🧚 The Slave Boy

Happy, happy Ilmarinen!1 With her who had been the Maid of Beauty as queen of his household, naught but good fortune was his.2 Wherever he went, whatever he did, he was sure to prosper.3 His smithy was full of rare and beautiful things, the work of his own skilful hands.4 His barns were full of grain, barley, and wheat, hay and soft straw for his horses.5 His farmyard was full of lowing cattle, broad-horned milk cows, fat beeves, and sleek-coated yearlings.6 And his house was full of joy, the abode of peace, the home of plenty.7

Now among the servants of the hero there was a young slave whose name was Kullervo.8 A worthless fellow he was, ill-favored, ill-natured, selfish, and unkind.9 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.10 Ilmarinen had bought him for a small price: two old cracked kettles, three broken hooks, four dull-edged scythes, and five toothless rakes.11

“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.12 “Never will he earn the food that is given him, never will his master have any joy from his labor.”13

Ilmarinen smiled and said nothing.14 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.15 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.16 He sent him to pick berries in the marshes; but the worthless fellow picked only the green fruit and trampled upon the ripe.17

“The new slave is good for nothing,” said Dame Lokka, Ilmarinen’s busy mother.18

“No, no!” answered his wife, the mistress of his household.19 “Every man has his place in the world, and surely there is something for this poor fellow to do.”20

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.21 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.”22

“Do as you like,” answered Dame Lokka.23 “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.”24

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.25 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.”26

“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.27 I will bake a fresh, hot cake for him and have it ready when he starts with the herd.”28

So to her task she went, chuckling and growling, for she hated Kullervo and not without reason.29 First, she rolled out the dough and then she baked the cake.30 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.31

“He will enjoy that when he comes to it,” laughed the wicked wench, holding her sides and grinning with mirth.32

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.33 Then she put it in a small basket and covered it with green oak leaves.34

“He must needs have strong teeth to eat it,” she muttered, “but it is good enough for him.”35

Soon Kullervo came to get his luncheon.36 The cattle were waiting to be driven to the pasture, the milk cows were lowing impatiently, the yearlings were browsing beside the hedges.37

“Here’s your luncheon, you worthless fellow,” said the old cook.38 “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.”39

The slave took the basket.40 Although ill-favored, his face was not wholly bad, for his father had been a freeman and a hero.41 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.42 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.43

With the basket on his arm he opened the farmyard gate and shouted to the cattle.44 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.45

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.46 She heard the tinkling of the bells and the hoarse discordant mooing of the beasts.47 She heard the shouts of the slave boy and the trampling of the younger cattle.48 She rose quickly and hurried to the door, waving her hand to Kullervo and calling to him in shrill, commanding tones:49

“Have a care that you do your work well to-day, young man.50 Drive the milkers to the high meadows where the grass is green and sweet.51 Drive the oxen and the yearlings to the woodlands; let them browse among the bushes and lie down in shady places.52 See that you guard them all to keep them safe from wily wolves and lurking bears.53 Watch them well, and when the day is almost done, bring them home.54 Woe be to you if you leave one of them behind.55 Bring them home and drive the milkers into the paddock; then call loudly, and I will come down with the milkmaids to milk them.56 Do you hear, Kullervo?”57

The slave boy growled a surly answer, and went slouching behind the herd, shouting to the laggers and casting stones at the browsing oxen.58

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.59 Then, at length, when all were peacefully feeding, he sat down upon a grassy hummock and looked around him, sad, lonely, vindictive.60 The autumn sun beamed hot upon his head, and the fresh sea breeze fanned his face and played in his yellow hair.61 The grasshoppers chirped at his feet and the crows scolded him harshly from the treetops.62 Kullervo looked and listened, but he saw nothing beautiful, he heard nothing musical.63 His heart was filled with dismal thoughts, and he loudly bewailed his wretched fate.64

“Ah, me! ah, me!65 Wheresoever I go I am still a miserable slave and hard tasks are set for me to do.66 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.67 O Jumala, giver of good!68 Let the sun shine gently upon me, a wretched slave boy; but make it scorch and blister my master and my master’s household.69 Turn their boasting into grief and their success into dire misfortune.70 So hear me, O Jumala, friend of the friendless!”71