aw is
Tuehi,[77] his mother is the bitch of Porgu, and his grandmother is the
white mare."[78]

"We expect him back this evening from the upper world, for he does not
like to stay where the sun shines by day and the moon and stars by
night. But when he has anything to do in the under world, he stays away
from home for days and weeks together."

The third sister added, "Noble scion of the Kalevides, if Sarvik found
you among us here unawares, it would surely be your death, for no one
who passes the threshold of his abode ever sees the sun again. We, poor
creatures, were carried away as children from a country a thousand
versts distant, and have had to do the hardest work early and late. But
Taara mercifully decreed that we should always retain our youth as long
as we retained our innocence."

"But what avails it," interrupted the eldest sister, "when we are cut
off from all pleasure and happiness?"

Then the son of Kalev soothed and comforted them, assuring them that he
was strong enough to rescue them. He would fight Sarvik himself, and
overcome the old woman too. The eldest sister answered that if he really
wished to fight with Sarvik, he must make use of the rod and the hat;
for strength and bravery would avail nothing against Sarvik, who had
thousands of allies at his beck and call, and was lord of the winds and
of all kinds of magic spells.

But the Kalevide only laughed, and declared that he had fought with a
whole host of demons in Finland. Then the second sister implored him to
escape while there was yet time, and to wish himself away with the
wishing-hat; for as soon as Sarvik returned, all the doors would fly
back to their places behind him, and escape would become impossible. The
hero laughed again, proud of his strength, and the sisters, greatly
distressed, consulted how they could help him in spite of himself, by
some artifice.

Two glasses stood by Sarvik's bed, half filled with a magic liquor that
looked like beer. They looked just alike, but the liquor on the right
hand gave the strength of ten oxen, while that on the left produced
corresponding weakness. The eldest sister hastened to change these
glasses, while the second secured the wishing-rod.

As they returned, they heard the heavy footsteps of Sarvik approaching,
and the youngest sister again implored the hero to fly before it was too
late. Sarvik approached with a noise like hundreds of cavalry prancing
over a bridge, or heavy iron waggons