Chapter XXVII: Section I: Tales Illustrative of the "kalevipoeg" (2)

The youngest brother scorned to notice the ill-treatment of his
brothers, and went cheerfully on his way. "Good fortune may
come from God," was the comforting reflection which he took
with him from his father's house, and he whistled away his sad
thoughts. Just as he was beginning to feel hungry, he
encountered two travelling journey-men. His pleasant
countenance and cheerful talk pleased them, and when they
rested, they shared
[Pg 190]
their provisions with him, so that Slyboots did not fare so
badly on the first day. He parted from his companions before
evening quite contented, for his present comfort left him
without anxiety for the morrow. He could sleep anywhere with
the green grass for a couch and the blue sky above, and a
stone under his head served as well as a soft pillow. Next
morning he set out on his way again, and arrived at a lonely
farm, where a young woman was sitting at the door, weeping
bitterly. Slyboots asked what was her trouble, and she
answered, "I have a bad husband, who beats me every day if I
cannot humour his mad freaks. He has ordered me to-day to cook
him a fish which is not a fish, and which has eyes, but not in
its head. Where in the world shall I find such a creature?"
"Don't cry, young woman," answered Slyboots. "Your husband
wants a crab, which is a water-animal to be sure, but is not a
fish, and which has eyes, but not in its head." The woman
thanked him for his good advice, and gave him something to
eat, and a bag of provisions which would last him for several
days. As soon as he received this unexpected assistance, he
determined to set out for the royal capital, where cleverness
[Pg 191]
was likely to be in most request, and where he hoped to make
his fortune.

Wherever he went, he heard every one talking of the king's midsummer banquet, and when he heard of the reward which was offered to the man who should prepare the feast, he began to reflect whether he might not be able to accomplish the adventure. "If I succeed," said he to himself, "I shall find myself at a stroke on the highway to fortune; and in the worst case of all, I shall only lose my life, and we must all die sooner or later. If I begin in the right way, why shouldn't I succeed? Perhaps I may be more fortunate than others. And even if the king should refuse me his daughter, he must at least give me the promised reward in money, which will make me a rich man."

Buoyed up with such thoughts, he pursued his journey, singing and whistling like a lark, sometimes resting under the shadow of a bush during the heat of the day, and sleeping at night under a tree or in the open fields. One morning he finished the last remains of his provisions, and in the evening he arrived safe and sound at the city.

Next day he craved audience of the king. The king saw that he
had to deal with an intelligent and
[Pg 192]
enterprising man, and it was easy for them to come to terms.
"What is your name?" asked the king. The man of brains
replied, "My baptismal name is Nicodemus, but I was always
called Slyboots at home, to show that I did not fall on my
head." "I will leave you your name," returned the king, "but
your head must answer for all mischief if the affair should go
wrong."

Slyboots asked the king to give him seven hundred workmen, and
set about his preparations without delay. He ordered twenty
large sheds to be constructed, and arranged in a square like a
series of large cowhouses, so that a great open space was left
in the middle, to which led one single large gate. He ordered
great cooking-pots and caldrons to be built in the rooms which
were to be heated, and the ovens were furnished with iron
spits, where meat and sausages could be roasted. Other sheds
were furnished with great boilers and vats for brewing beer, so
that the boilers were above and the vats below. Other houses
without fireplaces were fitted up as storehouses for cold
provisions, such as black bread, barm bracks, white bread, &c.
All needful stores, such as flour, groats, meat, salt, lard,
butter, &c., were brought into the
[Pg 193]
open space, and fifty soldiers were stationed before the door,
so that nothing should be touched by the finger of any thief.
The king came every day to view the preparations, and praised
the skill and forethought of Slyboots. Besides all this,
several dozen bakehouses were built in the open air, and a
special guard of soldiers was stationed before each. They
slaughtered for the feast a thousand oxen, two hundred calves,
five hundred swine, ten thousand sheep, and many more small
animals, which were driven together in flocks from all
quarters. Stores of provisions were constantly brought by
river in boats and barges, and by land in waggons, and this
went on without intermission for several weeks. Seven thousand
hogsheads were brewed of beer alone. Although the seven
hundred assistants toiled late and early, and many additional
labourers were engaged, yet most of the toil and trouble fell
upon Slyboots, who was obliged to look sharply after the
others at every point. He had warned the cooks, the bakers,
and the brewers, in the most stringent manner, not to allow
any strange mouth to taste the food or drink, and any one who
broke this command was threatened with the gallows. If such a
greedy stranger should make his appearance
[Pg 194]
anywhere, he was to be brought immediately to the
superintendent of the preparations.

