Rune XXIV-f

But the youth remained for singing, This the chorus of the children: "Hither came a bird of evil' Flew in fleetness from the forest, Came to steal away our virgin, Came to win the Maid of Beauty; Took away our fairest flower, Took our mermaid from the waters, Won her with his youth and beauty, With his keys of ancient wisdom. Who will lead us to the sea-beach, Who conduct us to the rivers? Now the buckets will be idle, On the hooks will rest the fish-poles, Now unswept will lie the matting, And unswept the halls of birch-wood, Copper goblets be unburnished, Dark the handles of the pitchers, Fare thou well, dear Rainbow Maiden." Ilmarinen, happy bridegroom, Hastened homeward with the daughter Of the hostess of Pohyola, With the beauty of the Northland Fleetly flew the hero's snow-sledge, Loudly creaked, and roared, and rattled Down the banks of Northland waters, By the side of Honey-inlet, On the back of Sandy Mountain. Stones went rolling from the highway, Like the winds the sledge flew onward, On the yoke rang hoops of iron, Loud the spotted wood resounded, Loudly creaked the bands of willow, All the birchen cross-bars trembled, And the copper-bells rang music, In the racing of the fleet-foot, In the courser's gallop homeward; Journeyed one day, then a second, Journeyed still the third day onward, In one hand the reins of magic, While the other grasped the maiden, One foot resting on the cross-bar, And the other in the fur-robes. Merrily the steed flew homeward, Quickly did the highways shorten, Till at last upon the third day, As the sun was fast declining, There appeared the blacksmith's furnace, Nearer, Ilmarinen's dwelling, Smoke arising high in ether, Clouds of smoke to lofty heaven, From the village of Wainola, From the suitor's forge and smithy, From the chimneys of the hero, From the home of the successful. THE KALEVALA THE EPIC POEM OF FINLAND INTO ENGLISH BY JOHN MARTIN CRAWFORD [1888] BOOK II CONTENTS RUNE XXV. Wainamoinen's Wedding-songs RUNE XXVI. Origin of the Serpent RUNE XXVII. The Unwelcome Guest RUNE XXVIII. The Mother's Counsel RUNE XXIX. The Isle of Refuge RUNE XXX. The Frost-fiend RUNE XXXI. Kullerwoinen, Son of Evil RUNE XXXII. Kullervo as a Shepherd RUNE XXXIII. Kullervo and the Cheat-cake RUNE XXXIV. Kullervo finds his Tribe-folk RUNE XXXV. Kullervo's Evil Deeds RUNE XXXVI. Kullerwoinen's Victory and Death RUNE XXXVII Ilmarinen's Bride of Gold RUNE XXXVIII. Ilmarinen's Fruitless Wooing RUNE XXXIX. Wainamoinen's Sailing RUNE XL. Birth of the Harp RUNE XLI. Wainamoinen's Harp-songs RUNE XLII. Capture of the Sampo RUNE XLIII. The Sampo lost in the Sea RUNE XLIV. Birth of the Second Harp RUNE XLV. Birth of the Nine Diseases RUNE XLVI. Otso the Honey-eater RUNE XLVII. Louhi steals Sun, Moon, and Fire RUNE XLVIII. Capture of the Fire-fish RUNE XLIX. Restoration of the Sun and Moon RUNE L.