed as she spoke: “Why should I -leave my own sweet home to go and live with strangers, to be a poor -man’s wife in a poor and distant land? My mother’s hall would be -desolate; her kitchen would be cold and ill-cared for were I to go -away. She herself would grieve and die of loneliness.” - -“Nay,” said Ilmarinen, “she is not the sort of woman to feel sorrow; -her heart is too hard to be crushed so easily.” - -“But there are others who would miss me,” said the maiden softly. “If I -should go away, who would feed the reindeer at the break of day? Who, -in the early springtime, would welcome the cuckoo and answer his joyous -song? Who, in the short summer, would caress the wildflowers in the -wooded nooks and sing to the violets in the meadows? Who, in the -autumn, would pick the red cranberries in our marshes? Who, at winter’s -beginning, would tell the songbirds to fly southward, and who would -cheer the wild geese on their way to summer lands?” - -The Smith had now grown bolder, and he answered wisely: “The cuckoo -comes to my country as well as yours. There are flowers in the forests -of Wainola more beautiful than any in this chilly land. There are -cranberries in our marshes also, redder and larger than any you have -ever picked. The songbirds live in the Land of Heroes half of every -year, and the wild geese tarry there and build their nests in the sedgy -inlets.” - -“All that may be true,” said the Maid of Beauty, “but your cuckoo is -not my cuckoo, and so how could I welcome it in the springtime? All -things in Wainola would be strangers to me, while all things in Pohyola -are friends. The North Country, the Frozen Land as you call it, would -be very lonely if I were to leave it; the meadows would be joyless, the -hills would be forlorn, the shores would be desolate. Were I not here -to paint the rainbow, the storm clouds would never vanish. Were I not -here to note the change of seasons, the songbirds would surely forget -to come, the flowers would neglect to bloom, the cranberries would -perish ungathered. No, Ilmarinen, I must not go with you. You are -skilful, you are wise, you are brave, you are the prince of wizards and -of smiths—but I love my native land. Say no more; I will not go with -you.” - -The Smith was speechless; his tongue was motionless, and he could not -make reply. He turned slowly away, and with head bowed down and cap -pulled over his eyes, he sought his favorite place by the side of the -smouldering hearth-fire. - -All day he sat there, pondering, wondering how now by any makeshift he -could escape from Pohyola and return to his native land. The longer he -thought, the larger his troubles appeared. He had no boat to sail by -sea, no sledge nor reindeer to travel by land, no money in his purse, -no knowledge of the road. Would not magic avail him? Could he not call -upon the winds to carry him, as they had once done against his will? -Alas, no! All his magic lore, all his magic power, had been exhausted -in the forging of the Sampo; he was utterly bankrupt. - -While he sat thus, homesick, disappointed, and forlorn, Dame Louhi came -suddenly into the hall. She was white with flour and laden with silver, -and she wore a look of triumph on her grim and unlovely face. - -“Ha! forger of the Sampo!” she cried. “Why do you sit here moping day -after day? What ails you—you, who hammered out the sky and set the -stars in their places—you, the prince of wizards, the king of -boasters?” - -Ilmarinen groaned and pulled his cap still lower over his eyebrows; but -he answered not a word. - -The Mistress went on with her bantering; she laid salt on the poor -man’s wounds and briskly rubbed it in. “Why do you groan so like an -ice-floe breaking up at the end of winter? Why do you weep salt tears, -extinguishing the fire on my hearth? Have you the toothache, ear-ache, -heartache, stomach-ache? Did you eat too much at dinner? Surely, the -prince of wizards ought to curb his appetite.” - -The Smith’s heart was filled with anger; his brain burned, his cheeks -were flushed with shame. Much had he suffered from this woman’s greed -and cunning; painfully was he stung by her bitter words. Yet he -answered her with becoming gentleness—for was she not the mother of the -Maid of Beauty? - -“I have no ache nor bodily pain,” he said; “but I am sick of this -wretched country, this Frozen Land. I am sick of its mists, of its -storms, of its long nights and its cheerless days. And, most of all, I -am sick of its thankless people.” - -“Ah! I understand,” answered the woman; and she closed her toothless -jaws tightly, restraining her anger. “In other words, you are homesick; -your heart is filled with longing for your own country and your own -fireside.” - -“You speak rightly,” answered Ilmarinen. “My heart is in the South -Land, in the Land of Heroes. Unwillingly did I come to your bleak and -chilly Pohyola; unwillingly have I remained here, cheered by a single -hope which has at last been blasted. And now my only wish is to return -home, to see once more the friends whom I love, to cheer my mother in -her loneliness.” - -“Surely, the lad who cries for his mother should be comforted,” said -the Mistress derisively. “At what moment would you like to start on -your homeward journey?” - -“At the break of day?” answered the Smith, his face brightening as his -hopes were strengthened. - -“It shall be as you wish,” said the woman, and her tones were -uncommonly tender and kind. “I will see that everything is in -readiness. At the break of day a boat will be waiting for you at the -landing. Delay not a moment, but go on board and ask no questions. You -shall be safely carried to the haven that is so dear to you.” - -Ilmarinen stammered his thanks. His eyes grew brighter, his heart was -cheered with hope. - -Very impatiently the hero waited through the short hours of night, and -gladly did he hail the first gray streak of dawn that heralded the -morning. - -He hastened out to the shore. The promised boat was there, moored to -the landing by a hempen rope. It was a small vessel, but roomy enough -for one passenger who would also be captain and crew. Its hull was of -cedar and the trimmings were of maple. Its prow was tipped with copper, -sharp and strong. The oar also was of copper, and the sail was painted -red and yellow. - -In the boat a great store of food was packed—deer meat, smoked herring, -cakes of barley, toothsome victuals enough for many days. - -Ilmarinen asked no man any questions, although many persons were -gathered on the shore, wondering whence came the strange vessel and -whither it was going. He climbed over the polished gunwales and stepped -boldly on board. Then, as the sun was peeping out of the sea, he raised -the square sail of red and yellow. He cut the mooring rope, and took -the copper paddle in his hands; he sat down in the stern to do the -steering. - -A gentle wind filled the sail, and the boat glided smoothly, swiftly -away from the land. Ilmarinen looked back; he saw all the folk of -Pohyola standing along the shore, and he heard them shouting their -good-byes and bidding him god-speed. He looked again, and saw the Maid -of Beauty among them; she was waving her hand, and her face seemed to -him tenfold more beautiful than before; her cheeks were wet with tears, -and there was a look of great regret in her wonderful eyes. - -And there also stood the Mistress of Pohyola, gray and grim and -toothless, but noble in mien and of queenly appearance. She lifted her -arms, she raised her eyes towards heaven, and called to the North Wind -to prosper the voyage for her departing guest: - - - “Come, thou North Wind, great and strong, - Guide this hero to his home; - Gently drive his boat along - O’er the dashing white sea-foam. - - “Push him with your mighty hand; - Blow him o’er the blue-backed sea; - Carry him safe to Hero Land, - And let him ne’er come back to me.” - - -The North Wind heard her, and he came, strong, swift, and steady. Like -a waterfowl in some sheltered cove, the boat glided with incredible -smoothness over the chilly waters. Joyfully the prince of smiths -handled the oar, and loudly he shouted to the wind as he saw the red -prow cleaving the waves and knew that he was speeding homeward. - -Three days the voyage lasted. As the morning of the fourth was dawning, -Ilmarinen beheld on his left the lofty headland and pleasant shore of -his native land, green with summer-leafing trees and odorous with the -breath of wildflowers. The sun rose above the eastern hills, and then -his eyes were rejoiced with the sight of the weather-stained roofs of -Wainola, and curling clouds of smoke rising from the hearths of many -well-known dwellings. - -Gently, then, the glad voyager guided his boat into the harbor. He -dismissed the North Wind with warm thanks for his friendly service; and -then with a few skilful strokes of the oar, he drove his stanch little -boat high up on the sloping beach. - -“Home! home at last!” he cried as he leaped out. He paused not a -moment, he took no care to tie his little vessel to the mooring-post, -but with eager, impatient feet he hastened towards the village. - -Scarcely had he walked half-way to the nearest dwelling, when a man -stepped suddenly into the road before him. It was Wainamoinen, the -cunning wizard, the first of all minstrels. - -“O Ilmarinen, dearest of brothers!” shouted the aged man, so wise, so -truthful, so skilled in tricks of magic. “How delighted I am to behold -your face again! Where have you been hiding through all these anxious -months?” - -The Smith answered curtly, coldly, yet politely: “You know quite well -my hiding-place, for it was you who sent me thither. I thank you for -the journey; but it will be long ere I climb another one of your magic -trees.” - -“Wisest and skilfulest of metal workers, why do you speak in riddles?” -said the Minstrel, appearing to be hurt. “Never have I sought to harm -you; but all that I did was for your own good. Now, I welcome you back -to Wainola. Let us be brothers as in the days of yore. Come! here is my -hand; let us forgive and forget!” - -The generous Smith could not cherish ill-feeling in his heart. He loved -the aged Minstrel as he would have loved a father. So he grasped the -proffered hand, gently, warmly; he embraced his friend twice, three -times, as had been his wont whenever fondness prompted his warm heart. -Then he said, “I forgive you, sweetest of minstrels.” - -Side by side, arm in arm, the two old comrades walked homeward. - -“Tell me, Ilmarinen,” said the Minstrel, “did you perform my errand? -Did you fulfil my promise and forge the magic Sampo? Did you win the -prize?” - -“Yes, I forged the Sampo,” answered Ilmarinen; “and I hammered its -rainbow cover. Therefore your debt is paid, and you are freed from your -promise. But as for me—well, as you see, I have not won the Maid of -Beauty.” - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -THE UNFINISHED BOAT - - -Never were two pledged lovers more stanch and true than the ancient -Minstrel and the youthful Smith, and their affection for each other -grew stronger and stronger as the days went by. The brief summer waned, -and the long winter came with its sleet and snow and furious storms; -but through all the weather changes and the varying fortunes of the -year, the mutual devotion of the two heroes remained steadfast. -Ilmarinen toiled daily in his smithy, hammering out chains and hoes and -axes, and shaping things of beauty and of use for his kinsfolk and -neighbors in Wainola. And the Minstrel also toiled, composing new songs -of love and conflict, retelling old tales of mystery and magic, and -studying to discover the secrets of nature and of life. - -“Come and live with me,” said the younger hero to the older. “My -cottage is roomy, my table is large, and my hearth is cozy and warm. My -mother, Lokka, will welcome you; she will serve you and prepare -toothsome victuals for your meals. Your sweet songs will enliven the -hours of evening, and we will converse often together concerning those -things that are nearest to your heart and mine. Come! Come and be my -elder brother!” - -“I thank you,” answered the Minstrel. “We shall both be happy.” - -And so, without further persuasion, he took up his abode in the home of -his friend; and Dame Lokka the Handsome, the best of all the matrons in -Hero Land, kept house for them both. - -“What have you wrought in your smithy to-day?” old Wainamoinen would -ask as they met at the evening meal. - -Then the master Smith, grimy with soot and gray with ashes, would begin -to tell of a hoe he had beaten out, or a gold ring he had fashioned; -but ere he had spoken a dozen words his mind would wander far away to a -low-roofed dwelling in the Frozen Land, and the rest of his speech -would be a burning discourse in praise of the Maid of Beauty. - -“Now, sing to us your newest song, sweetest of minstrels,” the younger -hero would say as they sat together beside the evening fire. - -And the Minstrel would begin with a hymn of creation, or a tale of -mighty strife and heroism; but at the end of the strain he would forget -his subject and begin to chant a ballad of love or a ditty recounting -the charms of the matchless maiden of Pohyola. - -Thus, ere long, it came about that the two friends were constantly and -forever recalling the sweetest memories of their lives—memories which, -strange to say, were also mingled with thoughts of experiences that had -been unpleasant, painful, humiliating. They talked daily of their -strange adventures in Pohyola; and now, in the halo of long absence, -the Frozen Land was remembered only as a land of spring showers and -summer sunshine, and their days of sadness and gloom were forgotten in -contemplation of the blessedness which they had felt in the presence of -the Maid of Beauty. And now her image seemed always before their eyes, -and her voice seemed calling to them through the misty and frost-laden -air of the desolate North Land. - -Gradually, and by a process unknown to himself, Ilmarinen came to think -of her as he thought of the sun and the stars and the wonderful sea, as -something mysterious, sublime, incomprehensible, which he might worship -from afar but never hope to possess or understand. She was his deity, -his Jumala, as far superior to him as he, the prince of smiths and -wizards, was superior to the beasts of the fields and woods. - -But the Minstrel, old and steadfast, was more worldly-minded. He -remembered how the maiden had laughed at him and twitted him as she sat -on the rainbow plying her magic shuttles and weaving the web of the -unmeasured sky; and as he thought of her words and her taunting manner, -his feeling of reverence for her was tempered with a desire for some -sort of revenge. Therefore he resolved that he would get even with her; -verily he would show her that he, too, was one of the mighty—a magician -unexcelled in power, a master of things seen and unseen. And having -done this, what would be easier than to make her his own? - -Long did he ponder, and many were the thoughts that came into his old, -experienced mind. Day after day, week after week, he sat by Dame -Lokka’s fireside, thinking, thinking, thinking—yet keeping all his -thoughts to himself. - -“He is composing some new, sweet song,” said the motherly matron; and -she refrained from disturbing him. - -At last, when the wild geese were again honking in the quiet fjords and -the frogs were making the marshes musical, he perfected a secret plan -by which he hoped to win the object of his desires, and at the same -time add much to his already matchless fame. He told no one of his -project, but he clenched his hands together and shut his teeth hard -with determination. - -“None but women say ‘I cannot’; none but cowards say ‘I dare not,’” he -repeated to himself again and again as though he would bolster up his -courage. - -Then, unknown to Ilmarinen—unknown to all his friends and neighbors—he -set to work to build a boat, roomy and stanch and shaped for swiftest -sailing. - -It was his intention, when this boat was finished, to make a secret -voyage to the Frozen Land and boldly make known his suit to the Maid of -Beauty. If she would listen to him and accept the high place of honor -which he had once before offered her—if she would consent to be the -mistress of his kitchen, to bake his honey cakes and sing at his table, -well and good; the fame of Wainamoinen, prince of minstrels, would be -carried to the ends of the earth. - -But what if she should scorn him as before? Was he not a magician? -Through the power of magic he would subdue her; he would carry her -aboard his vessel; he would bring her, willy nilly, to the Land of -Heroes; she would have no choice but to be the queen of his dwelling in -Wainola. - -The boat itself was to be built by magic. By magic spells the beams -were to be hewn and properly placed, the keel was to be laid, the hull -was to be made stanch and shapely. No hammer was to be used in the work -of building, but every nail and spike must be driven in the right place -by a magic word that was known only to the prince of wizards, the first -of all minstrels. - -The place which Wainamoinen chose for the building of his boat was on -the shore of a shady island well concealed behind a lofty headland. -Trees grew along the shore, and there were thousands of them covering -the hillside; but they were small trees, mere saplings, and would be of -little use in boat-building. Where could the Minstrel find fit timber -for his vessel? Who would cut it for him? Who would saw the boards, and -who would carry them to the shore? The Minstrel could not do these -things by magic alone. He must have help. - -In a cave on the hillside there dwelt a brown dwarf, the last of the -ancient race of earth men. He was small of stature, wrinkled, and -old—so old that he himself had long ago lost all reckoning of his age. -Men called him Sampsa, and they told many a tale of his wisdom and -cunning, and how in former times he had guarded the treasures of kings. -His days were spent in the forest and his nights in the unexplored -chambers of his cavern home. He knew by name every tree and shrub that -grew in the Land of Heroes, and he understood the language of birds and -of beasts and of every living thing. Who better than he could be the -Minstrel’s helper? - -With a golden axe upon his shoulder Sampsa sauntered, singing, through -the forest. To each slender sapling and to every beast and bird he -said, “Good-morning!” and every bird and beast and growing tree -returned the salutation. Presently the little man paused beside an -aspen, smooth of bark, and tall and graceful. The tree trembled and -every leaf upon it quivered when he held before it his sharp-edged axe -with golden poll and copper handle. - -“O master! O man of earth,” it whispered, “what do you wish of me?” - -“I am seeking timber for a boat,” answered Sampsa. “The Minstrel is -building a magic vessel to cruise on northern seas, and he has sent me -to find a tree from which to make the beams and keel. May I have your -trunk, my friend?” - -The aspen groaned, and every one of its thousand leaves seemed to have -a tongue as it softly murmured: “Surely, I am not fit for boat timber. -My branches are hollow; a grub has eaten my heart. My wood is soft and -pithy; it would never float upon the water. I pray you, pass me by, O -master!” - -“You speak well,” said the dwarf; “stay where you are and enjoy the -soft breezes from the sea. Whisper your light songs to the birds, and -let them nest among your branches. I will look elsewhere for boat -timber.” - -He shouldered his golden axe and trudged onward, deeper and deeper into -the forest. In a secluded valley between two mountains, he found a pine -tree, green and slender and beautiful. He struck it lightly with his -sharp axe-blade, and every needle on its branches shrieked as though in -sudden terror. - -“Why so rough, good Sampsa?” asked the tree, bowing its head and -bending before the little master. - -“Friend pine tree,” he answered, “how will your trunk do for boat -timber? The prince of minstrels, Wainamoinen, has sent me to find some -for the magic vessel he is building.” - -“My trunk is not fit for such use,” said the pine tree, speaking -loudly. “My wood is knotty, gnarly, scraggy, hard to fashion in any -manner. It is brittle, unsmooth, easily split and broken. It would make -but a poor boat.” - -“It would make good beams and a fine mast,” said Sampsa. - -“But very unlucky, very unlucky,” answered the pine. “Three times this -summer a crow has sat on one of my branches, croaking misfortune and -foretelling disaster.” - -“Then fare you well, my evergreen friend,” said the dwarf, kindly; “I -will look elsewhere for my boat timber;” and again he shouldered his -axe and resumed his walk through the forest. - -It was noon and the sun shone hot on land and sea when he came to a -giant oak tree on the summit of a green hill. This oak tree had long -been the monarch of the woods. Its branches reached out on every side -nine fathoms from the trunk, and its topmost twigs seemed to brush the -sky. - -“Good-morning, friendly oak tree!” said Sampsa; and a tremor of joy ran -through every leaf and branch as the noble tree answered, -“Good-morning, master!” - -“Our friend, the Minstrel, is building a boat,” said the dwarf. “He -wants good timber with which to make the beams and the keel and the -boards for the hull. He would have it broad and high and very swift. He -would have it beautiful and graceful and strong. But as yet he has -found no wood that is fit.” - -Then from every leaf of the great tree there came a sound of music, a -song of joy; and the acorn-bearer answered, “O master, I will gladly -give him of my wood. It is tough and stout and free from knots and worm -holes. The grain of it is straight, and no other wood can equal it for -withstanding the weather and the salt sea-water.” - -“That is good,” said the dwarf; “but what omens of good or evil are -yours?” - -“Omens of good fortune are written on my branches,” said the oak. -“Three times this summer a cuckoo has rested on my topmost bough. On -every clear day, sunbeams have danced among my leaves. On every clear -night, the silver moon has looked down and smiled upon me. And so I -pray you to take me for the Minstrel’s magic vessel. I long—oh, I long! -to float on the blue-backed sea, to carry treasures from land to land, -to fight with the storm and conquer the waves.” - -Forthwith, the earth man smote the oak with his magic axe, and the tree -uttered a cry of joy as it fell prone upon the earth. Then with skill -and great patience Sampsa hewed and cleaved and shaped it into beams -and boards, more in number than he could reckon. He planed them, he -sawed them, he fashioned them with infinite care until each was of the -proper length and thickness. And when, at last, all were finished, he -carried them out of the forest, one by one, and laid them on the beach -where the Minstrel had directed. - -“Behold, O singer of songs!” he said. “Here is the wood for your magic -boat. These are for the beams, these for the keel, and these for the -well-shaped hull. May the fairy ship float lightly upon the waves and -bear you whithersoever you desire to go! May it be a joy to the sea and -a wonder to all the world!” - -The Minstrel thanked him and then began to chant the magic spells by -which to put the beams and boards in their places. These, one after the -other he sang, and he recited the runes whereby to shape the whole into -a stanch and swift-sailing vessel. With one song the keel was -fashioned; with a second the gunwales were laid; with a third the -boat’s ribs were fastened in their places; with a fourth the rudder was -hung at the stern. No hammer was used, no axe nor mallet; but every -nail and spoke and bolt was driven by a word of magic from the lips of -the prince of minstrels. - -At length every spell was recited, every rune was sung, every magic -word was spoken, and the wonderful vessel was completed—all except the -nailing down of three long boards at the bottom of the hull. The -Minstrel stood aghast—without three words more his boat could not be -launched; it could not be made water-tight; it would never skim the -foam-capped waves of the northern seas. He stroked his chin, he tapped -his forehead with his forefinger; no word of magic, not even the -shortest, could he call to memory. - -“How unlucky I am!” he cried. “Misfortune follows me, and all my wisdom -is in vain. Never can my task be finished unless I can find the three -words of power that are lacking. My plans will fail utterly.” - -He sat down upon the white sand and pondered upon the troubles that -confronted him. For five summer days he sat there—yes, for six long -days he tarried by the shore not knowing what to do. And the little -ripples on the beach laughed at him, and the sea birds flapped their -wings in his face, and he felt himself to be helpless. - -On the seventh day a white swan flew down as though inspecting his -boat, a gray goose made its nest under the well-hung rudder, and a -flock of swallows sat twittering upon the gunwales. “Ah! Perhaps the -words that I need so badly have been stolen by some of these birds. -Perhaps they are concealed in the head of a swan, in the brain of a -goose, or under the tongue of a swallow. I will examine into this -matter and see.” - -The next day, therefore, he took his bow and arrows and went hunting. -He slew a whole flock of swans; he killed great numbers of geese; and -hundreds of swallows fell, pierced by his unerring weapons. But in the -brains of all these creatures he found not a single word, nor yet so -much as the half of one; and under the tongues of the swallows, there -was nothing uncommon. - -The Minstrel was not wholly discouraged. “Perhaps the missing words are -beneath the tongue of some four-footed animal,” he said. “Perhaps a -squirrel, perhaps a summer reindeer, or perhaps a gray and skulking -wolf is hiding the precious secrets in its throat or between its jaws. -I will search and find out if this be true.” - -So, for nine days—yes, for ten days of terror—he went stalking hither -and thither through the woodlands and the meadows and the boggy -thickets, shooting every timid creature that his eyes could see. He -slew an army of squirrels; he killed a field full of reindeer; he -slaughtered gray wolves without number. Cruelly, as one devoid of pity, -he filled the forest with sorrow and death. He found strange words in -plenty, groans and shrieks and cries of pain, but among them all there -was not one syllable of magic. - -At length he ceased his bloody work, he laid his weapons down, grief -overcame him, and sorrow for the destruction he had wrought. All night -long he sat on the sand beside his unfinished boat and bemoaned his -evil fortune. All day he wept—but his mind was strong within him, and -he would not give up his undertaking. On the second day, as the sun -rose red above the hilltops, a raven flew croaking among the trees. -“Caw! caw! caw!” cried the bird of ill-omen. - -“Stop your cawing! Stop your crying!” shouted the Minstrel, full of -anger. “Did Tuoni send you hither to taunt me? Begone! Return, I say, -to your master, Tuoni!” - -The bird flapped its wings, and Wainamoinen heard from far in the -forest the echo of his words, “Tuoni! Tuoni!” - -Then a strange thought came into his mind. He leaped to his feet, he -clapped his hands, he shouted his oft-repeated maxim: “None but cowards -say, ‘I dare not!’” - -“You speak truly,” said a voice beside him—it was the voice of Sampsa, -the little man of the woods: “You speak truly; and since you are not a -coward, what will you next dare to do?” - -“Far away, on the world’s edge,” answered the Minstrel, “there is a -land of silence and fear, the Land of Shades, the kingdom of Tuoni. -Many men have travelled thither—heroes not a few, woodsmen, fishermen, -even fair women and tender children—but never has any one returned to -tell of that land. All things that are lost, all things that are -forgotten, are stored away there; they lie in King Tuoni’s treasure -house waiting for the day when all things will be remembered. The three -magic words that I desire are hidden there—the raven, Tuoni’s bird, has -reminded me of it by his croaking.” - -“And will you dare to go thither and get them?” asked the dwarf. - -“I will dare,” answered the Minstrel. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -THE LAND OF TUONELA - - -Tuonela—the Land of Shades! Does any one know where that country lies? -On what chart is its location shown? Where are its boundary lines, and -what is its extent? - -Many are they who have gone thither—some by land, some by sea—yet none -have returned to tell others of what they have learned. They who once -enter that mysterious land may not hope to depart therefrom, neither -must they send word home to their kindred and friends. They are -thenceforth the subjects of King Tuoni, and must abide forever with -him. - -Is the place very far? Is the road thither a long one? Is it difficult -to find? - -Oh, the distance is great, but all roads lead to that land. You may -arrive there quickly, in a day, in an hour, perhaps even in the -twinkling of an eye—and quite before you expect to do so. You need not -inquire the way nor ask about the road—you cannot fail to find it; and -sooner or later you must walk in it, whether you wish or not. - -The Minstrel’s journey was both long and hard, [E] for he had -undertaken it of his own free will. The road was exceeding rough, and -perils beset him at every step. Dark were the forests through which he -passed; broad and deep were the rivers which he crossed; high and -rugged were the mountains which reared themselves before him. For six -days—yes, for seven painful days he toiled through thickets of thorns; -for seven eventful days he cut his way through a magic wilderness of -hazel; for seven other days he groped through dark hedges of juniper -and tangled masses of wild briars; and then, for three times seven days -he wandered through desert lands and wide wastes of snow where there -was no shelter from the storm and no place to rest his weary feet. - -Three score and ten days, three score and ten nights, were the measure -of his journey; and at length he found himself on the shore of a mighty -river, deep, dark, and sluggish. He looked, and on the farther side he -saw a gray castle and a long white shore, and he knew that it was -Tuoni’s land—the land of silence and of mystery. He walked up and down -the river bank, hoping to find some way to cross, but the water was -everywhere deep, and the current, although sluggish, was everywhere -strong. At length, however, he saw a sort of landing-place, where was a -post for mooring a boat, and at the top of the post was a sign-board -with words painted upon it: - - - FERRY TO TUONELA - - CALL TO THE KEEPER ON THE FARTHER SHORE; - THE KEEPER WILL QUICKLY FERRY YOU O’ER. - - -Wainamoinen stood upon the sand and shouted with all his might: - -“Ho! Keeper of the ferry! Bring thy boat quickly. Here is a traveller -who desires to be carried over the water. Haste thee hither!” - -The unwonted sound of a human voice rolled thunderously across the -river, stirring the sluggish stream to its very depths; it awakened the -echoes in the distant colorless hills of Tuonela, and with deafening -roar broke the silence of ages. - -The water-door of the castle opened, and a dwarfish maiden came forth, -looking inquiringly across the river. Very small she was, but -well-shaped and comely. Her eyes gleamed like lightning and her face -was stern and pitiless. She was the daughter of Tuoni, and to her -belonged the duty of keeping the ferry whereby the shades of mortals -were carried to her father’s kingdom. Sharply, and in shrill, cutting -tones, she answered the call of the Minstrel: - -“Who are you who calls so lustily? Why have you come to this river with -body so strong and active? Tell me truly if you would be ferried to -Tuonela.” - -The Minstrel was old and cunning, and because he feared to tell the -maiden the truth, he answered her with guileful words: “I am a poor -woodsman from the Land of Heroes. Yesterday, as I was felling a tree, -your father, Tuoni, smote me. He smote me and made me his thrall; he -made me his thrall and bade me come hither to his kingdom. This is why -I stand on the shore and call to you so lustily.” - -“You speak falsely!” cried the dwarfish maiden, with anger in her -tones. “If my father had made you his thrall, he would be with you now. -His hat would be on your head and his gloves would be on your hands. -His mark would be on your forehead and your voice would not resound -like thunder upon the water. Tell me who you are, and tell me truly, or -never will I ferry you to Tuonela.” - -But Wainamoinen still trusted in his cunning, and he made up another -guileful story to deceive her. “Perhaps it was not Tuoni who sent me,” -he said. “Now that I think of it, it was Iron who smote me. Sharp Iron, -pitiless Iron in shape of a sword pierced my heart, and I was forced -unwillingly to seek the kingdom of Tuoni. So come, I pray you, and -ferry me over the river.” - -The dwarfish maiden could scarce contain herself for anger. She smote -the air with her fists and shouted, “Now I know that you are a liar! If -Iron had smitten you I would see blood trickling from your wounds; your -face would be scarlet; your hands would be crimson. But there you stand -unscarred, unmarked, with the hue of health upon your cheeks. What do -you hope to gain by trying to deceive me?” - -“Far be it from me to deceive you,” said the artful hero, foolishly and -without judgment. “O daughter of Tuoni, I will tell you the truth! Now -that I think of it, I am quite sure that it was Water that sent me -hither. I was a fisherman, and I sailed too far from the shore. The -deep sea overcame me, and the raging waves seized me, and when my -breath failed me and my strength was gone, Water commanded me to come -quickly to Tuonela. So, hasten, I pray you, and row me over the river.” - -The sharp-eyed daughter of the king was furious. With savage looks and -threatening gestures, she answered the cunning Minstrel: “O foolish -fellow, why do you tell such falsehoods? Do you think that I will -believe you? If the waves had overcome you, if Water had sent you, your -coat would be wringing wet and your wan face would be overspread with -moisture. How, then, do you stand so proudly, your hair dry, your -cheeks glowing, and your clothing untouched by dampness? Tell me the -truth, for you will gain nothing by falsehoods.” - -The foolish Minstrel listened, and his heart grew stubborn. Then he -answered her with flattering words, deeming that thus she would be -pleased and therefore easily deceived. “O lovely keeper of Tuoni’s -ferry, speak not so harshly to a lone, weary, traveller! Never have I -seen such beauty as yours; never have I heard a voice so sweet. And now -I will tell you truly why I have come hither. I am the victim and the -thrall of Fire. Three days ago I was seized by Fire, the elder brother -of Iron. Very roughly did he handle me, and little mercy did he show. -And this is why my clothing is dry and my hair untouched by dampness. -So, sweet lady, hasten to be kind and carry me over the ferry.” - -Tuoni’s daughter trembled now with rage and shame. Her patience was -wellnigh gone, she no longer felt pity for the aged traveller. Yet she -answered him once again and in tones decided and severe: - -“O foolish, foolish fellow!” she said. “If Fire had seized you and sent -you hither, your hair and beard would be singed, your eyebrows would be -scorched, your feet would be blistered. Three falsehoods you have told -me—yes, four barefaced lies you have shouted across the water. Now, -beware that you tell me not another. Speak with clean lips and say -truly why you have come hither with healthy body and with red heart -beating lustily.” - -Then Wainamoinen saw that it was vain to practice deceit with one so -skilled in the ways of life and death. So he answered her truthfully -and half-ashamed: “I pray you, pardon the slippings of my tongue, for -my heart does not lend itself to falsehood. Months ago I began to build -a magic vessel in which to sail the northern seas. With one song I laid -the keel, with another I framed the gunwales, with a third I fastened -the ribs in their places. All my tools, my hammer, my auger, my saw, my -chisels, were words of magic. But, when my work was almost finished, -lo! my tools failed me. Three smooth holes still needed boring, three -strong bolts still needed driving, three broad planks still needed -fastening—and I lacked the three mystic words with which to do these -things. So I have come boldly to Tuonela to borrow the tools which I -desire so greatly—the three lost words that shall make my boat -seaworthy and safe. This, fair maiden, is the truth!” - -“Stupid fellow!” cried Tuoni’s daughter. “You have neither wit nor -wisdom. Have you lived to be an old, old man and yet never learned that -the liar is sure to be discovered? And now that you speak the truth, do -you think that you deserve any favors from me?” - -“I deserve nothing,” answered the Minstrel, humbly, contritely, yet -cunningly. “I only pray you to do me a great, although undeserved, -favor. Come and ferry me over the water.” - -The dwarfish maiden hesitated, standing beside her boat. Then in -half-sad tones, as though in pity, she said, “You do not know what you -ask, foolish hero. Never has any one who came to my father’s palefaced -country returned to home or friends. This river being once crossed by -you, you can never cross again. Turn back while you can, and think not -to visit my father in his strong castle. Hasten away, and seek your own -home and kindred ere it is too late.” - -The Minstrel heeded not her warning; for never yet had he abandoned a -task once begun. - -“I am old,” he said, “and many are the perils I have faced and many the -dangers I have escaped. I am not a woman that I should say, ‘I cannot’; -I am not a coward that I should say, ‘I dare not!’ So, come now, tiny -daughter of Tuoni. Come, and quickly row me over your ferry.” - -The maiden said not another word. She leaped into her boat, she seized -the oars, and with lightning speed she crossed the river. The broad, -flat-bottomed vessel grated against the shore where the Minstrel was -standing; he saw that it was roomy and large, and he stepped quickly -aboard, not looking behind him. Then, instantly, and without sound, ten -thousand shades who had been waiting unseen and intangible on the -shore, glided also into the boat and stood beside him. The tiny maiden -received each one silently, taking note of every mark or sign or other -means of recognition. When all were safely aboard, she again seized the -oars and with swift and sturdy strokes rowed her strong craft across -the stream. - -“Farewell, brave but foolhardy hero!” she said as the boat touched the -farther shore and Wainamoinen leaped out upon the beach. “None but the -prince of wizards could thus have come to Tuonela; and yet there is no -magic strong enough to save you from your doom.” - -But the Minstrel was undaunted. He buckled his girdle about him, and -with long strides hastened toward the great house which he knew must be -King Tuoni’s palace. - -At the door the queen met him and softly welcomed him. “Come in, most -honored of guests!” she said. “Never before has a living hero dared to -cross this threshold.” - -She led him into the broad hall, she seated him on soft cushions, she -threw a mantle of finest cloth over his shoulders. Then she brought him -food and drink, and bade him refresh himself and be joyful. But when he -lifted the covers of the enticing dishes, and when he looked into the -foaming pitchers, what did he see? Vile things in plenty—the poison of -serpents, the spawn of toads, shiny lizards, squirming worms—a medley -of horrors indescribable and foul. - -“I thank you, mighty queen,” the Minstrel said politely, “but my errand -in Tuonela permits neither eating nor drinking. No morsel of food will -I taste until I have made known the business that brings me hither.” - -Then in a few words wisely spoken he told her plainly, truly, the -object of his visit. - -The queen listened, and her ashy-pale face grew paler still and an -unpitying smile overspread her joyless countenance. When he had -finished she answered him briefly and sternly: - -“Truly there are magic words in plenty stored up in Tuoni’s treasure -houses; but they are neither sold nor lent nor yet given away. The king -imparts his knowledge to none; the secrets of his kingdom remain -unknown forever. Rash man! You have come hither uninvited; you shall -not soon depart.” - -Even while she was speaking she began her spells of enchantment. She -waved her wand of slumber and chanted strange runes never heard on this -side of the dark water. Softly, very softly, she began to sing a weird -lullaby—a song of the silent land. And Wainamoinen neither spoke nor -made resistance, but, wrapping his cloak about him, he laid himself -down to sleep on the dread couch of King Tuoni. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -THE HAG OF THE ROCK - - -Silently, stealthily, Tuoni’s queen glided from the room in which the -Minstrel lay asleep. Hastily she went out from the castle, furtively -she glanced backward over her shoulder as though fearful of pursuit. -Down to the river-side she went, nor did she pause or slacken her speed -until she came to a sudden turn in the shore where a huge ledge of rock -jutted far out into the stream. - -An old, old woman, gray-eyed, hook-nosed, wrinkled, was sitting on the -rock and busily spinning. - -“Hail, O Hag of the Rock!” said the queen. “What are you spinning -to-night?” - -“What am I spinning?” answered the Hag. “I am spinning the thread of -many a man’s life. For those who are honest and true and deserving, I -spin joy and honor and length of days; for those who are false and -cruel and selfish, I spin grief and punishment and an early journey to -Tuoni’s kingdom.” - -“Yes, yes, I know!” cried the queen impatiently; “but what kind of -thread do you spin to-night for that rash, foolhardy man who has come -into our kingdom unbidden and before his time?” - -The old woman paused in her spinning; her fingers twitched uneasily, -her thin lips grew thinner still, and her gray eyes shone with -phosphorescent light. Then she asked hoarsely, “Is there such a man?” - -“There is,” answered the queen; “and he sleeps now on Tuoni’s couch, in -the great hall of our dwelling. He is old, his hair is snow-white, -wrinkles are beneath his eyes; yet he is wise and fearless, and his -limbs are strong. He would fain return to his own country, carrying -with him the secrets that none should know save those of Tuoni’s -household.” - -“That he shall never do!” cried the old woman, fiercely, savagely. “No -man, whether hero or slave, shall ever recross our river to tell his -friends and countrymen how matters fare on this side of the stream.” - -“But he is very wise; he possesses many powerful runes; he is master of -many magic spells,” said the queen. “My cunning may detain him for a -while; Tuoni may hold him for a season; but it is not given to us to -destroy him. I would that we might keep him here forever—one hero in -the flesh among a myriad of formless shades!” - -“Leave that to me, sweet queen,” said the spinner soothingly. “I will -hedge him about with prison walls and perils through which he can never -escape. His doom is fixed.” - -Then, without deigning to speak another word, she resumed her spinning. -But the threads were not of the sort she had spun before. She twirled -her spindle to the right, and drew out threads of iron; she twirled it -to the left, and wires of copper, small but exceeding strong, ran -through her fingers; she twirled it upward, downward, and a thousand -coils of twisted metal soon lay in the moonlight beside her. - -Higher up, on the same ledge of rocks, an old wizard was sitting—a -grisly, misshapen creature who, in times long past, had been a -counsellor of kings. This wizard had but one hand, and on it were three -long and crooked fingers, fearful to behold, which he used in weaving -nets. As fast as the Hag of the Rock spun threads of iron, wires of -copper, or coils of twisted metal, he would gather them up and -intertwine them together, making a fabric both pliable and strong. -Thus, in that short silent night of summer, he wove a hundred broad -nets of iron—yes, a thousand small-meshed nets of twisted metal. - -At length the Hag of the Rock cried, “Enough!” and the Wizard of the -Rock ceased his weaving. - -“Now spread your nets cunningly wherever a fish may attempt to swim,” -said the hag. - -So the wizard, with his hard and crooked fingers, stretched them, one -by one, across the river; he stretched them, this way and that, along -the sullen stream; he stretched them all around the gray-peaked island, -the kingdom of Tuoni. Nowhere in the darksome water did he leave an -open space through which a shiny fish could wriggle. How, then, would -it be possible for a living man, a breathing hero, to escape through -this wall of nets so closely woven and so cunningly spread? - - - -By and by the day began to dawn. The sun rose pale and sickly above the -ashy-gray hills, the lonely woodlands, and the empty plains. Its garish -light fell upon the face of the Minstrel and woke him from his slumber. -He sat up and looked around, scarcely remembering where he was. - -How fearful was the silence! How ghost-like seemed the very air! A -dreadful horror seized him, his blood ran cold, his heart seemed -frozen. - -Then suddenly and with great effort he leaped to his feet and fled from -Tuoni’s hall. The gates were open and unguarded, and he ran out into -the fields, into the vast unknown beyond. Terror pursued him, and new -horrors came into view at every moment of his flight. On each side of -the way he beheld yawning chasms filled with yellow flames. From -beneath rocks and from crevices in the earth snakes peeped out, licking -with fiery tongues. From every tree hideous creatures looked down and -grinned at him. - -The wind blew strong and cold, yet made no sound. The trees swayed back -and forth as though rocked by the fiercest of storms, yet there was -silence everywhere. The Minstrel could not hear his own footfalls as he -ran blindly, aimlessly, among traps and snares, and through a -wilderness of perils. At length, however, his tongue was loosened in -prayer; it moved in his mouth, but uttered not even a whisper. - -“O Jumala, the mighty!”—these were the words which the Minstrel tried -to frame. “O Jumala, the mighty! O Jumala, ruler over all! O Jumala, -Jumala! Help me, save me!” - -And Jumala heard where there was no sound; for he led the hero straight -to the river’s bank, he showed him how to avoid every snare, and how to -escape every peril. With the courage of despair, Wainamoinen leaped -into the dark water and swam with hasty, sturdy strokes toward the -shore of safety. He swam not far, however, for the nets of wire rose up -against him—the nets of twisted metal which the three-fingered wizard -had spread to catch him. He tried to avoid them. He turned this way and -that, he dived into the black depths of the stream, he sought -everywhere for an opening through which he might pass. But the meshes -were fine; the nets were laid close together; there seemed to be no way -of escape. - -Again he called upon Jumala the mighty; and then he bethought him of -all the magic he had practised erstwhile in the Land of Heroes. His -voice came to him, and he muttered a spell of enchantment; he recited -the runes which no other wizard knew; in the midst of the whelming -waters he cried aloud and sang weird songs to charm the evil powers -that were seeking to entrap and destroy him. - -The old net weaver, the three-fingered wizard, heard him and came -swimming out into the sluggish stream; with his gaunt and hideous -fingers he seized one net after another and tore the meshes apart; he -made a way between the wires through which the Minstrel might squeeze -his by no means slender body. - -Why did the grim Wizard of the Rock thus undo his own work? In the -spells and songs which Wainamoinen uttered, the maker of nets had found -his master; the power of magic had overcome him; naught could he do but -obey the will of the mighty Minstrel. - -And the Minstrel was glad when he saw that his enchantment had worked -his deliverance. He uttered still another magic spell, and suddenly his -body became slender and sinuous like that of an eel or water-serpent. -Then, with ease and quickness, he squirmed and glided, this way, that -way, through the broken meshes and between the nets so cunningly -spread. Across the broad stream he labored; through a thousand narrow -holes he squeezed and clambered; and, at length, wearied exceedingly, -he reached the shore of safety and climbed panting upon the dry, warm, -throbbing land of the living. - -“O Jumala, I thank thee!” he cried. “Grant, mighty Jumala, that no -other man shall be so rash, so foolhardy, as I have been. Grant that no -other hero may ever see the sights that I have seen, or feel the fear -that I have felt. Not for gold, nor for power, nor for lost words of -magic, should any mortal dare to trespass upon the forbidden realms of -King Tuoni.” - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -THE HERO’S RETURN - - -It was midwinter in Wainola, and the shortest day of the year. The sun -had not been able to rise above the horizon and short was the interval -between night and night. The North Wind came hurtling over the sea, -carrying the storm spirit in his arms. He buried the earth in snow and -filled the air with blinding frost. He roared on the hill-tops, and -shrieked in the tree-tops, and threatened to overwhelm everything that -stood in his way. - -But, safely sheltered in their low-roofed dwellings, the villagers -thought but little of the turmoil out-of-doors. They sat gossiping and -nodding beside their cheerful hearth-fires, and were glad that their -lives had been cast in the pleasant Land of Heroes. To sleep, to eat, -to rejoice together in the hour that was their own—this, to them, was -the sum of all happiness—and this, too, is wisdom. - -Suddenly, far down the snow-drifted road, a sound was heard which was -not the noise of the wind, a cry was heard which was not the voice of -the storm spirit. It was repeated again and again, each time a little -nearer. Men heard it and ran to their doors to look out and listen. -Women left off their knitting, they forgot their baking, and peered out -wonderingly, into the gloomy twilight. Again the call was heard. It was -the call of a human voice; but by whom was it uttered? Was it the cry -of a stranger, or was it the shout of a home-coming hero? - -Presently, some of the watchers saw in the distance a dim figure -battling with the storm, struggling through the heaped-up snowdrifts. -Friend or stranger, it mattered not, this man needed help. A dozen -heroes ran forward to save him, a dozen strong arms were stretched out -to succor him—and lo! to the wonder and joy of all, they perceived that -it was Wainamoinen, their honored neighbor, their best-loved -countryman. His face was haggard and worn, and his body was bent with -weariness from long journeying and much buffeting with the storm. - -“O sweetest of singers! Is this indeed you?” cried his rescuing -friends. - -He could answer them not a word, so feeble had he become; his eyes grew -suddenly dim, and he fainted away in their arms. - -They lifted him gently; they carried him to Ilmarinen’s dwelling and -laid him on his own bed. There the master Smith and his mother, Dame -Lokka, did all that they could for his comfort. They covered him with -soft robes, they wrapped his half-frozen feet in warm flannels and -chafed his icy hands between their own cheer-giving palms. Then, as he -gradually came to himself, the good matron brought him that which would -satisfy his hunger. She fed him warm milk of the reindeer, food most -nourishing; soups and gruels she also gave him till his strength -revived. All this and more did these kind people do for the returning -hero—gave him rest and quiet, asking no questions, saying nothing, -suffering no one to disturb him. - -On the third day the poor man rose and sat in his old accustomed seat -by the fire—he seemed quite well and strong. Then the neighbors flocked -in to see him. They came by twos and threes—men, women, and -children—and each one brought him some gift to cheer him in his -illness. - -“Why did you leave us, O best of singers?” they asked. “We have missed -you sadly, and great was our fear that we should never see you again.” - -“O my friends,” answered the hero, “it is only through Jumala’s -goodness that I am here! For surely I have been in dreadful places, I -have seen dreadful sights, I have suffered dreadful hardships.” - -“Tell us about it,” cried both men and women. “Tell us of the dreadful -places in which you have been. It will ease your mind and make you -stronger.” - -“My friends,” then answered the Minstrel, “I have been to the land of -Tuonela. Oh, whisper not that name, breathe it not to your children or -to one another! For it is a land indescribable, full of terrors, full -of fearful creatures. Many heroes have gone unwittingly to Tuoni’s -kingdom, but none have ever returned. O my friends, pray now to Jumala, -the almighty! Pray that the day may be far away when you shall cross -the dark river into that unnamable region.” - -He could say no more. His friendly neighbors saw how sadly the memory -of his journey distressed him, and they asked no more questions. They -talked of the storm, of their household affairs, of their children, of -Ilmarinen’s latest work in smithing; and all thoughts of the dark river -and Tuoni’s kingdom were banished from their minds. - -Days passed, and strength returned to the hero minstrel. Soon all his -ancient courage came to him again, and the happy habits of by-gone days -were resumed. Again he sat with the master Smith through the evening -hours, and pleasantly discussed the charms of the Maid of Beauty; again -in every dwelling he was a welcome visitor, and his voice was heard -singing the sweet songs of the older times; and again the children of -the village clustered round him to listen to his words of wisdom and to -be taught the lore of the ancients. - -“Now, every child of Hero Land, listen to me,” he would say. “Here are -five rules for you to remember—yes, six which you must write down in -your hearts and never, no, never, forget: - - - Honor father, honor mother; - Kindly bear with one another; - Help the helpless, cheer the friendless; - Let your deeds of love be endless; - Cheat your trusting neighbor never; - Speak the truth, and speak it ever. - - -Obey these rules, my children, and you will be happy. And when the time -comes for you to cross the dark river you need have no fears of King -Tuoni, for messengers of light will lead you into the valley of rest -prepared for the good and the true. Pray earnestly to Jumala to help -you.” - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -THE WISDOM KEEPER - - -At length the South Wind came again and stripped the earth of its white -snow mantle. The wild geese returned to their old haunts in the -sheltered inlets and reedy streams, and the voice of the cuckoo was -heard in the groves of poplar. Joyful then were the voices of the -children as they sought for the first wildflowers in the woods, and -jocund were the songs of maid and matron as they bustled hither and -thither, caring for the house, caring for the garden, caring for the -lambs and the young reindeer. - -Very early one morning, the Minstrel went out secretly to the place -where he had sought to build his magic boat. There, high on the shore, -the unfinished vessel lay, its hull of oakwood smooth and flawless, its -prow of copper gleaming in the sunlight. Only three things were lacking -to make it ready for the launching—three magic strokes to drive the -three bolts that would fasten the three planks which still hung loose -at the bottom of the hull. The Minstrel looked at the fair boat -steadfastly; he viewed it from this side and from that, and then hot -tears came into his eyes and trickled down upon his beard. He threw -himself headlong upon the ground, and groaned with anguish. - -“Ah, my beautiful, my beautiful one!” he murmured. “Who would believe -that for the lack of only three words thou shouldst lie here forever, -unnoticed, unfinished, forgotten? Alas! I shall never see thee skimming -over the waves; thou wilt never carry me to Pohyola’s dreary shores; -thou wilt never bring the Maid of Beauty hither to be the queen of my -house and the joy of my heart!” - -Suddenly he sprang up, startled by a voice. He looked around him, and, -half hidden among the brushwood, he saw the dwarfish earth man, Sampsa, -standing with cap in hand, his small eyes twinkling. - -“Master, why do you grieve so sorely?” asked the little planter of the -forests. - -“O friend and gentle helper,” answered Wainamoinen, “I grieve for the -lack of three words with which to finish my magic vessel. Do you know -where they are? Can you tell me how to find them?” - -The little man came out of the brushwood and stood on the sand beside -the unfinished boat. He pointed with his right hand towards the forest -and the blue hills beyond it, and spoke in low, half-whispered tones as -if revealing a forbidden secret: - -“Far away, near at hand, in his own large realm of mystery, lies the -giant Wipunen, the Wisdom Keeper, whom men sometimes call Nature. He is -wiser than all wizards and stronger than all strong men. From him you -may learn a hundred wisdom words—yes, a thousand volumes of wisdom -words—if you will only do that which is required to earn such great -knowledge. Go, find him and ask him for what you need.” - -“But how shall I go, not knowing the road? Where is he to be found?” - -“The footpath to his kingdom is a magic highway,” said the earth man. -“It lies deep, deep in the forest, and you must travel far upon it. -First, you must walk long leagues upon the points of needles. Then your -feet must press upon the sharpened blades of a thousand swords. Lastly, -you must pick your way between the points of glistening spears and the -edges of gleaming battle-axes. Have you the courage to undertake the -journey?” - -“Courage!” cried the Minstrel. “Did I not once venture even to cross -the dark river that divides our world from Tuoni’s kingdom? Why should -I talk of courage?” - -“But Wipunen will not tell you his secrets willingly,” said the dwarf. -“You must overcome him in fair battle, and then he will whisper sweet -words of magic into your ear. If you fail in the contest your life will -be forfeited. Will you take the risk?” - -“Trust me for that,” said the Minstrel fearlessly. Then he thanked the -earth man heartily for his counsel, and with hopeful steps hastened to -the smithy where Ilmarinen was toiling beside his flaming forge. - -“Friend and brother,” he said, breathing fast with eagerness, “I have -come to ask your help. I am going on a journey to find some lost words -that are very necessary to a minstrel. I am going to seek the mighty -giant, even Wipunen, the all-knowing. He it is who understands every -secret and who keeps the key to all the mysteries of earth and sky. I -doubt not but I may obtain the words from him.” - -“You need not travel far,” answered the Smith. “Wipunen the giant lies -all around us, under us, above us. He dwells in the fields, he rests in -the forests, he sings in the brooks, he abides in the deep sea. You are -a wise man, my brother. It is strange that you should have lived so -long without becoming acquainted with this mighty power.” - -“Nay, nay!” cried Wainamoinen impatiently. “The Wipunen that I seek -dwells in his own kingdom, far from the haunts of men. I know him, and -I know of the footpaths which lead to his distant abode. Waste no more -time in idle talking. Ask me no questions; but if you love me make for -me the things I must have for my journey. Make two shoes of iron for my -feet, and a pair of copper gloves for my hands, and a slender spear of -strongest metal to be my weapon. Do this for me promptly, quickly, for -I am impatient to be gone.” - -Ilmarinen answered not a word, but hastened to obey. He heaped fresh -fuel upon his fire and turned again to his bellows and his forge. All -that day and all that night the smoke rolled black from the smithy -chimney, and the hammer and anvil sang continuously their sweetest -song. And lo! at sunrise time on the second day the work was done. - -“Here, my dearest brother, are the shoes, the gloves, and the slender -spear—the best that were ever made,” said the Smith. “Take them, and -may they speed you on your way!” - -The Minstrel thanked him; and when he had donned his strange armor of -iron and copper he started on his perilous journey. With the aid of -Sampsa, the forest planter, he found the footpath to Wipunen’s kingdom. -Narrow indeed it was, and crooked, and intricate; but for one whole -day—yes, for two days and even three—he followed it, never swerving. On -the fourth day, he ran for leagues upon the sharpened points of -needles; but his shoes of iron protected him. On the fifth day he -toiled over the upturned edges of mighty swords; but his gloves of -copper turned them aside that they did him no harm. On the sixth day he -dodged one way then another to escape the cruel points of spears and -the gleaming blades of battle-axes. And lo! on the seventh day, he came -suddenly upon the great giant himself, lying prone upon the earth amid -the vast, eternal solitudes—lying prone upon the earth and gazing -upward into the solemn sky and the unmeasured depths of infinity. - -Old, yes older than all other things, was this mighty Wipunen, the -Wisdom Keeper, the guardian of the world’s secrets. On each of his -shoulders an aspen tree was growing; his eyebrows were groves of -birches; willow bushes formed his matted beard. His eyes were two -crystal lakes of wondrous depth and clearness. His mouth was a yawning -cavern flanked by teeth of whitest marble. And from his nostrils came a -sweetness like that of the gentle South Wind after it has passed over -vast gardens of early violets. - -Filled with wonder and awe, the Minstrel drew nearer. Then he saw that -in one of the giant’s hands was a casket wherein were contained the -magic songs of all the ages, while in the other lay the golden key to -the mystic house of knowledge. He peered into the half open, cavernous -mouth of Wipunen, and lo! on the tip of his tongue were the wisdom -words of every people and clime. - -“Rise, O master of magicians!” cried Wainamoinen, boldly, loudly. -“Rise, O fountain of knowledge! Make me a partaker of your wisdom. Give -me I pray you three words of magic power—three words that I lack and -greatly desire.” - -But the giant heeded not. He lay motionless and silent, gazing -steadfastly into the heavens and framing new thoughts of beauty and -power to add to the treasures of wisdom that were in his keeping. - -Then the Minstrel grew impatient and shouted his prayer still louder. -He raised the sharp spear which Ilmarinen had fashioned, and struck the -giant fiercely, forcibly. He struck him in the side, not once only, but -twice—yes, nine times, ten times—without fear or pity. With the tenth -stroke the Wisdom Keeper quivered and turned his head and, in tones -mightier than thunder, began to sing. - -He sang of the birds and the flowers, of the vast forest and the -eternal hills, of the boundless sea and of still waters in sunny -places. He sang of the heroes and the wise men of ancient days; he sang -of youth and age, of good and evil, of life and death. Then he raised -his voice still higher, and the music of his words was echoed from the -four corners of the sky. He sang of the creation: how the earth arose -in the midst of the waters; how the forests were planted and the -wildflowers were taught to bloom; how the monsters of land and sea and -the timid creatures of the fields and woods were given life; and lastly -how the sky was shaped and the sun and moon and twinkling stars were -set in their places. - -All day, from dawn till evening twilight, and all night, from darkness -till morning sunlight, the mighty Wipunen sang without ceasing. For two -whole days—yes, for three long summer days—his singing continued. And -such was the spell of his song that the moon stood still and listened, -the stars danced in the northern sky, and the deep sea hushed its -murmuring. Never before had such music been heard, never since has any -song been sung that equalled it, and never so long as the world endures -shall man again listen to words so sweet or to harmonies so divine. - -And Wainamoinen? He sat entranced by the side of the mighty singer and -laid each word of song deep down in the treasury of his memory. He -learned not only the three wisdom words which he had sought so -zealously, but a thousand others of rare beauty and splendid power. - -“O mighty master!” he cried, when at length the singing ceased. “O -matchless giant of the solitudes! I have found what I desired, I have -received priceless gifts of which I never dreamed. Lie still now and -rest again in the silent loneliness of your chosen kingdom. Rest till -some other eager, earnest, querying learner shall venture hither in -quest of wisdom. I give you thanks, thanks, thanks; for well I know -that you desire no other fee. Farewell!” - -Then, without more ado, he hastened homeward through the forest. -Swiftly as a red deer when chased by wolves, swiftly as a sparrow on -the wing, he glided over hills and marsh lands till at last he came -again to Wainola and the smithy of Ilmarinen. - -“Welcome, welcome, daring brother!” cried the master Smith. “Did you -find the Wisdom Keeper in his own mysterious abode? Have you learned -the three lost words so necessary to your business?” - -“Yes, yes, dear comrade!” answered the joyful Minstrel. “Not only three -words have I learned, but a hundred; and a thousand wonderful secrets -do I know—secrets which the master of knowledge whispered in my ear.” - -“How fortunate you are!” said the master Smith, “and your good fortune -shall be ours also; for I know that we shall soon hear some wonderful -new songs from your lips. Perhaps, also, you will tell us all about -those strange bits of wisdom which you have acquired from the mighty -keeper.” - -“Perhaps!” answered the Minstrel. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -THE LAUNCHING - - -All night long the Minstrel lay open-eyed upon his bed, sleepless and -alert. He called to mind all the wisdom words that he had learned from -great Wipunen; he repeated them softly, one by one, and his heart -swelled with pride when he thought of the power he had gained by -listening to the song of wisdom. Then he thought of his neglected boat, -lying high upon the shore and waiting for the finishing touches which -he was now prepared to give. And when he remembered his object in -building it he chuckled to himself, feeling that finally there was -nothing to prevent the carrying out of the plans which he had cherished -so long and so earnestly. Yes! he would finish the magic vessel, and he -would sail forthwith to the Frozen Land and win the Maid of Beauty for -his queen! - -Very early in the morning he arose. The swallows under the eaves had -not yet begun to twitter at the approach of day. The cuckoo was silent -in her nest, and the cattle were slumbering in their paddock. Scarcely -was there a tinge of yellow in the eastern sky—the day was so young. - -The Minstrel rose quietly and stole out of the house very cautiously—so -cautiously that the dogs who were sleeping by the doorway were not -aroused. Hastily he made his way to the seashore, the day growing -brighter with every step. Impatiently he ran to the secret spot where -his magic boat was lying. - -“O little ship, so stanch, so strong!” he cried. “You shall no longer -lie there unfinished and useless. Soon you shall float on the waves, -the South Wind will caress you, the deep sea will welcome you.” - -He walked slowly around the little vessel, looking at it lovingly from -every side. Three times he walked around it, three times he drew a -magic circle about it. Then, slowly and in commanding tones, he uttered -the three words of power which he had learned at so great cost of time -and trouble. Three times he pronounced them, and immediately the three -holes were bored, the three bolts were fitted therein, and the three -last planks were fastened in their proper places: the hull was -finished, the boat was water-tight and seaworthy. - -The Minstrel looked at his finished work and was pleased—but he was not -yet satisfied. The hull was bare and unadorned, the copper prow was -rough and unshapely, the deck was uneven and uninviting. The boat as a -whole was not beautiful. - -“O little ship,” he said, “wherefore are you so crude, so rough, so -ill-finished? Do you think that I know only three words of magic? I -know a hundred—yes, I have a thousand which I caught as they fell from -the tongue of Wipunen, the mighty master. You shall hear some of them -and profit by them.” - -Thereupon he began to sing one of the strange, weird, wonderful songs -that he had learned from the Wisdom Keeper; and as he sang, strange -changes came over the magic vessel. First, the prow was overlaid with -sunbright gold and its forward part was beautifully carved and shaped -into the form of a swan with outspread wings. Then the deck was covered -with plates of shining silver ornamented with figures of birds and -beasts and little fishes. Finally, the broad, well-shaped hull and the -gunwales, fore and aft, were painted in bright colors—blue and yellow -and scarlet—and the slender mast was coated with snow-white enamel. And -now, like a queen clad in her gorgeous robes, the little vessel sat -upon the sandy beach and smiled at the morning sun and the rippling -waves of the sea. She looked so beautiful, so grand, that the Minstrel -clapped his hands and shouted for excess of joy, and the songs and -words of the mighty Wipunen fell faster and louder from his lips. - -Very earnestly did the Minstrel sing, and gradually his tones became -sweeter and lower and more persuasive, like the murmuring of the waters -on a peaceful summer morning. The song was of the sea, it seemed to -come from the sea. It was as if the waves were calling gently, ever so -gently, to the little vessel waiting on the shore: - - - “Come, come, O magic boat, - Come, and on the billows float! - Come to the wrinkled sea and glide - With swiftness o’er its rolling tide.” - - -Soon there was a sound of creaking, rumbling, scraping—a sound not -loud, but distinct and growing stronger. Then, gracefully and with -dignity, like a princess on her wedding day, the little ship glided -across the shelving beach and in another moment was floating lightly, -smoothly, nobly upon the water. - -The Minstrel, still singing and still reciting his magic spells, had -already climbed upon the deck. He now lifted the mast in its place; he -hoisted the sails—one red and one blue—and spread them to the winds. -Gracefully and proudly, like a great swan on some quiet lake, the -little vessel glided away from the shore and was soon moving swiftly -along the borders of the boundless sea. Wainamoinen sat down at the -stern, and with his long oar guided her northward, never losing sight -of the land, never going far from the shore. As the magic boat speeded -onward, cutting the waves with its gilded prow and dashing the white -spray to left and right, the Minstrel’s heart glowed with joy and -pride. He lifted up his voice and sang a prayerful song to the mighty -powers into whose keeping he had ventured to intrust himself. - - - “O great Jumala let thy arm - Protect this little ship from harm; - Make its weak captain brave and strong, - And listen to his humble song. - - “Sweet South Wind, whispering soft and low, - Come fill these sails and gently blow— - Breathe mildly while the storm winds sleep, - And waft us swiftly o’er the deep. - - “O restless Waves, be kind, I pray - To this small craft while on its way; - Drive it along with gentle force, - Let nothing swerve it from its course.” - - -Thus did the Minstrel sing as he sat at the boat’s stern and guided it -along its watery path. The sea was calm; the waves were sleeping; the -winds breathed very softly on the sails of red and blue. The fairy -vessel glided onward, steadily, proudly, towards its goal in the -distant North. