Meanwhile the water-sprites make a wigwam so beautiful that the like of
it never was seen. The water-sprites are good friends with the birds;
they collect them together; they say: "Fetch thorns, briars, burs,
hornets of all sorts; do you bring them into the wigwam which they make
for Lox, and hornets, ants and other winged stinging and biting things,"
and they spread out sharp flint rocks on the floor. They make for the
bed of the bridegroom hornets (and), an ant-hill for his seat.
Now it takes Lox all day to untie the hair-string. When he comes down,
it is already dark; when he sees the wigwam he is glad; he thinks: "Now
I shall rest myself well." So when he enters he plunges into the briars
which pierce his nose and the flint-stones which cut his feet; he roars
long. He hears someone speaking; he thinks that it is the younger
water-sprite. She shouts to him and says: "To my elder sister, go to my
sister over there." When he goes, he steps on the ant-hill. That is
worse than the briars. Again another one speaks laughing: "To my younger
sister, go to my sister; she is younger than I." Then at once he runs
furiously in the dark and so he stumbles over the hornets nest. This is
the extreme and he knows that he is being mocked and then he gets angry.
Then he became fierce (and) he goes off. Neither men nor beasts can ever
get so angry.
He tracks the water-sprites as they run away in the night. They break
through thick woods. Then it happens, when it is about to dawn, that
they arrive at a broad river. They cannot cross over. On the bank there
passes a great crane. He is the ferryman, is the crane. He is always
anxious for good and kind words; he is proud of being well shaped. The
girls sing: "Beautiful long neck (has) Crane: beautiful long neck has
Crane." Then the old ferryman was much pleased. They say to him:
"Grandfather, make haste." Then quickly he makes ready; he stretches out
his long nose across the river so that the girls can cross over. Then
these water-sprites scamper into the bush.
As soon as they are hidden (and) Crane stands in his place (again), Lox
then arrives; he is in good humour. He says to Crane: "Pray set me
across."--"I will set you across, only if you will speak well; are not
these my legs set fine and straight?"--"Yes," Lox
* * * * *