ng. Suddenly overcome with
sorrow, he drew forth his magic sword from out its scabbard, and,
bidding a last farewell to all the world, he thrust the handle firmly
into the earth and threw himself upon the sword-point, so that it
pierced his heart. Thus ended the evil life of Kullervo.

* * * * *

They were all silent for a moment when the sad story of Kullervo's life
and death was ended, and then Mimi said: 'I wish you'd tell us about
nice men like Ilmarinen and Wainamoinen, Pappa Mikko; Kullervo was real
hateful.'

'Well, then, I will tell you of what Ilmarinen did when he had lost his
wife, the Rainbow-maiden,'--and the old man began.

[Illustration]

ILMARINEN'S BRIDE OF GOLD

After Ilmarinen's wife had been so cruelly slain, he wept for three
whole days and nights without ceasing. And after that for three months
he did not go into his smithy nor even so much as lift his hammer from
the ground. And as he mourned he cried: 'Woe is me, for all is weariness
and sorrow now that my dear wife is slain, and there is no more rest for
me in my home.'

But after the three months of mourning were past, Ilmarinen went out and
dug up a great quantity of gold and silver and cut down thirty
sledge-loads of birch-trees, which he burnt to charcoal. Then he put the
charcoal in the bottom of his furnace and laid a large piece of gold and
a still larger piece of silver on top, and closing the furnace, he
started the fire and set the workmen to blowing the bellows; but the
men were lazy and let the fire go out. So Ilmarinen drove them all away
and began to blow the fire by magic spells alone. Three days he worked
the bellows by his magic spells, and on the evening of the third day he
looked inside the furnace, hoping to see an image rising from the melted
gold and silver. And there came forth a lovely lamb all gold and silver,
and every one admired its beauty save Ilmarinen, who said: 'Get back
into the furnace, for I only desire a beauteous bride, born of the
melted gold and silver.'

So he threw the lamb back into the furnace and added still more gold and
silver and other magic metals, and then set his workmen to blow the
bellows again. But they proved lazy this time too, and he had once more
to use his magic spells to blow the fire. Again he looked into the
furnace, on the evening of the third day, and this time there arose a
colt of gold and silver and with hoofs of shining copper. Eve