On the morning of the first day of the feast, word was brought
to Slyboots that an unknown old man had come into one of the
kitchens, and asked the cook to allow him to taste a little
from the soup-kettle with a spoon, which the cook could not
permit him to do on his own responsibility. Slyboots ordered
the stranger to be brought before him, and presently he beheld
a little old man with grey hair, who humbly begged to be
allowed to taste the food and drink prepared for the banquet.
Slyboots told him to come into one of the kitchens, when he
would gratify his wish if it were possible. As they went, he
scanned the old man sharply, to see whether he could not detect
something strange about him. Presently he observed a shining
gold ring on the ring-finger of the old man's left hand. When
they reached the kitchen, Slyboots asked, "What security can
you give me that no harm shall come of it if I let you taste
the food?" "My lord," answered the stranger, "I have nothing to
offer you as a pledge." Slyboots pointed to the fine gold ring
and demanded that as a pledge. The old fellow resisted with all
his might,
[Pg 195]
protesting that the ring was a token of remembrance from his
dead wife, and he had vowed never to take it from his hand,
lest some misfortune should happen. "Then it is quite
impossible for me to grant your request," said Slyboots, "for
I cannot permit any one to taste either the food or drink
without a pledge." The old man was so anxious about it that at
last he gave his ring as a pledge.

Just as he was about to dip his spoon in the pot, Slyboots struck him so heavy a blow on the head with the flat of an axe, that it might have felled the strongest ox; but the old fellow did not fall, but only staggered a little. Then Slyboots seized him by the beard with both hands, and ordered strong ropes to be brought, with which he bound the old man hand and foot, and hung him up by the legs to a beam. Then Slyboots said to him mockingly, "You may wait there till the feast is over, and then we will resume our conversation. Meantime, I'll keep your ring, on which your power depends, as a token." The old man was obliged to submit, whether he liked it or not, for he was bound so firmly that he could not move hand or foot.

Then the great feast began, to which the people
[Pg 196]
flocked in thousands from all quarters. Although the feasting
lasted for three whole weeks, there was no want of either food
or drink, for there was plenty and to spare.

The people were much pleased, and had nothing but praise for
the king and the manager of the feast. When the king was about
to pay Slyboots the promised reward, he answered, "I have still
a little business to transact with the stranger before I
receive my reward." Then he took seven strong men with him,
armed with heavy cudgels, and took them to the place where the
old man had been hanging for the last three weeks. "Now, then,"
said Slyboots, "grasp your cudgels firmly, and belabour the old
man so that he shall never forget his hospitable reception for
the rest of his life." The seven men began to whack the old man
all at once, and would soon have made an end of his life, if
the rope had not given way under their blows. The little man
fell down, and vanished underground in an instant, leaving a
wide opening behind him. Then said Slyboots, "I have his
pledge, with which I must follow him. Bring the king a thousand
greetings from me, and tell him to divide my reward among the
poor, if I should not return."
[Pg 197]

He then crept downwards through the hole in which the old man
had disappeared. At first he found the pathway very narrow, but
it widened considerably at the depth of a few fathoms, so that
he was able to advance easily. Steps were hewn in the rock, so
that he did not slip, notwithstanding the darkness. Slyboots
went on for some distance, till he came to a door. He looked
through a crack, and saw three young girls
[122] sitting with the old man, whose head was resting on the
lap of one of them. The girl was saying, "If I only rub the
bruise a few times more with the bell,
[123] the pain and swelling will disappear." Slyboots thought,
"That is certainly the place where I struck the old man with
the back of the axe three weeks ago." He decided to wait behind
the door till the master of the house had lain down to sleep
and the fire was extinguished. Presently the old man said,
"Help me into my room, that I may go to bed, for my body is
quite out of joint, and I can't move hand or foot." Then
[Pg 198]
they brought him to his room. When it grew dark, and the girls
had left the room, Slyboots crept gently in, and hid himself
behind the beer-barrel.
[124]

Presently the girls came back, and spoke gently, so as not to
rouse the old man. "The bruise on the head is of no
consequence," said one, "and the sprained body will also soon
be cured, but the loss of the ring of strength is irreparable,
and this troubles the old man more than his bodily sufferings."
Soon afterwards they heard the old man snoring, and Slyboots
came out of his hiding-place and made friends with the maidens.
At first they were rather frightened, but the clever youth soon
contrived to dispel their alarm, and they allowed him to stay
there for the night. The maidens told him that the old man
possessed two great treasures, a magic sword and a rod of
rowan-wood, and he resolved to possess himself of both. The rod
would form a bridge over the sea for its possessor, and he who
bore the sword could destroy the most numerous army.
[125] On the following evening
[Pg 199]
Slyboots contrived to seize upon the wand and the sword, and
escaped before daybreak with the help of the youngest girl.
But the passage had disappeared from before the door, and in
its place he found a large enclosure, beyond which was a broad
sea.

