not to try to take the best of everything for
himself.

When she had ended, Lemminkainen jumped upon his sledge, cracked his
whip, and drove off like the wind. He had not gone far before a flock of
wild birds flew across his road and dropped a few feathers on the
ground. Lemminkainen stopped and picking them up put them carefully in
his leather pouch, 'for,' he thought, 'no one knows what may happen.' As
soon as he had picked up the feathers he was off again, but he had not
gone far when his steed stopped in terror, for there, right in front of
them, was a broad river of fire, and a fire-fall with a rock in the
middle, and on the rock a fiery hill, and on the hill a flaming eagle.

The Eagle asked him whither he was going, and Lemminkainen replied that
he was hurrying to Louhi's feast and begged the Eagle to let him pass.
'Truly thou shalt pass,' the Eagle answered, 'but only through the
flames and down my throat.' But Lemminkainen was not dismayed. He took
out the feathers from his pouch and rubbed them between his fingers, and
presently there arose a whole flock of birds and flew straight down the
eagle's mouth so that its hunger was satisfied, then Lemminkainen was
able to pass over the river by the help of his magic, and to drive on
his way.

He drove for another day and then his horse suddenly stopped again in
terror, for there was a huge pit full of fire right in front, which
stretched as far as one could see to east and west. Yet Lemminkainen was
not discouraged, but prayed to great Ukko, that he would send a great
storm from all the four points of the compass, and fill the pit with
snow. And the snow came and as it fell into the seething pit of fire it
melted and formed a lake; and Lemminkainen quickly cast a spell upon
this lake so that a solid bridge of ice was formed over it, and he drove
over in perfect safety.

Thus the second danger was passed and he drove on more swiftly than
ever. After another day's journey, when he had come near to Louhi's
abode, his horse stopped again, trembling with fear. This time there
were a fierce wolf and a great black bear in the road. But Lemminkainen
put his hand into his leathern pouch and pulled out a tuft of wool. This
he rubbed between his hands and breathed on it, and it changed into a
whole flock of sheep, on which the bear and the wolf jumped and left
Lemminkainen to pursue his journey in peace.

In a very short time he had reached Louhi's house. But there he fo