ked on and swore.

"Who mixes up children's toys with weapons for men?" said the Kalevide
scornfully, and caught up a second and third sword, which he shivered in
the same way before the smith could interfere. "Stop, stop," cried the
smith at last, "don't break any more swords to show off your strength;"
and he called to his sons to bring some swords of the best quality they
had.

The youths brought in an armful of the very best, and the Kalevide chose
a huge sword, which he brandished like a reed in his right hand, and
then brought down on the anvil. The sword cut deep into the iron, and
the blade did not fly, but the sharp edge was somewhat blunted.

Then the smith was well pleased, and said that he had one sword in store
worthy of the strength of the hero, if he was rich enough to buy it;
for, between friends, the price was nine strong carthorses, four pairs
of good packhorses, twenty good milch kine, ten pairs of good yoke oxen,
fifty well-fed calves, a hundred tons of the best wheat, two boatsful of
barley, and a large shipload of rye, a thousand old dollars, a hundred
pairs of bracelets, two hundred gold coins, a lapful of silver brooches,
the third of a kingdom, and the dowries of three maidens.

Then from a little iron cupboard they fetched a sword which had not its
equal in the world, and on which the smith and his sons had laboured for
seven long years without intermission. It was wrought of seven different
kinds of Swedish iron with the aid of seven powerful charms, and was
tempered in seven different waters, from those of the sea and Lake
Peipus to rain-water. It had been bespoken by Kalev himself, but he had
not lived till the work was completed.

The son of Kalev received the huge blade from the hands of the smith
with reverence, and whirled it round like a fiery wheel, and it whistled
through the air like the tempest that breaks oaks and unroofs houses.
Then he turned and brought down the keen edge like a flash of lightning
on the great anvil, and clove it to the ground without the sword
receiving the slightest injury.

Then the hero joyfully expressed his thanks to the smith for forging
such a splendid sword, and promised to bring him the full price demanded
upon his return to Esthonia. But the smith said he would rather go and
fetch the value of the sword himself.

And now a great drinking-bout was prepared in honour of the sword and
its owner, which lasted for seven days. Beer and mead flowed in