As soon as Slyboots was gone the girls began to quarrel, and
their loud talking woke up the old man. He learned from what
they said that a stranger had been there, and he rose up in a
passion, and found the wand and sword gone. "My best treasures
are stolen!" he roared, and, forgetting his bruises, he rushed
out. Slyboots was still sitting on the beach, thinking whether
he should try the power of the wand, or seek for a dry path.
Suddenly he heard a rushing sound behind him like a gust of
wind. When he looked round, he saw the old man charging upon
him like a madman. He sprang up, and had just time to strike
the waves with the rod, and to cry out, "Bridge before, water
behind!" He had scarcely spoken, when he found himself standing
on a bridge
[Pg 200]
over the sea, already at some distance from the shore.
[126]

The old man came to the beach panting and puffing, but stopped short when he saw the thief on the bridge over the sea. He called out, snuffling, "Nicodemus, my son, where are you going?" "Home, papa," was the reply. "Nicodemus, my son, you struck me on the head with an axe, and hung me up to a beam by the legs." "Yes, papa." "Nicodemus, my son, did you call seven men to beat me, and steal my gold ring from me?" "Yes, papa." "Nicodemus, my son, have you bamboozled my daughters?" "Yes, papa." "Nicodemus, my son, have you stolen my sword and wand?" "Yes, papa." "Nicodemus, my son, will you come back?" "Yes, papa," answered Slyboots again. Meantime he had advanced so far on the bridge, that he could no longer hear the old man speak. When he had crossed the sea, he inquired the nearest way to the royal city, and hastened thither to claim his reward.

But lo! he found everything very different from what he had
expected. Both his brothers had
[Pg 201]
entered the service of the king, one as a coachman and the
other as a chamberlain. Both were living in grand style and
were rich people. When Slyboots applied to the king for his
reward, the latter answered, "I waited for you for a whole
year, and I neither saw nor heard anything of you. I supposed
you were dead, and was about to divide your reward among the
poor, as you desired. But one day your elder brothers arrived
to inherit your fortune. I left the matter to the court, who
assigned the money to them, because it was supposed that you
were dead. Since then your brothers have entered my service,
and both still remain in it." When Slyboots heard what the
king said, he thought he must be dreaming, for he imagined
that he had been only two nights in the old man's subterranean
dwelling, and had then taken a few days to return home; but
now it appeared that each night had been as long as a year. He
would not go to law with his brothers, but abandoned the money
to them, thanked God that he had escaped with his life, and
looked out for some fresh employment. The king's cook engaged
him as kitchen-boy, and he now had to turn the joints on the
spit every day. His brothers
[Pg 202]

despised him for his mean employment, and did not like to have
anything to do with him, although he still loved them. One
evening he told them much of what he had seen in the
under-world, where the geese and ducks had gold and silver
plumage. The brothers related this to the king, and begged him
to send their youngest brother to fetch these curious birds.
The king sent for the kitchen-boy, and ordered him to start
next morning in search of the birds with the costly feathers.

Slyboots set out next day with a heavy heart, but he took with
him the ring, the wand, and the sword, which he had carefully
preserved. Some days afterwards he reached the sea, and saw an
old man
[127] with a long grey beard sitting on a stone at the place
where he had reached land after his flight. When Slyboots came
nearer, the old man asked, "Why are you so sad, my friend?"
Slyboots told him how badly he had fared, and the old man bid
him be of good cheer, and not vex himself, adding, "No harm can
happen to you, as long as you wear the ring of strength." He
then gave Slyboots a mussel-shell,
[128] and advised him to
[Pg 203]
build the bridge with the magic wand to the middle of the sea,
and then to step on the shell with his left foot, when he
would immediately find himself in the under-world, while every
one there was asleep. He also advised him to make himself a
bag of spun yarn in which to put the water-birds with gold and
silver plumage, and then he could return unmolested.
Everything fell out as the old man predicted, but Slyboots had
hardly reached the sea-shore with his booty when he heard his
former acquaintance behind him; and when he was on the bridge
he heard him calling out, "Nicodemus, my son," and repeating
the same questions as before. At last he asked if he had
stolen the birds? Slyboots answered "Yes" to every question,
and hastened on.

Slyboots arrived at the royal city in the evening, as his
friend with the grey beard had foretold, and the yarn bag held
the birds so well that none had escaped. The king made him a
present, and told him to go back next day, for he had heard
from the two elder brothers that the lord of the under-world
had many gold and silver utensils, which the king desired for
his own use. Slyboots did not venture to refuse,
[Pg 204]
but he went very unwillingly, because he did not know how to
manage the affair. However, when he reached the sea-shore, he
met his friend with the grey beard, who asked the reason of
his sadness. The old man gave Slyboots another mussel-shell,
and a handful of small stones, with the following advice. "If
you go there in the afternoon, you will find the father in bed
taking his siesta, the daughters spinning in the sitting-room,
and the grandmother in the kitchen scouring the gold and
silver vessels bright. Climb nimbly on the chimney, throw down
the stones tied up in a bag on the old woman's neck, come down
yourself as quick as possible, put the costly vessels in the
yarn bag, and then run off as fast as your legs will carry
you."

