pair of bellows to blow
his fire with. Still he was not discouraged, but for three days he
wandered about, looking for a place to build a workshop. On the evening
of the third day he saw a huge rock that was suited for his purpose, and
there he began to build. The first day he built the chimney and started
a fire; the second day he made his bellows and put them in place; the
third day he finished his furnace, and had all ready to begin his work.

Then Ilmarinen made a magic mixture of certain metals and put them in
the bottom of the furnace. And he hired some of Louhi's men to work the
bellows and keep putting fuel on the fire. Three long summer days the
workmen blew the bellows, until at length the base rock began to blossom
in flames from the magic heat.

On the evening of the first day Ilmarinen bent over the furnace and took
out a magic bow. It gleamed like the moon, had a shaft of copper and
tips of silver, and was the most wonderful bow that had ever been made.
But it would not rest satisfied unless it killed a warrior every day,
and two on feast-days. So Ilmarinen broke it into pieces and threw them
back into the furnace, and tried again to forge the Sampo.

On the evening of the second day he looked into the furnace and drew
forth a magic vessel. It was all purple, save the ribs that were of gold
and the vase of copper, and it was the most beautiful vessel that ever
had been made. But wherever it went it always led men into quarrels and
fights, so Ilmarinen broke it into pieces and threw it back into the
furnace.

On the evening of the third day he took out of the furnace a magic
heifer, with horns of gold and the most beautifully-shaped head. But she
was ill-tempered and would not stay at home, but rushed through the
forest and swamps and wasted all her milk on the ground. So Ilmarinen
cut the magic heifer in pieces and threw them back into the furnace.

And on the fourth evening he took out a wonderful plough, the
ploughshare of gold and the handles of silver and the beam of copper.
But it ploughed up fields of barley and the richest meadows, so
Ilmarinen threw it back into the furnace.

Then he drove away all his workmen, and by his magic called up the
storm-winds to blow his bellows. They came from the North and South and
East and West, and they blew one day and then another and then a third,
until the fire leapt out through the windows, the sparks flew from the
door, and the smoke rose up and mingled