d Tapio and his wife to grant
him success in his hunt. He had not gone far before he heard his dog
bark, and hurrying up to the spot he found Otso standing facing the dog
and trying to snap him up, and before the bear perceived him,
Wainamoinen was able to end Otso's life with a single thrust of his
magic spear.

When Otso was dead, Wainamoinen threw the body across his shoulder and
hastened off home, singing songs of rejoicing as he went. And when he
reached his house there was great rejoicing, and every one came out to
welcome the dead bear, addressing it as if Otso were some honoured guest
come to see them. First Wainamoinen sang a song of praise to the dead
Otso, and bade his people welcome him with all due honour. And then the
people answered with the most extravagant expressions of pleasure and
welcome and admiration for Otso, and offered him all the best things in
the house, and when all this ceremony was over they took off the fur and
cut the body up ready for cooking, and prepared the steaks and joints to
make a grand feast.

At length the whole of the bear was cooked, and a great feast was spread
in Wainamoinen's house on golden dishes, and with sparkling beer in
copper beakers. And when all were seated at the table, Wainamoinen rose
and sang the story of Otso's birth and life. And this is the story which
he sang: 'Long ago a maiden walked in the ether on the edges of the
clouds, and as she walked she threw down wool and hair upon the waters
from two boxes that she carried. The wool and hair were floated in to
the shore, and there Mielikki, wife of the forest-god, found them and
joined the wool and hair together by magic spells. Then she laid the
bundle in a birch-bark basket and bound it in the top of the lofty pine,
and there the young bear was rocked into life.

'Otso grew quickly and became graceful in his movements, although his
feet were clumsy and his ankles crooked, his mouth large and forehead
broad; but he still had no teeth or claws. Then Mielikki said: "I would
give thee claws and teeth, Otso, but I fear that thou wilt use them to
harm people with." But Otso fell on his knees and swore that he would
never harm the good. So Mielikki took the hardest knots from all the
trees to make him teeth and claws, but all of them were too weak. Then
she went to a magic fir that grew in Tapio's kingdom, and which had
silver branches and golden cones, and from these she made Otso's claws
and teeth. Thus was Ot