Slyboots thanked his friend, and followed his advice exactly.
But when he dropped the bag of pebbles, it expanded into a six
hundred weight sack of paving stones, which dashed the old
woman to the ground. In a moment Slyboots swept all the gold
and silver vessels into his bag and took to flight. When the
Old Boy heard the noise, he thought the chimney had fallen
down, and did not venture to get up directly. But when he
[Pg 205]

had called the grandmother for a long time without receiving
any answer, he was obliged to go himself. When he discovered
the misfortune that had happened, he hastened in pursuit of the
thief, who could not be gone far. Slyboots was already on the
sea, when his pursuer reached the shore panting and puffing. As
before, the Old Boy cried out, "Nicodemus, my son," and
repeated the former questions. At last he asked, "Nicodemus, my
son, have you stolen my gold and silver utensils?" "Certainly,
my father," answered Slyboots. "Nicodemus, my son, do you
promise to come again?" "No, my father," answered Slyboots,
hurrying along the bridge. Although the old man cursed and
scolded after the thief, he could not catch him, and he had now
been despoiled of all his magic treasures.

Slyboots found his friend with the grey beard waiting for him on the other side of the sea, and he threw down the bag of heavy gold and silverware, which the ring of strength had enabled him to bring away, and sat down to rest his weary limbs.

The old man now told him much that shocked him. "Your brothers
hate you, and will do all
[Pg 206]
they can to destroy you, if you do not oppose their wicked
attempts. They will urge the king on to set you tasks in which
you are very likely to perish. When you bring your rich load
to the king this evening, you will find him friendly disposed
towards you; and then ask, as your only reward, that his
daughter should be hidden behind the door in the evening, to
hear what your brothers talk about together."

When Slyboots came before the king with his rich booty, which was enough to make at least ten horse-loads, he found him extremely kind and friendly, and he took the opportunity to make the request which his old friend had advised. The king was glad that the treasure-bringer asked for no greater reward, and ordered his daughter to hide herself behind the door in the evening, to overhear what the coachman and the chamberlain were talking about.

The brothers had grown haughty with prosperity, and boasted of
their good luck, and what was worse, they both boasted to each
other of the favours of the princess in her own hearing! She
ran to her father, flushed with shame and anger, and told him
weeping what shameful lies she had
[Pg 207]
heard with her own ears, and begged him to punish the
wretches. The king immediately ordered them both to be thrown
into prison, and when they had confessed their guilt before
the court next day, they were executed, while Slyboots was
promoted to the rank of king's councillor.

Some time afterwards the country was invaded by a foreign king, and Slyboots was sent against the enemy in the field. Then he drew the sword which he had brought from the under-world for the first time, and began to slaughter the hostile army, and soon none were left alive on the bloody field. The king was so pleased at the victory that he made Slyboots his son-in-law.

Jannsen gives an inferior variant of this story under the
title of the House-Spirit. Here a little man who creeps
from under the stove is permitted by the cook to taste the
soup three times running, and every time the pot is
emptied. His master tells him to quit his service next
morning, and orders the steward to make soup; and the
steward knocks down the dwarf with the spoon. Next morning,
as the cook is leaving, the dwarf invites him to his house
under the stove, and gives him a little box, on which he
has only to tap, and ask for whatever he wants. The steward
meets the cook, hears the story, puts on soup, and invites
the dwarf to partake. In return he receives a box, which he
takes to his master, but out of the box jumps a dwarf with
[Pg 208]
an iron club, who belabours them both till they are nearly
dead, and then disappears with the box. The kitchen dwarf
was never seen again.

The next story is peculiarly interesting and original. I place it here, because we find three maidens busy spinning for a witch, as the Kalevide found them in the palace of Sarvik.

THE GOLD-SPINNERS.

( Kreutzwald .)

I am going to tell you a beautiful story about what happened in the world in ancient days, when the meadows still resounded with the wise sayings of birds and beasts.

Once upon a time a lame old woman lived in a thick forest with
her three beautiful daughters in a cottage hidden among the
bushes. The three daughters were like three fair flowers,
especially the youngest, who was as fair and delicate as a
bean-flower, while the mother was like a withered stem. But
there was none to look upon them in their loneliness save the
sun
[Pg 209]
by day, and by night the moon and the starry eyes of heaven.

Hot, like eyes of youthful lovers,

Shone the sun upon their head-gear,

Shining on their coloured ribands,

Turning red their garment's edges.

The old mother did not allow the girls to grow up in idleness,
but kept them hard at work from morning to night spinning
golden flax into thread. She gave the poor creatures no
half-holidays on Thursdays or Saturdays, to provide themselves
with anything they needed, and if they had not sometimes taken
their needles in their hands by stealth at twilight or by
moonlight, they would have possessed nothing. As soon as the
distaff was empty, they were immediately furnished with a fresh
supply, and the thread was required to be fine and regular.
When the thread was finished, the old woman hid it away under
lock and key in a secret chamber, where her daughters were
never allowed to set foot. The spinners knew not how the golden
flax came into the house, nor for what fabric the thread was
used, for the mother never
[Pg 210]
replied to any questions on these subjects. The old woman went
off on a journey two or three times every summer, and
sometimes stayed away more than a week, but her daughters
never knew where she went or what she brought back with her,
for she always returned by night. When she was about to start,
she always distributed as many days' work to her daughters as
she expected to be away.

