h one
thrust he impaled the monster on it. Then lifting the monster out of the
water he cut him into pieces and let them fall on the water, and float
in towards land.

Thus the vessel was free at last. But the heroes were weary with their
exertions, and so they rowed in to land, and there gathered up the
fragments of the fish that had floated to the shore. Wainamoinen handed
these pieces to the maidens who were with them in the vessel, and they
prepared the most delicious feast from the pike, having enough and to
spare for all on board. And they piled the bones in a heap on the rocks.

Then Wainamoinen looked at the pile of bones, and after pondering deeply
he said: 'Wondrous things may be made from these bones, if only I can
find a skilful workman to carry out my designs and make the
_kantele_.'[5] But no workman could be found who was wise enough to
understand Wainamoinen's directions, for no one had ever heard of a
_kantele_ before. At length old Wainamoinen saw that there was no one
who could help him, and so he set to work himself. He made the arches of
the harp from the pike's jawbones, and the pins that hold the strings he
made from the teeth, and for the strings he took hairs from the tail of
a magic steed.

[5] A sort of harp that is sometimes used even now in Finland.
Pronounced _kan'-tay-lay_. It usually has five strings.

And at last the _first kantele_ was finished, and it was so beautiful
that every one crowded round to look at it. When it was all ready
Wainamoinen handed it to those around to try their skill, but they could
only make discords whenever they touched it. Then Lemminkainen bade the
others leave it to him, for _he_ would show them how to play upon it.
But when he touched the strings it sounded worse than when any of the
others had tried it. And after one and all had tried it, and found that
it only gave forth discords, they proposed to throw it into the sea. But
the harp said: 'I shall never perish in the sea, but will bring great
joy to Kalevala. Put me in my maker's hands, and I will sing for him.'
So they took it and laid it at the aged Wainamoinen's feet.

Then the great magician took the wondrous kantele and rested it upon his
knee. First he tuned it, tightening all the strings until they sounded
sweetly together, and then he swept his hands across them, and a flood
of wonderful melody poured forth from the kantele. And as the wondrous
notes resounded in the air, every living thing t