ees in winter and
to cover all the lakes with ice. But if thou wilt not leave me now, I
will cast thee into Lempo's fiery hearth, and will lay thee on the
anvil, that Ilmarinen may pound thee to pieces with his mighty hammer.'

Now the Frost-fiend knew how great a magician Lemminkainen was, and
therefore he agreed that he would leave the two warriors unharmed, but
keep their ship frozen up as it was. And so Ahti and Kura had to leave
their vessel and journey over the ice to land. At length they reached
the country called Starvation-land, and there they found a house, but
there was no food in it. So they went on still farther, over hill and
valley, and as they went, Lemminkainen gathered soft moss from the
tree-trunks and made stockings of it to keep their feet warm.

On and on they went, seeking for some pathway to guide them, but all was
one snow-covered wilderness. Then Kura said: 'Alas, O Ahti; we came
hither to take vengeance on the men of Pohjola, but I fear that we shall
leave our own bones here, and our flesh be food for eagles and ravens.
We shall never learn the pathway that can guide us to our homes. My poor
mother will never know what has become of me--whether I have perished in
the heat of battle, or on some lonely hill, or in some dismal forest.
She can only mourn me as one dead, and sit and weep bitter tears.'

Then Lemminkainen said: 'My aged mother, think of our former happy days,
when all went well and all was joy and happiness. But now sorrow and
misfortune are come upon me, yet shall we not despair; for we are young
and strong, and will give way neither to hunger nor to evil sorcerers,
but will use the prayer my father used to pray, saying: "Guard us, O
thou great Creator; shield us in thine arms, and give us of thy wisdom.
Be our guardian and our Father, that thy children may not wander from
the path which thou hast given them."'

Then when Lemminkainen had finished speaking, he took his cares and made
fleet coursers of them, and the reins he made of days of evil, and from
his pains he made the saddles. Then he and Kura galloped off each to his
own home, and thus Lemminkainen was once more returned to his aged
mother's arms. Now let us leave him there, and Kura with his bride and
kinsfolk, and speak hereafter of other heroes.

* * * * *

Thus Father Mikko ended, adding: 'And I think we must stop now for the
night, for it is getting late.' Then they had supper, and