🧚 The Flight · page 2

“Well, then,” answered the long-armed, thoughtless one, “I, at least, feel like rejoicing this very hour.79 If no one else will sing, I will.80 I will give you a song of my own composing.”81

He stood in the stern beside the Minstrel.82 He turned his face toward the prow and pursed up his mouth to sing.83 His voice was hoarse, his tones were discordant, there was no music in his song.84 He opened his mouth till his beard wagged and his long chin trembled.85 He waved his arms and shouted—he shouted so loudly that the sound was heard far across the water.86 In many villages it was heard, alarming all the people and filling their hearts with terror.87

By the long white shore a blue crane was wading, looking down to count his toes in the clear sea-water.88 Suddenly he heard the noise of Ahti’s singing—a noise most strange, most unlike any other that had ever broken the silence of the sea.89 The crane, alarmed, spread his wings and leaped upward.90 He screamed in terror and flew rapidly up, up to the sheltering sky.91 He flew rapidly and paused not till he had reached the distant shores of Pohyola.92 There below him he saw the fields and the meadows and the old familiar places where he and his mate had oftentimes nested and reared their young.93 Then, to his great wonder, he saw all the people lying asleep on the ground and the mighty Mistress slumbering in their midst, her eyelids pinned together with magic needles.94

This sight gave new alarm to the blue crane.95 His terror was too great to be described.96 He screamed, not once only, but ten times, loudly, harshly, terrifically.97 The noise awoke Dame Louhi the Mistress; it awoke all her slumbering people.98 They shook the sleep-needles from their eyes and looked around, dazed, bewildered, wondering what had happened to them.99 The armed men formed themselves in battle array, waiting for commands; the old men and the married women hastened to their homes, ashamed of their weakness; the children, too, sought their own firesides, for night was approaching.100

Up rose Dame Louhi, angry and apprehensive.101 She saw that the Minstrel and his heroes had disappeared, and anxious forebodings filled her heart.102 She ran to her treasure-room; her chests of gold and silver had not been disturbed.103 She hastened to the barnyard; all her favorite cattle were there, not one was missing.104 She looked into the barns; they had not been plundered, not an ear of corn had been taken.105

“But the Sampo, the Sampo!” she cried.106 “It was the Sampo that the robbers demanded.107 Have they carried it away?”108

Then came an old serving-man with trembling limbs and with tears in his eyes, who knelt in the dust before her and begged her mercy.109

“Yes,” he said, “they have carried away the Sampo and its pictured lid.110 While we were all drowned in slumber they broke into the cavern beneath the copper mountain, they drew back the bolts and opened the mighty doors.111 Then they lifted the Sampo from its place and bore it away, but whither I cannot tell.”112

“They must have carried it to their red-prowed ship,” said another old man, “for the haven where it was moored is empty and no crimson sail is anywhere in sight.”113

Dame Louhi, grim and old and haggard, fell into the greatest fury.114 She stormed, she screamed, she wept, she prayed.115 “O Maiden of the Air,” she cried, “O queen and ruler of the mists and stormclouds!116 Send me help I pray thee.117 Cover the sea with dense fogs and clouds of vapor.118 Send down the winds and let the tempest rage round those wicked robbers.119 O Maiden, sink them all beneath the billows, but save the Sampo.120 Let it not fall into the raging sea, but hold it in thy large hands and bring it safe back to Pohyola’s lovely shore.”121

The Maiden of the Air heard her and was pleased with her prayer.122 She called to her servants, the mists, the clouds, and the winds, to wreak vengeance upon the heroes, to drive their ship far out of its course and sink it in the bottomless sea.123

Forthwith thick clouds obscured the sky and dense fogs covered the waters like a cloak of darkness.124 The winds rose in fury and a mighty storm swept down from above.125 All the winds, save the North Wind alone, assailed the heroes’ gallant vessel.126 The mast was splintered just above the sail-yard, the red sail itself was blown away, the rudder was unmanageable, all the oars were made useless, so terrible were the winds and the tossing waves.127

Like a withered leaf of autumn the ship was driven hither and thither through the mists and fearful darkness.128 The young men hid their faces, and the golden-haired maidens cowered beneath the benches.129 The nimble Ahti, cause of all this trouble, lay prone upon the deck speechless with fright.130 Even the hero Ilmarinen crouched himself down in the narrow hold and bewailed their great misfortune.131

“Never before have I seen such a storm as this,” he moaned.132 “My hair is soaked with salt-water and my beard trembles with the shaking of the ship.133 My very heart thumps wildly as I hear the noise of the mighty tempest.134 O winds, have pity!135 O waves, deal gently with us all!”136

The Minstrel, alone of all on board, stood up fearless and calm and steadfast as though no danger threatened.137

“This is no place for weeping,” he said.138 “You cannot save yourselves by howling.139 Groaning will not preserve you from evil, nor will grunting dispel misfortune.”140

He raised his hands high above his head and called upon all the powers of air and sky and sea to befriend the heroes in their dire distress.141

“O sea, so vast, so grand, remember that we are small and weak, and deal gently with us!142 O waves, do not play too roughly with us, do not fill our ship with water, do not break her ribs or hull beams.143 O winds, rise up higher and play with the clouds in heaven.144 Drive away the mists that blind us, but blow gently upon our crimson vessel, and waft, oh! waft it safely southward to the shores of Hero Land.”145

And the lively Ahti, still sprawling prone upon the high deck, lifted up his voice also and prayed to his god, the great bird of the mountains:146

“O thou mighty eagle, come down from thy eyry on the heaven-high cliffs, and help us.147 Bring with thee a magic feather—yes, two or three—that they may put a charm upon this ship and protect it from disaster.”148

But still the storm raged; the waves dashed furiously against the vessel; the winds howled and fought and gave no heed to Wainamoinen’s prayer; the fog still hung darkly upon the waters or drifted in mist-like clouds before the wind; the eagle of Ahti screamed in vain.149

Thus all day the red ship drifted helpless upon the raging sea; for two long days the tempest prevailed and the heroes were in despair.150 But on the third day the Minstrel’s prayer was answered.151 The storm ceased, the fog was lifted, and the sun shone out, bright and clear in the midst of the sky.152 The heroes sprang up and shouted for joy; they had forgotten their fears.153

“To your oars, my brave men, to your oars!” shouted Ilmarinen, and every man bent willingly to his task.154

The maidens also regained their courage.155 The color returned to their cheeks; their eyes, so long tear-wet, now sparkled with joy; with songs of gladness they woke the echoes of the sea, and cheered the laboring oarsmen.156

“It is well to rejoice and be merry,” said the steadfast Minstrel, “but we are still upon the uncertain sea, we are still far away from our own safe home land.”157