The time came round again for the old woman to set out on her
journey, and she gave out work to the girls for six days,
repeating her usual admonition. "Children, do not let your eyes
wander, and hold your fingers carefully, that the thread on the
reel is not broken, or the glitter of the golden thread will
vanish, and with it all your prospects of good fortune." The
girls laughed at this impressive warning, and before their
mother had hobbled ten steps from the house on her crutches,
all three began to make light of it. "There is no need of this
useless warning, which is always repeated," said the youngest
sister. "The golden threads do not break with picking, much
less with spinning." The other sisters added, "It is equally
unlikely that
[Pg 211]
the golden lustre should disappear." The girls often ventured
on such jests, but at last, after much merriment, tears rose
to their eyes.

On the third day after their mother's departure an unexpected
event took place, which at first filled the daughters with
alarm, and then with joy and happiness, but which was destined
to cause them great trouble for a long time afterwards. A
prince of the race of Kalev found himself separated from his
companions while hunting in the forest,
[129] and wandered so far out of his way that he could no
longer hear the barking of the dogs, nor the blowing of the
horns to direct him aright. All his shouts met with no response
but their own echo, or were lost in the thick bush. At length
the prince, tired and disheartened, dismounted from his horse
and lay down to rest under a bush, while he allowed his horse
to stray about and graze at liberty. When the prince awoke from
his sleep, the sun was already low in the heavens. As he was
again wandering
[Pg 212]
backwards and forwards in search of the right road, he came at
length to a small footpath which led him to the cottage of the
lame old woman. The daughters were startled when they suddenly
saw the stranger appear, whose like they had never before
beheld. But they had finished their day's work, and soon made
friends with the visitor in the cool evening, feeling no
inclination to retire to rest. And even after the elder
sisters had lain down to sleep, the youngest still sat on the
doorstep with their guest, and no sleep visited their eyes
that night.

We will leave the pair to exchange confidences and sweet words
in the light of the moon and stars, and will return to the
huntsmen who had lost their master in the wood. They searched
unweariedly through the whole forest, until the darkness of
night put an end to their quest. After this, two men were sent
to carry the sad news to the city, while the others camped for
the night under a great pine-tree, ready to renew their search
next day. The king immediately issued orders that a regiment of
horse and a regiment of foot should march out next morning to
seek for his lost son. The wood was so long and broad
[Pg 213]
that the search lasted till the third day, when horse-tracks
were at length discovered which they followed till they
reached the footpath which led to the cottage. The prince had
not found the time pass heavily in company with the maiden,
and he was but little disposed to go home. Before he departed,
he gave her a secret promise that he would return in a short
time, and take her with him, either with good-will or by
force, and would make her his bride. But although the elder
sisters had heard nothing of the matter, it nevertheless came
to light in a way which nobody anticipated.

The youngest daughter was not a little astonished, when she sat
down to work after the departure of the prince, to find that
the thread on the spool was broken. She pieced the ends
together, and set the wheel in rapid motion that she might make
up for the time which she had lost with her lover, by diligent
labour, but her heart fluttered at a strange and inexplicable
event, for the gold thread had lost its former lustre. No
terror and no sighs or tears could repair the mischief.
According to an old proverb, misfortune springs into the house
through the door, enters by the window, and
[Pg 214]
creeps in through any crevice which is not blocked up; and
thus was it now.
[130]

The old woman returned home by night; and as soon as she came
into the room in the morning, she perceived at once that
something was wrong. Her heart was filled with rage, and she
called her daughters one by one, and severely cross-questioned
them. They could not help themselves with lies and excuses, for
lies have short legs, and the cunning old woman soon discovered
what the village cock had crowed in her youngest daughter's ear
behind her back. Then the old woman began to curse so terribly
that it seemed as if she wanted to darken heaven and earth with
her imprecations. At last she threatened to break the neck of
the young man and give his flesh to the wild beasts to devour
if he ever ventured near the house again. The youngest daughter
turned as red as a boiled crab, and found no rest by day nor
sleep by night; for the thought oppressed her ever, that if the
youth should return, he might meet his death. Early in the
morning she stole quietly out of the house while her mother and
sisters
[Pg 215]
were still asleep, to breathe the freshness of the dewy air.
As luck would have it, she had learned the language of birds
from her mother when she was still a child, and her knowledge
now stood her in good stead. A raven was sitting in the
branches of a pine-tree near, preening his feathers, and the
maiden called to him, "Dear bird of wisdom, wisest of the race
of birds, come to my aid." "What help dost thou need?"
answered the raven. The girl answered, "Fly from the wood afar
into the country, until you reach a stately city with a royal
palace. Endeavour to find the king's son, and warn him of the
misfortune which has come upon us." Then she told the raven
the whole story, from the breaking of the thread to the
terrible threat of her mother, and begged that the youth would
never return to the house. The raven promised to deliver her
message, if he could find anybody who understood his language,
and flew away immediately.

The mother would not allow the youngest daughter to work at the
spinning-wheel again, but kept her busy winding the spun
thread. This work would have been easier to the maiden than the
other, but her mother's incessant cursing and
[Pg 216]
scolding gave her no rest from morning to night. Any attempt
to palliate her offence only made matters worse. If a woman's
heart overflows with anger and loosens her tongue, no power on
earth can stay it.

