t is out of place in the
_Kalevipoeg_, but will be included in a later section of our work.

CANTO X

THE HEROES AND THE WATER-DEMON

As the Kalevide was wandering through Esthonia, he arrived one day at
the swamp of Kikerpaerae. Two demon brothers had settled themselves in the
swamp, and were fighting for its possession, and when the hero appeared
they referred their dispute to him. As he could not stay to attend to
the matter himself, he requested his friend, the son of Alev, who was
with him, to measure out the swamp fairly. So the Alevide began to drive
piles into the bed of the river at a place called Mustapall, to fasten
his measuring lines to, when the wretched old water-demon[52] raised his
head from the river, and asked what he was doing. The hero replied that
he was damming up the river; but the demon, who had lived under the
water for many years, and did not like to be turned out of his
comfortable home, offered him a reward to desist. So the Alevide asked
him to fill his old felt hat for him with bright silver coins; which he
promised to do on the morrow, the hero declaring that he would hold him
to his bargain in the words of the proverb:[53]

By the horns the ox we grapple,
By his word the man is fastened.

Then the demon dived back into the water, while the son of Alev, who was
a cousin of the Kalevide, got a friend to help him to dig a hole in the
ground during the night, a fathom in depth and broad at the bottom, but
with an opening at the top just wide enough for the top of the hat to
fit into; but the hat was cut at the sides, so that the heavy money
should fall through into the pit.

Before daybreak the stupid demon brought a lapful of roubles,[54] which
he poured into the hat. He brought a second and a third, and afterwards
brought money by the hogshead, but the hat still remained empty.
Presently his coffers, purses, and pockets were all exhausted. He then
begged for time; but the Alevide declared that if he did not keep his
promise, and fill his hat with bright silver coins, he should begin his
work again.

Then the demon thought of appealing to his mother to help him; but first
he asked the Alevide to come with him to receive his money himself,
hoping to circumvent him. But the hero knew that it was only a trick to
get him away from the hat, so he refused to budge, but sent the
Kalevide's cupbearer, the smallest of the company, to help to carry the
money.

The boy was r