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -THE MAID OF THE MORNING - - -The voyage was scarcely begun. Close on the starboard side appeared the -headland of Wainola; directly in front lay the bar, a long, narrow, -pebbly beach, jutting far out into the deep sea. Like an old and -skilled seaman, the Minstrel suddenly changed his vessel’s course, -veering sharply towards the west in order to pass round the low-lying -barrier. But, just as the boat was gliding through the shallow water -near the end of the bar, the wind ceased blowing. The sails hung -useless from the mast; not a breath of air was stirring; scarcely a -ripple could be seen on the face of the sea. The fairy vessel -hesitated, then stopped stock-still not forty paces from dry land. - -Was the South Wind angry? Why should she treat the prince of minstrels -in this ungrateful manner? But Wainamoinen did not stop to argue; he -was too wise to find fault with wind and weather. He looked on this -side of the little ship—nothing but water, growing deeper and deeper -and stretching away and away to the blue horizon. He looked on that -side—the shallow water, the narrow bar, and beyond it the great -northern sea and the winding shore which marked the way to the Frozen -Land. Then quickly he seized his other oar, and thrust it out over the -gunwales. - -He was preparing to row the boat around the bar, when suddenly he was -startled by hearing his name called, not harshly, but in tones of -friendship and inquiry. He looked up. His face grew red with confusion, -his lips trembled with vexation; for, right before his eyes, he saw one -whom he by no means wished to see. - -Midway between the boat and the sandy, pebbly bar a maiden was standing -knee-deep in the quiet water. Her head was bare, save for the long, -dark tresses that fell in profusion over her shoulders and dipped their -ends into the wavelets that were playing modestly above her bare white -ankles. Her cheeks were red—red as the dawn of a summer day. Her eyes -were dark—dark as the midnight hour in winter. One of her fair hands -was raised to shade her face from the glaring noonday sun; in the other -she held a bundle of long silken ribbons which she had been washing in -the sea. - -“O Wainamoinen!” called the maiden. “O hero of the sea, do you know -me?” - -“Truly do I know you,” answered the Minstrel; and, pulling in his oar, -he dropped it with a crash upon the deck. “You are Anniki, the maid of -the morning. You are the sister of my dearest friend, the master Smith. -It was only yesterday that we sat together at the table of your good -mother, Dame Lokka. So, why should I not know you?” - -“Well,” said the maiden, and she laughed while speaking, “memories are -sometimes short, and even a minstrel may forget. Aren’t you glad to see -me?” - -“Indeed, your face should make the surliest of men happy,” answered the -gallant Minstrel; “but, tell me, what errand has brought you hither? -Why are you here, so far from home and all alone?” - -“Oh, this is our wash day,” laughed Anniki, and she danced in the water -until the white bubbles floated all around her. “See these ribbons that -I have just cleaned. See the clothes that are spread on the sandy beach -to dry. There are still others hanging on the bushes a little way up -the shore. Don’t you think that I am in-dus-tri-ous?” - -“Surely, Anniki; and you deserve to be the wife of an industrious man. -I wonder how any maiden can do so much washing in one short morning.” - -“Well, I get up early,” said the maiden, pirouetting in the shallow -water. “I was here at the break of day, and not a minute have I been -idle since. But now my work is done and I’m going to play. Tra-la-la!” - -The Minstrel stood on the deck of his becalmed and motionless ship and -looked at her. His face betrayed both wonder and vexation, and he -muttered to himself: “She is a witch and I know it. She has done more -than wash clothes. It is she that has lulled the South Wind to sleep -and halted my voyage at its very beginning. She will spoil all my -plans.” - -Suddenly Anniki paused in the midst of her dancing and cried out, “O -Wainamoinen! Where are you going in that fine boat?” - -The Minstrel frowned, he pursed his lips, vexation filled his heart. -Then he answered curtly, “I am going around to the great north bay to -fish for salmon.” - -Anniki shrieked with laughter. “Do you think I’ll believe that story?” -she said. “I know something about salmon fishing. Father and -grandfather used to go out often in the season for catching such fish. -Their boat was a plain one—no golden prow nor silver-plated deck nor -rainbow-colored sail. It was full of nets and snares and other tackle. -The decks were littered with poles and lines and fishing spears. The -smell of fish filled the vessel and floated thick in the air around it. -Oh, I know something about salmon fishing!” - -Then she danced another gleeful dance, splashing the water over herself -and over the Minstrel, and making little waves that rocked the fairy -boat to and fro but did not stir it from its place. At length, growing -tired, she spoke again: - -“O Wainamoinen! Everybody says that you are wise and truthful. Now tell -me truly, where are you going in that beautiful boat?” - -“I am on my way to the quiet inlets of yonder northern shore,” said the -cunning Minstrel. “In those pleasant waters many wild geese abound, and -there they build their nests and rear their young. It is fine sport to -lay traps for those red-beaked waterfowl, and better still to shoot -them on the wing. I hope to fill my boat with the fat fellows, to carry -a thousand home for winter eating.” - -“’Tis no such thing!” cried the maiden angrily, and she beat the water -with her feet until the sea seemed boiling around her. “Why, I know -something about goose hunting. Father and grandfather used to go out -often in the wild-goose season. Then their long bows stood ready, -tight-strung, at the prow of their swift rowboat. They kept a fine bird -dog always tethered at the stern, and three or four puppy dogs ran -whining about the deck. But where are your dogs, and where is your long -bow? If you are wise and truthful, don’t be foolish. I know you are not -going to hunt wild geese.” - -“Perhaps not,” answered the Minstrel, growing somewhat ashamed; -“perhaps I am going after larger game. In the North a war is raging, -the strong are oppressing the weak, as is usual in wars. I am sailing -thitherward, hoping to do my part in the struggle and to lend my aid to -those who deserve it most. The wild geese that I shall capture are the -foes that I shall overcome in battle.” - -“’Tis no such thing!” again cried the impatient Anniki. “Why, I know -something about war and battle. Father used to go out to fight for -friends and country, to help the weak and worry the strong. He went in -a large ship which required a hundred men to row it. A thousand men -stood beside him, fully armed. Their shields hung all round the hull of -the mighty vessel and a black dragon floated from the masthead. Their -sword-blades clanged against each other and glittered in the morning -light, and their winged helmets were like golden birds of victory -resting on their brows. Oh, yes, Wainamoinen, I know something about -war and battle, and you are not going on any fighting errand, I’m sure. -You have in mind some trick of cunning, and you shall sail no farther -in your pretty boat until you tell me truly what that trick is.” - -The wary Wainamoinen was too proud to be outwitted by a simple maiden, -and so he tried another subterfuge. He answered her gently, -persuasively, and his words were full of guile: “O wise and beautiful -maid of the morning, I have been speaking to you in riddles, trusting -that you would understand their secret meaning. Fain would I make -everything clear, but I dare not tell it to you where you stand: the -fishes would hear me and carry the secret to every corner of the sea; -the birds would hear me and convey the news to every land under the -sun.” - -“Then speak out, and be famous,” said Anniki disdainfully. - -“Nay, nay, dear sister! I would whisper it in your ear. The water is -not deep, so wade out hither and sit by my side on this shining, -silvery deck, and I will tell you the plain truth and a wonderful -secret. I know your power, Anniki. I know that you have chained the -winds so that they will carry me no farther on my voyage until you have -learned what you wish. So why should I try to deceive you? Come hither -and see the treasures that I have in my boat, and listen to a wonderful -story.” - -The maiden retreated to the shore, splashing the water angrily at every -step. When she reached the dry sand she turned and looked back at the -puzzled hero and his little ship. Then she raised both her hands -skyward and cried out, “Yes, the winds are mine and they obey me. If -you try again to deceive me, I will command the East Wind to fall upon -your pretty vessel and sink it in the sea. If you fail to tell me the -truth, I will cause the waves to rise up and swallow you! Do you hear?” - -Great and powerful wizard though he was, the Minstrel felt himself -helpless before this slender girl. He was conquered, and well he knew -the folly of trying further to deceive her. So, speaking softly, -gently, as becomes a vanquished hero, he proposed this modest bargain: -“If I tell you where I am going and for what purpose, will you promise -to waken the South Wind that he may drive my ship forward on its -perilous voyage?” - -“Yes, yes, friend Wainamoinen,” answered Anniki, very generous as -becomes a conqueror. “You shall have a fair wind and a smooth sea and -my best wishes to the end of your adventure.” - -“Listen, then,” said the Minstrel. “This little vessel is a magic boat, -built of strange runes and words of wisdom. On it I am hoping to sail -to that distant, dismal country of which you have often heard me -talk—to Pohyola, the Frozen Land, where wild men live under the ground -and eat each other. My errand thither is to woo the Maid of Beauty and -bring her, willy-nilly, to the Land of Heroes where she shall be the -mistress of my dwelling and the joy of my heart——” - -“Does my brother know about it?” asked Anniki, open-eyed, anxious, -still suspicious. “Did you tell Ilmarinen about your plans?” - -“I told no one,” answered the Minstrel; “neither must you do so, -Anniki, for this is a secret voyage and if any person should learn why -I have undertaken it, all will come to naught.” - -“Take care of your boat! The South Wind is awake!” cried Anniki, and -the next moment she was running to the mainland with the speed of a -deer. Her washing was left behind, where she had spread the pieces to -dry; her ribbons were scattered upon the sand; even her shoes were -forgotten, so hasty was her flight. Before the astonished Minstrel -could think of anything to say, yes, before he could call to mind a -single magic word, she had reached the higher ground and was lost to -sight among the stunted pines and cedars. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -THE UNEXPECTED JOURNEY - - -In his smoky smithy Ilmarinen was toiling alone, fashioning crude bits -of metal into forms most delicate and beautiful. His face and arms were -begrimed with sweat and black soot, his eyebrows were gray with ashes, -his shoulders and head were besprinkled with dust and flaky cinders. -Like a weird elf, or some uncanny dweller in the underworld, he stood -in the lurid light of his forge and deftly wielded his heavy hammer. -His bellows roared and his anvil tinkled sweet music, and a song burst -from his lips as he welded and wrought and gave shape to wonderful -things. - -So busy, indeed, was the master Smith that he heard nothing, saw -nothing, thought of nothing, save the work which he had in hand; -therefore, when his sister Anniki came suddenly to the outer door and -called to him, he did not hear her. - -“Ilmarinen, dearest brother!” she repeated. But the Smith, invisible in -the midst of the smoke, did not hear her. He kept on singing and -hammering and blowing his bellows, altogether forgetful of everything -save the work in hand. - -Anniki called a third time, a fourth, “Ilmarinen! O Ilmarinen!” But the -hammer continued to strike, the anvil kept on singing, the fire in the -forge flamed higher, and there was no pause in the Smith’s sweet -singing. His thoughts were centred on the trinket he was forging and -shaping, but his song was of a maiden in a far-away land. - -Anniki called a fifth time. Then, losing patience, she ran through the -thick of the smoke and seized her brother’s arm just as he was taking a -fresh bit of glowing metal from the fire. - -“Ho! little sister of the morning!” he cried in surprise. “What now? -Have you finished your washing? Have you brought me something from the -shore?” - -“Yes, yes, dear brother!” she answered, still breathless from running -and excitement. “I’ve brought you a great secret. What’ll you give me -for it? It’s about Wainamoinen and the Maid of Beauty. Would you like -me to tell it to you?” - -“Well, if it’s anything important I will listen,” said Ilmarinen. “So, -out with it quickly, before this piece of metal gets cold. Tell me your -wonderful secret.” - -“Oh, but it is too important to give away,” said his sister. “It -concerns you, and the Maid of Beauty, and the Frozen Land, and the -Sampo, and, and—Well, wouldn’t you like to know what it is?” - -“Tell me all about it, Anniki.” - -“What will you give me if I do?” - -“A kiss, dear sister.” - -“Bah! kisses are for lovers. Will you make me a finger ring?” - -“I will make you a dozen.” - -“Of gold?” - -“No, of iron.” - -“Fie, fie! None of your jesting;” and Anniki stamped her foot angrily, -while she gave her brother a look which told him more plainly than -words that this was no unimportant matter. “I tell you that the Maid of -Beauty is in great danger. Now, if you wish to know more you must make -me a gold ring—yes, six gold rings to grace my pretty fingers.” - -Pouting and haughty, she turned as if going away; but Ilmarinen held -her by the hand. - -“You shall have the six gold rings, my sister,” he said—“yes, I will -make you seven this very day.” - -“And four or five pretty girdles inlaid with silver?” - -“Oh, certainly, Anniki—anything that you wish. But make haste and tell -me the secret.” - -“Will you make me a pair of gold earrings with blue stones in them?” - -“If your secret is worth so much.” - -“And a brooch of woven silver?” - -“I will make it.” - -“And a golden comb for my hair?” - -“I promise it.” - -“Then, if you will surely keep your promise, I will tell you all that I -know, and tell you truly. Is it a bargain?” - -Ilmarinen looked down into his sister’s dark eyes and answered, “If -what you tell me is worth anything I will give you all that you have -asked for—finger rings, earrings, brooch, comb, and five or six -beautiful girdles. If you are fooling me, you shall have no trinket nor -ring nor precious jewel—for I will teach you not to hinder me with -trifles.” - -“I bring you no trifles,” said Anniki; “and I shall hold you to your -promise.” - -Then, in a few words plainly spoken, she told her brother all that she -had seen and heard that morning. She told him of the Minstrel’s magic -boat, and of the voyage which he had planned, and of his cunning scheme -to gain possession of the Maid of Beauty. “And now, brother,” she -added, “why do you toil here in the smoke and the heat while your false -friend is hurrying northward to rob you of the treasure that ought to -be your own?” - -“He shall not rob me,” said the Smith coolly, earnestly. Then he heaped -more fuel upon his fire and blew his bellows till the flames leaped up -to the roof of his smithy. “Anniki, your news is worth the price. I -will fashion the pretty girdles for you, I will make the rings and the -earrings and the brooch and the comb, and I will bring them all to you -before the sun goes down.” - -“That’s a good brother!” cried the maiden. “I knew you would do it. Now -I am sure that a great resolve is in your heart, and you will do -something worthy of your name and fame. How can I help you?” - -“Hasten home and heat the bath house for me,” answered Ilmarinen. “Heap -the wood around the big bath-stones; put plenty of dry kindlings -underneath, then lay hot coals around and make a roaring fire. Fetch -water and fill the pails and the tubs, for I shall need not a little of -it. Make a handful of soap, for nothing else will cleanse my smoky, -grimy visage. Get everything ready, and tell mother that I am going on -a long journey.” - -“Yes, brother,” said Anniki. “I know what is in your mind, and -everything shall be done as you desire;” and then with hasty steps, -smiling and proud, she ran out of the smithy and hurried to her -mother’s house in the village. - -“Mother!” she cried, “Ilmarinen is coming home early to-day. I think he -must be going on a journey, for he wishes to take a bath.” - -“Well then, my daughter,” said good Dame Lokka, “it is for you to make -the bath house ready. Put plenty of wood around the bath-stones and -build a roaring fire. See that the water is ready, and put everything -needful in the right place. And you should see that his clothes are -mended and brushed and fit for him to wear.” - -“Yes, mother!” answered the dutiful maiden. - -Anniki ran into the forest and gathered armloads of pine-knots, dry and -resinous and impatient to be burned. She carried them into the bath -house and heaped them up on the big hearth; she brought hot coals from -the kitchen and made a roaring fire. She filled the pails and the great -kettles with water. She placed the bath-stones where they would heat -the quickest. She dipped some sprigs of white birches in wild honey and -threw them into the water. Then she ran again to the kitchen and -brought a handful of reindeer fat. She mixed this with milk and ashes, -and thus made a magic soap that was pure and white and cleansing. - -“My brother will have a good bath when he comes home,” she said. “It -will not be my fault if he doesn’t come out of it clean.” - -Meanwhile the master Smith was toiling steadily at his forge, making -the ornaments which he had promised to give to his sister. First, he -hammered out the finger rings of gold and the precious earrings. Then -he made six girdles of rare and most wonderful beauty; nor did he -forget the comb and the brooch and some golden pins which he knew would -please Anniki’s fancy. He finished all these quickly, skilfully. Then -he raked the coals from his forge; he laid his hammer down in its place -beside the anvil; he took off his leather apron and hung it on a peg; -he went out of his smithy and closed the door behind him. With long, -impatient strides he hurried home and laid the precious gifts in his -sister’s hands. - -“Here are your wages, Anniki,” he said. - -“Oh, brother, I thank you,” she answered. “They are even more beautiful -than I expected. Now make haste and take your bath. The bath-stones are -hot, and the fire burns low; your soap, your brushes, your combs—all -are ready. And your best clothes, they are hanging on the pegs, close -by the bath-kettle.” - -Ilmarinen surely needed a washing. Grimy with soot and gray with ashes, -he quickly obeyed his sister. He stepped into the bath house. Out of -doors the sun was shining; by the window a cuckoo was calling; in the -air sweet voices were sounding. He looked, he listened, his heart -throbbed with joy as he disrobed himself and poured the water slowly -upon the red-hot bath-stones. Soon the house was filled with a mighty -steam; the Smith was lost to view in the dense hot vapor. - -An hour passed by, the sun went down, and at length the Smith came -forth from his bathing. Who would have known him? Who would have -thought that a bath could work such wonders? His hair was a golden -yellow; his cheeks were as ruddy as cranberries in the late days of -autumn; his eyes sparkled like two full moons when the sky is clear and -the winds are at rest. - -And he was clothed, oh, so beautifully! His coat was of linen, dyed -yellow and beautifully embroidered by his mother. His trousers were of -soft flannel, scarlet-colored. His vest was of crimson silk. His -stockings, too, were silken and very long. His shoes were made of -softest leather—leather tanned from the skin of a reindeer. Over his -shoulders he wore a sky-blue shawl, thick and soft. Around his waist -was a magic girdle fastened with gold buckles. His hands were incased -in reindeer gloves of wondrous warmth and beauty; and on his head was -the finest cap that had ever been seen—a cap which his father and -grandfather had worn in their youth when they went wooing. - -Anniki clapped her hands for joy when she saw her brother thus arrayed, -and Lokka, his mother, threw her arms around his neck and wept for very -pride and happiness. - -“O my beautiful boy!” she cried. “Never was your father more handsomely -dressed. Never was any bridegroom more fitly arrayed. Good luck to you! -Good luck to you!” - -Ilmarinen put her off gently, kissing her on the cheek and thanking her -for her words of praise. “Now bring me the horse,” he said. “Harness my -trusty steed and hitch him to my enchanted sledge. I am going to the -North Country, to the Frozen Land and the dreary shores of Pohyola. -Long will it be ere I again return to home and country.” - -“Which steed shall it be?” asked the serving-man. “There are seven -racers in your stables, all trusty and true—seven fleet-footed steeds -of rare strength and mettle. Which shall it be?” - -“The gray is the best,” answered Ilmarinen. “Hitch the gray steed to my -enchanted sledge. Put in food and feed for seven days’ journey—yes, for -eight days of wintry weather. Remember, too, the big bearskin and the -soft fur robes to be wrapped about me, for in the North Country the air -is always chilly and the winds are always cold.” - -“Everything shall be done as you wish, my master,” said the -serving-man. - -Very soon the fleet-footed gray steed and the enchanted sledge were -brought to the door. The soft fur robes, the skins of two great bears, -blankets in plenty were put in their proper places; a jar of reindeer -meat, a string of smoked herring, food for many days, were stowed -beneath the seat; everything was done to speed the traveller on his -way. - -The hero had bidden his mother good-bye, he had kissed Anniki’s lips -and whispered a word of magic in her ear, and he had sent messages of -love to all his friends. Now he stepped out of the door, clad in his -beautiful garments, princely in form and bearing. He climbed quickly -into the sledge and sat down upon the great bearskins. They wrapped the -warm robes around him and put the long reins in his hands. The last -good-byes were spoken. The hero cracked his whip, and the gray racer -bounded forward and sped swiftly away. Like the wind he flew through -the woods and the marshes and along the pebbly shores of the sea; and -the heart of the brave Smith was cheered with courage and hope. - -Then in the dim evening twilight the hero perceived six cuckoos perched -on the dashboard before him, and beside them seven small bluebirds were -sitting. They had been placed there by the trusty serving-man, and now -they all began twittering and singing, and the faster they travelled -the louder was their sweet music. - -“They are omens of good fortune!” cried Ilmarinen. “’Tis thus that the -merry springtime journeys to the Frozen Land! Good luck, good luck, -good luck!” - -Then he cracked his whip again and shouted loudly, joyfully. The gray -racer neighed shrilly and flew onward with redoubled speed. The waves -of the sea rippled with joy upon the sands, and the very stars in the -sky twinkled and danced as the enchanted sledge glided like a swift -meteor toward the frozen North Country. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -THE FRIENDLY RIVALS - - -Northward, northward, along the low-lying seashore, Ilmarinen pursued -his course, never pausing, never faltering. All night long he travelled -in the moonlight and the starlight. All day, from dawn till evening -twilight, his brave gray racer flew over the half-frozen earth; and the -cuckoos chattered on the dashboard, and the bluebirds sang their -sweetest songs. For two short nights and one long day the journey was -continued with never slackening speed. Then, as the sun was rising on -the second morning, the hero looked out toward the gray sea, and what -did he behold? - -Quite close to the shore, so close that Ilmarinen might have thrown a -stone upon its deck, a little ship was becalmed in the smooth waters. -Its prow was like gold, its deck was plated with silver, and its sails -were of rainbow colors. The Smith drew hard upon the reins; his racer -ceased speeding, and the sledge runners grated on the beach. A pause -was made in the journey. - -“Hail, ho!” shouted Ilmarinen. - -The captain of the fairy vessel looked up. His eyes were full of wonder -and his face grew sour with vexation. - -“Hail, ho!” he answered; but there was no heartiness in his tones, the -words labored in his mouth before they could escape from his lips, they -fell coldly, like ice on a stormy shore. - -“Whither are you sailing, brave Minstrel?” asked the Smith kindly, but -with a sense of victory. - -The Minstrel was overcome with surprise. The winds would not serve him, -the waves would not waft him away from the shore. He felt that he was -at the mercy of his pursuer. All his magic would not avail him. So he -dissembled his feelings and with his tongue made glad answer while his -heart was burning with disappointment. - -“O my dearest friend and brother, how happy I am to see you! I have -long been thinking of you, wishing for you; and fain would I have you -as my companion to sail with me up and down this pleasant coast. Leave -now your sledge and your travel-worn steed and come hither and sit by -me on the deck of this fairy little vessel. The voyage back to Wainola -will be as pleasant as a summer holiday.” - -“Never will I sail in your enchanted vessel,” answered the Smith half -angrily, and he rose in his sledge and shook the furry robes from his -shoulders. - -“Ah, Ilmarinen, prince of wizards,” said the Minstrel, still -flattering, still dissembling, “how like a prince you appear! Whither -are you journeying so gayly, so fleetly, so like a bridegroom going to -his wedding?” - -“You know where I am going,” said Ilmarinen. “All your cunning is in -vain, friend Wainamoinen. All your magic shall come to naught, for you -shall never steal the Maid of Beauty from her home land, never put her -in your magic vessel, never carry her over the treacherous sea.” - -The Minstrel saw now that he was beaten; he felt that all his secret -plans had been discovered, and so he concealed his bitter feelings -while he acknowledged defeat. “Wisest of smiths,” he said, “we are -friends and brothers, and therefore we must not fall out and quarrel. -Let us still be lovers as of old. I assure you, I swear to you, I will -do nothing to offend you. Ride on and woo the Maid of Beauty, and I -will return alone to our dear home in the Land of Heroes.” - -The heart of the Smith was touched by the generosity of his friend. He -felt that he must not be less generous, and in an instant all his anger -vanished. - -“O brother, tried and true!” he answered, “I know the thoughts of your -heart, I know your great ambition. Let us agree each to woo this maiden -honorably as a man and a hero would woo her. Let her freely choose one -of us, or let her a second time refuse us both. Do you agree to this, -my elder brother?” - -“Truly, I do,” said the Minstrel heartily. “I promise—yes, I swear to -you that I will do naught that is dishonorable or unfair. If the maiden -shall prefer you, I will not be envious; for your good luck will be my -good fortune, and my success will be your triumph.” - -“I thank you, Wainamoinen!” shouted the Smith, waving his hand. - -“I thank you, Ilmarinen!” returned the Minstrel, bowing to his friend. - -Then with speed each resumed his journey, one travelling by sea, the -other by land. Swiftly the gray racer flew along the shore; fleetly the -boat of magic skimmed over the wrinkled waters. The hills and forests -rang with the clattering hoofs of Ilmarinen’s wizard steed. The white -waves danced and trembled in the wake of Wainamoinen’s gold-beaked -vessel. The cuckoos twittered, the bluebirds sang merrily, and the -birchwood runners of the enchanted sledge whizzed over the sand and -then glided through the new-fallen snow. The South Wind breathed on the -sails of blue and red, and the West Wind whispered joy in the nostrils -of the fleeting gray racer. - -“Good luck to my steed, good luck to my sledge, good luck to me!” -shouted the hero Smith. “O Jumala, kind protector, helper, guide! Be my -safeguard in this journey, lead me rightly on my way!” - -And the Minstrel, standing at the prow of his fairy vessel, shouted -words of magic to the winds and waves, while he too prayed for guidance -and help. “O Jumala, just and true, think not hard of me if I have gone -astray! Pardon me if I have been false to my friend. Give me fair winds -and a gentle sea, and guide me safely to my journey’s end. Good luck to -me, good luck to my boat, good luck to everybody!” - -Thus the two heroes journeyed onward, the one by land, the other by -sea. