Chapter XXI: Canto XVII: The Heroes and the Dwarf

Olev had now built a magnificent city, fortified with towers
and ditches, around the burial-mound of Kalev. Large numbers of
people flocked to it, and the Kalevide named it Lindanisa, in
memory of his mother.
[93] Other fortified cities were founded by the Alevide and the
Sulevide.

But news came that hostile troops were landing on the coast, and the Kalevide mounted his war-horse. The king wore a golden helmet, gold spurs, and a silver belt, and carried a shield of gold, and the steed was all caparisoned with gold and silver and pearls, while the maidens of the country looked on with admiration.

The Kalevide and his three friends fought a pitched battle with
the countless forces of the enemy on the plains of Esthonia.
Their heads
[Pg 120]

fell before him like autumn leaves, and their scattered limbs
were strewn about in heaps like straw or rushes. His horse
waded in blood and bones to the belly; for the Kalevide
slaughtered his enemies by tens of thousands, and would have
utterly annihilated them, but, as he was pursuing the fugitives
over hill and dale, his horse lost his footing in a bog, and
was engulfed in the morass.

As the Kalevide was unable to continue the pursuit after the
loss of his horse, he recalled his troops and divided the
booty. Then he sent his soldiers to carry news of the victory
to the towns and villages throughout the country, and he and
his three friends set out on a journey across the plains and
swamps, and through primeval forests, making a pathway for
others as they advanced. At length they came to a place where
smoke and flames were shooting up into the air, and when they
reached the spot they found an old woman sitting at the mouth
of a cave and stirring the fire under a pot. The Alevide asked
what she was cooking, and she answered, "Cabbage for my sons
and for myself." Then the son of Sulev said they were hungry
travellers, and asked her to give them some, and to take a rest
while they
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finished the cookery. The old woman consented, but warned
them, if a strange youth asked to be allowed to taste the
broth, to take good care that he did not empty the pot and
leave them nothing. Three of the heroes at once volunteered to
take turns to watch the pot, but the Kalevide said nothing.
Then the old woman crept into the bushes, and hid herself in a
wolf's den.

The Alevide took the first watch, and his companions lay down
by the fire to sleep. He had not been long sitting there, and
throwing fresh faggots on the fire, when one of the little
dwarf race stole up stealthily and timidly through the long
grass. He was about three spans high, and had a gold bell
[94] hanging to his neck. He had small horns behind the ears,
and a goat's beard under his chin. He asked humbly to be
allowed to taste the soup, and the hero gave him leave, but
warned him to take care not to drown himself in it.

The dwarf replied that he would like to taste the soup without
a spoon, and jumped on the edge of the pot; but he grew up in
an instant to
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the height of a pine-tree, and then to the clouds, rising to
the height of seventy fathoms and more. Then he vanished like
a mist, and the Alevide found the pot as empty as if the
contents had been scraped out.
[95] So he refilled the pot with water, put in some fresh
cabbage, and roused the Olevide, but said nothing of what had
happened. Then he lay down and went to sleep, leaving his
companion on guard. But presently the dwarf reappeared, and
neither the Olevide nor the Sulevide, who took the third watch,
fared any better than their companion.

The watch now fell to the Kalevide, but he would not allow the
dwarf to taste the soup until he gave him his gold bell as a
pledge of good faith. As soon as he had received it, he
playfully gave the dwarf a fillip on the forehead, when there
was a tremendous crash of thunder, and the dwarf sank into the
earth and disappeared from the sight of the hero. The other
heroes and the old woman then assembled round the fire to hear
what had happened. They sat down to their supper, after which
the Kalevide advised his companions to lie down and rest for
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the remainder of the night, and to return home to their wives
and children in the morning. During the night the daughters of
the Meadow Queen danced and sported, and sang to the Kalevide
of his approaching adventures and journey.

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