THE MARRIAGE OF THE SISTERS
The Kalevide had not gone far on his homeward journey when he
found that Tühi himself was pursuing him with a band of his
followers. Then the youngest sister took the wishing-rod, and
called upon it to flood the whole country, a bridge rising
before them for the hero, while water flowed behind between him
and his enemies. The demons stopped in confusion, and Tühi
shouted to the Kalevide to ask if he was carrying off his
adopted daughters? "It looks like it," answered the hero.
[79]
Then Tühi asked again, "Dear brother, did you wrestle with my
good brother-in-law in his own enclosure, and then drive him
into the ground like a post?" "Likely enough," retorted the
hero; "but it's not my fault if his bones are
[Pg 106]
still sound." Then the demon asked again, "My dear brother,
son of Kalev, did you lock up our old mother in the kitchen
just like a mouse in a trap, while she was baking cakes?" "O
yes," said the hero; "and I suppose she roared, and made up a
bed among the boxes of peas, and for aught I know she may be
sleeping there still, unless a flea has woke her up." "Have
you stolen Sarvik's good sword?" asked Tühi again. "Perhaps I
may have taken the weapon too, dear brother," answered the
hero. "Who can separate a man and his sword? One is worth
nothing without the other." Then Tühi asked if he had taken
the hat. "I think so," said the hero; "but Sarvik will never
put it on his head again, for I threw it into the fire and
burned it to ashes, which have blown away in the wind." Tühi
then asked if he had plundered his brother's treasures. "Yes,
my dear sir," answered the hero; "I took a little gold and
silver, but not much. Ten horses could drag such a load, and
twenty oxen easily; but you may depend upon it I didn't carry
away any copper." Tühi's next question was whether he had
stolen the bridge-builder, the wishing-rod. The hero replied,
"I
[Pg 107]
suppose some brown-eyed maiden stole it, for no stronger
person would have troubled about such a thing." Tühi next
inquired how he had treated the maidens; and to this the hero
replied that he'd tell him another time. "Won't you come back
again, dear brother, and pay your debts?" asked Tühi at last.
"Who knows, dear brother?" said the hero; "if I ever find
myself short of money, I may perchance come back to fetch some
more gold and silver, and repay my old debts with new ones."
And upon this Tühi and his seventy people decamped in the
greatest haste, as if they had been on fire, or as if they
were pursued by gadflies.
Strong as was the Kalevide, his back was weary and chafed with
his heavy load, and he threw it off and lay down to rest; but
while he slept he was in danger of being carried away by a
sudden flood from the mountains, raised against him by a
sorceress.
[80] After stemming it with some trouble, on resuming his
journey, he met a stranger who
[Pg 108]
asked him what he was going to do with the planks. The
stranger proved to be the son of Olev, the great
master-builder, and to him was intrusted the task of building
the cities and fortifications.
When the Kalevide learned that he had lost seven weeks in a
magic sleep, he gave the three sisters to the charge of the son
of Alev, who married the youngest. The son of Sulev married the
eldest, but the second sister found no lover, and while the
others were talking together of their wedded happiness she
stole apart weeping; and at length she was carried away by a
famous sorcerer, and her strong brothers-in-law went in search
of her. On the third evening they came upon her track, when the
sorcerer spread out a great lake to impede their passage. But
the Alevide had brought with him the wishing-rod, which quickly
provided them with a bridge. They rushed across, broke the
locks, and burst open the doors, slew the sorcerer, released
the captive, and then sent the red cock on the roof.
[81]
[Pg 109]
Then the son of Olev took the second sister to wife; and thus all the
three sisters whom the Kalevide had released from the regions of Sarvik
were happily married, and many great tribes derived their origin from
them.
[Pg 110]