thundering along a copper roadway.
The earth quaked and the cavern shook under his steps, but the hero
stood at the entrance:

Like the oak-tree in the tempest,
Or the red glow 'mid the cloudlets,
Or the rock amid a hailstorm,
Or a tower in windy weather.

Presently Sarvik dashed open the last door with a blow of his fist, and
stopped, confronting the intruder. The sisters shrank back pale and
trembling, but the Kalevide stood beside them, with the hat in his hand,
and apparently no taller than themselves. Sarvik asked who he was, and
how he came to throw himself into the trap; but the hero at once
challenged him to wrestle, and he accepted the challenge. Then Sarvik
advanced to the bed, not knowing that the glasses had been changed, and
drained the water of weakness to the very bottom. Meantime the Kalevide
concealed the magic hat in his bosom, so that he could at once resume
his former strength and stature in case of need.

The combatants then went to the enclosure to wrestle, but Sarvik sent
the eldest sister to the iron room to fetch a double chain with which
the victor might bind his conquered foe. Meantime the wrestling-place
was marked off with posts, so that all might be fair.

Now they rushed upon each other, and struggled together like waves in a
tempest or roofs in a storm. The whole underground kingdom trembled, the
palace walls cracked and their foundations heaved, the arches bowed and
the roof began to totter. The contest remained long undecided, but when
they paused to rest, the Kalevide drew out the hat, and wished to resume
his former size and strength. He grew up at once, as strong as an
oak-tree and as tall as a pine. He grasped Sarvik by the hair, raised
him up ten fathoms, and then rammed him into the ground like a pointed
stake, first to the calves, then to the knees, and then to the loins, so
that he could not move. He then grasped the chain to bind him, but
suddenly Sarvik grew smaller and smaller, and finally sank into the
ground out of sight, like a stone in a swamp.

The Kalevide shouted after him, upbraiding him for a coward, and
threatened to follow him up and fetter him some other day; but his
present care was to release the sisters from their long captivity. So he
seized and girded on the sword, took a load of old treasures, and many
bags full of gold coins, and barrels full of silver money. All this he
took on his shoulders and mounted the three sisters on the top.