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - -THE BARKING DOGS - - -Springtime had dawned in the Frozen Land. The sun was riding high in -the sky, and the air was balmy with the breath of the south. The snow -had melted on the meadows, and the ice had floated out of the inlets. -The sea was no longer gray and shivering, but pale blue and motionless. -The wild geese honked noisily in the marshy lakes and sought their -nesting places by the creeks. Swallows twittered under the eaves and -cuckoos called to each other among the budding bushes. - -On her couch beside the door Dame Louhi, the Wise Woman of the North, -sat reclining. Very ugly she was, toothless and grim, wrinkled with age -and altogether unlovely. The Maid of Beauty was busy at her housework, -sweeping, spinning, baking, weaving. The doors were open and warm -breezes from southern seas breathed through the low-raftered hall, -playing with the deerskin curtains and with the maiden’s silken hair. - -Suddenly an uproar was heard, a sound feeble at first but every moment -growing louder. It was not an unusual sound, but it was unusually -disturbing, unusually persistent and annoying. - -“What is that, my daughter?” inquired Dame Louhi, sitting up and -listening. - -“Oh, it is naught but the dogs barking,” answered the maiden. “They are -over at the fishermen’s huts by the shore. Perhaps they see some beggar -or wild man coming down the path from the forest.” - -The noise increased, it was spreading. It sounded as though a score of -watchdogs were barking in concert. - -The Wise Woman was disturbed and growing nervous. “Daughter,” she said, -“I never heard such barking. Surely something strange is happening. Go -out to the gate, look down the road, and see what is the matter.” - -The Maid of Beauty heeded not, but kept right on with her household -duties. - -“Mother,” she said, “I am too busy to bother with barking dogs. The -bread must be baked, and this pile of wool must be spun, and from its -yarn six new blankets must be woven this very day. I have no time to -stand gaping at the gate, listening to the noise of barking curs.” - -The uproar increased. The ancient house-dog, infirm and toothless as -his mistress, rose from his place in the ashes; he dragged himself to -the door and set up a mournful howling. - -“O my daughter, what indeed can be the matter?” cried the Wise Woman. - -“I know not,” answered the maiden. - -In his hut beside the reindeer paddock the keeper of the herds was -sitting. He was old and fat and lazy, and the noise of the dogs -awakened him from pleasant reveries. - -“Wife! wife!” he cried. “Do you hear that barking? Go quickly to the -door and see what is the matter!” - -But the aged woman kept on with her knitting. “I am too busy to run to -the door every time a dog barks,” she said. “I must earn something to -feed our children, to clothe them, to keep them neat. I have no time to -listen to the prattle of dogs.” - -Still the clamor grew and grew. The black watchdog in the courtyard of -Louhi’s dwelling joined his voice to the general uproar. He pulled at -his chain and howled most dismally. - -By the smouldering fire in his own small hut the head serving-man was -sitting; his eldest son was working beside the door. “My son,” said the -older man, “do you hear the black watchdog? Surely some stranger is -coming this way. Run out to the road and see what manner of man he is.” - -The youth kept on with his work. “I am too busy to listen to -watchdogs,” he said. “My axe is dull and I must grind it. The wood must -be brought for the kitchen fire; and who will split it if I go running -after dogs? Let old Growler howl; I have no time to bother with dogs.” - -Louder and still louder waxed the tumult. All the puppies, all the -house-curs, all the sledge-dogs, all the watchdogs were barking, -baying, yelping, howling. - -The head serving-man was greatly disturbed, and yet he liked not to -rise from his seat, for he was old and his limbs were stiff. - -“In my lifetime I have heard much barking,” he said, “but never such -barking as this. Perhaps the dogs have scented a bear escaped from an -ice-floe; perhaps they see a band of robbers coming up from the shore. -Kuli, my little daughter, listen to me!” - -“What is it, papa?” answered the child, sitting still on the floor. - -“Run out to the turf pile, Kuli,” said her father, “climb up on the -very top of it and look around. See what the dogs are barking at, and -then run back quickly and tell your tired father.” - -“O papa, I am too busy,” answered Kuli. “I want to play with my dolly; -I want to put her to sleep. I have no time to run after dogs.” - -The head serving-man was perplexed, he was uneasy and half-way angry. - -“Everybody is busy to-day,” he said. “Nobody has the time to do -anything. Nobody cares for the dogs and nobody cares for me. But I must -find out what all the noise is about.” - -He rose from his seat, grumbling because of the pains in his joints. He -drew on his boots, he pulled his fur cap over his head. Then he went -stamping out of the door and across the broad yard. The black watchdog -was still tugging at his chain, still howling dolorously. The old -serving-man took notice of his actions. - -The brute first pointed his nose towards the sea, then he looked far -away at the meadows and the misty, mysterious hills. The serving-man -did likewise. He looked seaward, then landward—but naught did he behold -save, on this side, the blue water and the sloping shore and the -fishermen’s huts, and, on that side, the brown marsh lands and the -long, winding, indistinct roadway that led nowhere and came from -everywhere. - -“How now, old Growler?” he said angrily. “Why is all this clamor? Why -is all this tumult? Hush your barking, I bid you.” - -But the beast still tugged at his chain, and all the smaller dogs -joined him in a chorus of howling. Then the serving-man looked again -and with greater care. On the broad face of the sea he discerned a -strange speck, white, yellow, and scarlet, gliding swiftly landward, -glistening bright on the blue and silent water. On the winding meadow -pathway he saw another speck, scarlet, yellow, and blue, moving fleetly -towards Pohyola, smoothly gliding like a flying bird. - -“Oh, surely the dogs are right!” said the astonished man. “Here is -cause enough for barking; plenty of cause for yelping and snarling. One -stranger comes by sea, another comes by land, and the poor beasts have -scented them both while yet they are far away.” - -A third time he looked this way, then that. He put his half-closed -right hand to his eye and looked through it as men sometimes in these -later days look through a spy-glass. Now he could see quite clearly; -soon he could discern what manner of wayfarers those were that had -caused the doggish clamor. - -The speck upon the meadows was a sledge of many colors drawn by a fleet -and tireless racer. The speck upon the waters was a fairy ship, its -prow all golden, its hull bright scarlet, its sails blue and red. - -“How strange!” said the faithful man. “Be it war or be it peace, I must -hasten and warn the Mistress.” - -He found the Wise Woman at her door, gazing sharply at the sky, the -sea, the earth, to learn for herself the reason for the unusual uproar. -To her he told his story quickly, briefly, adding also a word of -warning. The face of the woman grew grayer, grimmer as she listened, -and in her eyes was a look of puzzled apprehension. - -She called loudly, shrilly to the Maid of Beauty, now busy with her -weaving, busy with the wool and the blankets. - -“Daughter, daughter, do you hear?” - -“Truly, mother, I hear the dogs,” answered the maiden. “Let them bark -if it pleases them.” - -“They bark because they have scented some strangers coming. A ship is -approaching by sea, and a wonderful sledge is bringing some hero hither -by land.” - -“Oh, how fine!” said the maiden. - -“But who can these strangers be? How shall we receive them? Shall we -welcome them as friends or flee from them as foes?” - -“I know not,” said the daughter. “I know not why such strangers should -come to Pohyola.” - -“Try the rowan branch!” croaked a voice from the dark corner beyond the -hearth. It was the voice of old Sakko, the dwarf, the last daughter of -the race of earth men. No guest came oftener than she to Dame Louhi’s -dwelling, no other was more welcome to the Wise Woman’s table and -fireside. “Try the rowan branch,” she repeated. “The rowan branch is -the sure omen that never fails. If drops of red sap ooze from it, then -look for foes and trouble. If only clear water bubbles, hissing, from -its tiny pores, then be sure that friends are coming bringing rich -gifts and joyful tidings. Try the rowan branch.” - -“Yes, let us try the rowan branch,” said the Mistress, anxious, uneasy, -trembling with alarm. - -Quickly the Maid of Beauty ran to the wood-pile beside the door. With -much care she chose a stick of rowan, straight, smooth-barked, and full -of sap. She carried it to the hearth and laid it on the coals; then all -stood round to watch it. - -The brown bark crackled with the heat, it shriveled and began to burn. -The smoke curled lightly upward, the coals grew redder, the heat of the -fire increased. - -“O thou magic branch of rowan, tell us truly, tell us quickly, who -those are who come so swiftly—friends or foes who come so swiftly!” -chanted Sakko, the dwarfish wise one. - -“O thou noble branch of rowan, bring only friends. Let naught but -clearest water ooze from thy pores so tiny,” muttered the Mistress of -Pohyola. - -“O thou pretty branch of rowan, bring good luck, bring fortune only, -bring peace to all who dwell here—bring joy to our home and home land,” -softly murmured the Maid of Beauty. - -The smoke grew blacker, it curled round the branch of rowan, the green -wood was growing hot amid the heaped-up coals. Then there came a -whistling, sizzling sound, and the sap began to trickle slowly from the -tiny pores. The dwarf Sakko deftly seized the heated branch and held it -aloft that all might see the oozing drops. - -“They are not red!” cried the Mistress, Dame Louhi. - -“They are not clear water!” said the Maid of Beauty. - -“I see only common sap,” said the head serving-man. - -“Nay, nay!” muttered Sakko, the dwarf woman. “They are neither crystal -nor crimson, but sweetest honey. And what do the honey-drops tell? They -tell us that these strangers are better than friends, that they are -suitors and have come hither as wooers.” - -“Look again and tell me whom they will woo,” said Dame Louhi. - -Sakko lifted the branch again and turned it this way and that, -carefully examining the sizzling sap. She listened to the shrill little -sound that came from it. - -“Three women are in this house,” she said, “and one of them is she whom -the strangers seek. Is it the Mistress? Her youth has fled. Is it poor -Sakko, the earth woman? Never has she known a lover. Is it the Maid of -Beauty, the rainbow maiden? All the world adores her.” - -She twirled the rowan branch once, twice, thrice in the air above her -head, and then cast it upon the hearth, scattering the ashes to right -and left and sending a cloud of cinders upward through the smoke hole. - -“The strangers will soon be at your door,” she croaked. “Be ready to -welcome them.” - -“Truly, my daughter,” said Dame Louhi, “it becomes us to give these -heroes joy after their perilous journey.” - -“Yes, mother,” answered the Maid of Beauty. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XXII - -THE OLD MAN’S WOOING - - -Arrayed in becoming garments, the Maid of Beauty stood beside her -mother. Together they went out from their weather-worn dwelling. They -walked across the courtyard to the dry ground beyond, and to the heap -of stones beside the seashore. The young grass was upspringing beneath -their feet. The sunlight was beaming around them. The swallows were -flitting above them. The lonely sea was before them, the lonelier -meadows were behind. - -The Mistress looked out over the water, and then she bade her daughter -look. Not far from the land they saw the strange boat gliding. Its -gilded prow was gleaming in the sunlight; its sails were flapping -loosely on the slender mast; and who was the sun-browned hero that -stood on the deck guiding the vessel with an oar of copper? - -“I do believe it is that old, old Minstrel from the Land of Heroes,” -said the Mistress in tones of surprise. “You surely remember him, my -daughter—how he came to us from the sea, how he sat at our fireside, -how he ate from our table!” - -“Yes, mother, I remember,” answered the Maid of Beauty. “And he grew -homesick, he pined for his own fireside, he longed to return to his -kinsfolk and friends, and notwithstanding our kindness he sang not one -song during all his stay with us.” - -“Just so,” rejoined the aged one; “and you surely remember the noble -reindeer and the swift sledge that I lent him, so that he might return -to his home land?” - -“Certainly, mother, there are some things that I can never forget.” - -“Well, my child,” said the mother, “this is surely the same great hero, -the famous Wainamoinen, the first of all minstrels. He is rich, and no -doubt his ship is filled with treasures. If he has really come to woo -you, treat him kindly, listen to his words of honey, and answer ‘Yes’ -to every question; for never will you have a nobler suitor.” - -“But, mother, I like him not,” answered the Maid of Beauty. - -Then she turned away from the sea, weary of looking at the approaching -vessel. Her eyes wandered to the bleak, brown meadows, and she gazed -wistfully towards the pathway which led from the distant hills. There -she beheld the other visitor, speeding forward, drawing nearer, and now -in plain view from the spot where she was standing. - -Young and proud and strong seemed this landward comer. He was sitting -in a sledge of scarlet and driving a steed of rare swiftness. Six -cuckoos were sitting on the dashboard, all loudly calling; and beside -them were seven bluebirds twittering blithely as birds are wont to -twitter in the joyous springtime. - -“See, mother, here comes the other stranger!” said the Maid of Beauty. - -“Nay, nay, he is no stranger,” answered Dame Louhi, speaking hoarsely. -“He is the poor young Smith who forged the Sampo for me, and his name -is Ilmarinen. He brings no gifts, he has no treasures, for his only -wealth is his little smithy. What business has he in Pohyola?” - -“Perhaps he comes to claim his wages that are due him,” modestly -answered the dutiful daughter. - -Then with haste the two returned into their dwelling; they closed the -door behind them; the mother sat down in her seat beside the fire, and -the daughter resumed her weaving. - -“My child,” said the Mistress, “our visitors are close at hand, they -will soon be at our door. When they come in and seat themselves beside -the hearth-stones, you must come forward and greet them. Bring in one -hand a bowl of honey, and in the other a pitcher brimming full of -reindeer’s milk. Give these to the one whom you choose to follow. Give -them to the rich and mighty Minstrel. He will understand you and will -reward you with gold and jewels and fine garments and other costly -presents.” - -“But he is old and I like him not,” answered the daughter. “I care -nothing for riches nor for a man of too great wisdom. I will give the -milk and the honey to the younger man, to Ilmarinen, if in truth he has -come to woo me. He is poor, but he is handsome and strong. Once before -at your bidding I refused to go with him, but now——” - -“Foolish girl and disobedient!” cried the mother, the red blood of -anger rushing to her face. “Why will you choose to go with that -penniless fellow—to bake his barley-cakes, to wash his grimy clothes, -to wipe the sweat from his sooty face, to sweep his kitchen floor, to -keep his tumble-down hut in order?” - -“It is my fancy,” quietly answered the Maid of Beauty. - -Meanwhile all the people of Pohyola, men and women, boys and girls, and -even the barking dogs, had run down to the waterside to watch the -coming of the little ship. Skilfully, with his oar of copper, the -Minstrel guided it straight towards the place of landing. Gently, -smoothly, like a mother swan swimming among her cygnets in some -sheltered cove, the vessel glided into the quiet inlet. The rope that -dangled from the prow was seized by helping hands on shore and thrown -over the mooring post. The ship trembled as it was drawn in, it -stopped, it rested in deep water close by the shelving bank. - -Without loss of time the Minstrel leaped ashore. He made his way -quickly to Dame Louhi’s well-remembered dwelling; he opened the door -and entered; he stood beneath the smoky rafters and received the -greetings of the grim and toothless Mistress. - -“Welcome, welcome, O sweetest of singers!” she cried. “Much have we -missed you, long have we waited for you. Now you shall sit again at our -fireside; you shall eat again at our table; you shall rest and rejoice -by the sunny shores of Pohyola.” - -“I thank you for your welcome, wise queen of the North,” responded the -Minstrel; “but I cannot sit at your fireside, I cannot eat at your -table, I cannot rest by your shores until I tell you the object of my -visit, the reason for my coming.” - -“Speak then, most honored friend, and I will listen,” said the cunning -Mistress. - -Wainamoinen bowed and smiled and thus made known his errand: “It is for -your daughter, the Maid of Beauty, that I have come. Three years ago I -saw her sitting on a rainbow and spinning threads of silver. I asked -her then to go with me to the Land of Heroes, to be the queen of my -kitchen, to bake my honey-cakes, to fill my cup with barley water, to -sing at my fireside. Now, I am here to receive her answer.” - -The Maid of Beauty rose from her weaving and came towards the hearth. -In one hand she carried a bowl of honey and in the other a yellow -pitcher brimming full of reindeer’s milk; but she offered neither of -these to the Minstrel. She smiled and said, “Have you built the boat -that I required? Is it made from the splinters of my spindle and the -fragments of my shuttle?” - -“I have built a boat, but not that one,” answered the Minstrel. “With -the help of magic I have constructed a vessel more wonderful than your -eyes ever saw—more beautiful than your dreams ever pictured. It is -strong to resist the waves; it has two broad sails that it may fly -swiftly before the wind; its prow is of copper overlaid with gold; its -deck is floored with silver; in its hold are treasures more precious -than I can tell. Will you not come and sit beside me on the deck of -this fairy vessel? Will you not help me guide it over the trackless -sea—guide it safely to the haven of Wainola?” - -“I care naught for old men,” replied the Maid of Beauty; “riches tempt -me not; the magic vessel may never reach its haven. But wait a day, -and——” - -She looked up. Ilmarinen was at the door. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII - -THE FIELD OF SERPENTS - - -Yes, the master Smith was standing at the door. A hero, indeed, he -appeared—tall, handsome, and brave. Over his shoulders was the sky-blue -shawl which his mother had woven for him. On his head was the cap of -his ancestors, and around his waist a golden girdle was buckled. His -shoes of reindeer leather were highly polished and his stockings of -silk were long and black. His embroidered coat was of yellow linen, -very fine, and his trousers were of scarlet-colored flannel. - -The Maid of Beauty blushed when she saw him; then her face grew white -again, and again suddenly red. Her heart beat hard and fast, her hands -trembled. Never in her life had she beheld a hero so finely clad, so -perfect in form, so noble in feature. She would have swooned had not -pride prevented. - -“Poor men are always fond of gaudy garments,” whispered the mother; and -then remembering the law of the hostess she hastened to greet the -unwelcome guest. She led the hero into the low-raftered hall and gave -him a seat beside the smouldering fire. She stirred the coals and threw -on wood; the flames leaped up and filled the room with brightness. - -Then the Maid of Beauty came forward with the bowl of honey and the -pitcher of milk, a smile on her lips and a sparkle in her eye. -“Welcome, weary traveller!” she said. “Eat, drink, and be refreshed.” - -“Nay, nay,” answered the hero. “Never under the silver moon will I -taste of food till my desire is granted me—till I have leave to take -and wed the maiden who is the desire of my heart.” - -The grim old Mistress grew grimmer still as she answered him: “When -wilful maidens choose ’tis folly for mothers to refuse. But never -should suitor win his bride too easily, lest doing so he prize her too -lightly. The Maid of Beauty is waiting for you, Ilmarinen, but before -you take her your courage must be tested, you must perform the task -that I require of you.” - -“Name the task, and I will do it,” said Ilmarinen boastfully as of -yore. “Was it not I who hammered the sky? Did I not forge the Sampo and -shape its lid of rainbow colors?” - -“But this task is different,” responded the Mistress, “and if you fail -your life is endangered.” - -“Tell me what it is and I will perform it,” answered the hero. “I will -drain the sea, I will level the mountains, I will snatch the moon from -its place in the sky if you so command me. I will do anything to win -from you the great treasure, the priceless Maid of Beauty.” - -“No doubt the feats you name are easy,” said the Mistress; “but I shall -require a harder one. Before you are permitted to take the Maid of -Beauty you must plough the field of serpents that lies in the barren -lands beyond the forest of pine. Twelve furrows you must make -lengthwise of the field, and twelve furrows you must make crosswise; -and you must plough it deep, without touching either beam or handles.” -[F] - -“I have heard of that fearful field,” said Ilmarinen. “No man has ever -yet gone into it and lived. It is more dreadful even than Tuoni’s -silent kingdom.” - -“Yes, one man has lived,” then spoke the Maid of Beauty. “One man, in -the old, old times, furrowed the field with a copper ploughshare drawn -by horses of fire. The beam was of red-hot iron and the handles were of -living flame. The name of that hero was Piru, and after he had -performed his task he came from the field of horrors unbitten and -unharmed. Surely, the task which he performed was hard, but if he -succeeded why may not another hero do likewise?” - -Ilmarinen made no answer. He rose silently, and with eyes downcast went -out of the hall. His sledge was standing beside the door; the -fleet-footed racer was pawing the ground; the cuckoos were calling, and -the bluebirds were singing. He sat down upon the soft robes and took -the reins in his hands. Then he looked up. - -The Maid of Beauty was standing before him, her eyes were full of -tears, her face betrayed the grief that was in her heart. Softly then -the hero spoke to her: - -“Tell me, princess of the rainbow, do you remember when I forged the -Sampo and hammered out its lid of many colors? Then it was that I vowed -a solemn vow. I swore by anvil and tongs, by hammer and smoke, by forge -and fire, that I would some day win you to be my bride. Now, by the -token of honey and milk, you have promised yourself to me. But your -mother has set me a task that is full of peril. So, come now, maiden of -the twilight. Come sit beside me in my sledge of magic, and I will -carry you swiftly, safely to my own country, to my own dear fireside.” - -The Maid of Beauty drew back; her cheeks blushed crimson and her eyes -flashed fire as she answered: - -“Never will I wed a coward. Never will I wed without my mother’s -consent, for just punishment surely waits for disobedient daughters. -You must plough the field of serpents, or I will never, never be your -bride.” - -“The task is a hard one, it is full of peril,” said Ilmarinen, as his -courage came slowly back to him. “But I will perform it; I will plough -the field of serpents, and no man nor maiden shall call me a coward.” - -“Then let me tell you something,” said the Maid of Beauty. “You are a -great smith and skilled in working with all sorts of metals. You are a -cunning wizard and wise in magic. Your smithy still stands deep in the -silent forest—the smithy which you built when you forged the Sampo. Go -thither and make for yourself a golden plough wherewith to furrow the -field of serpents. Make its beam of silver and its handles of red -copper, and strengthen it throughout with spells of magic. Then go and -do the task my mother requires of you.” - -“I thank you, maiden of the twilight,” answered Ilmarinen. - -Then he hastened to the gloomy forest and to the smithy strong and -roomy, in which he had forged the magic Sampo. Again the bellows -roared, again the flames leaped up in the ample forge, again the black -smoke poured from the chimney top. And the Smith, with many a magic -incantation, hammered out a golden ploughshare, he shaped the handles -of copper and the beam of shining silver. A wonderful thing it was, -slender and strong and well fitted for the work it was designed to do. - -“Truly, with such a plough I shall not fail to stir up a host of -hissing serpents,” said Ilmarinen; “but how shall I protect myself from -their fury while I am furrowing the field?” - -He threw both fuel and metal into his forge, and while he recited one -magic rune after another he thrust his long tongs into the roaring -fire. Presently, when the smoke subsided and the coals were white with -heat, he drew forth a great mass of half-melted iron. This he laid upon -the anvil. With short, quick strokes he hammered it; he turned it and -twisted it; he shaped it according to his will. He separated it into -parts, and of each part he formed something that would be of use in the -great task that was before him. - -First he made a pair of iron shoes to wear upon his feet; then he -forged ten long chains, slender and delicate, and these he wove -together and shaped into pliant greaves to cover his legs. After this -he wrought for himself a coat of mail, and gauntlets of iron, and -strong gloves which no tooth nor sting could pierce. Then he made a -belt of hardest iron, sky-blue and brilliant, to be buckled round his -waist. - -Lastly, in its place within the furnace, he hung the magic caldron from -which he had once drawn the wonderful Sampo. Into this caldron he threw -many strange and potent things: the hoof of a reindeer, the tail of a -hare, a bag of wind, a flash of lightning, a shooting star. With these -he made a mixture such as no other wizard had ever compounded, and as -he stirred it he repeated the runes, the songs of mystery that he had -sung while forging the Sampo. - -All day and all night and far into another day the master Smith toiled -and sang, blew his great bellows, and threw fuel into the furnace. Then -with caution he drew the caldron from the flames, he lifted the lid and -looked warily inside. At first nothing but boiling vapor, scalding -steam, shapeless white clouds could be distinguished. The next moment a -horse sprang out, beautiful, shapely, and strong. Its body was -glittering bright like fire, its mane and tail were glowing red like -the sun when it shines through the mists of the morning. It leaped out -and stood, docile and obedient, beside the mighty wizard, the master -Smith. - -“What will you have me do, my master?” it asked. - -“Draw my plough through the field of dreadful serpents,” answered -Ilmarinen. - -“I am ready,” said the horse. - -Forthwith the hero harnessed the fiery steed to his plough of magic. He -donned his coat of mail and drew on his greaves and his shoes of iron -and his wonderful gloves which no weapons could pierce. Then he drove -with speed, out through the shadowy pine woods and across the desolate -plains, till he came to the field of serpents—a barren waste lying cold -and dreary under the empty sky. - -The field was full of horrid reptiles, crawling, writhing, hissing. -They reared their heads high and looked at the hero, they licked out -their tongues and threatened him. But he, no whit afraid, paused in the -midst of them and spoke these words of warning: - -“O ye snakes, so vile, so wise! Jumala made you, and therefore you are -not wholly bad. Put your proud heads down, quit your hideous hissing, -cease your wriggling and your writhing. Creep away into the bushes, -hide yourselves in your loathsome dwellings. Dare not touch me, dare -not threaten me, lest Jumala smite you with his swift and flashing -arrows!” - -Then fearlessly he drove his steed of fire through the dreadful field, -and skilfully he guided his golden plough, touching neither beam nor -handles. On this side and on that the earth was heaped up, nor did -rocks or roots stand in the way of the cleaving ploughshare. The -serpents were lifted from their holes, they were torn in pieces, they -were buried deep in the ground. Twelve mighty furrows did the hero -plough lengthwise of the field, then, turning, he made twelve other -furrows across the width of it. No barren spot nor stony space was left -unturned, no blasted shrub nor baneful vine was unuprooted. Thus the -haunts of the serpents were broken up, and the field of dread was made -fertile and safe, a fit place for trees to grow and grass to flourish. - -The last furrow was completed, and Ilmarinen rested from his labor. He -loosed the long reins with which he had guided his steed and lifted the -plough from the ground. He spoke lovingly to his faithful helper: - -“O wonderful plough-horse of fire! Your task is finished and you are -free. Go! Fly away! Henceforth you may wander unrestrained in the -boundless sky pastures of the North.” - -The horse bounded away. It rose in the air, higher, higher, until it -looked like a cloud of fire-dust floating in the sky; then it faded -away and Ilmarinen saw it no more. But it did not remain invisible; for -often, even in our own times, it may be seen during the silent winter -nights leaping and prancing, shaking its fiery mane and shooting beams -of golden light athwart the northern sky. - -Ilmarinen tarried not a moment. With long, impatient strides he -hastened away from the field of victory. For two weary days he -travelled through trackless ways and along forgotten paths where bears -used to amble and wolves pursued their prey. For three long and painful -days he toiled among bogs and fens and across the lonely, never-ending -meadows. On the sixth day, however, his eyes were gladdened by the -sight of the shores of Pohyola and the weather-stained dwelling of the -Wise Woman of the North. Pale and wan and weak from hunger and long -exposure, he approached the house and opened the door. - -The Mistress was reclining upon her couch beside the hearth. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV - -THE GREAT PIKE - - -“Ah! Who is this?” cried the Wise Woman, rising quickly. Surprise -leaped from her narrow eyes, disappointment sat in her loveless face. -“Is this the young man who went out to plough our field?” - -“The field is ploughed,” humbly answered Ilmarinen. “I have performed -my task and now I come to claim my own—the Maid of Beauty for whom I -have waited and toiled.” - -“Who saw you plough the field of serpents? Who saw you perform the -dreadful task? Am I to believe your word alone?” And wise Dame Louhi -spoke harshly, gruffly, as one who has never been defeated or denied. - -Then, from the dark corner beyond the hearth-stones, suddenly a voice -croaked like the voice of a sea-bird breasting the storm. And out of -the gloom emerged the dwarfish form of old Sakko, the last and the -wisest of all earth women. - -“I will be the hero’s witness,” she croaked. “Unknown to him, I was -hidden close beside the field of deadly serpents. I saw the young man -perform his task, and he performed it well. Twelve broad furrows he -made towards the east, towards the west; twelve other furrows he made -towards the north, towards the south. The ground was heaped up, deep -trenches were made. The serpents reared their heads, they ran out of -their holes, hissing and dismayed; they were overwhelmed and destroyed; -not one remains. Give the hero his prize. Give him the duckling for -whom he has risked so much.” - -“No, no!” answered Dame Louhi, graver, grimmer than ever before. “Any -man can kill snakes. Shall this poor Smith have my daughter for -performing so paltry a task as that? No! no! But there is another task -which perhaps he would like to try—an undertaking worthy of a hero, -although I fear too difficult for this young man!” She spoke -tauntingly, bitterly, unkindly. - -Then Ilmarinen’s boastfulness returned, and he answered proudly, -fearlessly: “Never yet was there anything too difficult for me. Did I -not hammer out the sky and set the stars where they belong? Did I not -find Iron in his hiding places and subdue him? Did I not forge the -Sampo and shape its lid of rainbow colors? Harder things than these -will I do if only you will surely give me your daughter.” - -“Listen then,” said the cunning Mistress. “In the dark and sluggish -river that surrounds the land of Tuonela there lives a monstrous fish, -a pike so huge, so scaly, so fierce that all the fishes of the sea obey -him. Hundreds of brave fishermen have sought to snare him, but not one -has lived to tell his story. Go, now, and capture this king of fishes. -Take him without using net or tackle and bring his head to me. Then I -will surely give you my daughter; you shall have the blue-winged -duckling; you shall wait no longer, toil no longer, but be at once -rewarded with your prize.” - -The hero heard and deep dejection came upon him. He hung his head, he -turned away and walked slowly, silently out into the darkening -twilight. He sat down on the rocks by the shore and looked out over the -cold and pitiless sea. - -“Now, I may as well die,” he said. “This last task is impossible. For -how can any one, without net or tackle, catch and subdue the Great -Pike? and how can I hope to drag him from the sluggish water and bring -his head hither to the Mistress of Pohyola? Vainly have I lived, vain -have been all my valiant deeds, vain indeed is life with all its empty -victories; there is naught that is worth the doing.” - -Suddenly he heard light footsteps behind him, suddenly the darkness was -dispelled and the smiling Maid of Beauty laid her hand upon his -shoulder. - -“O Ilmarinen, prince of wizards, smith of all smiths!” she said. “Why -are you so despondent? The task is not so hard as you imagine.” - -“But I cannot perform it,” said the hero. “I dare not attack the Great -Pike in the dismal stream of Tuonela.” - -“Only women say, ‘I cannot,’ only cowards say, ‘I dare not,’” laughed -the maiden cheerily. “You see I have learned a lesson from your elder -brother, the prince of minstrels. Now I will tell you how to catch the -Great Pike of Tuonela. Go at once to your magic smithy and forge a -fiery eagle with flaming wings and iron talons. Then sally forth upon -your errand; have no fear, but be wise and valiant.” - -Ilmarinen would have replied, but she had vanished. He buckled his -armor about him and with right good courage hastened to his smithy. -There for many days he toiled at his forge; for many days he watched -the magic caldron in the midst of his glowing furnace; for many days he -tried all his wizard arts, singing strange songs and reciting secret -runes which only the wisest may ever know. At length one morning he -drew the caldron from the fire and lifted the lid. - -“Art thou there, my eagle?” he cried. - -Quickly from the clouds of scalding vapor a wonderful bird leaped into -being. Her wings were as large as the sails of a ship, her claws and -beak were of the hardest iron, her eyes were like flaming fire. - -“Here I am, my master, what will you have me do?” - -“O, my eagle,” answered the Smith, “carry me swiftly towards the land -of Tuonela, fly with speed and pause not till the sluggish, silent -river is beneath you. Then find for me the Great Pike, so huge, so -scaly, the king of all the fishes. Help me take the slippery monster -from its lair beneath the waters.” - -The wonder bird spread her wings and Ilmarinen leaped up between them -and seated himself upon her back. The bird screamed and began her -flight. Up, up, up into the high air she soared. Then, swifter than the -wind, she sailed straight onward, towards the mystic island and the -dark and dismal river. How far did she fly? No man can tell; for none -can know whether Tuonela be in this place or in that, whether it is one -day’s journey distant or an hundred. From the graybeard it is only a -step, a stone’s throw, a short walk at most; from the babe upon the -floor it may be a thousand weary leagues removed. - -At length, however, the goal was reached and the flaming eagle stayed -her flight. She swooped down and perched herself upon a rock which -overhung the shore. Beneath it flowed the sluggish river, dark and -dismal and deathlike; beyond lay the shores of the silent land where -Tuoni reigns; above it was the ashy-gray sky where no bird flies and no -star has ever twinkled. Upon this rock the eagle sat and watched for -her prey, and Ilmarinen waited patiently beside her. - -By and by from the black mud at the river’s bottom a water sprite -arose. It rose quickly, it leaped high into the air and with its long -fingers clutched at Ilmarinen. Then, indeed, would the hero have met -his death had not the eagle saved him. She seized the fearful sprite by -the head; with her iron talons she twisted the creature’s neck and -forced it to hide again in the slimy, pitch-like ooze in the bed of the -murky stream. - -Suddenly from amid the darkness the Great Pike came swimming. No small -fish was he, for his back was seven times longer than the longest boat, -his teeth were like great spears set round the entrance to a cavern, -and his eyes glowed like two flaming fires on the summit of a mountain. -Fiercely he dashed through the water, high into the air he leaped, -thinking to seize and swallow Ilmarinen. - -But now the eagle rushed to the rescue. No small eagle was she, for her -beak was six times longer than the longest boat oar, her talons were -like the sharpened scythes of the mowers in the meadows of Hero Land, -and her eyes glittered like two great suns glaring down from the top of -the sky. Terrible indeed was the fight that followed. Dashing swiftly -upward the fish sought to seize the eagle with his spear-like teeth; he -caught the tip of her right wing, he drew it into the water and with -might and main strove to pull the giant bird into the depths. But the -eagle, with one foot gripping the rock, struck fiercely at her foe; -with her iron beak she tore the scales from the fish’s back, she forced -him to retreat into the murky deep. - -Not long, however, was the fight delayed, for soon the furious fish -rose again and, swift as lightning, leaped upward to the combat. The -bird of iron, her wings all glowing as with fire, was ready for him. -She struck with her scythe-like talons; she seized him midway behind -his gills; with a mighty effort she drew him from the water and bore -him, struggling, helpless, dying, to the topmost branch of a -wide-spreading oak. There she sat, screaming with joy and anon tearing -her prey and feasting upon it. She ripped the scales from the Great -Pike’s glistening sides; she tore the fins away; she devoured the long -breast and the jointed tail; she sundered the head from the mighty -shoulders, cleaving the gills with her iron beak. - -And under the tree stood Ilmarinen, helpless, imploring, angrily -remonstrating, “O faithless bird! O wicked eagle! Why do you devour the -fish that you were created to capture? What shall I say to the pitiless -mother at Pohyola when I return empty-handed? What proof shall I offer -that the Great Pike has indeed been taken?” - -The eagle screamed until the sky seemed rent in twain by the shrill -echoes of her voice. Then she threw the fish’s head from her—it fell at -Ilmarinen’s feet. She flapped her fiery wings until the sun glowed hot -above her; she leaped from her perch; she soared upward, higher and -higher, above the treetops, above the desolate mountains. Into the land -of clouds she soared. The thunder rolled; the lightning flashed; the -rainbow-bridge, Jumala’s bridge of many colors, was shivered and -broken. Not for a moment did the bird of iron pause, nor did she rest -in her flight until she reached the distant moon. There, folding her -fiery pinions, she alighted, content to make her home on that -changeable orb. And there, on clear summer nights, you may often see -her pecking at the stars and scarring the sky with her scythe-like -talons. - -Ilmarinen, wondering at the might of his own invention, lifted the head -of the Great Pike from the ground. With much labor he laid it across -his shoulders and adjusted it upon his sturdy back. Then, with hope in -his heart and courage in his feet, he turned his face once more towards -distant Pohyola and the Frozen Land. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XXV - -THE BRIDEGROOM’S TRIUMPH - - -The short summer was ended and the days were growing cold. The song of -the cuckoo was hushed, and the wild geese in the inlets were huddling -together and preparing for flight. The cranberries had disappeared from -the marshes. The meadows were purple and golden, but fast putting on -their accustomed robes of dreary brown. - -In the long, low dwelling by the sea the fires had been rekindled, for -the air was crisp with frost and the wind of the North was blowing -strong. Upon her couch the Mistress was reclining, grim and gray, -toothless and unlovely, as of yore. Beside the hearth sat Wainamoinen, -the prince of minstrels, sad of face, but resigned and wisely -contented. And at her loom the Maid of Beauty plied her daily task, -weaving fine blankets for winter wear, and sighing as she looked from -her narrow window and out upon the lonely sea and the lonelier land. - -“Will he ever come?” she murmured, half aloud though speaking to -herself; and her mother, Dame Louhi, from her couch echoed her words, -“Will he ever come?” - -Then suddenly up spoke a little child who was sitting on the floor—a -little child too young to walk, too small to know the meaning of his -words: - -“I see an eagle coming to our house. He is a great eagle, a beautiful -eagle. With one wing he fans the air, with the other he flaps the sea. -He is coming nearer and nearer; he is hovering above our dwelling. Now -he rests upon the roof. He is whetting his beak. He is looking down at -our doves. Soon he will fly right into our house. He will seize the -best one of all our birdlings—the rosiest, the whitest, the -sweetest-voiced, the shapeliest. He will fly away with her; he will -carry her far, far away into his own country, there to live with him -forever.” - -“What does the child mean?” queried the Mistress, rising half-way from -her couch beside the fire. “Surely, never have I heard an infant speak -in this way.” - -“He speaks in riddles,” answered Wainamoinen, “yet he speaks wisdom and -truth. No doubt we shall understand him soon.” - -“True! true!” croaked Sakko, the earth woman, from her snug corner -beyond the hearth. “See you not that dark cloud hovering in the sky? It -is the wing of the mighty eagle. See you not the shadow that has fallen -on our threshold? It is the shadow of the eagle’s noble form. He is -peering in. He is looking for the birdling that is his own!” - -The Minstrel rose from his seat and went quickly to the door. He threw -it wide open and looked out. The Mistress also rose, slowly, painfully, -her stiffened joints creaking. The Maid of Beauty rose from her loom, -joyful because her task was finished. All three looked out through the -narrow door. Before them was the bare ground, sloping gently towards -the shore and the smooth gray surface of the little inlet; above them -was the cloud-flecked sky, cold and cheerless, without sign of bird or -other living creature. - -The child on the floor laughed. - -They looked a second time, and from the meadow pathway they saw the -hero coming, even Ilmarinen the Smith, the mightiest of all wizards. -Gaunt and tall he was, and pale and wan from long toil and endless -wanderings. His garments were soiled and torn, his feet were bare and -scarred with wounds, his head was uncovered. But his step was firm as -the step of a conqueror, and his eyes glowed brightly with joy as the -eyes of one who has been victorious in battle. - -And on his shoulders he carried the monstrous head of the Pike. - -“Welcome, welcome, friend and brother!” cried Wainamoinen, rushing out -eagerly, boisterously, to meet him. “Long indeed have we waited for -you.” - -“Welcome, welcome, hero of the later day!” muttered Sakko, small of -stature, weak of body, wisest of earth women. “Bravely have you proved -yourself a hero, thrice bravely have you shown your wizard power.” - -And Louhi, the gray old Mistress, also cheerily cried, “Welcome, -welcome! You have won the prize, Ilmarinen; your courage has been -tested, your wisdom has been tried, and now you shall be rewarded. The -duckling that I have cherished shall be yours, to sit on your knee, to -nestle dove-like in your arms, to be the queen of your household, the -mistress of your kitchen.” - -But where was the Maid of Beauty? She was not with those who stood at -the door to welcome the conquering hero. Her seat at the fireside was -empty; her place at the loom was vacant. She was hiding in her own -room, her body all a-tremble, her face bathed in tears. - -Proudly and joyfully then did the hero enter the low-roofed dwelling. - -“O Jumala!” he murmured. “O giver of good gifts, grant thy blessing to -this house! Bless all that live beneath this roof!” - -“All hail, all hail!” cried the Mistress earnestly, but with voice -cracked and broken. “Welcome to the great large man who deigns to enter -this lowly cottage, this poor little house of wood, this humble hut so -unworthy of the presence of one so noble!” - -Then she called to her waiting-maiden, and bade her hasten to bring a -light, that all might see the hero and be glad. - -“Kindle the fattest knot of pine and fetch it hither blazing,” she -said. “Fetch it quickly that we may see the hero’s eyes whether they -are blue or grayish, whether they are green or brownish.” - -The waiting-maiden ran quickly to obey. She lighted a pine-knot that -was always ready, and brought it blazing to her mistress. - -“Ah! no, no!” shouted the aged wise one, grim and gray in the -flickering light. “See how the ugly torch flares and sputters, and how -the black smoke rises in clouds above it. The hero’s face will be -smutted, his eyes will be filled with soot. Take the cheap thing away -and bring us better torches, torches made of white wax, cleanly and -beautiful.” - -The maiden obeyed. She brought torches of the purest wax, white and -clear, and held them before the Mistress, before the waiting hero. - -“Now I see his eyes!” cried the wise one. “They are neither blue nor -whitish. They are not green, they are not gray; but they are brownish -like the sea-foam in the shadow of a rock, brownish like a bulrush in -the early days of winter.” - -Then Ilmarinen took the head of the Great Pike from his shoulders and -set it upon the floor by the side of the hearth. And all that were in -the house admired its size and its wonderful shape and the mighty teeth -that were set in the mighty jaws. But most of all, they wondered at the -manner in which the bones were laid, this way and that, and knit firmly -into a framework both neat and strong. - -“It will serve you as a throne, O mother of my Maid of Beauty!” said -Ilmarinen. “I will dress it, and polish the bones, and make of it a -great chair wherein you can sit on winter evenings, feeling yourself -the queen of all that is around you.” - -Then, while food was brought to him and the people of the household -both high and low sat round him listening, he told the story of his -adventure by the shore of Tuonela’s river. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI - -THE WEDDING FEAST - - -Who shall find tongue to tell of the wonderful feast at Ilmarinen’s -wedding? Who shall invent words to describe its vastness, its grandeur, -its joy? - -Dame Louhi, the wise, the cunning Mistress, planned it. She it was who -provided the food and the drink; she it was who directed the cooks, the -butchers, the brewers, the bakers, the serving maidens; and she it was -who invited the guests. - -First, she built in Pohyola a house so roomy and large that even -minstrels blushed to tell its dimensions, and story-tellers feared to -speak the truth. It was so long that when a dog barked at one end the -sound of his voice could not be heard at the other. The roof was so -high that when a cock crowed on the ridge-pole the hens on the ground -below could not hear him. In this house the fires were kindled, the -tables were set up, and the feast was prepared. Here, back and forth -upon the planking, the aged Mistress walked, pondering, planning, -instructing, commanding. - -“We must have roast meat and plenty of it,” she said. “So, bring hither -the great bull of Carelia and let him be slaughtered. No finer beef was -ever fattened; no nobler beast was ever butchered.” - -The great bull was quickly brought—a ship’s rope around his horns, a -hundred strong men tugging at the rope. A stupendous ox he was, larger -by far than any that grows in our degenerate times. Six fathoms long -were his horns; and his back was a highway where squirrels frisked and -birds built their nests as in the branches of a tree. - -Think you he yielded much meat for the feast, much food for the hungry? -Of roasts and steaks there were certainly a hundred barrels; of -sausages in large round links they made a hundred fathoms. Seven boat -loads of blood flowed from the great beef’s veins. Six strong sledges -could scarcely hold the fat that was rendered from him. - -“Surely now we have meat in plenty,” then said the Mistress; “but what -shall we do for pleasant drinks to give joy to our guests? How shall we -brew enough ale for the multitude that will come to the wedding feast?” - -Forthwith she ordered all the tubs in Pohyola to be half filled with -water, fresh water from the springs and rivers. Then into each she -poured new barley and added flowers of hops in greatest plenty, -stirring all with a magic paddle. Quickly the ale began its working, it -filled the tubs, the white foam rose like mountains and poured itself -in bubbles over the ground. - -“Surely the guests shall not go thirsty,” said the Mistress, well -contented with her labor. And she called the serving-men to store the -ale safely away in rock-walled cellars till the time for the wedding -feast. - -Thus did Dame Louhi, the wise one, provide everything needed for eating -or drinking. All the kettles were singing, all the stewpans were -hissing on the glowing coals. The pots were full of porridge. In the -ovens loaves of bread in great plenty were baking for the banquet. All -day, all night, the fires were glowing; all day, all night, the bakers, -the brewers, the kitchen maids were running hither and thither, each -busily working, each busily preparing his part of the wonderful feast. - -Then the Mistress, the wise but loveless one, sent out her messengers -to invite the guests. - -“Invite all the folk of Pohyola,” she said; “forget not one. Invite the -people of Hero Land to come in boats, in sledges, by sea, by land. Ask -Wainamoinen, the prince of minstrels, to come with his sweet songs. -Call the blind, the lame, the poor and wretched. Lead the blind ones -kindly with your hands, bring the lame ones in sledges or on your -backs, fetch the children, fetch the old and feeble, let not one be -slighted or forgotten.” - -And the messengers departed, carrying the invitations northward, -southward, eastward, westward. In four directions they went, yes in -eight directions they hastened, telling all the world how the hero, -Ilmarinen, was to be wedded on a certain day to the Maid of Beauty, -whom all the world adored. - - - -The day came, the morning dawned. Bright was the sun above Pohyola’s -chilly shores. The sea was calm, the air was mild, the meadows were -golden. Dame Louhi, wisest of women, rose early to put her house in -order. First, she busied herself in-doors, then out she hastened. She -put her hand to her ear and listened. Far out on the sea she heard the -sound of oars splashing, she heard the rippling of the waves as they -were cut by the prows of many vessels, she heard the voices of a -multitude approaching. On land she heard the clatter of reindeers’ -hoofs, the galloping of horses, the rattle of sledges and the grating -of their birchwood runners upon the sand. - -“What do I hear? What do I see?” cried she. “Is this a hostile army -coming to attack me? Or is it only the billows breaking on the beach, -or the wind whistling and moaning among the pines?” - -She looked again, and again she listened. Her face was less grim, her -voice was less harsh; never did she appear so handsome. - -“Oh, no, no!” she muttered. “I thought I heard the North Wind blowing, -a pine tree falling in the forest, the billows roaring and the breakers -beating. But it is not so. The air is mild, the sea is calm, no storm -is near. That which I hear is not the wind, it is not a hostile army. -It is the multitude of guests assembling, the hosts of friends coming -to rejoice with us because it is Ilmarinen’s wedding day.” - -“How shall we know the bridegroom when we see him? How can we -distinguish him in the great crowd of friends and neighbors?” asked a -little waiting-maiden. - -“You shall know him as you know an oak among the willows, as you know -the moon among the tiny stars,” answered the Mistress. “The steed which -he drives is as black as a raven. His magic sledge is glowing bright -and golden as the sun. Six yellow birds sit on his shafts sweetly -singing, and of bluebirds there are seven perched gayly on the -dashboard. You cannot fail to distinguish the noble hero.” - -Even while she spoke there was a clatter in the roadway, a humming and -a bustling and a tramping of many feet. The bridegroom had arrived with -all his friends around him. Swiftly he drove his bright-hued sledge -into the courtyard, and quickly he alighted while the bluebirds sang -and the cuckoos called lustily to the swallows beneath the eaves. The -young men shouted, the old men laughed, and the very air was bubbling -with joy. - -“Hostler, hasten!” called the Mistress. “Take the bridegroom’s horse, -and loose him gently from the shafts. Remove the copper-plated harness, -the silver breast-band, the reins of silver. Lead the noble steed to -the spring and let him drink his fill of the gushing water. Then put -him in the hindmost stable, in the stall reserved for heroes’ horses. -Tether him to the ring of iron that is set in the polished post of -birchwood. Set three trays of food before him, the first filled with -oats, the second with soft hay, the third with finest chaff. And when -you have curried him and smoothed his shining hair, cover him with a -soft blanket and leave him alone, locking the stable door behind you.” - -“I will do everything as you have bidden me,” answered the serving-man, -and he led the steed gently from the courtyard. - -“Now, my boys,” said the Mistress, “you little lads of Pohyola! Conduct -the bridegroom to the house and show him the doorway. Take off his hat -gently, gently. Remove his gloves also. Let us see if the door is wide -enough for him to pass through; let us see if it is high enough to -admit so great a hero.” - -Without delay the waiting-lads took their appointed places, four at the -right hand and four at the left, six in front of him and six behind, -and thus they marched lightly and orderly into the dwelling. - -“Now let all give thanks to Jumala, the gracious,” said the Mistress, -and her unlovely face grew pleasanter for the moment. “Give thanks to -Jumala, for the hero has passed through the door in safety, he has -entered the house of the bride.” - -And the bridegroom responded, “Give thanks to Jumala, and may his -blessing rest upon this house and all that abide beneath its roof.” - -The table was ready, the feast was spread, the guests were waiting. The -lads, with much ado, led the bridegroom to his place—the highest seat -at the end of the room. He sat down by the side of the blushing bride, -the Maid of Beauty, while all the guests clapped their hands and -shouted for joy. - -Then, as one accustomed to entertaining a multitude, the wise old -Mistress feasted her guests in the noblest fashion. Busy, very busy, -were the little waiting-maidens, serving food to all the people. Of -roast beef and savory sausages there was great plenty. Broiled salmon, -pork, the meat of lambkins were served to each guest’s liking. The -whitest of bread and the yellowest of butter, cream cakes, nuts, and -apples—who could ask for more than these? And there was the ale, the -foaming white ale which the Mistress herself had brewed—it was handed -round in great tankards so that each of the heroes present might drink -his fill. When it came to the Minstrel, old Wainamoinen, he rose and -sang a new song: - - - “O ale, sweet ale! - Let no one fail - To sing of thee - And merry be. - - “O hero, strong! - List to my song, - Be glad, be gay - On your wedding day.” - - -Then, changing his theme and the subject of his song he tuned his voice -to a higher key. - - - “What would our Creator do - If to-day he sang to you? - He would sing the sea to honey, - Sing the stones to precious money, - Sing the sand to foaming ale, - Sing the rocks to rain and hail, - And the mountains sing to lakes, - And the hilltops sing to cakes. - - “As a minstrel and magician, - He would bless this land’s condition; - He would fill the fields with cattle, - Make our treasure boxes rattle; - He would fill the mines with metal, - Fill each pot and fill each kettle; - He would fill the lanes with flowers, - Bless each day, bless all the hours. - - “As a minstrel and a singer - He would with this household linger, - Give the bride a ring of gold, - A dress of silk, and wealth untold; - And to the bridegroom, he would give - More skill than to all smiths that live. - Let us therefore crave his blessing, - All our prayers to him addressing.” - - -Thus did the people feast, and thus did the mighty Minstrel sing on -Ilmarinen’s happy wedding day. All day, all the long night, the guests -sat at the table, eating and making merry and listening to the songs -and pleasant speeches that were made in honor of the bride, the -bridegroom, and the noble hostess. - -Much good advice was given to her who had lately been the Maid of -Beauty but was now the Bride of Beauty: how she should keep her -husband’s house in order; how she should obey and serve him; how she -should love and cherish her mother-in-law and all the members of her -family. Much sage counsel also did the hero, Ilmarinen, receive: how he -should always be very gentle to the dove that he had captured; how he -should not forget to praise her industry in the kitchen, at the loom, -in the hay field; how he should never upbraid her in hissing tones, or -beat her with a slave whip; but how he should stand like a wall before -her to protect and defend when others were unkind. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII - -THE HOME COMING - - -Long were the speeches, lengthy were the songs, and many were the -stories to which the people listened and the patient bride and -bridegroom hearkened. Then, as the day was breaking, all was ended. The -guests rose and made ready to depart. The last good-byes were spoken, -the last words of counsel were delivered. - -The hero’s steed was led from the stable, it was harnessed to the magic -sledge while the cuckoos called loudly and the bluebirds sang sweetly -as before. - -“Farewell, farewell, to all my friends and kindred,” then murmured the -Bride of Beauty. “I must now go far, far away from the home I love so -dearly. I must leave my mother’s dwelling, leave the farmyard, fields, -and meadows where as a maiden I was happy. Farewell, dear house; -farewell, my mountain-ash tree; farewell, roads and pathways; farewell, -sweet hills and forests. Who now will answer the cuckoos when they -call? Who now will welcome the bluebirds in the springtime? Who will -milk my pet reindeer? Who will care for my lambs? Farewell, farewell to -all! Farewell, farewell!” - -Then Ilmarinen, noble hero, lifted her into the sledge; he tucked the -robes of fur about her; he wrapped her feet in soft, warm blankets. The -serving-man handed him the reins and the whip. One word to the steed, -and they were away; the low-roofed dwelling, the village, the friends -at Pohyola, all were quickly left behind. And the happy, triumphant -Ilmarinen, shouted back his farewells. - -“Good-bye, good-bye, to all the people! Good-bye to the seashore and -the creeks and inlets! Good-bye to the house with smoke-browned -rafters! Good-bye to the grasses in the meadows, to the lonely marshes, -to the willow bushes, and the lone pine woods where my smithy stands! -Good-bye to all! Good-bye, good-bye!” - -Onward, with gliding feet, the swift steed flew. The magic sledge -scarcely touched the ground, its birchwood runners seemed to skim -through the air, so rapid was its motion. Across the broad meadows, -over the hills, through dark ravines, along the sandy shore the hero -pursued his course, never pausing, never doubting. The whip-lash -whistled in the air, the copper rings on the horse’s harness made merry -music. - -All day, all night, yes, through a second day and then a third, the -joyful journey continued. With one hand the hero guided the horse, with -one arm he supported his bride. The North Wind gently drove him along, -the South Wind beckoned him forward. At length, just as the sun was -setting, he saw his own fair dwelling nestling among the trees of -Wainola. The smoke was rising from the roof-hole, Dame Lokka was -preparing the evening meal, the good sister, Anniki, was watching at -the door. - -“Welcome, welcome, bridegroom and brother! Long have we watched for -you, long have we waited!” shouted the glad maid of the morning. - -“O Ilmarinen, my son, my joy!” cried the mother and matron. “Welcome -home with thy birdling, thy fair one!” - -Then quickly all the village people came running to greet their -neighbor Ilmarinen and his beautiful young bride. They led the noble -pair into the house, the men and women singing joyously, the children -dancing before them. A feast was soon provided—meats the tenderest and -most delicious, loaves of the whitest flour, yellow cakes both light -and sweet, lumps of fresh butter just from the churn, broiled salmon -smoking hot. All these they brought in great abundance, heaped up on -Dame Lokka’s pretty dishes. And the villagers shouted: - -“Welcome, Bride of Beauty, to this Land of Heroes! Welcome to this -lovely village! Hail to the hero, our friend and neighbor! Hail to all -within this dwelling! Blessed be this home-coming. Blessed be the -bridal pair, and may their lives be long and their love lasting!” - -Thus did Ilmarinen win his bride and thus did he bring her in triumph -to his home in Wainola. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII - -THE SLAVE BOY - - -Happy, happy Ilmarinen! With her who had been the Maid of Beauty as -queen of his household, naught but good fortune was his. Wherever he -went, whatever he did, he was sure to prosper. His smithy was full of -rare and beautiful things, the work of his own skilful hands. His barns -were full of grain, barley, and wheat, hay and soft straw for his -horses. His farmyard was full of lowing cattle, broad-horned milk cows, -fat beeves, and sleek-coated yearlings. And his house was full of joy, -the abode of peace, the home of plenty. - -Now among the servants of the hero there was a young slave whose name -was Kullervo. A worthless fellow he was, ill-favored, ill-natured, -selfish, and unkind. When any work was given him to do he was sure to -spoil it; he could not be trusted, he seemed to be unfit for any duty. -Ilmarinen had bought him for a small price: two old cracked kettles, -three broken hooks, four dull-edged scythes, and five toothless rakes. - -“It is a good price for him, more than he is worth,” said all his -neighbors, for they knew that the slave would serve him ill. “Never -will he earn the food that is given him, never will his master have any -joy from his labor.” - -Ilmarinen smiled and said nothing. He gave the boy an axe and bade him -cut an armload of kindlings for the fire; but the worthless fellow -began chopping the beams of the house. He sent him into the garden to -pull up weeds; but the worthless fellow destroyed the useful plants and -flowers and left the weeds untouched. He sent him to pick berries in -the marshes; but the worthless fellow picked only the green fruit and -trampled upon the ripe. - -“The new slave is good for nothing,” said Dame Lokka, Ilmarinen’s busy -mother. - -“No, no!” answered his wife, the mistress of his household. “Every man -has his place in the world, and surely there is something for this poor -fellow to do.” - -And so, one day when Ilmarinen was far away, she said to the mother, “I -have a mind to send Kullervo out with the cattle. Surely he can drive -them to the hill pastures and the marshes, he can watch them while they -graze, he can keep them from wandering in the woods and thickets.” - -“Do as you like,” answered Dame Lokka. “A herdsman’s task requires -neither skill nor wearying labor, and perhaps the slave will find his -proper place among the cattle in the quiet pastures.” - -Forthwith the wife and mistress called to the old cook, the kitchen -wench, and said, “The new slave, Kullervo, is to go with the cattle -to-day. Make haste and put up a luncheon for him—something that will -stay his hunger in the middle of the day, for he will be far from home -and the noon sun is hot in the lonely hill pastures.” - -“Yes, my mistress,” answered the cook, “I will fill a basket for him -with food good enough and wholesome enough for any such slave as he. I -will bake a fresh, hot cake for him and have it ready when he starts -with the herd.” - -So to her task she went, chuckling and growling, for she hated Kullervo -and not without reason. First, she rolled out the dough and then she -baked the cake. The upper half was of wheaten flour, the lower half was -of coarse oatmeal, and in the centre was a round black sandstone -cunningly concealed. - -“He will enjoy that when he comes to it,” laughed the wicked wench, -holding her sides and grinning with mirth. - -When the cake was baked very hard and dry she took it from the oven and -rolled it in butter, laying a slice of raw bacon around it. Then she -put it in a small basket and covered it with green oak leaves. - -“He must needs have strong teeth to eat it,” she muttered, “but it is -good enough for him.” - -Soon Kullervo came to get his luncheon. The cattle were waiting to be -driven to the pasture, the milk cows were lowing impatiently, the -yearlings were browsing beside the hedges. - -“Here’s your luncheon, you worthless fellow,” said the old cook. “It is -fresh and hot, and far too good for such as you; keep the green leaves -over it till you’re ready to eat, for the flies are many and very bad -to-day.” - -The slave took the basket. Although ill-favored, his face was not -wholly bad, for his father had been a freeman and a hero. His coat was -of coarsest cloth, much patched; his trousers were of reindeer skin; -his stockings were of blue-dyed wool; his shoes were heavy and -serviceable. No beard was yet on his chin or sun-browned cheeks; his -eyes were blue with shades of savagery lurking in their depths; his -uncombed hair was yellow, long, and frowzy. - -With the basket on his arm he opened the farmyard gate and shouted to -the cattle. The broad-horned oxen crowded themselves out into the road -and walked briskly but sedately down the well-worn pathway towards -their accustomed pasture, the mild-eyed milk cows followed, and the -calves and yearlings hurried impatiently to the front. - -The wife and mistress, she who had been the Maid of Beauty, was sitting -in her chamber counting the days that must pass before her husband’s -return. She heard the tinkling of the bells and the hoarse discordant -mooing of the beasts. She heard the shouts of the slave boy and the -trampling of the younger cattle. She rose quickly and hurried to the -door, waving her hand to Kullervo and calling to him in shrill, -commanding tones: - -“Have a care that you do your work well to-day, young man. Drive the -milkers to the high meadows where the grass is green and sweet. Drive -the oxen and the yearlings to the woodlands; let them browse among the -bushes and lie down in shady places. See that you guard them all to -keep them safe from wily wolves and lurking bears. Watch them well, and -when the day is almost done, bring them home. Woe be to you if you -leave one of them behind. Bring them home and drive the milkers into -the paddock; then call loudly, and I will come down with the milkmaids -to milk them. Do you hear, Kullervo?” - -The slave boy growled a surly answer, and went slouching behind the -herd, shouting to the laggers and casting stones at the browsing oxen. - -He drove the milk cows to the meadow pastures where the grass was tall -and green, but the oxen and the younger cattle he allowed to wander as -they would in the open fields or the marshy thickets. Then, at length, -when all were peacefully feeding, he sat down upon a grassy hummock and -looked around him, sad, lonely, vindictive. The autumn sun beamed hot -upon his head, and the fresh sea breeze fanned his face and played in -his yellow hair. The grasshoppers chirped at his feet and the crows -scolded him harshly from the treetops. Kullervo looked and listened, -but he saw nothing beautiful, he heard nothing musical. His heart was -filled with dismal thoughts, and he loudly bewailed his wretched fate. - -“Ah, me! ah, me! Wheresoever I go I am still a miserable slave and hard -tasks are set for me to do. While others are happy and free I am forced -to trudge unwillingly among briars and thorns, over hills and through -marshes, watching the tails of hateful cattle. O Jumala, giver of good! -Let the sun shine gently upon me, a wretched slave boy; but make it -scorch and blister my master and my master’s household. Turn their -boasting into grief and their success into dire misfortune. So hear me, -O Jumala, friend of the friendless!” - -The noon hour came, the sun began its downward course. In the farmhouse -the Smith’s mother, Dame Lokka, was sitting in sweet content. On her -right sat Anniki, the maid of the morning, and on her left was -Ilmarinen’s wife and mistress whom he had won in the far-off North -Land. Joy beamed in every face and pulsed in every heart. - -The table was spread and the mid-day meal was served—white bread fresh -from the bake-oven, choice butter and yellow cream from the dairy, -tid-bits of beef and smoked salmon. How good was everything! - -“Praise be to Jumala for all these blessings!” said Dame Lokka, -fervently. - -“Praise be to Jumala!” echoed both the daughters. - -Meanwhile the slave, Kullervo, was still sitting on his lonely hummock, -keeping watch over the cattle and nursing his evil thoughts. The crows -among the pines cawed loudly; the grasshoppers at his feet chirped -mockingly. - -“Wake up, sad slave boy! The day is past the noon,” croaked an old -crow. - -And a thrush in the thicket of bushes sang, “O orphan boy, the luncheon -hour has come! Take the fine cake from the basket where the old cook so -kindly placed it. Eat it. Feast upon it and forget your sorrow.” - -Kullervo was hungry, for his breakfast had been light. He picked the -oak leaves from the basket and took the round, buttered cake in his -hands. It was heavy, and he eyed it closely. He turned it over and -examined the under side. - -“It looks good, it smells sweet,” he said. “But the handsomest of -people are sometimes rotten at heart, and the handsomest of cakes are -sometimes unfit to be eaten.” - -He took his hunting knife from the sheath that hung at his belt. It was -but half a knife, the edge nicked deeply, the point broken off. But its -temper was good, for it had been forged by a master smith in the days -when men did honest work. - -Kullervo cut through the upper crust of the cake, he cut through the -wheaten layer at the top; but when the knife struck the stone in the -centre it broke short off at the hilt and only the handle remained in -his grasp. The slave looked at it, and as the blade fell to the ground -he burst out weeping. - -“Oh, sorrow upon sorrow!” he moaned. “This knife was my only friend. I -had no one to love but this iron, so true, so ready to help. It was -once my father’s knife, and well it served him in the chase and in the -fight. And now it is broken by this cake of stone which Ilmarinen’s -women have given me for food.” - -He picked up the broken blade and tried to fit it in the handle. It was -vain; both blade and handle were useless. With a cry of despair he -flung them far from him; with a cry of wrath he threw the stone-filled -cake still farther, and it fell with a thud among the bushes. Then up -flew a pair of ravens, one lighting upon a blasted pine and one taking -shelter in a grove of oaks. - -“Caw! caw!” cried the one in the pine. “What can ail the wretched slave -boy?” - -“He is angry,” answered the other. “His mistress has treated him badly. -She has given him a stone for bread.” - -“It is thus that the rich feed the poor,” said the one in the pine. -“But what will the slave do about it?” - -“If he is wise he will pay them well for their cruel jest,” cawed the -one in the oak. “He will seek revenge, he will have it. Caw! caw! caw!” - -Kullervo leaped up and stood upon the hummock. He stretched out his -arms and shook his clenched fists in the face of the sky. - -“Hear me, Jumala!” he cried. “O Jumala, friend of the friendless, help -me. I will have revenge. I will pay those women well for the sorrow -they have made me feel. The slave will whip the master, and the master -shall serve the slave.” - -All the savagery that had been lurking in his blue eyes burst forth, as -lightning bursts from the drifting clouds. He ran to the woody thicket -and broke off a long branch of hemlock to serve him as a whip. Slashing -it this way and that, he rushed hither and thither collecting his herd. -With great ado he drove the lazy milkers far into the savage woods. He -gathered the yearlings together and, after much shouting and cursing, -chased them into the tangled thickets where the wild beasts had their -lairs. - -Out of the shady places wolves leaped up, howling, snarling, snapping -their teeth. The bears were roused from their lurking holes and came -forth growling, their tongues lolling out. The gentle milk cows, the -timid yearlings, even the stolid oxen, were overcome with fear. They -ran together in groups, trembling and helpless. Instantly the wild -beasts leaped upon them with bared claws and gnashing teeth. If any -escaped the wolves, they were seized by the bears; if any fled from the -bears, they were devoured by the wolves. The whole herd perished. - -From a safe seat in the crotch of a pine the slave boy looked on and -watched the slaughter; and he laughed a wild, discordant, triumphant -laugh. Then, clapping his hands together and knocking his knees against -the trunk of the tree, he began to sing. He sang a wild, strange song -of enchantment—a song he had learned from a witch woman in the land of -mists and shadows. And as he sang, behold, a wonderful thing occurred: -all the wolves so lately feasting were changed into sleek, fat -yearlings, and all the bears so lately gorging themselves became fine -milk cows with mild, soft eyes and pendent udders. - -The slave boy descended from the tree, still singing, still shouting, -still working the magic spell. The beasts with one accord looked up to -him as their master. One after another, they marched slowly and orderly -out of the marshes and out of the woods, the false milk cows going -foremost calmly chewing their cuds, and the false yearlings gambolling -behind. The sun was now well down towards the western hills, and the -evening milking time was nigh at hand. - -Homeward, over the hills and along the well-known pathways, the slave -boy drove his herd. With noiseless steps he ran among the beasts, -breathing words of magic, words of cunning in their ears. - -“Spare not the mistress when she comes out to milk you,” he whispered -to one. - -“Seize the maidens when they come with pails to milk you,” he said to -others. - -“Seek the old cook in the kitchen and remind her of her cake,” he -muttered to still another. - -“Be bold, be fierce, be very hungry,” he counselled them all. - -The sun was still above the hills when he drove the herd into the -farmyard. He put the milkers inside the paddock, the yearlings -following after. Then he closed the gate without locking it and climbed -up on the fence. From his belt he unloosed his herdsman’s whistle, a -whistle carved from an ox’s horn; he put it to his lips and blew it -loudly, shrilly. It was the signal by which the mistress and her -milkmaids would know that the cows had been brought home and were ready -for the milking. - -Five times—yes, six—Kullervo blew a long, piercing blast which might -have been heard half-way across the sea. Then, as the last echoes died, -he leaped nimbly to the ground and ran out of the farmyard. Half -crouching, he slunk away behind hedges and bushes until his ungainly -form was lost to sight among the evening shadows. Never more would his -feet cross the threshold of Ilmarinen’s dwelling. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX - -A DREADFUL VENGEANCE - - -Beside the door of Ilmarinen’s dwelling the women of the household were -assembled. Dame Lokka, best and busiest of matrons, was planning the -evening meal. Sister Anniki, maid of the morning, was assorting the -week’s washing and toying with the ribbons in her hair. And she who had -been the Maid of Beauty—she who was now the wife and helpmate of the -master Smith—was busy at the churn. Suddenly the sound of the slave -boy’s whistle—the herdsman’s whistle—aroused and startled them. The -sound filled the air with its shrill but welcome music, and was echoed -sharply from the hills and the forest beyond. Again it was heard, and -again and again, each time more distinct, more persistent, less -musical. - -“Praise Jumala!” cried the wife and helpmate. “There is the herdsman’s -horn. The cows are at home and it is milking time.” - -“The slave boy has tended the cows well, I hope,” said Dame Lokka. “If -he has not lost any of them he shall have a good supper to-night.” - -“But why does he blow so loudly?” said Anniki, holding her head. “The -sound is deafening. My ears are surely split and my head will burst -from the unearthly noise.” - -“Never mind, sister,” said the wife and helpmate, gently, soothingly. -“That was the last blast and we shall not hear another. Does your head -ache? You shall have the first cup of milk that is taken from Brown -Bossy to-night. I myself will milk her, and I will give it to you, warm -and frothing and fit for a queen. Surely that will heal your ear-drums, -surely that will ease your throbbing head.” - -Then she called cheerily to her milkmaids: “Come, girls, the cows are -in the paddock and it is milking time! Fetch the new pails and fetch -also my milking stool. Let us get at our task before the daylight -fades.” - -The milkmaids came—three young serving-girls, rosy-faced, red-lipped, -and ruddy with health. Methinks I see them even now, tripping lightly -from the doorway, each with a sweet-smelling cedar-wood pail, and the -foremost with a three-legged stool for the mistress. - -Along the garden walk, between rows of blue and yellow flowers, they -pass joyously. In their blue gowns and white aprons, their long braided -hair falling far down their backs—how handsome they are! The wife and -helpmate goes before, queenly as when men called her the Maid of -Beauty. Anniki, the sister, comes after, thirsty and impatient for the -cup of fresh and frothing milk. They walk across the farmyard; they -open the great gate into the paddock; they enter and look around them. - -“Ha! how sleek the milkers are to-night!” says the wife and helpmate. -“Their hides shine as though they had been rubbed down with lynx-skin -brushes and smoothed with lamb’s wool dipped in oil.” - -“And how full they are!” says Anniki, the sister. “They have eaten so -much they can hardly breathe. Surely the slave boy knows where to find -the best pastures for the herd.” - -“Yes, and see how large their udders are!” says one of the milkmaids. -“Methinks our pails are too small to contain such quantities of milk. -The whole milk-house will be flooded.” - -“But look!” suddenly cries the second milkmaid. “What ails the -yearlings? They stare at us so and their eyes glow like balls of fire.” - -“Oh, I am afraid! I am afraid!” whispers the third milkmaid, shrinking -back into the shadows. - -The brave mistress laughs at her fears. “It is only the light of the -setting sun shining in their eyes,” she says. “Surely no harm can come -from these gentle creatures.” - -But sister Anniki shivers with cold and draws nearer, her cheeks pale -and her limbs trembling. - -“Bring hither my stool,” says the wife and helpmate, “and give me the -new pail of polished cedar. Here is Brown Bossy, patiently waiting to -give a cup of milk to Anniki. I will milk her first, and do each of you -girls choose a cow. The yearlings will not disturb you.” - -She places her stool by the side of the great brown beast; she takes -the new milk-pail in her hands; she sits down; she bends forward to -begin the milking. - -Suddenly a great shout, a whoop, a scream is heard far down the road. -It is not the shouting of a lone traveller; it is not the whooping of a -home-coming ploughboy; it is not the screaming of a frightened woman. -The milkmaids hear it and are overcome with terror. Sister Anniki turns -to flee through the open gateway. - -But the wife and mistress stamps her foot with anger. “How silly!” she -cries. “It is only the cry of an owl or the call of a lone wolf in the -darkening woods. Get to your milking!” - -Her own hand trembles as she reaches for the teat. Quickly the dreadful -sound is repeated, deafening the ears, freezing the blood of both -mistress and maidens. It is the savage whoop of the slave Kullervo, -bidding the beasts perform the dreadful business which he alone has -planned. Instantly the broad-horned, mild-eyed creature which has -played the part of Brown Bossy becomes a huge bear, grim and terrible; -instantly all the milkers are turned to growling beasts; instantly the -bright-eyed yearlings resume their proper forms and become fierce -wolves snapping and snarling and eager for blood. Oh, the savage -uproar! Oh, the terror, brief but indescribable! - -The milkmaids with their white aprons and braided hair vanish like -snow-flakes in a turbulent flood of waters. The wife and helpmate, she -who erstwhile was the Maid of Beauty, is swept away in the storm, is -swallowed up, and naught but a blood-stained lock of hair remains to -tell of her fate. And Anniki, maid of the morning, flees shrieking -through the gateway, is seized by cruel jaws, is devoured—no magic -skill of hers availing to avert her doom. - -Ah, me! that it should be my task to tell of this strange tragedy so -brief but terrible! No minstrel’s song can depict that scene so fraught -with woe, so horrible to contemplate. - -The maddened, hungry wolves ran out of the paddock, out of the -farmyard; the hideous bears rushed after them. They ran hither and -thither devouring every living thing. Like a destroying flood they -invaded the farmhouse, breaking down the doors, overturning the tables -and benches, filling every room with their horrid presence. In the -kitchen they found the old cook, the wench who had caused this -unheard-of disaster. She was praying to Jumala, but Jumala did not save -her. In her own chamber Dame Lokka, the best loved of matrons, fell -before the pitiless tide. Not one of the household escaped the jaws of -the furious beasts. Women and men, children, birds and fowls, dogs and -horses, all perished. Even the gardens and the fields were overrun and -trampled into worthlessness. The once prosperous home of Ilmarinen -became in a single night an uninhabited waste. - -Ah! if only the master, Ilmarinen, had been there! But what could even -he have done in that storm so fierce, so irresistible, so overwhelming? - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XXX - -THE GOLDEN MAIDEN - - -Far away in northern inlets Ilmarinen and his friend the Minstrel were -catching salmon for the winter’s store. The days were growing shorter -and the nights were getting cold. Ice was beginning to form in the -sheltered creeks and coves and frost lay white on the shaded slopes of -the hills. - -Fishes were scarce and shy and the fishermen were disheartened. For -five days—yes, for six toilsome days—they had sailed hither and -thither, casting first on the landward side and then on the seaward, -and still the boat’s hold was far from being filled. - -“I wish I were at home,” sighed the master Smith. - -“There is no place so sweet as one’s own fireside,” responded the -Minstrel. - -“I long to see the faces of those whom I love,” said the Smith. “I am -impatient to hear their voices.” - -“Sweeter than the chirping of song-birds—yes, sweeter than the warbling -of meadow larks—is the merry prattling of one’s own home folk,” -returned the Minstrel. - -They drew in the net. Not a salmon did it contain. Naught but seaweed -did they get. - -“Oh, I am sick of this business,” complained Ilmarinen. “I am sick of -fishing, sick of sailing on these barren waters, sick of life itself.” - -“Take heart, brother, take heart,” answered the Minstrel cheerily. -“To-morrow we shall have better luck; we shall make a great catch, and -soon we shall sail back to Wainola with a full cargo and great plenty -of salmon.” - -But on the morrow their bad luck continued. Their net was broken, they -lost their best whalebone hook, their boat was grounded in the -shallows, and half the day was wasted. - -Suddenly from the shore they heard some ravens calling among the -storm-beaten pines. They listened to the voices of the ill-omened -birds. - -“See those fishermen,” said one. “See how they toil in these empty -waters.” - -“Caw! caw! caw!” answered its mate. “They are foolish. They know not -what is going on at home.” - -“If they were wiser they would spread sail and hasten back to Wainola,” -croaked a third. - -“Hasten back to Wainola!” echoed the cold, gray cliffs and the ragged -rocks on the shore. - -“Back to Wainola!” came a voice from the waveless waters. - -“To Wainola!” shouted Ilmarinen, as he seized the ropes and hurriedly -hoisted the sail. - -“Wainola! Wainola!” sang the ancient Minstrel as he wielded the long -rudder and deftly turned the vessel before the wind. - -All night, all day, the willing little ship speeded southward, cutting -through the waves with lightning swiftness, throwing the foam to the -right and the left, leaving a track of boiling waters behind it. And -the word that was oftenest on the lips of Smith and Minstrel was “Home! -home! home!” - -Three days they sailed, and then—ah, then! Who shall depict that -home-coming? Who shall describe the dismay, the grief, the -heart-breaking of the hero, Ilmarinen? - -As the boat neared the shore he shouted a great sky-shaking shout as -was his custom when arriving home from a long voyage. But no answering -cry of welcome came to his ears. He saw no faces of loved ones waiting -at the landing-place to greet him. Quickly, he leaped ashore. He paused -not a moment, but hastened along the silent pathways towards the grove -that sheltered his roomy farmhouse. But ere he reached it his eyes -detected many a sign of the fearful scenes that had been enacted there. -The hedges had been torn down, the flower-beds had been trampled and -destroyed, the bordering fields were laid waste. The farmhouse itself -had been ransacked from kitchen to attic chamber, and not one article -of ornament or use had been left untouched or unbroken. - -Frantically the hero ran from one spot to another loudly calling to his -mother, to his sister, the maid of the morning, to his wife, the best -beloved, the beautiful. But no voice answered him save the echoes of -his own words. The floor of the farmhouse was reddened with blood; on -every side were the marks of cruel teeth, the imprint of sharp and -pitiless claws. In the farmyard, he found the milking stool and the -pails, all battered and scarred and broken; and there, too, he found a -long lock of blood-covered hair which he knew too well had once -belonged to the Maid of Beauty, the mistress of his household and his -life. Then despair took hold of him and hope was dead. He looked no -farther, but sat down upon the ground and gave expression to his -overwhelming grief. - -Thus, all day and for many days, Ilmarinen mourned and wept. Through -sleepless nights he bewailed his great misfortune, and through all the -hated mornings he lamented the loss of his wife, his mother, his -sister, his loved household. In his smithy the fire no longer burned, -the anvil no longer echoed his song. His hammer was idle and his forge -was cold. The beauty of life had departed and he longed to die—to meet -the shades of his loved ones in the land of Tuonela. - -For two, four—yes, six—long and dreary months he mourned, and his -strength waned and he grew weak from sorrow. He ate little, slept -little, talked not at all, mingled never with his friends and -neighbors. Often, in the still hours of midnight, he fancied that he -heard the voice of his dear one calling him by name. Often in fitful -dreams he reached his hand out in the darkness thinking to touch hers, -but grasping nothing, seizing only empty air. - -At length, in his madness, he said to himself: “With gold and magic and -smithing skill I will shape a body like hers—beautiful beyond -compare—and then perhaps she will return from Tuonela and dwell therein -as she did in her former body of flesh and blood.” - -And so, from the rocks by the seaside he gathered flakes of gold, -scales of gold, nuggets of gold, until he had filled a basket almost as -large as himself. Then from the forest he cut and brought together many -logs of willow and white maple and mountain ash, and of these he made -charcoal for his smithy. With much care he prepared his furnace, and in -the midst of it he set a magic caldron, large and round and deep. He -heaped the wood around it, he threw on coal, he kindled the fire; and -all the while he sang runes and songs of wizardry and power which no -lesser man would have dared to recite. - -Then he called loudly to his slaves and working men: “Now, my faithful -ones, start the bellows to blowing. Make it roar like a storm at sea, -like a whirlwind in a mountain valley. Blow, blow, and cease not until -I command you.” - -The men obeyed. With their bare hands they laid hold of the long lever, -they put their naked shoulders against it and worked steadily with -might and main. And Ilmarinen stood by his magic caldron, throwing into -it great handfuls of gold, smaller handfuls of silver, cakes of fine -sugar from the red mountain-maple, honey and honeycomb, daisies, -buttercups, wild flowers of every hue, and a hundred strange and potent -articles the names of which I have not the courage to pronounce. - -For a brief hour the workmen toiled and paused not. Then one said, “I -am tired,” and slunk away in the darkness; and the second said, “I am -faint with the heat,” and let his hands fall from the bellows; and the -third said, “The work is too hard for one man alone to perform,” and -he, too, abandoned his post. The bellows ceased blowing, the fire was -fast dying down. - -“Blow, my men, blow!” cried Ilmarinen, and then, lifting his eyes, he -saw that he was alone in the smithy. - -Angry and half-despairing, he seized the lever of the bellows in his -own hands, he put his own naked shoulder to the work, and again the -flames leaped up, the fire glowed, the caldron quaked and trembled in -the terrible heat. For hours and hours he toiled, till the sweat poured -in torrents from his brow, and his hands were blistered and his fingers -cramped with grasping the long, unyielding lever of iron. At length he -paused from his labor and looked down into the furnace. He lifted the -lid from the caldron and sang a wild, weird song, every word of which -was a word of enchantment. And what do you think arose from the mixture -in the vessel, from the gray clouds of vapor which filled it? - -It was not that which the Smith had hoped to see, for the ill-working -serving-men had broken the spells that he was weaving. It was not a -golden war-steed with shoes of silver. It was not a monstrous eagle -with beak of hardest iron. It was only a young lamb, small and feeble, -with fleece of mingled gold and silver. - -Ilmarinen looked at the tiny beast and felt no pleasure. A child might -have liked it as a plaything, but a hero delights not in useless toys. - -“I did not call for you, my lambkin,” he said, disappointed and -sorrowing. “You are gentle, you are harmless, but my magic spells -should have wrought something far better and more beautiful. I desire a -golden maiden and no other form will please me.” - -So saying, he thrust the lamb back into the boiling caldron, forcing it -down to the very bottom. Then he threw in more gold, and with each -handful of the yellow metal he muttered a new rune of magic words and -magic import. The fire burned fitfully beneath and around the caldron. -Tongues of blue flame encircled it, sheets of white flame enveloped it, -a sound like the humming of bees issued from its broad mouth. - -Ilmarinen threw fresh coal into the furnace and heaped it high above -the draught hole. He worked the bellows, steadily, gently, -persistently. The fire roared, the flames danced, the heat became -intense. For hours the hero labored without cessation; for hours he -muttered spells of enchantment, suffering nothing to break in upon his -thoughts or distract from the mystic power of his words. When he at -last, had reached the end, had recited all the proper runes and -sayings, he stopped blowing the bellows, and with great caution stooped -down and looked into the caldron. - -The flames died suddenly away, and out of the vessel there sprang a -wonderful image—the image of a beautiful maiden. In face and form she -was indeed lovely—lovelier than any other woman, save one, that -Ilmarinen had ever seen. Her head was of silver and her hair was -golden. Her eyes sparkled like precious stones and were blue as the -summer sky, yet she saw nothing. Her ears were dainty and blushing like -pink rose leaves, yet she heard nothing. Her lips were tender and sweet -and red like twin cranberries meeting beneath her faultless nose, yet -she tasted not, smelled nothing. Her mouth served not for speaking nor -yet for eating or smiling. Her fingers were long and tapering and her -hands small and shapely, yet she felt nothing. Her feet were -well-formed and comely, yet they would not support her, she could not -stand. - -“O my loved one! O my lost one! O thou who wert once the Maid of -Beauty, come and dwell in this golden body!” cried the enraptured -Smith. “Come, and once more be the joy of my poor life!” - -He lifted the Golden Maiden and placed her in the cushioned seat -wherein his lost wife had often reposed. He put his arm around her -waist, but she did not return his caress. He kissed her cherry red -lips, but they were cold, cold, cold. He spoke many endearing words in -her ear, but she gave him no answer. He took her hands between his own, -but there was no throbbing of life in them. - -“She is cold, so cold!” he muttered. “She is like ice, like snow in -midwinter!” - -Then he laid her on a silken couch, put soft pillows beneath her head, -and covered her with warm blankets and quilted coverlets. And as he did -so he prayed unceasingly to the dear dead one whom he had loved so -much: - -“O thou who wert once the Maid of Beauty, come and dwell in this body -of gold! Come and give life to this precious maiden; fill her veins -with blood, give warmth to her body, sight to her eyes, hearing to her -ears!” - -All night long he sat beside the couch, holding the maiden’s hands and -breathing his own warm breath into her face. All night long he moaned -and wept and called the name of his lost wife whom the beasts had -devoured. At length the new day dawned and the sunlight streamed into -the room and fell upon the couch. The Golden Maiden was as cold as -before, her face was white with frost, her body was frozen to the -blankets. - -“Ah, me! there is no hope!” said the Smith, despairing utterly; and he -lifted the image from its resting place. “Never will the dead come to -life again, never will my loved one return to me. Henceforth I shall -walk alone upon the earth.” - -He took the Golden Maiden gently in his arms, he smoothed the drapery -about her, and carried her to his old friend, the Minstrel. - -“O Wainamoinen, tried and true!” he cried. “Here I bring you a -present—a maiden of great worth, golden and beautiful. See her fair -face, her comely form, her feet so small and shapely.” - -The Minstrel, wise and steadfast, looked at the image closely, -admiringly. Then he said, “She is indeed a pretty maiden, and the -likeness is perfect. But wherefore do you bring her to me?” - -“Dear brother, friend, companion,” answered the Smith, “I bring her to -you because I love you, because I would make you happy. Years ago we -both wooed the same Maid of Beauty. I won her because I was young; you -lost her because you were old. I know what must have been your sorrow -and disappointment. Now, when there can be no more joy for me, I bring -you this Golden Maiden to be your solace and delight. She has the form -and features of the Maid of Beauty, and I doubt not she will please -you. She will sit on your knee and nestle dovelike in your arms—and she -is worth her weight in gold.” - -“I want no golden maiden!” cried the Minstrel half angrily, sternly. -“For what is gold without sense, without soul? I have heard of young -fools who wedded silly maidens, brainless women, soulless ladies, just -for gold. But think you that one in my position would stoop to such -folly?” - -“I know that you are wise, my brother,” said the Smith, “and you are -the master of all magic. Perhaps you might endow this Golden Maiden -with sense, with warm blood, with a noble soul.” - -“Jumala alone has that power,” answered Wainamoinen, “and to Jumala let -us give all praise. Carry this image back to your smithy, thrust the -Golden Maiden into your furnace, and then you may forge from her all -sorts of objects, beautiful, useful, precious. For never will your Maid -of Beauty return from Tuonela to dwell in a body so base and -worthless.” - -Sorrowfully, regretfully, Ilmarinen obeyed. Back to his smithy he -carried the golden image; he thrust it into his furnace; he watched it -melt and disappear in the terrible heat. Then he turned himself about -and walked out silently into the darkness. And for many a sad day the -people of Wainola sought him in vain and then mourned him as dead. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XXXI - -THE FAMINE - - -Sad were the days and joyless were the months in the Land of Heroes. -The sky was cloudless and gray and the ground was parched and dry for -long lack of rain. In the fields the crops failed and the cattle died. -In the forest there was no game for the huntsmen. In the sea the fishes -had fled to other waters, leaving the fishermen to toil in vain. In -Wainola the children were crying for food and the men and women were -sitting on their doorsteps, silent, with stony faces, hopeless, -helpless, despairing. - -Then one day a little boat came creeping into the harbor with but one -man on board. Many of the people saw the lone sailor as he moored his -vessel to the shore, but none had the courage to go and meet him. He -walked slowly up the deserted pathway to the village, looking at the -barren fields and the fruitless trees, the empty barns and the gloomy -houses, the many signs of poverty and distress. His eyes wandered -onward to the ruined farmhouse, and past it to the smokeless smithy -which had once been the joy and the pride of the hero, Ilmarinen. - -“Ah, me! Can this be Wainola, the village once so happy and -prosperous?” he said to himself. “Can this be the smithy, can this be -the home which echoed to the merry sounds of love and peace?” - -Then from out of the shadows an old man, feeble and tottering, came to -meet him. It was Wainamoinen, pale with fasting, gaunt with hunger, but -brave and steadfast as in former days. - -“Hail, stranger!” said the Minstrel. “Welcome to Wainola and to the -best that its people can offer!” - -“Hail, friend and brother!” answered the stranger heartily and with -gentleness. He lifted the cap which had concealed his forehead, he -loosed the broad scarf that had been well drawn up about his chin and -cheeks. His ruddy face was wrinkled with sorrow although for the moment -it was wreathed in smiles. - -The Minstrel old and feeble uttered a cry of joy. “O Ilmarinen! -Ilmarinen! Have you returned? We had mourned you as dead! We had given -you up as lost!” And the next moment each was locked in the other’s -arms. - -“Now, tell me, my young brother, where have you been since you departed -from Wainola and the Land of Heroes? Word came to us that you had -perished, that you had gone to dwell in Tuonela; and when this great -blight of famine and sorrow came upon the land, we were fain to believe -that it was indeed so. Why did you leave us? Where have you been?” - -“I went away from Wainola because of my sorrow,” answered Ilmarinen -sadly. “I went to the far North Land, to Pohyola’s shores, because the -voice of my dear lost Maid of Beauty seemed to call me thither. For -twelve months—yes, for two long, sorrowing years—I sought her in that -land. But Tuoni holds her captive in his castle beside the river of -silence. She cannot come to me, but I can go to her. I am even now -seeking the road to Tuonela.” - -“You need not go far to find it,” said the Minstrel. “Look around you -and see your neighbors starving, dying—hear your neighbors’ children -moaning, crying. The road to Tuonela is here, and many are the feet -that are travelling in it. But tell me, was it thus in Pohyola? Have -they a famine there also?” - -“A famine! Far from it,” answered Ilmarinen. “Never was there a more -prosperous people than those of Pohyola. They plough, they sow, they -reap in great abundance. Of grain and fruit there is no end, and no man -nor woman, child nor dog, knows the meaning of hunger.” - -“How strange that a land of mists and fogs, a land so dreary and -forbidding, should be so blessed with plenty!” said the Minstrel. “Is -it by some power of magic that this is so? Why is it that you, the -prince of wizards, cannot find some way to bless and save our own -kinsmen, our own people?” - -“Do you remember the Sampo?” said the Smith. “Do you remember the magic -mill which I made for Dame Louhi many years ago? That mill is still -grinding in Pohyola, its lid of many colors turns and turns and turns -forever. Safely locked in a stony cavern, still it grinds wealth and -food and clothing without end. The soil draws richness from it, the -fields of grain thrive upon its grindings, the fruit trees send their -roots downward and suck up the wealth which it pours out.” - -“The Sampo, the Sampo!” said the Minstrel, feebly as in a dream. “If -only we might bring it to our own country, how quickly we could save -our people!” - -“It was I that forged the wonderful mill, I, the prince of smiths and -wizards,” said Ilmarinen with a far-off look in his eyes. “Never can -another be made that is like it.” - -“And if you forged it, why is it not your own?” queried Wainamoinen, -wise though feeble. - -“I forged it for another,” answered Ilmarinen. “I made it for wise old -Louhi, the Mistress of Pohyola; and the reward which she ought to have -given me, I obtained by other means. Neither gold nor silver nor aught -else have I ever received for my labor.” - -“Then surely you have a valid claim upon the Sampo,” said Wainamoinen. -“O my friend and brother, we must hasten to Pohyola and seize that mill -of plenty, that we may bring it to our own sweet land. We must save our -starving people.” - -“Nay, nay, it cannot be,” returned the Smith. “The mill is securely -stored away in a stony cavern beneath a hill of copper. Nine heavy -doors shut it in, and nine locks of strongest metal make each door fast -and safe. No man nor men can seize the mighty Sampo.” - -But the Minstrel persisted. All that night he held the Smith’s strong -hand and talked of naught but the Sampo and how, by it, they might save -the lives of their famishing friends and neighbors. At length Ilmarinen -ceased objecting. “You are wise, my elder brother,” he said, “much -wiser than I. The task is a mighty one, but for the sake of our people -and our country I will not shrink from it. None but women say, ‘I -cannot,’ none but cowards say, ‘I dare not.’” - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XXXII - -THE WEEPING SHIP - - -Hour after hour the two heroes sat together and talked of their great -project and the desire of their hearts. Nor could they readily agree by -what road they should journey to Pohyola, whether by sea or whether by -land. - -“Twice have I sailed thither in a ship,” said the Minstrel. - -“Twice have I made the journey in a sledge,” returned the Smith. - -“It is nearest by water,” said the Minstrel. - -“It is safest by land,” said the Smith. - -“It is pleasantest to go thither by ship.” - -“It is surest to ride thither along the shore.” - -“Well, let this be as it may,” at length said Wainamoinen. “We shall -not quarrel. If the land way pleases you, I say no more; but it is -beset with perils, and we must be well armed. As you know, it is not -the habit of minstrels to carry weapons, and I have neither spear nor -club. So get you to your smithy, kindle the fire in your furnace so -long idle and cold, and forge me a keen-edged sword with which to fight -wild men and savage beasts.” - -The Smith obeyed. Once more the flames leaped up within his furnace, -once more the black smoke poured from the roof-hole, and once more the -song of the anvil rang out cheerily in the morning air. Into the fire -the mighty wizard threw first a bar of purest iron, then upon this he -scattered a handful of gold, all that remained of the Golden Maiden. He -blew the bellows with might and main till the whole smithy trembled and -groaned and the flames leaped up to lick the sky. Then he drew out the -half-melted mass and held it upon the anvil while he beat and turned -it, and beat and turned it, until he had shaped it into a wonderful -weapon the like of which no man had seen before. - -“Ha! this is indeed a sword well suited to a hero,” he said when it was -finished. - -He held it up and looked admiringly at its well-shaped blade and -jewelled handle. Pictures rare and beautiful adorned its sides. The -hilt was shaped like a prancing horse, the knob was the image of a -mewing cat. - -He looked long and lovingly at the blade and then handed it to -Wainamoinen. “Take it, friend and brother,” he said. “It is worthy of -you. Its name is Faultless. With it you can cleave the hardest rocks; -with it you can vanquish all your foes; with it you can carve for -yourself great honor and fame.” - -Soon came the time for starting, and the courage of both began to -waver. “We must have horses,” said the Minstrel. “The way is long, the -paths are rough, the journey cannot be made on foot. Let us seek out -steeds for ourselves.” - -So into the fields they went, wondering whether any of Ilmarinen’s -steeds had escaped the wolves and the hungry bears and the starving -days of the drought. Long they sought, and at last they found among the -bushes in the great marsh a wild colt, scarcely grown, and a gaunt, -long-legged, yellow-maned steed which had once been the pride of -Ilmarinen’s stable. With much labor they caught these beasts and -bridled them, and upon their backs they threw rough blankets to serve -in place of saddles. - -They mounted and rode through the woods, the Minstrel going first with -his great sword drawn. They rode along the pathway which each had -travelled once before, the pathway which followed the windings of the -coast; for this they judged was the safest way. They rode slowly, for -their horses were neither swift nor strong, and their eyes and ears -were alert for every strange sight or unexpected sound. - -Suddenly, as they were skirting the shore of a small secluded inlet, -they heard what seemed to be the moaning of some one in great distress. -They stopped and listened. - -“What can it be?” asked the Smith. - -“I know not,” answered the Minstrel. “It may be some child who has lost -his way and is weeping by the shore. It may be some she-bear moaning -for her dead cubs. It may be only a dove cooing among the branches of -her nesting-tree. Let us ride along the beach and learn what we may.” - -So they rode onward, close to the water-side, listening and looking and -drawing nearer and nearer to the place from whence the strange sounds -issued. Presently, in a little cove, they saw not a child nor a mother -bear nor even a dove, but a fine large boat with red hull and scarlet -prow, and with oars and rowlocks and everything needed for a lengthy -voyage. As the wavelets rippled against the sides of the pretty vessel -and caused its keel to grate upon the sandy beach, it gave forth groans -and lamentations like the cries of some living creature suffering from -sorrow or pain. - -“O little red vessel, why do you weep?” cried Wainamoinen. “Why do you -complain so loudly, so grievously?” - -“I weep for the great deep sea,” answered the boat. “I am unhappy -because I am tied to the shore. I long to be free, to speed over the -water, to glide upon the waves.” - -“Where is your master, and why do you lie here idle?” asked Ilmarinen. - -“I am waiting for my master,” said the boat. “The wizard who sang my -boards together bade me wait here for the hero who is to guide me -across the sea. But he does not come, he does not come!” and with that -it began again to cry and lament in tones of impatience and grief. - -“Do not fret yourself, O boat with rowlocks!” said Wainamoinen. “Your -master will surely come soon to claim you. Then you shall ride proudly -upon the waves, you shall sail to unknown shores, you shall mix in the -battle struggle and return home laden with plunder. Only be patient and -wait.” - -“I have waited long already,” answered the boat. “I have waited till my -rowlocks are rusty and my deck boards are rotting. Worms are gnawing -through my beams; toads are leaping in my hold; birds are nesting on my -mast; all my sails and ropes are mildewed. I would rather be a mountain -pine tree, or an oak in the valley with squirrels leaping among my -branches.” - -“Have patience, O boat!” said Wainamoinen. “Lament no more, for your -master has surely come.” - -Then the heroes leaped from their horses, turning them loose to wander -free among the sand-hills. They put their shoulders to the little -vessel and pushed it into deeper water. They climbed quickly on board -of it, singing as it floated slowly from the shore: - - - “Little boat so snug, so strong, - Listen to our earnest song. - You are fair to gaze upon, - Are you as safe to sail upon?” - - -The boat answered: - - - “Two men may on me safely sail, - Ten