Towards evening the voice of the raven was heard croaking on
the summit of the pine-tree, and the tortured girl hurried out
to inquire what news he brought. The raven had had the good
fortune to meet with the son of a magician in the garden of the
king, who perfectly understood the language of birds. To him
the bird delivered the message of the maiden, and besought him
to convey it to the prince. "Tell the raven," said the prince
to the magician's son, "that he must return, and say to the
maiden, 'Sleep not on the ninth night, for a deliverer will
then appear to rescue the chick from the claws of the hawk.'"
They gave the raven a piece of meat as a reward for his message
and to strengthen his wings, and then sent him back again. The
maiden thanked the bird for his news, but concealed his message
carefully in her own bosom, so that the others heard nothing of
it. But as the ninth day approached her heart grew ever
heavier, for she dreaded
[Pg 217]
lest some unexpected mischance might yet ruin all.

When the ninth night came, and the mother and daughters had
retired to rest, the youngest sister stole from the house on
tip-toe, and sat down on the grass under a tree to wait for her
lover. Her heart was full of mingled hope and fear. The cock
had already crowed twice, but there was not a step nor a voice
to be heard in the wood. But between the second and third
cockcrow she heard the distant sound of horses' hoofs. Guided
by the sound, she made her way in their direction, lest the
noise of their approach should rouse the sleeping household.
She soon caught sight of the troop of soldiers, at whose head
rode the prince himself, guiding them by the secret marks he
had made on the trees when he departed. As soon as he perceived
the maiden, he sprang from his horse, lifted her into the
saddle, seated himself before her, so that she could cling to
him, and then hastened homewards. The moon shone so brightly
between the trees that the soldiers could not miss the track.
Presently the birds roused up, and began to chirp and twitter
in the dawning light. And if the maiden had had time to listen
to their
[Pg 218]
warnings, they would have profited her more than the honeyed
words of her lover, which were all that reached her ear. But
she saw and heard nothing but the voice of her lover, who bade
her dismiss all idle fears, and to trust in the protection of
the soldiers. The sun was already high in the heavens when
they left the forest and emerged into the open country.
Fortunately the old mother did not discover her daughter's
flight very early in the morning. It was only when she found
that the twists of thread had not been wound that she asked
what had become of the youngest sister, but no one could
inform her. There were many indications to show that she had
fled, and the mother immediately devised a crafty plan to
punish the fugitive. She went out and gathered a handful of
nine
[131] different sorts of magic herbs, scattered charmed salt
over them, and tied up the whole in a bundle. Then she muttered
curses and imprecations over the witch-packet, and cast it to
the winds, saying—

"Lend the ball thy wings, O whirlwind!

Mother of the wind, thy pinions;

Drive the witch's bundle onward,

[Pg 219]

Let it fly with wind-like swiftness,

Let it scatter death around it,

Let it cast disease beyond it."

Somewhat before noon the prince and his army arrived on the bank of a broad river, over which a narrow bridge had been thrown, which only permitted the soldiers to pass one by one. The prince was just riding on the middle of the bridge, when the witch's bundle came flying along, borne by the wind, and attacked his horse like a gadfly. The horse snorted with terror, reared up on his hind-legs, and before any help could be given, the maiden slid from the saddle and fell headlong into the river. The prince would have leaped in after her, but the soldiers seized hold of him and prevented him, for the river was of unfathomable depth, and no human aid could avail to remedy the misfortune which had happened.

The prince was almost distracted with grief and horror, and the
soldiers forced him to accompany them home against his will. He
lay in a quiet room for weeks mourning over the calamity, and
at first refused all food and drink. The king summoned
magicians from all quarters, but none of them could discover
the nature of the disease
[Pg 220]
or suggest any remedy. But one day the son of the
wind-sorcerer, who was one of the labourers in the king's
garden, advised, "Send to Finland for the oldest of all
magicians, for he is wiser than the magicians of our country."

When the king heard this, he sent a messenger to the old Finnish sorcerer, who arrived after a week on the wings of the wind. He spoke thus to the king: "Mighty king, the disease which afflicts the prince is caused by the wind. An evil witch-packet has robbed the prince of the half of his heart, and therefore he suffers unceasingly. Send him often into the wind that the wind may bear away his sorrows into the forest."

He was not wrong, for the health of the prince soon began to improve, his appetite grew better, and he was able to sleep at night. At last he confided the sorrow of his heart to his parents, and his father wished him to seek out another young bride to lead home; but the prince would not listen to the proposal.

The young man had already passed a year in mourning, when one
day he happened to come to the bridge where he had lost his
betrothed, and bitter tears rose to his eyes at the
recollection.
[Pg 221]
Suddenly he heard a sweet voice singing, although no living
creature was in sight. And the voice sang:

"By the mother's curse o'ertaken,

Sank in flood the hapless maiden,

In the watery grave the fair one,

And in Ahti's
[132] waves thy darling."

