THE KALEVIDE'S JOURNEY TO PÕRGU
Next morning the Kalevide rose at daybreak and looked about him. Where
the dwarf had vanished in blue smoke, he now beheld a sheet of blue
water with rushes on the bank, and knew that he had unexpectedly
chanced upon the entrance to Põrgu. His wearied comrades were still
sleeping, and, without disturbing them, he stamped with his right foot,
and the hidden strongly-guarded doors of Hades flew open.
The hero gazed down into the abyss, but clouds of smoke and hot
steam rolled up, and made his eyes smart, and he hesitated a
moment, when a raven called to him from the summit of a
pine-tree to sound the bell. Instantly the clouds of smoke
disappeared, and he set out on the downward path. As he
proceeded, he found himself in thick darkness, without a ray of
light to guide him, and he
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was forced to grope his way, when the voice of a mouse
directed him to sound the bell again. The path grew dimly
light, and the Kalevide proceeded, but soon found his way so
much impeded by nets and snares, which multiplied faster than
he could destroy them, that he was unable to advance, and his
strength began to fail him. This time it was a toad who
advised him to sound the bell, when all the magic snares
vanished, and he hurried on till he reached the edge of a
rivulet about two spans broad. Every time he attempted to
cross, his foot sank in the mud in the middle, and no matter
how often he renewed his efforts, he could not reach the
opposite shore. While the Kalevide was lamenting that he found
less difficulty in crossing Lake Peipus with a heavy load of
timber on his back, he heard a crayfish advising him to sound
the bell, when the brook instantly vanished.
There was nothing in these caverns to mark the difference
between night and day, and the Kalevide did not know how long
he had been struggling against the various difficulties of the
road. He was now assailed by swarms of mosquitoes, which he
thought to escape by hurrying through them and leaving them
behind; but they grew
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thicker and thicker, till a cricket in the grass called to him
to sound the bell. The mosquitoes vanished as if carried away
by the wind, and the hero sat down to rest and refresh
himself, and having at length learned wisdom from experience,
tied the bell on his little finger, that he might have its
constant aid in future. Then he advanced farther.
And now the hosts of hell, the servants of Sarvik, heard his heavy
tread, and they sent out scouts, who fled back in consternation,
reporting that the son of Kalev, the strongest of men, was advancing
with hostile intentions. Then Sarvik commanded his forces to march
against him.
The Kalevide had now reached a river of blazing pitch, crossed by an
iron bridge. Here the hosts of hell determined to make a stand, and
formed themselves into four detachments, one upon the bridge, one
below, one on the bank, and one in the rear.
"What's this swarm of frogs?" cried the Kalevide, drawing his
sword and rushing forward to the bridge. He was at once
assailed with a shower of arrows, and was then attacked with
spear and battleaxe; but he stood like a wall of
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iron, and scattered his enemies, though fresh hosts
continually advanced against him. At length he fought his way
through all the hostile troops, and Sarvik was in despair, and
did his utmost to block the paths and to fortify himself
against the imminent danger.
When the Kalevide reached the bridge, he rested for a moment to
look round, and then casting the bodies of his enemies into the
river as he advanced, his steps thundered across the bridge,
and he soon reached the fortifications. Three strokes of his
fist sufficed to burst in the gates, and he trod down all
impediments and forced his way into the enclosure. When he came
to the inner door, he beat and kicked it down, and it fell in
fragments, door, door-posts, bolts, and bars, all battered to
pieces. In the hall he found a shade resembling his mother
Linda spinning. At her right hand was a cup of the water of
strength, and at her left a cup of the water of weakness.
Without speaking, she offered her son the cup with the water of
strength, which he drank, and then lifting a huge rock broke
his way into the inner hall, where Sarvik's old mother was
sitting spinning. She knew, and tried to beg the bell,
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but the Kalevide put her off, and inquired if Sarvik was at
home. She answered that he left home the day before yesterday,
and would not return for two or three days; but if the hero
liked to wait for him, he should be received as a guest; but
first he must taste her mead. He knew that she would give him
the water of weakness, and declined, but looked about till he
saw a secret door in a recess in the wall, and was about to
break it open, when it flew open of itself with a tremendous
noise, and a host of armed warriors rushed out. He repulsed
them all, and then Sarvik himself cried out to him,
reproaching him with all the wrongs he had suffered at his
hands, and the numerous thefts he had committed. In reply the
Kalevide reproached Sarvik with his own tricks; but
nevertheless he sheathed his sword and put the bell in his
pocket.
Then Sarvik came forth from his hiding-place pale and trembling, and
wishing to recover himself a little by a potion, mistook the cups in
his confusion, and drank the water of weakness, while the Kalevide took
another draught of the water of strength.
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