und
the great wall of iron and the fence of spears and the horrible snakes
and lizards that his mother had told him of. Yet he pulled out his magic
broad sword and cut an opening through the wall and the fence of spears
and the mass of serpents, and passed through to the gateway. There he
found a huge serpent with a hundred eyes, each as large as bowls, and a
thousand tongues long as javelins, and teeth like hatchets. Lemminkainen
sang one spell, but it was not powerful enough, and the huge monster
started to rush at him and seize him in its awful mouth. But
Lemminkainen just in time began to sing a stronger spell.

For evil things cannot bear to have their wicked origin told, and if
therefore one sings the source of any evil, one makes it harmless at
once, so Lemminkainen sang: 'If thou wilt not give room for me to pass,
I will sing of thy evil origin, will tell how thy horrid head was made.
Suoyatar, thy evil mother, once spat upon the waves of the sea. The
spittle was rocked by the waves and warmed by the sun, until after a
long time it was washed ashore. There the daughters of Ukko, the
Creator, saw it, and said: "What would happen if great Ukko were to
breathe the breath of life into this writhing, senseless mass?" But Ukko
overheard them and said: "Naught but evil comes from evil, therefore I
will not give it life."

'Now, wicked Lempo heard what Ukko had said, and he himself breathed
into it the breath of life, and shaped it to the form of a serpent,
adding to the spittle all manner of evil things, every poisonous plant
and thing from the Deathland. This was thine origin, O Serpent, vilest
thing of all creation; therefore clear the pathway that I may enter the
halls of the hostess Louhi.'

Thus sang Lemminkainen, and the serpent uncoiled itself and crawled
away, while Ahti himself went on through the gateway.

[Illustration]

THE UNWELCOME GUEST

Thus Lemminkainen came unbidden to Louhi's abode, but he had arrived too
late for the feast. He entered the house with such a mighty tread that
the floors bent under him and the walls and ceilings creaked as he
advanced. Louhi's husband was seated in the guest-room, and Lemminkainen
said to him: 'The same greeting to thee that thou givest to me! Are
there food and beer here for a stranger and barley for a hungry steed?'

Louhi's husband answered: 'I have never yet refused a place in my
stables for a stranger's horse, and if thou wilt act honestly there is