he elk rushed wildly onwards,
Over land and over marshes,
Over slopes o'ergrown with bushes,
Till the eyes no more could see it,
And the ears no longer hear it.

Thereupon the ruddy rascal
Grew both sorrowful and angry,
Very vexed and very angry,
And would chase the elk of Hiisi, 250
But as he was rushing forward,
In a hole he broke his left shoe,
And his snowshoe fell to pieces,
On the ground he broke the right one,
Broke the tips from off his snowshoes,
And the frames across the joinings.
While rushed on the elk of Hiisi,
Till its head he saw no longer.

Then the lively Lemminkainen,
Bowed his head in deep depression, 260
Gazed upon the broken snowshoes,
And he spoke the words which follow:
"Nevermore in all his lifetime
May another hunter venture
Confidently to the forest,
Chasing Hiisi's elk on snowshoes!
Since I went, O me unhappy,
And have spoilt the best of snowshoes,
And the splendid frames have shattered,
And my spearpoint likewise broken." 270

RUNO XIV.--LEMMINKAINEN'S DEATH

_Argument_

Lemminkainen invokes the forest deities, and at length succeeds in
capturing the elk, and brings it to Pohjola (1-270). Another task is
given him, to bridle the fire-breathing steed of Hiisi. He bridles it
and brings it to Pohjola (271-372). A third task is assigned him, to
shoot a swan on the river of Tuonela, Lemminkainen comes to the river,
but the despised cowherd, who is lying in wait for him, kills him, and
casts his body into the cataract of Tuoni. The son of Tuoni then cuts
his body to pieces (373-460).

Then the lively Lemminkainen
Deeply pondered and reflected,
On the path that he should follow,
Whither he should turn his footsteps,
Should he leave the elk of Hiisi,
And direct his journey homewards,
Should he make another effort.
And pursue the chase on snowshoes,
With the Forest-Queen's permission,
And the favour of the wood-nymphs? 10

Then he spoke the words which follow,
And in words like these expressed him:
"Ukko, thou of Gods the highest,
Gracious Father in the heavens,
Make me now two better snowshoes,
Leather snowshoes fit for sliding,
That I glide upon them swiftly
Over land and over marshes,
Glide throughout the land of Hiisi,
And across the heaths