Rune XIIIc

As he nears the woodland corner, There he bears a frightful uproar, From the Northland's distant borders, From the dreary fields of Lapland, Hears the dogs as they are barking, Hears the children loudly screaming, Hears the laughter or the women, Hears the shouting of the heroes. Thereupon wild Lemminkainen Hastens forward on his snow-shoes, To the place where dogs are barking, To the distant woods of Lapland. When the reckless Kaukomieli Had approached this Hisi corner, Straightway he began to question: "Why this laughter or the women, Why the screaming of the children, Why the shouting of the heroes, Why this barking of the watch-dogs? This reply was promptly given: "This the reason for this uproar, Women laughing, children screaming, Heroes shouting, watch-dogs barking Hisi's moose came running hither, Hither came the Piru-Reindeer, Hither came with hoofs of silver, Through the open fields and court-yards, Through the penthouse doors and gate-ways, Turning over tubs or water, Threw the kettles from the fire-pole, And upset the dishes cooking." Then the hero, Lemminkainen, Straightway summoned all his courage, Pushed ahead his mighty snow-shoes, Swift as adders in the stubble, Levelled bushes in the marshes, Like the swift and fiery serpents, Spake these words of magic import, Keeping balance with his snow-staff: Come thou might of Lapland heroes, Bring to me the moose of Juutas; Come thou strength of Lapland-women, And prepare the boiling caldron; Come, thou might of Lapland children, Bring together fire and fuel; Come, thou strength of Lapland-kettles, Help to boil the Hisi wild-moose." Then with mighty force and courage, Lemminkainen hastened onward, Striking backward, shooting forward; With a long sweep of his snow-shoe, Disappeared from view the hero; With the second, shooting further, Was the hunter out of hearing, With the third the hero glided On the shoulders of the wild-moose; Took a pole of stoutest oak-wood, Took some bark-strings from the willow, Wherewithal to bind the moose-deer, Bind him to his oaken hurdle. To the moose he spake as follows: "Here remain, thou moose of Juutas Skip about, my bounding courser, In my hurdle jump and frolic, Captive from the fields of Piru, From the Hisi glens and mountains." Then he stroked the captured wild-moose, Patted him upon his forehead, Spake again in measured accents: "I would like awhile to linger, I would love to rest a moment In the cottage of my maiden, With my virgin, young and lovely." Then the Hisi-moose grew angry, Stamped his feet and shook his antlers, Spake these words to Lemminkainen: "Surely Lempo soon will got thee, Shouldst thou sit beside the maiden, Shouldst thou linger by the virgin." Now the wild-moose stamps and rushes, Tears in two the bands of willow, Breaks the oak-wood pole in pieces, And upturns the hunter's hurdle, Quickly leaping from his captor, Bounds away with strength of freedom, Over hills and over lowlands, Over swamps and over snow-fields, Over mountains clothed in heather, That the eye may not behold him, Nor the hero's ear detect him. Thereupon the mighty hunter Angry grows, and much disheartened, Starts again the moose to capture, Gliding off behind the courser.