hat heard them stopped
and listened. From the forests came the bears and ermines, and the
wolves and lynxes. Even Tapio the forest-god drew near, with all his
attendant spirits, enchanted by the magic sounds. From the sea the
fishes came to the edge of the waters, and the sea-god Ahto with his
water-spirits. The daughters of the Sun and Moon stopped their spinning
on the clouds, and dropped their spindles, so that the threads were
broken in two.

For three whole days the magic kantele poured forth its melody beneath
Wainamoinen's skilful fingers, until every one that heard it wept, and
even the master-player himself was at last moved to tears by the power
of his own playing. The bright teardrops flowed down his long beard and
over his garments, and on over the earth in sparkling streams, until
they were lost in the waters of the deep sea. And then the music ceased,
and Wainamoinen laid the kantele aside and said: 'Is there any one here
who can gather up my teardrops from the sea?' But all were silent, for
they could not do it.

But a raven came flying up and offered to attempt it, and Wainamoinen
promised him the most beautiful plumage if he should succeed, but the
raven tried and failed. Then came a duck, and Wainamoinen made it the
same promise. And the duck swam off and dived down to the ocean's
depths, and at length it had collected every teardrop and brought them
to the great magician, but a wondrous change had taken place in them,
for they were no longer tears, but the most beautiful pearls.

Thus were pearls first created, and for this the blue duck received its
lovely plumage.

* * * * *

'That is the loveliest story of all,' cried Mimi. 'How I wish I could
have heard Wainamoinen's music! Was his kantele like the one pappa has
up in the loft, Pappa Mikko? If it was, I wish pappa would play on
ours.'

'I expect they are just alike,' replied Father Mikko; 'and when your
pappa's pappa was alive, I remember that he used to play on the kantele
very sweetly, but there are not many in our land that can play the
kantele now.'

'Well,' said Mimi, with a sigh, 'I suppose there aren't, so you might as
well tell us what Wainamoinen did next, Pappa Mikko, please.'

And Father Mikko began again.

[Illustration: A WATERFALL.]

[Illustration]

THE CAPTURE OF THE SAMPO

After the magic kantele was finished, the three great heroes and
magicians sailed away again towards the