e vessel,
And he spoke the words which follow:
"Not on rock the boat is resting,
Not on boat, and not on branches,
But upon a pike's broad shoulders,
And on water-dog's great backbone." 120

Vaeinaemoeinen, old and steadfast,
Answered in the words which follow:
"All things may be found in rivers,
Whether they are pikes or branches.
If we rest on pike's broad shoulders,
And on water-dog's great backbone,
Plunge your sword into the water,
Thus in twain the fish to sever."

Then the lively Lemminkainen
Ruddy youth, accomplished rascal, 130
Drew his sword from out his sword-belt,
From his side the bone-destroyer,
In the lake his sword plunged deeply,
Thrust it underneath the vessel,
But he splashed into the water,
Plunged his hands into the billows.

Thereupon smith Ilmarinen
By the hair seized fast the hero,
Dragged from out the lake the hero,
And he spoke the words which follow: 140
"All pretend to grow to manhood,
And are ready to be bearded,
Such as these we count by hundreds,
And their number mounts to thousands."

From his belt he drew his sword-blade,
From the sheath the keen-edged weapon,
And he struck the fish with fury,
Striking down beneath the vessel,
But the sword in pieces shivered,
And the pike was injured nothing. 150

Vaeinaemoeinen, old and steadfast,
Uttered then the words which follow:
"Not the half of manhood have you,
Not the third part of a hero,
But a man is now required,
And a man's sense now is needed,
All the sense of the unskilful,
All the efforts of the others."

Then himself he drew his sword-blade,
Firmly grasped the keen-edged weapon, 160
In the lake his sword then thrust he,
Underneath the boat he struck it,
At the pike's great shoulders striking
At the water-dog's great backbone.

But the sword was fixed securely,
In the fish's jaws fixed firmly;
Then the aged Vaeinaemoeinen
Presently the fish uplifted,
Dragged it up from out the water,
And the pike in twain he severed. 170
To the bottom sank the fish-tail,
In the boat the head he hoisted.

Now again moved on the vessel,
And the boat-prow now was loosened.
Vaeinaemoeinen, old and steadfast
To the shoal