urried off to her brother's smithy and said to him: 'Dearest brother,
if thou wilt forge for me a silver loom and gold and silver finger-rings
and earrings, golden girdles and golden ornaments for my hair, I will
tell thee something that is very important for thee to know.'

So Ilmarinen promised, and his sister said: 'O Ilmarinen, if thou hopest
ever to wed the fair maid of Pohjola, thou must hasten and make thy
sledge ready, for Wainamoinen is now sailing thither in a magic boat to
win her before thee.' Then Ilmarinen bade his sister prepare a magic
soap and make a bath ready for him while he was forging the gold and
silver ornaments that she had bargained for.

When Ilmarinen had finished his work he found the bath and the magic
soap all ready for him, and he began to wash off the grime and dirt and
soot of the smithy. When he was through, and came out of the bath, he
had grown wonderfully bright and handsome, for the magic soap had made
his cheeks rosy and his eyes bright as moonlight. Then he put on his
finest garments, soft linen, and silken stockings, a blue vest and
scarlet trousers, and a fur coat of sealskin, held by buttons made of
jewels, and a belt with golden buckles. After he was dressed he ordered
his magic sledge to be harnessed, and on the front placed six cuckoos
and seven blue-birds that they might sing and charm the Northland
maiden.

When all was ready Ilmarinen prayed to great Ukko to send snow that it
might cover all the country and let his sledge glide easily to Pohjola.
And the snow came, and Ilmarinen wrapped himself up warmly in bear-skins,
and drove off like the wind, first invoking Ukko's blessing on his
journey. On he went, over hill and dale, with the cuckoos and blue-birds
singing on the sledge, and then he drove along the seashore to the north
in a cloud of snow and sand and mist and sea-foam, looking out for
Wainamoinen's vessel. On the evening of the third day he caught up with
Wainamoinen, and called out to him: 'O ancient Wainamoinen, let us woo
the maiden peacefully, and let her choose which one of us she will.' To
this Wainamoinen agreed; and having promised not to use deceit of any
sort against one another, they hurried on their way,--Wainamoinen
calling up the south wind to help him, and Ilmarinen's steed shaking the
hills of Northland as he galloped on.

Soon they drew near to Louhi's dwelling, and the watchdogs began to bark
more loudly than they had ever done before. Louhi