men I surely will not fail; - A hundred men with oars might row me; - A thousand men could not o’erthrow me.” - - -While the Smith sat at the helm and guided the vessel out through the -narrow inlet, the Minstrel stood up beneath the flapping sail and sang -songs of magic, songs which he had wellnigh forgotten. He sang of the -earth and the sea, of the sun and the stars, of love and battle, and of -the great mysteries of life and death. Then, while with his sword he -kept time to the rhythm of his song, he began a soft carol, sweet and -low and very persuasive. And, behold! as he sang, one side of the boat -was filled with strong young men, handsome youths, with long hair and -downy cheeks and hands all hardened by labor. - -He changed his theme, and the other side of the boat was filled with -maidens—pretty girls, their hair in puffs and curls, with belts of -copper round their waists and rings of gold upon their fingers. And as -the Minstrel continued to sing, the boat grew broader, longer, roomier, -and became a gallant ship. On each side were seats for fifty rowers, -and in each of the fifty rowlocks a long and supple oar lay resting. - -No sooner was the vessel outside of the inlet than it paused and -refused to go farther. It stood in its place, rocking on the waves of -the open sea. The Minstrel sat himself down in the prow and bade the -young men begin their rowing. - -“Wield the oars with strength, my heroes,” he cried. “Row hard, row -hard, and drive our good ship o’er this wide expanse of water, speed it -through this treeless region.” - -The fifty youths obeyed. They leaned forward, they dipped their oars in -the waves, they strained every muscle till the rowlocks groaned and -cracked. But all in vain: the ship stood still. - -Then in anger the Minstrel bade them drop their oars and change seats -with the maidens, who had been idly looking on. - -“Wield the oars with love, girls, wield them with all your power. Row -hard, row hard, and speed our good ship on its way. Make it float -lightly, joyously, swiftly over the curling waves.” - -The maidens obeyed. They grasped the oars with their slender fingers, -they strained with their arms, their faces blushed scarlet red. But all -in vain: the ship stood still. - -Thereupon the hero Ilmarinen went toward the prow and seated himself -upon one of the benches. He took the oar in his labor-hardened hands, -he dipped its blade in the singing water and began rowing. Instantly -the ship sprang forward like a wild bird beginning its flight. -Instantly the prow of copper began to sing and the waves parted to make -a path for the speeding vessel. Instantly the fifty maidens and the -fifty stalwart youths, with joyous hearts, renewed their rowing. - -The hero Ilmarinen shouted to the ship, to the sea, to the hundred -rowers; and the ship, the sea, and the rowers answered him in tones of -gladness. The oars bent and groaned, the rowlocks creaked, the seats -shook and trembled. The dashing spray fell in showers to the right and -the left. The slender mast croaked to the wind like a raven croaking to -its mate. And Wainamoinen stood at the helm and wisely steered the fair -red vessel on its pathless way. - -By his hut on that bleak headland which juts farthest into the great -icy sea a poor fisherman was sitting. He was mending his net and -weeping because the fishes were so few. Suddenly a sound, seemingly -far, far away but drawing nearer, touched his ears and caused him to -start up. What was it? Was it a sea-gull breasting the morning gale and -crying to its mate in the shelter of the ragged cliffs? Or was it some -beast of the shore wandering along the desolate beach and howling from -hunger and loneliness? - -Very small was the fisherman’s body, but his head was large and his -arms were long. Very awkward were his fingers and dull of feeling, but -his hearing was keen and his sight even keener. - -He leaped quickly to his feet and gazed northward. Nothing there did he -behold but the endless sea, the white-capped waves, and the cheerless, -chilly sky. He turned and looked southward. At first he saw nothing -there; then suddenly on the horizon a rainbow appeared with a single -gray cloud beyond it. - -Was it indeed a rainbow? Was it a gray cloud? Ah, no! It was a red ship -speeding onward, and the rainbow was the spray that she dashed from her -cleaving prow. - -The vessel drew nearer, she was in plain sight, she loomed up large -upon the waters. The fisherman could see the oars rising and falling, -he could see the rowers sitting upon the benches. Then he heard clearly -the shouting of the young men and the singing of the maidens, and above -all the clear, commanding tones of the master. - -With wild gestures he ran far out upon the beach, shouting loudly over -the water: - -“Who are you, O sailormen? What ship is this with crimson prow that -ploughs the sea so swiftly?” - -Three times he shouted and made inquiry, and then from the rowers came -the answer: - -“Who are you, lone fisherman? Why do you dwell on this bleak promontory -far from your fellow-men?” - -“My name is Ahti,” answered the long-armed one. “I dwell here because -it is my home and I have no other. I am strong, I am wise. Even though -you tell me nothing I know your steersman: he is Wainamoinen, the great -Minstrel. I know your master oarsman: he is Ilmarinen, the prince of -wizards.” - -By this time the ship was close inshore, but still speeding on its way. -Then the rowers rested on their oars, and it was easy to understand all -that was being said whether on the ship or on the shore. - -“Where are you going, O heroes?” asked the fisherman. “Why do you sail -so swiftly through these barren waters?” - -“We are sailing to the North Country,” answered the Minstrel. “We are -going to the Frozen Land, to the shores of Pohyola, where we shall ask -Dame Louhi to share the Sampo with us.” - -“And what if she will not do so?” asked Ahti, running along the shore -to keep abreast of the ship. - -“Then we shall seize the mill of plenty and carry away its lid of many -colors,” said Ilmarinen. - -“O take me with you! take me with you!” shouted the fisherman, waving -his long arms and leaping into the sea. - -A sturdy swimmer he was, like the seals, his only neighbors; and the -water held no terrors for him, buffet him as it might. Bravely he -launched out toward the speeding vessel, and quickly he came abreast of -her fast-receding stern. The Minstrel reached over, he seized the man’s -long arms and drew him aboard. Then the hundred rowers took to their -oars again and the ship bounded forward into the vast and trackless sea -of the North. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIII - -THE KANTELE - - -With eyes that never failed and arms that never tired the Minstrel -stood by the helm and guided the vessel around the jutting headland and -straight forward into the great white sea. On the benches the rowers -sat, wielding their oars with strength and deftness and singing and -shouting for gladness. On the deck the long-armed Ahti danced nimbly -and joyously, forgetful of his fishing, forgetful of his hunger. - -For one long day and through the moonlit night the ship sped onward -across the open sea. On the next day it skirted the low, marshy shores -of the Frozen Land. On the third day it sailed through narrow straits -between small islands, approaching by stealth the longed-for haven of -Pohyola. And now the rowers were silent, the maidens had ceased their -singing, the young men refrained from shouting, even the nimble Ahti -left off his dancing and sat quietly at the feet of Ilmarinen. - -Suddenly, in a deep channel, the vessel’s bottom grated upon something, -and the ship shivered and stood still. It remained fast in its place -and no effort of the rowers could move it. The nimble Ahti seized a -long pole and thrust it into the water, trying with all his great -strength to push the ship along. What was it that had thus so suddenly -stopped the flight of the gallant vessel? - -“O thou lively Ahti,” then cried the Minstrel, “lean far over the -gunwales and look below. See what it is that keeps us moveless. Is it -some rock, or is it the snaggy trunk of some forest tree lying deep -beneath the waves?” - -The long-armed hero obeyed. Holding fast with one hand to the vessel’s -edge, he let himself down into the water. He looked under the ship’s -hull, he peered closely at her keel, and then he leaped quickly back -among the rowers. - -“It is not a rock,” he shouted, “neither is it a tree! It is a fish, a -mighty pike that has stopped the vessel. Never have I seen so large a -fish. It lies in the water silent, motionless, asleep, like a senseless -mountain. The ship is wedged against its back fin—a fin as large as the -sail upon our mast. If the fish should sink, it will drag our vessel -down into the depths; if it should rise, it will tumble us all headlong -into the sea.” - -“Too much talk will never save us,” said Wainamoinen. “Never yet was -pike slain by idle words. Draw your sword and wield it valiantly with -your long, ungainly arms. Sever in twain the fish on which we are -grounded.” - -“Surely I will do so,” answered Ahti. “I will carve him into a thousand -pieces.” - -He drew his fish-knife from his belt, he reached downward with his long -arms, he slashed furiously this way and that; but nothing did he cut -save the yielding water. - -Up leaped Ilmarinen from his seat among the rowers. He seized the -boaster by the hair and thrust him back among the benches. “Easy it is -to brag,” he said, “but to do is quite another story.” - -Then with his sword of truest metal he reached down—deep down beneath -the ship’s round hull. With all his strength he struck at the fish, -thinking to cleave it in twain. But the scales of the monster were like -iron plates lapping one upon another. The sword was shivered in pieces, -it fell from the hero’s hand, and the pike still slept unharmed in the -quiet water. - -“This is no boy’s work!” cried Wainamoinen. “A man is needed—a man’s -sense, a man’s strength, a man’s skill. Stand aside, and see what a -real man can do.” - -Then, drawing the sword—the keen-edged sword, Faultless, which the -Smith had forged for him—he leaped into the sea, he dived deep down to -the fish’s resting-place. With one tremendous stroke he severed the -mighty pike in twain, with another he hewed off its head. The monstrous -body sank to the bottom; but the Minstrel dragged the head up to the -surface, and with Ahti’s help he hoisted the mighty jaws into the -vessel. - -“Now, row! Row all together!” shouted Ilmarinen. - -Instantly the hundred oars were dipped into the waves, all the rowers -pulled together and the ship began again to move steadily, proudly -through the water. Wainamoinen stood at the helm. With masterly skill -he piloted the vessel through narrow ways, he guided it along deep, -winding channels, and finally steered it to the mainland, where it -rested in a safe, well-sheltered haven close by the village of Pohyola. - -All leaped out upon the sands, glad that the long voyage was ended. A -fire was built and the young men and maidens clustered round it. The -head of the pike was brought, and all examined its huge scales, its -staring eyes, its sharp-pointed teeth. - -“It is long since we tasted food,” said the Minstrel. “Let the fairest -of the maidens cook this fish. Let them broil it for our breakfast. -Never shall we enter Pohyola while hunger pinches us, while famine robs -us of strength.” - -Forthwith the maidens began the cooking. Ten of the most beautiful were -chosen to perform the work. The young men hastened to gather sticks on -the shore to feed the fire, to make hot coals for the broiling. -Wainamoinen drew his knife blade from its sheath and with skilful -strokes divided the head into a hundred pieces—yes, into more than a -hundred he cleaved it, that each of the crew might have abundance. The -flames roared, the red coals glowed upon the sand, the juicy morsels -sizzled loudly and gave forth savory odors very pleasant indeed to the -nostrils. - -Soon the breakfast was prepared and all sat down upon the sand to eat -the delicious morsels which the maidens had cooked. Sharp were their -appetites, and when they had finished, nothing was left of the mighty -head save its bones and its dagger-like teeth which lay scattered on -the beach. - -“What a pity that these should be wasted!” said the Minstrel, picking -up a fragment of the jawbone—a fragment with the teeth still fast -within their sockets. “Surely, if Ilmarinen had them in his smithy he -might shape them into something useful, beautiful, wonderful.” - -“Nay, nay!” answered Ilmarinen. “Nothing can be made from such useless -things. The skilfulest smith can never fashion fish-bones into anything -of value.” - -“It may be so,” said Wainamoinen thoughtfully, “and yet, perhaps I, who -am not a smith, may make something from them that will give joy to men -and women.” - -Thereupon, with his sharp-edged knife he set to work to fashion from -the fish-bones a thing to give forth music. Of a piece of cedar he made -the framework; of the pike’s jawbone he made the bridge; of the pike’s -sharp teeth he made the pegs to hold the harp strings. Then out into -the fields he went, searching in the thickets and among the briars. -Soon he found five horsehairs which the wild steeds of Pohyola had lost -while pasturing there—five horsehairs, long and strong and resonant. -“These will serve right well for harp strings,” he said. - -He hung the horsehairs in their places, he stretched them tight, he -gave to each its proper length and tension. “Ha! ha!” he laughed. “Who -now will say that nothing can be made of fish-bones? Here is something -that will breathe forth music sweeter than a minstrel’s song. It will -delight the young, the old, the rich, the poor—all sorts of people—with -its rare and matchless melodies. Call it the kantele, call it the harp -of the North, and let minstrels never fail to play upon it.” - -The news of his invention spread quickly. The youths, the maidens came -crowding round him. From the fields and the fishermen’s boats the men -came running. From the huts and the washing pools the women came -dancing. Half-grown boys and little girls pushed shyly forward—all -curious to gaze on the wonderful kantele, all anxious to hear its sweet -music. And Wainamoinen passed it from hand to hand, saying, “Look at -it, let your fingers play upon it, let its melodies rejoice your -hearts.” - -Wistfully the little girls, the maidens, the older women, all held the -harp in their hands and with their tender fingers swept the harp -strings. Boldly, confidently, the half-grown boys, the young men, the -old fishermen, all grasped the wonderful instrument and tried to play -upon it. But the tones which they drew from it were harsh, unpleasant, -unmusical. - -“It is not thus the kantele is played,” said Wainamoinen. “Not one of -you can draw cheerful music from it, and yet the melodies are there; -they lie hidden in the strings of horsehair, in the jawbone of the -pike.” - -“I can play it,” said the nimble Ahti. “With my long arms I can call -forth the melodies that now lie slumbering within it. Let me try what I -can do.” - -Wainamoinen put the harp of fish-bone in his gnarly hands; he rested it -upon his knees; very eagerly the little fellow swept the harp strings -with the tips of his long fingers. But the sound which came forth was -not music—it was a noise, discordant, grating, painful to the ears. - -“It is always thus,” said the Minstrel, growing impatient at last. “The -poorest doers are the biggest boasters. The music of the kantele lies -still beneath its bridge, beneath the jawbone of the pike. Not one of -you has the skill to coax it forth from its lurking-place. Let us all -go now to the village, to the roomy dwelling of Dame Louhi. Perhaps the -Mistress of the land, the old, the grim, the gray, the Wise Woman of -the North, will be able to touch the harp strings aright—perhaps she -will know how to play the kantele and bring sweet melodies from its -heart.” - -And all the young men shouted, “To Dame Louhi’s dwelling! Let us see -what the Wise Woman can do. Yes, lead us to Dame Louhi’s dwelling.” - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIV - -THE TRIUMPH OF MUSIC - - -Old Dame Louhi, unlovely and unloved, sat in the doorway of her -dwelling. She looked out and saw that which made her wrinkled, uncanny -face beam with joy. Her toothless mouth expanded into the mockery of a -smile. Her small, greedy eyes twinkled beneath her shaggy eyebrows. Her -long, crooked fingers trembled nervously, they seemed to be grasping at -something invisible. - -She was pleased because where once were naught but vast brown meadows -she now saw fields of ripening grain. Where once were miry marsh lands -she saw green pastures with hundreds of sleek cattle grazing thereon. -Where once were sandy barrens and wind-swept hills she saw fruitful -orchards and blooming gardens. And in the village, instead of wretched -huts she saw neat cottages and well-filled barns, the homes of -contentment and plenty. Who can wonder that her face was wreathed with -smiles while her heart was overflowing with joy? [G] - -“My mill of fortune has done all this,” she muttered to herself. “This -fair, sweet country shall now no longer be called the Frozen Land. It -shall everywhere be known as the Land of Plenty, the home of the -Sampo.” - -She turned her head and listened. A faint, musical sound, far away, -came to her ears. It was the sound made by the magic mill, grinding, -grinding forever in the cave beneath the hill of copper. She could hear -its pictured cover turning, turning—pouring out wealth for all the -people. She could hear the grains of gold dropping, dropping—the -precious royal sap feeding the rootlets of the corn, filling the apple -blossoms with nectar, and pervading the rich warm soil itself. - -Suddenly she was startled by hearing another sound—a strange, unusual -noise, a clamor as of the voices of many people all trying to speak at -once, all trying to make themselves heard. The sound grew louder every -moment. It became a confused uproar; it drew rapidly nearer. What could -it be? - -The Mistress, looking eagerly, soon saw whence the clamor came. A great -crowd of excited people appeared coming up from the seashore. The road -between the gardens was filled with half-grown boys, chattering little -girls, shouting young men, singing maidens, hard-working women from the -farms, and old men from the fishing boats; and all were using their -voices vigorously, excitedly, as though some wonderful thing was -happening. - -The Mistress was alarmed. “Surely the world has gone mad!” she cried in -dismay. “Who are these people, and what do they mean by their strange -actions?” - -The rabble came nearer. Dame Louhi could distinguish some of the faces. -She was sure that the children and some of the old men and old women -were her own subjects—she had seen them every day of their lives, but -never in so jolly a mood as now. But who were those noisy young men and -maidens, dressed in foreign garb, who formed the greater portion of the -noisy company? And who were the two heroes who led them—one -white-bearded and tall, the other sad-eyed and pale but with the limbs -of a giant? Ah! Dame Louhi knew them only too well. - -“Hail to you, heroes!” she said, as they paused beside her dwelling and -silence fell upon the company. “Your faces are familiar to me and your -names I have not forgotten. If you come in peace, I welcome you to this -land of plenty.” - -“We come in peace,” answered the Minstrel, wise and truthful. “We have -heard strange stories in our country concerning the magic Sampo and the -great changes it has wrought in Pohyola. Now our eyes see that which -our hearts could not believe and we would fain rejoice with you and be -glad because of your good fortune.” - -“Good fortune comes to those who labor for it and who most deserve it,” -said Dame Louhi coldly. “But tell me, what fresh news do you bring from -the Land of Heroes?” - -“There is no news but of famine and sorrow,” answered the Minstrel. -“The children are crying for food, and men and women perish because of -the poverty of the land. Therefore we have come to ask you to share the -Sampo with us. It has made you rich and happy, now give us a small -portion of it that it may bless our suffering people also.” - -The face of the Mistress grew ashy-white with anger. “The Sampo is but -a little thing,” she said, “and never will I share it with another. Can -two hungry men share a sparrow? Can three divide a tiny squirrel? You -may hear the Sampo whirring, you may hear its pictured cover grinding -in the cavern where I placed it—but it whirs for me alone, it grinds -out wealth and plenty for my people and for no other.” - -“Surely you are unwise and selfish,” then said the Minstrel, “and -foolish it would be to waste words in argument. Since you will not -share the Sampo with us I warn you that you shall lose the whole of it. -We will take it out of the cavern where it is grinding and we will -carry it far away to our own country to give comfort and joy to our -neighbors and food and clothing to our loved ones.” - -When Dame Louhi heard this she rose up quickly and stood, furious, in -her doorway. She clenched her bony fists and shook them high above her -head, calling upon all her people, all her armed men, all her servants, -to come quickly in their might and drive the robbers from the shores of -Pohyola. Loud was her voice, stern were her commands, and there was no -one who did not hear her. Instantly a hundred swordsmen were at her -side, a thousand spearsmen answered her call. They stood ready to smite -and to slay, to drive the intruders into the sea. - -But Wainamoinen, old and fearless, stood in his place unflinching and -firm as a rock in the midst of a storm. He held the kantele in his -hands and began to play upon it, softly, gently. Instantly every voice -was hushed and every arm was stayed. He raised his fingers nimbly and -moved them swiftly over the harp strings. One sweet note followed -another, pleasures indescribable issued from the harp of fish-bone, -while the Minstrel sang his rarest, richest songs—songs so melodious -that every heart was entranced, bewitched, overcome with joy. - -Forthwith all the creatures of the woods and fields came near to -listen. The squirrels came leaping from branch to branch. Soft-furred -ermines, minks, otters, and seals laid themselves down in the grass -before him. Sharp-eyed lynxes looked out from the foliage of the -thickets and drank in the wonderful music. Herds of reindeer came -racing over the meadows. In the marshes the savage wolves awoke and -stretched themselves, and then with one accord rushed out and ran with -speed to the spot where the kantele was playing. There they squatted -down in orderly rows, their ears pricked up, listening and rejoicing. -Even the lazy bears came ambling from their lurking-places; they -climbed upon the rocks and into the trees and sat there in solemn -silence, drinking in the bewitching sounds. - -The birds of the air also came on silent wings from the four corners of -the sky. They flew backwards and forwards, soared in circles, and -paused with outstretched pinions, looking down to enjoy the wondrous -melodies. The eagle left her fledglings in her lofty eyry and came to -listen to the hero’s playing. Wild ducks from the deep inlets of the -northern sea and snow-white swans from the marshes of Pohyola came in -flocks to hearken to his singing. Sparrows and wrens and all the tiny -birds of the fields and woods assembled by thousands; they perched on -the Minstrel’s head and shoulders, they filled the branches of the -trees, they hovered in the air, forgetful of everything save the sweet -notes that issued from the kantele. - -The fairies of the rainbow and the mists also came, some riding on the -yellow sunbeams and some resting on the crimson borders of the clouds. -The slender daughters of the air, who weave the golden fabrics of each -man’s life, paused in their work to listen, and as they paused their -shuttle fell from their hands and the precious thread of their spinning -was broken. - -Nor did the creatures of the sea fail to hear the all-entrancing -melodies. Little fishes and large fishes came in shoals and lifted up -their heads along the beach to rejoice and wonder. The slender pike, -the graceful salmon, nimble herrings, all kinds of finny creatures, -came crowding to the shore to listen to the songs of Wainamoinen. White -whales from the icy seas, savage sharks, and squirming eels swam side -by side and trembled with emotion. And the Old Man of the Sea, even the -king of the boundless deep, came, and sitting upon a throne of -water-lilies listened with joy to the ravishing melodies that issued -from the kantele. The water nymphs, also, cousins of the reeds that -grow in the still waters between the hills, they heard the sweet music -and were enraptured by it. They left off playing with their silken -tresses, they dropped their combs and their silver brushes and lifted -their comely heads to enjoy the Minstrel’s wondrous songs. And their -mother, the Wave Mistress, terror of seafaring men, raised herself from -the billows and listened. Then with speed she betook herself shoreward, -hiding her awful head among the rushes, and there she lay until the -music soothed her to deepest slumber. - -For one whole day—yes, for two long, dreamy days—the Minstrel played -thus upon the harp strings, upon the inimitable kantele, and as he -played he sang the songs of truth and beauty which he had learned from -the Wisdom Keeper, from the earth, the sea, and the sky. And all the -creatures, all the people, were spellbound and motionless because of -the great joy and comfort and wonder that had come upon them. - -At length he changed his theme and sang of the grandeur and glory of -life, of things mighty and things lowly, and of the great hereafter -beyond the silent river. And from the kantele he drew forth such -marvellous melodies that not one among all his hearers could refrain -from weeping. The heroes wept, old men and matrons, swaggering youths -and timid maidens, half-grown boys and lovely little girls, all wept, -for their hearts were melted. Tears welled up even in the eyes of the -beasts and the birds and fell like rain upon the leaves and the grass -and the gray sand by the shore. - -Meanwhile, as he played, the Minstrel himself was moved to weeping. -Down his cheeks the water-drops went coursing, they ran down his beard -and down his heaving breast. Round as cranberries and large as the -heads of swallows his tears fell, chasing each other to the ground. -They rolled like hailstones down upon his feet, they flowed in streams -till they reached the margin of the sea, and there they fell tinkling -and splashing into the sparkling water, down to the black ooze at the -bottom. - -“Who will bring my tears back to me?” asked Wainamoinen, his voice -trembling while his long fingers still played upon the harp strings. “A -dress of softest feathers shall be given to that one who gathers my -tears from beneath the crystal waves.” - -The raven heard him and flew down, snapping with his sharp beak and -trying to gather up the tears. But not one could he recover from the -sparkling water. - -The blue duck also heard him and with swift strokes swam to the spot -where the tears had fallen. She dived deep down into the water and -there she found the tear-drops lying on the black ooze at the bottom. -Hastily with her spoon-like beak she gathered them up, she carried them -to Wainamoinen and laid them on the grass before him. Lo! every -tear-drop was a pearl of wondrous beauty—a pearl of priceless value, -fit to adorn a queen or deck the crown of the mightiest king. - -“O brave blue duck, friend and helper!” said the Minstrel. “You have -done well and you shall be rewarded quickly.” And so saying, he gave -her a dress of feathers—a dress of wondrous beauty, well-fitting and -soft and suited to one who lives in northern climates by icy seas. And -all this while the music never ceased, the kantele kept pouring out its -sweetest, rarest treasures, while Wainamoinen sang new songs to charm -the listening multitude. - -At length, however, the people could hold out no longer. Their strength -forsook them and they sank, one by one, upon the ground, all overcome -with weariness. They closed their eyes and gave themselves up to -slumber. Children and young people and men and women, all lay drowsing. -The hundred brave swordsmen and the thousand spearsmen of Pohyola were -soundly sleeping. Even old Dame Louhi yawned and closed her eyes and -sank back upon her couch overcome with slumber, forgetful of the Sampo, -forgetful of everything. Of all the multitude none remained awake save -the heroes and the young men and maidens that had plied the oars on -board of the crimson ship. - -Softly, more softly, the strains of music issued from the kantele; -sweetly, more sweetly, the tones of the wonderful singer vibrated in -the air. Then suddenly both stopped and silence reigned. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XXXV - -THE FLIGHT - - -Quietly, very quietly, the Minstrel rose and looked around upon the -sleepers. With finger-tips upon his lips he beckoned to the hero -Ilmarinen and to the young heroes who stood beside him. - -“Be cautious, be brave,” he whispered, “and soon we shall win the -Sampo. Speak no word, make no sound to break the magic spell, but -follow me and do my bidding.” - -Then with great care he opened the wallet of reindeer leather that he -carried always beneath his belt. He looked within and picked out, one -by one, a handful of sleep-needles, long and slender and exceedingly -sharp. Silent as the moon among the clouds he moved on tiptoes -cautiously between the rows of slumbering people. With his magic -needles he crossed the eyelashes of the sleepers, pinning their eyelids -close together and thus holding them so that they might not waken. - -“Sleep! sleep!” he murmured softly. “Sleep till the daylight fades in -Pohyola. Sleep, and waken not till the golden sun rises bright in the -Land of Heroes. Sleep, and let no dreams disturb you.” - -He waved his arms above them, silently bidding them farewell, and left -them there where they had fallen. The unlovely Mistress, the swordsmen -and the spearsmen, the old men and the married women, the young men and -the half-grown girls, and the little children—he left them all sweetly -slumbering, forgetful, senseless, harmless. - -“Now for the Sampo!” he whispered, and with noiseless footsteps he -hastened away toward the hill of copper. Behind him followed the heroes -and the young men and the maidens with curling hair, and not one dared -utter a word or in any way disturb the wonderful silence that -prevailed. - -As they drew near to the hill, however, they could hear the magic Sampo -grinding, grinding in its darksome prison; they could hear the lid of -many colors turning, turning, and pouring out wealth without cessation. -But at the entrance to the cavern the great doors were shut—nine huge -and heavy doors, and each door was made secure by nine locks of hardest -metal. - -The Minstrel paused, he could go no farther; the heroes stood waiting -around him. Gently he began to sing, softly he chanted a song so sweet, -so strong, that it had power to move the rocks and even persuade the -mighty hills and the restless sea. And as he sang, the copper mountain -began to tremble and the doors of the cavern were shaken. Thereupon the -hero Ilmarinen and the young men that were with him hastened to pour -oil upon the rusty metal. With reindeer fat they smeared the locks, and -they greased the hinges with butter, lest they should creak and make a -rattling. - -Then Wainamoinen, still singing, touched the locks with his wizard -fingers and the bolts slid back; he pushed gently against the yielding -metal and the nine mighty doors opened silently and without a sound. - -The heroes pressed forward to the entrance, eager to see what the cave -contained; and lo! as they looked within, they saw the Sampo with its -lid of many colors standing in its place in the middle of the strongly -built prison. Very beautiful was the magic mill, its resplendent sides -embossed with gold and lined with silver; gorgeously beautiful was its -rainbow cover, full of pictures of men and beasts and trees and -flowers. The wheels of the mill were whirring softly, its levers were -moving in their places; it was grinding out riches for Pohyola. - -“Who now will carry this Sampo out of its prison-house?” asked the -Minstrel. - -“I will carry it out,” answered Ahti, the nimble, long-armed fisherman. -“I am a man of strength, a son of heroes. Stand back and see how -quickly I shall remove it to our waiting ship. See, I have only to -touch it with the toe of my boot and the deed is done.” - -He pushed against the Sampo; he twined his long arms about it and -lifted with all his might; he braced himself with his knees and -strained till the blood rushed from his mouth and nose. But the Sampo -stood in its place unmoved, grinding and turning without cessation. - -“Foolish boaster!” cried Wainamoinen. “A big mouth has never yet moved -mountains. Great talkers are always little doers.” - -Then he began to play softly upon the kantele; and as he played, the -Sampo began to rock to and fro, it turned itself around as though -breaking away from the chains which held it. At a sign from the -Minstrel the young heroes, with Ilmarinen as their captain, seized hold -of it and carried it forth from the hill of copper. Silently, without -rustling a leaf or snapping a twig, they bore it across the fields and -the meadows and placed it on board of their waiting vessel. There they -lashed it with ropes to the strong deck beams. They bound it securely -so that it could not be moved. - -“Now let every one work valiantly at his oar,” said Ilmarinen, “and let -the red sail be hoisted on the mast.” - -Instantly the benches were filled with rowers; all the young men and -also the fifty fair maidens bent to their work; the water boiled with -the strokes of a hundred long oars. - -“Speed thee, O crimson vessel,” said Wainamoinen. “Hasten from the -hostile shores of Pohyola. And O, thou North Wind, come and urge the -ship along. Blow and give assistance to the oarsmen. Give lightness to -the rudder, give skill to the helmsman, and swiftly bear us over this -vast expanse of water.” - -Merrily and hopefully, then, the rowers rowed; the Minstrel steered, -and the strong North Wind pushed against the well-stretched sail. And -away and away, onward and onward, the vessel flew over the lonely sea. -From morning until mid-day, and from mid-day until evening, it ploughed -its way through the surging waves; the land faded from sight, and the -heroes, looking forward, could see naught but one vast field of tossing -waters. “We are lost! We shall never find the Land of Heroes,” they -murmured. - -“Have courage! be brave!” said Wainamoinen. “Beyond this sea lies our -own sweet country, the home of heroes.” - -Then Ahti, the nimble boaster, spoke up and said, “Why should we still -speak in whispers, fearing to be heard? The shores of Pohyola are far -away, the Mistress sleeps, there is no one to listen. Let us be jolly -and glad, and even a little noisy, rejoicing over our victory.” - -“Nay, nay, we are not yet out of danger,” said the Minstrel. - -“But the time is passing,” answered the long-armed one; “daylight is -fading and darkness is approaching. Let us at least have a little song -to cheer our drooping spirits.” - -“Nay, nay,” repeated