follow: 120
"Never aught like this I witnessed,
Never saw I, never heard I,
That the women laughed about me,
And the maidens ridiculed me."

Little troubled Lemminkainen,
And he spoke the words which follow:
"Is there not a place in Saari,
On the firm ground of the island,
For the sport that I will show you,
And for dancing on the greensward, 130
With the joyous girls of Saari,
With their fair unbraided tresses?"

Then the Saari maidens answered,
Spoke the maidens of the headland:
"There is room enough in Saari,
On the firm ground of the island,
For the sport that you shall show us,
And for dancing on the greensward,
For the milkmaids in the meadows,
And the herd-boys in their dances; 140
Very lean are Saari's children,
But the foals are sleek and fattened."

Little troubled Lemminkainen,
But engaged himself as herd-boy,
Passed his days among the meadows,
And his nights 'mid lively maidens,
Sporting with the charming maidens,
Toying with their unbound tresses.

Thus the lively Lemminkainen,
He the handsome Kaukomieli, 150
Ended soon the women's laughter,
And the joking of the maidens.
There was not a single daughter,
Not a maid, however modest,
But he did not soon embrace her,
And remain awhile beside her.

One alone of all the maidens,
Of the mighty race of Saari,
Would not list to any lover,
Not the greatest man among them; 160
Kyllikki, the fairest maiden,
Loveliest flower of all in Saari.

Then the lively Lemminkainen,
He the handsome Kaukomieli,
Wore a hundred boats to tatters,
Rowed in twain a hundred oars
As he strove to win the maiden,
Kyllikki herself to conquer.

Kyllikki the lovely maiden
Answered him in words that follow: 170
"Wherefore wander here, O weakling.
Racing round me like a plover,
Always seeking for a maiden,
With her tin-adorned girdle?
I myself will never heed you
Till the stone is ground to powder.
Till the pestle's stamped to pieces,
And the mortar smashed to atoms.

"Nought I care for such a milksop,
Such a milksop, such a humbug; 180
I must have a graceful husband,
I myself am also graceful;
I must hav