seven storehouses, the first composed of a single
block of granite, the second of plates of iron, the third of hens' eggs,
the fourth of goose-eggs, the fifth of polished quartz, the sixth of the
finest eagles' eggs, and the seventh of eggs of the Siuru.[75]

The barns were filled respectively with rye, barley, oats, wheat,
maize, vegetables, and the last with lumps of lard and tallow.

At the back of the enclosure stood cattle-stalls, constructed of all
sorts of bones.

The Kalevide did not care to look at these things long, but asked the
sisters to tell him all they could about Sarvik.

"We can't tell you anything about his birth and parentage," answered the
eldest sister. "We don't know if a bear was his father and a wolf his
mother, or whether a mare suckled him and a goat rocked him in the
cradle.

"He has large estates, which occupy much of his time, and he makes long
journeys secretly in an incredibly short time; but no one has seen or
heard which way he goes or what places he visits. Everybody can see him
going out and coming in, but nothing further is known about his
movements. It is said that there is a vast space in the centre of the
earth where he rules over seven worlds; seven islands, very thickly
populated with the souls of the departed, where they live in large
villages, and are subject to old Sarvik, as the wisdom of Taara has
decreed from the beginning of the world.

"Sarvik rules his subjects with great severity; but once a year, on All
Souls' Day, they are permitted to revisit their homes, to see and salute
their friends and relatives. They rush up in shoals, on these occasions,
to the places which they once inhabited in joy or grief; but as soon as
their time is over they are compelled to return, each to his own
dwelling."

The second sister added, "Old Sarvik selects his workmen and maids from
this kingdom, and they are forced to follow him, and perform hard tasks
for him in the iron and copper chambers; and if they fail in anything,
they are beaten with bars of iron and rods of copper.

"This is Sarvik's abode, where he lives with his wife, and rests and
refreshes himself, and sleeps on soft pillows, when he is tired with
long journeys and knocking about. Then the old woman heats the bath for
him, and whisks his back and shoulders with the bath-whisk.[76]

"Sometimes he makes a great feast for his friends and relatives, when
they shout and drink beer till they are tipsy. His brother-in-l