The prince dismounted from his horse, and looked round everywhere to see whether some one might not be hidden under the bridge, but he could see no singer anywhere. The only object visible was a water-lily, swaying on the water amid its broad leaves. But a swaying flower could not sing, and there must be something mysterious about it. He tied his horse to a stump on the bank, and sat down on the bridge to listen, hoping that his eyes or ears would give him some solution of the riddle. All was still for a while, but presently the invisible singer sang again:

"By the mother's curse o'ertaken,

Sank in flood the hapless maiden,

In the watery grave the fair one,

And in Ahti's waves thy darling."

Sometimes the wind brings a fortunate idea to
[Pg 222]
men, and such was the case now. The prince thought, "If I rode
alone to the cottage in the wood, who knows but that the
gold-spinners might be able to give me some explanation of
this wonderful occurrence." He mounted his horse and rode
towards the forest. He hoped to find his way easily by the
former indications, but the wood had grown, and he rode for
more than one day before he could discover the footpath. When
he drew near the cottage, he stopped and waited, hoping that
one of the maidens would come out. Early in the morning the
eldest sister came out to wash her face at the spring. The
young man went to her, and told her of the misfortune that had
happened on the bridge the year before, and of the song which
he had heard there a day or two ago. It happened that the old
mother was absent from home, and the maiden invited the prince
into the house. As soon as the two girls heard his story, they
knew that the misfortune must have been caused by their
mother's witch's coil, and that their sister was not dead, but
only enchanted. The eldest sister inquired, "Did you see
nothing on the surface of the water from whence the song might
have proceeded?" "Nothing," replied the
[Pg 223]
prince. "As far as my eyes could reach, nothing could be
perceived on the surface of the water but a yellow water-lily
surrounded by its broad leaves; but leaves and flowers cannot
sing." The maidens immediately suspected that the water-lily
could be nothing but their sister, who had fallen into the
water, and had been changed into a flower by enchantment. They
knew that their old mother had let fly the witch's coil after
the maiden, with her curse, and that if it had not killed her,
it might have transformed her into any shape. But they would
not tell the prince of their suspicions until they could
devise some means for their sister's release, lest they might
inspire him with fruitless hopes. As they did not expect their
mother to return home for some days, there was plenty of time
to consider the best course to adopt.

In the evening the eldest sister gathered a sufficient quantity
of various magic herbs, which she rubbed with flour into a
dough; and baked a pie which she gave to the young man to eat
before he retired to rest at night. During the night the prince
had a wonderful dream. He thought that he was in the wood among
the birds, and that he could understand the
[Pg 224]
language of them all. In the morning he related his dream to
the maidens, and the eldest sister observed, "You have come to
us at a fortunate hour, and you have had your dream at a
fortunate hour, for it will be fulfilled on your way home. The
pork pie which I baked for your welfare yesterday, and gave
you to eat, was mixed with magic herbs which will enable you
to understand everything which the knowing birds say to one
another. These little feathered people are gifted with much
wisdom which is unknown to mankind. Turn a sharp ear to
whatever their beaks may utter. And when your own time of
trouble is over, do not forget us poor children, who sit here
at the spinning-wheel as if in an eternal prison."

The prince thanked the maidens for their kindness, and promised to do his best to release them, either by ransom or by force. He then took leave of them and turned his way homewards. The maidens were pleased to find that the threads were not broken, and still retained their golden lustre, so that their mother would have no cause to reproach them when she returned.

The prince found his ride through the wood
[Pg 225]
still more pleasant. He seemed to be surrounded with a
numerous company, for the singing and chirping of the birds
sounded like articulate words to his ears. He was greatly
surprised to find how much wisdom is lost to men who do not
understand the language of birds. At first the wanderer was
not able to understand clearly what the feathered people were
saying, for they were talking of the affairs of various
persons who were unknown to him; but suddenly he saw a magpie
and a thrush sitting in a tall pine-tree, who were talking
about himself.

"How great is the stupidity of men!" said the thrush. "They
cannot rightly comprehend the most trifling matter. For a whole
year the foster-child of a lame old woman has been sitting near
the bridge in the form of a water-lily, lamenting her sad fate
in song, but no one has been able to release her. A few days
ago her lover was riding over the bridge, and heard her
melancholy song, but he was no wiser than anybody else." The
magpie answered, "And yet the maiden was punished by her mother
on his account. Unless he is gifted with greater wisdom that
falls to the lot of men, she must remain a flower for ever."
"It would be a trifling matter
[Pg 226]
to release the maiden," said the thrush, "if the matter were
fully explained to the old magician of Finland. He could
easily deliver her from her watery prison and flowery
bondage."

This conversation made the young man thoughtful, and as he rode on, he began to consider what messenger he could send to Finland. Presently he heard one swallow say to another over his head, "Let us go to Finland, where we can build our nests better than here."

"Stay, friends," cried the prince in the language of the birds. "Please to convey a thousand compliments from me to the old sorcerer of Finland, and ask him to give me directions how to restore a maiden who has been transformed into a water-lily to her original form." The swallows promised to fulfil his request, and flew away.