the steadfast Minstrel. “We must not sing upon -these waters; singing would turn the ship from its right course, songs -would hinder the rowers. The night and darkness would find us -bewildered, and we should indeed be lost on a shoreless sea. Nay, nay, -keep silent, and sing no songs till we sight the shores of our own fair -land.” - -So the rowers rowed in silence, and the steersman steered and spoke -not, and the hearts of all were hopeful. All night long they rowed and -sailed and felt no weariness. The second day passed, and still no land -was seen. The third day came, it was mid-day, when a long white shore -and the lofty headland of Wainola appeared lying far away between the -sea and the sky. - -“O master! Why may we not sing?” cried Ahti, always restless and in the -way. “Before us is the Land of Heroes, and we have won the glorious -Sampo. Let us sing and be glad.” - -“Nay, nay,” again said Wainamoinen. “It is too early to rejoice. When -we hear our own home doors creaking behind us, then will be the time to -sing and rejoice. When we see the fire burning on our own -hearth-stones, then we may be glad because of victory.” - -“Well, then,” answered the long-armed, thoughtless one, “I, at least, -feel like rejoicing this very hour. If no one else will sing, I will. I -will give you a song of my own composing.” - -He stood in the stern beside the Minstrel. He turned his face toward -the prow and pursed up his mouth to sing. His voice was hoarse, his -tones were discordant, there was no music in his song. He opened his -mouth till his beard wagged and his long chin trembled. He waved his -arms and shouted—he shouted so loudly that the sound was heard far -across the water. In many villages it was heard, alarming all the -people and filling their hearts with terror. - -By the long white shore a blue crane was wading, looking down to count -his toes in the clear sea-water. Suddenly he heard the noise of Ahti’s -singing—a noise most strange, most unlike any other that had ever -broken the silence of the sea. The crane, alarmed, spread his wings and -leaped upward. He screamed in terror and flew rapidly up, up to the -sheltering sky. He flew rapidly and paused not till he had reached the -distant shores of Pohyola. There below him he saw the fields and the -meadows and the old familiar places where he and his mate had -oftentimes nested and reared their young. Then, to his great wonder, he -saw all the people lying asleep on the ground and the mighty Mistress -slumbering in their midst, her eyelids pinned together with magic -needles. - -This sight gave new alarm to the blue crane. His terror was too great -to be described. He screamed, not once only, but ten times, loudly, -harshly, terrifically. The noise awoke Dame Louhi the Mistress; it -awoke all her slumbering people. They shook the sleep-needles from -their eyes and looked around, dazed, bewildered, wondering what had -happened to them. The armed men formed themselves in battle array, -waiting for commands; the old men and the married women hastened to -their homes, ashamed of their weakness; the children, too, sought their -own firesides, for night was approaching. - -Up rose Dame Louhi, angry and apprehensive. She saw that the Minstrel -and his heroes had disappeared, and anxious forebodings filled her -heart. She ran to her treasure-room; her chests of gold and silver had -not been disturbed. She hastened to the barnyard; all her favorite -cattle were there, not one was missing. She looked into the barns; they -had not been plundered, not an ear of corn had been taken. - -“But the Sampo, the Sampo!” she cried. “It was the Sampo that the -robbers demanded. Have they carried it away?” - -Then came an old serving-man with trembling limbs and with tears in his -eyes, who knelt in the dust before her and begged her mercy. - -“Yes,” he said, “they have carried away the Sampo and its pictured lid. -While we were all drowned in slumber they broke into the cavern beneath -the copper mountain, they drew back the bolts and opened the mighty -doors. Then they lifted the Sampo from its place and bore it away, but -whither I cannot tell.” - -“They must have carried it to their red-prowed ship,” said another old -man, “for the haven where it was moored is empty and no crimson sail is -anywhere in sight.” - -Dame Louhi, grim and old and haggard, fell into the greatest fury. She -stormed, she screamed, she wept, she prayed. “O Maiden of the Air,” she -cried, “O queen and ruler of the mists and stormclouds! Send me help I -pray thee. Cover the sea with dense fogs and clouds of vapor. Send down -the winds and let the tempest rage round those wicked robbers. O -Maiden, sink them all beneath the billows, but save the Sampo. Let it -not fall into the raging sea, but hold it in thy large hands and bring -it safe back to Pohyola’s lovely shore.” - -The Maiden of the Air heard her and was pleased with her prayer. She -called to her servants, the mists, the clouds, and the winds, to wreak -vengeance upon the heroes, to drive their ship far out of its course -and sink it in the bottomless sea. - -Forthwith thick clouds obscured the sky and dense fogs covered the -waters like a cloak of darkness. The winds rose in fury and a mighty -storm swept down from above. All the winds, save the North Wind alone, -assailed the heroes’ gallant vessel. The mast was splintered just above -the sail-yard, the red sail itself was blown away, the rudder was -unmanageable, all the oars were made useless, so terrible were the -winds and the tossing waves. - -Like a withered leaf of autumn the ship was driven hither and thither -through the mists and fearful darkness. The young men hid their faces, -and the golden-haired maidens cowered beneath the benches. The nimble -Ahti, cause of all this trouble, lay prone upon the deck speechless -with fright. Even the hero Ilmarinen crouched himself down in the -narrow hold and bewailed their great misfortune. - -“Never before have I seen such a storm as this,” he moaned. “My hair is -soaked with salt-water and my beard trembles with the shaking of the -ship. My very heart thumps wildly as I hear the noise of the mighty -tempest. O winds, have pity! O waves, deal gently with us all!” - -The Minstrel, alone of all on board, stood up fearless and calm and -steadfast as though no danger threatened. - -“This is no place for weeping,” he said. “You cannot save yourselves by -howling. Groaning will not preserve you from evil, nor will grunting -dispel misfortune.” - -He raised his hands high above his head and called upon all the powers -of air and sky and sea to befriend the heroes in their dire distress. - -“O sea, so vast, so grand, remember that we are small and weak, and -deal gently with us! O waves, do not play too roughly with us, do not -fill our ship with water, do not break her ribs or hull beams. O winds, -rise up higher and play with the clouds in heaven. Drive away the mists -that blind us, but blow gently upon our crimson vessel, and waft, oh! -waft it safely southward to the shores of Hero Land.” - -And the lively Ahti, still sprawling prone upon the high deck, lifted -up his voice also and prayed to his god, the great bird of the -mountains: - -“O thou mighty eagle, come down from thy eyry on the heaven-high -cliffs, and help us. Bring with thee a magic feather—yes, two or -three—that they may put a charm upon this ship and protect it from -disaster.” - -But still the storm raged; the waves dashed furiously against the -vessel; the winds howled and fought and gave no heed to Wainamoinen’s -prayer; the fog still hung darkly upon the waters or drifted in -mist-like clouds before the wind; the eagle of Ahti screamed in vain. - -Thus all day the red ship drifted helpless upon the raging sea; for two -long days the tempest prevailed and the heroes were in despair. But on -the third day the Minstrel’s prayer was answered. The storm ceased, the -fog was lifted, and the sun shone out, bright and clear in the midst of -the sky. The heroes sprang up and shouted for joy; they had forgotten -their fears. - -“To your oars, my brave men, to your oars!” shouted Ilmarinen, and -every man bent willingly to his task. - -The maidens also regained their courage. The color returned to their -cheeks; their eyes, so long tear-wet, now sparkled with joy; with songs -of gladness they woke the echoes of the sea, and cheered the laboring -oarsmen. - -“It is well to rejoice and be merry,” said the steadfast Minstrel, “but -we are still upon the uncertain sea, we are still far away from our own -safe home land.” - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVI - -THE PURSUIT - - -Already great changes were taking place in Pohyola. The frost spirit, -peeping over the mountains, saw that the hill of copper had been robbed -of its treasure, that the prison-house of the Sampo was empty. He -listened; he could no longer hear the whirring of the wheels or the -busy clacking of the pictured cover. So he stretched his long, cold -fingers over the land, and everything that he touched was frozen and -blasted. He breathed in the air, and chilling mists hovered over the -hills and descended upon the fields and gardens. The reign of plenty in -Pohyola was ended. - -Dame Louhi, old and grim and undaunted, called loudly to her -serving-men, her warriors, and her sailors. As a mother hen summons her -chickens around her at the approach of a danger, so did she marshal her -swordsmen, her spearsmen, and her stout-hearted oarsmen. - -“Make ready now our great warship,” she said. “We must pursue the hated -robbers; we must overcome and destroy them and bring the precious Sampo -back to our own shores. Lose not a moment, be courageous, be skilful, -be strong—and hasten, hasten, hasten.” - -They sprang forward by tens and by hundreds, every one eager and -impatient to obey her commands. They pushed the mighty warship out into -the deep water. They hoisted her mast and spread her broad sail upon -the sail-yards. The rowers sat down in their places and each seized his -long oar. The warriors shouted and all the crew joined in singing the -war-song of Pohyola. And the Mistress herself stood at the helm and -with gaunt hands wielded the great rudder and steered the vessel out to -sea. The friendly North Wind filled the sail, the rowers bent to their -oars, and the famous voyage was begun. - -Like a monstrous sea-bird skimming over the waves, or like a white -cloud scudding low upon the billows, so did the swift warship speed -onward over the vast and measureless sea. With lips drawn tightly over -her toothless mouth, Dame Louhi stood at her post, silent and -determined, and but one thought filled the minds and hearts of her -courageous crew—the thought to serve her and obey her. - -Meanwhile the heroes on their storm-battered red ship were sailing -hopefully homeward, thanking Jumala for their escape from the fog and -the storm. The Sampo was still safely secured with strong ropes to the -bow beams of their brave vessel; its wheels were whirring; its levers -were at work; it was grinding out great streams of salt to feed the -hungry sea. - -“To-morrow we shall turn it over,” said Ilmarinen; “and then it will -pour out gold and silver enough for every hero in Wainola. -To-morrow—but who knows what may happen to-morrow?” - -The Minstrel, with steady hand and hopeful heart, sat at the stern, -guiding the vessel straight through the pathless waters. “Ah! who knows -what may happen to-morrow?” he echoed, as he gazed with expectant eyes -toward the dim, distant horizon. - -“Ahti,” he cried, “climb up on the broken mast and look around at the -sea and the sky. Tell us whether the horizon is clear or whether clouds -are rising in the air to vex us. Look before us, look behind us, and -then tell us what you see.” - -Quickly the long-armed one obeyed. He climbed the mast to its -splintered top, and there he stood, balanced on one foot, unmoved and -unafraid, as though on solid ground. Eastward he looked and westward, -and naught did he see but the trackless waters and the unscarred sky. -He looked toward the south, and a smile of pleasure overspread his -face. - -“Far away, I see the lofty headland and the long, white shore of your -own dear country, O heroes!” he said. “It is the same shore from which -the storm drove us three days ago; but the distance is great.” - -Then he looked toward the north and with his sharp eyes eagerly scanned -the horizon. - -“Away, away in the northwest I see a little cloud,” he said. “It is a -white cloud, and a small one, and it sits low down upon the water.” - -“Nonsense!” said Wainamoinen, losing patience. “No sailor ever saw a -white cloud in the northwest sitting low upon the water. Look again!” - -Ahti obeyed. “I see it more plainly now,” he said. “It is not a cloud -but an island—a small island looming up on the horizon. And I see dark -specks hovering over it—they must be falcons or nesting ravens flying -among the birch trees.” - -“Nonsense!” a second time cried Wainamoinen. “Give your eyes a moment’s -rest and then look again.” - -The long-armed one shaded his brows with his broad palm and looked long -and eagerly. Then he leaped nimbly down upon the deck as though content -to see no more. - -“It is a warship from Pohyola,” he said, trembling and much disturbed. -“It is a great ship with a hundred oarsmen and a thousand armed -warriors. It is pursuing us, it is gaining upon us. Look now, and all -of you can see it plainly.” - -Loudly then did the Minstrel call to the heroes. “Row, now, with all -speed, my brave men! Rush the ship forward! Let us not be overtaken.” - -“Row, row, and let no man falter!” shouted Ilmarinen, himself wielding -the foremost oar. - -Loudly did the rowlocks ring with the quick, even pressure of the oars. -The red ship swayed from side to side as its sharp prow cut its way -through the billows. Behind it the water boiled as beneath a mighty -cataract. On the right and on the left the spray was dashed as the rain -in a furious hurricane. But, swiftly as the heroes rowed, their vessel -moved not half so swiftly as the warship of Pohyola. - -“We are lost!” moaned the young men, desperately bending to their oars. -And the fifty maidens hid their faces in their bosoms and echoed the -hopeless cry, “We are lost!” Even the hero Ilmarinen, the mighty -wizard, could see no way of escape from their pitiless pursuers, and -he, too, losing all his courage, began to bewail their luckless fate. -But Wainamoinen, steadfast even in misfortune, spoke up cheeringly and -with encouraging words. - -“There is yet one way by which we may escape,” he said. “There is still -one trick of magic that I have reserved for a time like this. I will -try it.” - -From beneath his belt he drew his tinder-box of silver. He opened it -skilfully with his left thumb and finger. From its right-hand corner he -took a bit of soft pitch, black and pliable, and from its left-hand -corner a piece of tinder no larger than a pea. Then with care he -enclosed the tinder within the pitch and cast it over his left shoulder -far out into the sea. - -“O wonderful tinder and pitch,” he said, “do marvellous things now, and -shield us from the wrath of Pohyola’s mighty Mistress. Raise up a -barrier between her ship and ours—a barrier past which she cannot sail. -Work quickly, work powerfully, and help us soon to arrive safe in -Wainola’s sheltered harbor!” - -And now the great warship was but a little way behind. The heroes -looking back could see a host of armed men standing beneath the -wind-filled sail. They could see the hundred long oars rising and -falling as though moved by a single hand. They could see the Mistress -herself, even Dame Louhi, sitting in the high seat at the stern and -shouting her commands to the crew. Her face was grim with -determination, her eyes shone green with the joy of expected triumph, -the sound of her harsh voice rose high above the din of clashing oars -and dashing waves and the shouts and cries of pursuers and pursued. - - - - - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVII - -THE FATE OF THE SAMPO - - -Like a cruel eagle in pursuit of a young falcon the mighty warship of -Pohyola sped onward, relentless, pitiless, triumphant. At every sweep -of the hundred oars she seemed to leap from the waves, to spring -forward like a wild beast pouncing upon its prey. The swordsmen -shouted, the spearsmen poised their weapons, they waited only for Dame -Louhi’s command. - -“In another moment!” she shouted; “but have a care not to harm the -Sampo.” - -Then suddenly a wonderful thing took place. Right in the ship’s pathway -a huge iceberg rose dripping from the sea, a mighty, impassable barrier -blocking the way like a massive wall of iron. High above the masthead -of the speeding vessel, the white cliff towered—it towered even to the -clouds and the blue sky beyond. The magic spell of the Minstrel’s small -bit of tinder had done its work. - -In an instant there was a dreadful crash, a sound of breaking timbers, -of grinding ice, of shouts and groans and despairing cries. The warship -was wedged firmly in a rift of the great ice cliff. The mast was broken -short off and fell splashing into the sea. Every rib of the strong -vessel was shattered, the rowlocks were broken, the oars were lost in -the turbulent waves, the deck boards were loosened and carried away. - -Then it was that the Mistress, the mighty Wise Woman of the North, -showed her great power. With one foot in the sea and the other firmly -placed in the rift of the icy barrier, she quickly changed her form -into that of a monstrous gyrfalcon, the fiercest, the most untiring of -birds of prey. Of the sides of the ship she formed herself wings, -wide-spreading and powerful. Of the long rudder she fashioned a tail, -flat and broad, with quill-like feathers overlapping each other as do -the boards on the roof of a house. Of the ship’s dragon-headed prow she -made herself a beak of copper, sharp, relentless, cruel. Of the two -massive war shields that hung at the ship’s bows she made herself a -pair of round eyes, keen as the eyes of a panther, restless, untiring. -And lastly, of ten sharp scythes in the ship’s hold she formed talons -for herself, fierce, curved fingers, ending in needle-like claws, with -which to fight her battles. - -With a voice like that of a tempest she screamed to her warriors who -were clinging to the remains of the wreck: “Make yourselves very small! -Make yourselves very small and do as I bid you!” - -They obeyed her, and beneath her wings she hid her hundred swordsmen, -while upon her tail she placed her thousand spearsmen. - -With a screech that thrilled the sea to its very bottom and made the -great iceberg tremble and totter, the mighty bird extended her wings -and soared aloft. Up, up, she flew, surmounting the icy barrier that -had risen in her path, undismayed, triumphant. Like a dark stormcloud -in the depth of winter, obscuring the sky and overshadowing the earth, -she hovered midway between the blue heavens and the boundless sea, -eagerly looking for the prey which had wellnigh escaped her. - -Meanwhile the heroes, rejoicing because of their deliverance, were -rapidly nearing their wished-for haven of safety. The headland of -Wainola and the long, white shore so dear to them rose plain and clear -above the horizon; soon their perilous voyage would be ended. Joy -beamed in every countenance and hope cheered every heart. - -Suddenly the sun was obscured and an ink-black shadow fell upon the -deck of the red ship—it fell upon the Sampo where it was bound with -ropes to the bow beams. The rowers paused in their rowing and looked -up, amazed, confounded. Even Wainamoinen, so brave, so steadfast, -turned pale as he gazed aloft and saw the peril that menaced them. The -next moment the fierce gyrfalcon, the transformed Louhi, swooped down -and perched herself upon the splintered mast. With one horrid foot she -grasped the sail-yard, while with the other she reached down and sought -to seize the Sampo. - -Surely then did the hero Minstrel feel that his doom was at hand. He -let go of the long oar, the rudder with which he had steered the -vessel, and as it fell splashing into the sea, he lifted his eyes and -prayed: - -“O Jumala, good and kind, help me in this my time of peril. Cast a robe -of fire round me. Shield my head, my arms, my body, and let no stroke -of weapon harm me. Help us all with strength and wisdom.” - -With a hasty effort he drew his enchanted sword, the sword, Faultless, -the last piece of workmanship wrought in Ilmarinen’s smithy. He raised -it to strike the mighty bird upon the sail-yard. But first he spoke to -her, humbly, pleadingly, as an earnest peace-maker: - -“Hail! hail! O Mistress of Pohyola! Will you not now divide the Sampo -with me, each taking half of the precious treasure? Much better it will -be for us to share it like friends than to fight for it and then lose -it.” - -Fearfully screamed the fierce gyrfalcon, the transformed Wise Woman, as -she answered, “No, I will not divide the Sampo with you. The mill of -plenty is mine, and no part of it will I share with strangers and -robbers.” - -Having said this she gaped horribly with her beak of copper, and again -reached far out with her sharpened talons, trying to grasp the coveted -Sampo. Failing in this, she screamed a second time, and from her wings -the swordsmen leaped down. She screamed again and a host of spearsmen -dropped upon the red ship’s deck. Dreadful was the confusion that -followed, and sad would have been the fate of the heroes had not -Wainamoinen, with unheard-of swiftness, let fall his sword of magic. He -struck with all his might the extended talons, the crooked fingers, the -horrid feet of the relentless gyrfalcon. The sharp edge of the weapon -fell squarely upon the scythe-like, grasping claws; it sheared them off -close by the ankle joints; it shattered them every one, save only the -smallest, the crookedest, the indescribable little finger of Dame -Louhi. - -Loudly, most horribly did she shriek, not more from pain than from -intensest anger and despair. And now on the fated red ship of the -heroes an awful struggle began—a struggle the bloodiest and the -woefullest that sea or sky ever looked upon or minstrel’s song ever -painted in words. Swords flashed, spears crashed, men shouted. The -screams of frightened maidens, the moans of the wounded and the dying, -the victorious cries of the warriors, and the despairing lamentations -of the heroes—all these sounds were mingled in one awful chorus. But -above every other sound the hoarse cries of the dauntless Mistress were -heard, making the earth shudder and causing the deep sea to quake. - -One by one the heroes fell; and by fives and tens the low-browed -warriors of Pohyola were thrust overboard to perish in the waves. - -Towering above both friends and foes, mighty in strength and endurance, -the master Smith moved to and fro performing many deeds of courage. But -the weavers of his fate had decided against him; it was not for him to -prevail. Covered with wounds, the blood flowing from his arms, his -head, his heart, he felt his end approaching. “O thou who wert once the -Maid of Beauty!” he cried, looking upward. “O thou matchless one among -women! I see thee in the mist-filled air, I hear thy voice calling from -the rainbow arch. I come! I come! I come to meet thee!” - -Overwhelmed in the fight, his arms unnerved, his strength departed, he -fell toppling into the sea. As a giant pine, when rent by the storm, -falls crashing from the mountain top and is swallowed in the bottomless -gorge below, so fell the hero. The pitying waves closed over him; he -was with his loved ones in the halls of rest. - -Bravely, too, did the ever-ready Ahti struggle to defend the Sampo, -wielding his long arms valorously, until his strength failing he also -was hurled into the hungry deep. And Wainamoinen, immovable as the -lofty headland of his own sweet country, stood steadfast at his post, -directing and cheering his comrades and overwhelming with terror the -foes who dared approach him. - -Suddenly, in the midst of the mêlée, the mighty bird of prey, even the -transformed Mistress of Pohyola, leaped down from her lofty perch, and -sweeping across the vessel’s bows sought to carry away the Sampo. With -her maimed and useless feet she struck it, and with her one crooked, -indescribable finger she grasped it. But the ropes with which the -heroes had bound it confused her—she could not break them. She -therefore seized the pictured cover with her monstrous beak, she pulled -it from its place, and, twisting it until it broke into three jagged -pieces, she cast it into the sea. Angry and despairing, she flapped her -rude wings against the sides of the mill, smashing the wheels and -levers and breaking the wonderful framework into a thousand pieces. - -Dismayed by the ruin she had caused, the fierce gyrfalcon, the -determined Wise One, ceased her destroying work and looked around her. -Slowly, as in pain, she spread her wings and rose from the crimson deck -all strewn with fragments; but, as she leaped high into the air, she -seized with her one indescribable finger a single small, three-cornered -piece of the precious Sampo; with the strength of despair she clutched -it within her crooked claw. - -“Alas! this is all that I can recover for my poor country, my ruined -people!” she screamed. “O my Pohyola! O my dear land, once so -prosperous! May Jumala give me strength to carry this small, precious -gift to you!” - -Feebly, she soared upward, she turned her flaming eyes toward Pohyola, -and with laboring wings made her way slowly across the sea. - -By now the red ship had floated far, and the few remaining heroes -shouted as, looking upward, they saw the friendly headland looming -right above them. The next moment the vessel’s keel was grating upon -the sand; its long prow was jutting quite over the safe, inviting -beach. The fighting had ceased with the breaking of the Sampo. With the -flight of the baffled Mistress all animosity was ended. - -Like one awaking from a swoon, the Minstrel looked around him. Where -were the heroes who had survived the great struggle? Where were the -frightened maidens? Where were the Pohyolan warriors whom the sea had -not claimed? Not one remained; all had leaped ashore and fled. The -Minstrel stood alone on the red, disordered deck. - -The fragments of the Sampo had been scattered in many places. Some of -the wheels had rolled into the sea; they had sunk to the bottom, there -to be covered with tangled weeds and the slimy ooze of the unseen -depths. The levers and the lighter parts of the framework were still -floating upon the water, tossed hither and thither by the waves and the -wind. The fragments of the pictured cover had already been carried far -away, were sailing like little ships across the vast expanse of the -sea. - -“Alas, alas! that the grandest treasure in the world should thus be -scattered and lost!” cried the Minstrel. - -He leaped quickly overboard into the shallow water and with anxious -haste began to gather up the few remaining pieces that were still -floating around the vessel. With much labor and care he picked them up, -laying them one by one for safe keeping in the folds of his long cloak. -But alas! all these pieces were small, and he searched in vain for any -trace of the precious pictured cover. - -At length, when not another vestige could be found, the Minstrel with -tired limbs went up to the misty summit of the headland, carrying the -fragments with him. Very old and feeble he was, but steadfast and brave -as in former days. He stood alone upon the lofty shore, gazing far out -over the illimitable sea. He stood there alone, his head erect, his -white beard streaming in the wind, and his hands uplifted toward the -heavens. - -“O Jumala!” he prayed, “O Jumala, thou giver of blessings, grant that -these small fragments of the mill of fortune may take root and flourish -and in time bring great joy and many comforts to the dear people of -this pleasant land.” - -Then taking the pieces reverently in his hands, he planted them one by -one in the ground, covering them deep in the rich soil of Wainola’s -headland. And even while he stood there and watched, his prayer was -answered. For the small broken fragments of the Sampo took root and -grew up quickly, producing great crops of rye and barley, and luscious -fruits of all kinds, and other foods in great abundance. Thus were the -famishing people fed and made glad, prosperity smiled upon all, and the -Land of Heroes again became the land of plenty and of peace. - -As the Minstrel still stood on the lofty headland and looked into the -far distance, his eyes became very bright and his vision wonderfully -clear. He saw all the other fragments of the Sampo and its pictured -cover, and he watched each one as it was carried east, west, or south -and left upon some strange, unheard-of shore. Some of the pieces -floated far, far to the summer islands where the sun shines hot every -day in the year. And on the shores where they were drifted, wonderful -trees sprang up, bearing delicious fruits and gorgeous flowers, such as -the people of northern climes had never seen nor dreamed about. The -fragments that were carried to the eastern seas spread their influence -and took root in many lands. Like the Sampo itself, they poured out -wealth in many forms and in endless profusion. And from them sprang -numberless beautiful and priceless objects—pearls and precious stones, -gold and silver, fine silks, strong castles, and kingly palaces. - -As for the pictured cover, it was borne far, very far, to the utmost -bounds of the western sea. Broken though it was, and battered and torn -into strips and fragments, it, too, performed most marvellous things. -For in the places wherein it rested and took root, noble men and women -sprang up, scholars and statesmen and skilful workers in all kinds of -metals, and these were destined to rule the world. - -The heavier fragments which had sunk beneath the waves and were buried, -invisible, in the black ooze and among the tangled seaweed, they also -took root and spread out many branches toward every corner of the -earth. And from them sprang the wealth of the seas, the joy of all -fishermen, the triumph of sailors, white-sailed merchant-ships and -mighty vessels of war. - -And the tiny, rough-cornered piece, which with her last strength the -baffled Mistress had carried with her only finger back to her home -land—what became of that? Small and without beauty it was, and there -was little that it could do; but from it sprang such scant comforts and -pleasures as the people of the Frozen Land have enjoyed until this -day—warm underground huts, fishes for food, soft furs for clothing, and -the reindeer for all kinds of uses. - -With great wonder and thankfulness Wainamoinen saw these marvellous -transformations—these changes by which the Sampo enriched and blessed -not only his own land, but many an undiscovered and far-distant shore. -His heart throbbed with joy immeasurable, and his fingers began to play -on the strings of his kantele. Sweet was the music that he called -forth, sweeter than any that mortal man has ever heard since that day; -and as he played he sang again the old, old songs of the world’s -beginning, the old, old songs with which he had already charmed not -only men and women, but all living things. And when he had ceased -singing and the sound of the kantele was heard no more, he again raised -his hands and called earnestly to the mighty, the invisible Jumala: - -“O thou great and good Creator, look down and hear our last petition. -Grant that we may live in joy and comfort, and when our span of life is -ended, let us die in peace and hope, loved by all who know us, and -worthy to be honored through the ages.” - -So, also, prays the weaver of tales, whose story is now ended. - - - - - - - - -NOTES - - -Note A.—A very long time ago, among the ancestors of the people known -as Finns, there were professional minstrels called runolainen, whose -business it was to preserve the memory of the national songs, folk-lore -tales, and old sagas of the race. They went from place to place, among -the lowly as well as the great, singing their songs and playing the -kantele, a primitive sort of harp from which they drew entrancing -music. Through them a vast store of legends, wonder tales, songs, -proverbs, tales of magic, etc., survived from generation to generation -solely in the memories of the people. It was not until about a century -ago that any systematic effort was made to give this legendary lore a -permanent form by putting it into writing. The first person to attempt -this was the Finnish poet, Zakris Topelius, who put together and -published a small volume of traditions and folk tales. An interest in -the subject being awakened, Dr. Elias Lönnrot undertook the task of -collecting and putting into permanent form all that was best in the -legendary literature of his countrymen. Many years were occupied in -this work. He travelled to every part of Finland, lived with people of -every condition, and listened to their recitals of stories and songs -which they had learned from the lips of their ancestors. These he -committed to writing, and from them he constructed a single poem which -he called “Kalevala.” This poem is remarkable for its great length and -its tiresome, monotonous metre—qualities which discourage English -readers from attempting its acquaintance. From the folk-lore tales of -the runolainen and from portions of this long poem, the present weaver -of tales has constructed the story of “The Sampo,” with such variations -and connecting links as seemed most necessary to fit it to the tastes -and requirements of modern readers. - -Note B, page 2.—The Frozen Land may have been identical with modern -Lapland. In any case, it was situated in the far-distant North and was -known in the original tale as Pohyola, or Sariola. Hero Land, or the -Land of Heroes (page 6), was the ancient home of the Finns. It was -known sometimes as Kalevala, sometimes as Wainola, but of its exact -location there is no certain knowledge. - -Note C, page 10.—“Sampo”—compare this with Aladdin’s lamp, with the -philosopher’s stone of the mediæval alchemists, with Solomon’s carpet, -etc. - -Note D, page 32.—This story of the origin of iron is derived from the -ninth rune of the poem “Kalevala.” It is here related with numerous -variations. - -Note E, page 126.—The Minstrel’s journey to Tuonela is briefly related -in the sixteenth rune of the “Kalevala.” The story-teller has not -attempted to follow the poetical account closely. Compare the visit of -Odysseus to the Land of Shades (“Odyssey,” bk. XI); also see Virgil’s -“Æneid,” bk. VI, and the “Elder Edda” for similar narratives. - -Note F, page 216.—The story of the tests of courage to which Ilmarinen -was required to submit is related in the nineteenth rune of “Kalevala.” -Some points of similarity are found in the story of Jason and Medea. - -Note G, page 321.—Old Persian books tell us that at an early period the -climate of some distant northern countries was so mild that they -enjoyed nine months of summer with only three months of winter. -Finally, sudden changes occurred which completely reversed this order -of the seasons. Can we believe that in the present story we have a -faint reminiscence of that very ancient time? - - - - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SAMPO *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following -the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use -of the Project Gutenberg trademark. 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