When he came to the bank of the river, he allowed his horse to
graze, and remained standing on the bridge, to listen whether
he could not hear the song again. But all was still, and he
could hear nothing but the rushing of the waters and the
sighing of the wind. At last he mounted his horse unwillingly
and rode home, but did not
[Pg 227]
say a word to any one of his excursion and his adventure.

He was sitting in the garden a week afterwards, and thinking
that the swallows must have forgotten his message, when a great
eagle circled above him high in the air. The bird gradually
descended, and at length alighted on the branch of a lime-tree
near the prince, and thus addressed him: "I bring you greetings
from the old sorcerer in Finland, who hopes that you will not
think ill of him that he did not reply to your message sooner,
for he could not find a messenger who was coming this way. It
is a very simple matter to disenchant the maiden. You have only
to go to the bank of the river, throw off your clothes, and
smear yourself all over with mud till not a speck remains
white. Then take the tip of your nose between your fingers, and
say, 'Let the man become a crayfish.' Immediately you will
become a crayfish, when you can descend into the river without
any fear of being drowned. Squeeze yourself boldly under the
roots of the water-lily, and clear them from mud and reeds, so
that no portion remains fixed. Then grasp one of the roots with
your pincers, and the water will raise you with the flower to
the surface. Allow
[Pg 228]
yourself to drift with the stream till you see a rowan-tree
[133] with leafy branches on the left bank. Near the rowan-tree
is a rock about as high as a small bath-house. When you reach
the rock you must say, 'Let the water-lily become a maiden and
the crayfish a man!' and it will be accomplished immediately."
When the eagle had delivered his message, he spread his wings,
and flew away. The young man looked after him for a time, not
knowing what to think of the whole affair.

A week passed by, and found him still undecided, for he had
neither courage nor confidence sufficient to undertake such an
enterprise. At length a crow said to him, "Why do you neglect
to follow the old man's advice? The old sorcerer has never
given false information, and the language of birds never
deceives. Hasten to the river, and let the maiden dry your
tears of longing." This gave the young man courage, for he
reflected, "Nothing worse can befall me but death, and death is
easier than constant weeping." He mounted his horse and took
the well-known path to the banks of the
[Pg 229]
river. When he came to the bridge, he could distinguish the
song:

"By my mother's curse o'ertaken,

Here I lie in slumber sunken;

Here the youthful maid must languish

On the bosom of the waters,

And the bed is cold and oozy

Where the tender maid is resting."

The prince dismounted, and hobbled his horse to prevent him from straying too far from the bridge. Then he took off his clothes, and smeared himself over and over with mud, so that no spot remained white. After this, he caught hold of the end of his nose, and jumped into the water, exclaiming, "Let the man become a crayfish." There was a splash in the water, and then everything became as still as before.

The prince, now transformed into a crayfish, immediately began
to disentangle the roots of the water-lily from the bed of the
river, but it took him a long time. The roots were firmly fixed
in the sand and mud, so that the crayfish had to work for seven
whole days before he could complete his task. Then he seized
one of the rootlets with his pincers, and the water
[Pg 230]
buoyed him up to the surface with the flower. They drifted
along slowly with the current, but although there were plenty
of trees and bushes on the banks, it was some time before the
prince caught sight of the rowan-tree and the rock. At last,
however, he spied the tree with its leaves and clusters of red
berries on the left bank, and a little farther on stood the
rock, which was as high as a small bath-house. Upon this he
cried out, "Let the water-lily become a maiden and the
crayfish a man." Then the youth and the maiden swam with their
heads above the water. The water bore them to the bank, but
they were both mother-naked, as God had created them.

Then said the shame-faced maiden, "Dear youth, I have no
clothes to put on, and cannot come out of the water." But the
prince answered, "Go ashore near the rowan-tree, and I will
shut my eyes while you climb up and hide yourself under the
tree. Then I will hurry to the bridge where I left my horse and
my clothes when I plunged into the river." So the maiden hid
herself under the tree, while the prince hurried to the spot
where he had left his horse and his
[Pg 231]
clothes, but he could find neither one nor the other. He did
not know that he had passed so many days in the form of a
crayfish, and supposed that he had only spent a few hours in
the water. Presently he saw a magnificent chariot with six
horses coming slowly along the bank to meet him. In the
chariot he found everything needful both for himself and for
the maiden whom he had released from her watery prison, as
well as an attendant and a lady's maid. The prince kept the
attendant with him, but sent the chariot and the maid with the
clothes to the spot where his naked darling was waiting under
the rowan-tree. Rather more than an hour elapsed before the
coach returned, bringing the maiden attired as a royal bride
to the spot where the prince was waiting. He also was richly
dressed in wedding robes, and seated himself by her side in
the chariot. They drove straight to the city, and stopped
before the door of the church. In the church sat the king and
queen in black garments, mourning for the loss of their
beloved son, who was supposed to have been drowned in the
river, for his horse and his clothes had been found on the
bank. Great was their joy
[Pg 232]
when their lost son appeared before them, accompanied by a
beautiful girl, both in wedding attire. The king himself led
them to the altar, and they were married. Then a wedding-feast
was prepared, which lasted for six whole weeks.