eculiarly interesting and original. I place it here,
because we find three maidens busy spinning for a witch, as the Kalevide
found them in the palace of Sarvik.

[Footnote 119: These great public periodical feasts are Eastern rather
than Western. Compare the story of Ali Shar and Zumurrud (_Thousand and
One Nights_).]

[Footnote 120: A similar feat is performed by Sarvik in the
_Kalevipoeg_, Canto 17.]

[Footnote 121: See page 13.]

[Footnote 122: As in the _Kalevipoeg_, Canto 13; and the story of the
Gold-Spinners, &c.]

[Footnote 123: Compare p. 121 (antea). The bell is not mentioned
elsewhere in this story.]

[Footnote 124: A beer-barrel with a tap, for general use, often stands
in the houses of the Esthonian peasantry.]

[Footnote 125: "And as to the sword, if it be drawn against an army, and
its bearer shake it, he will rout the army; and if he say to it at the
time of his shaking it, 'Slay this army,' there will proceed from that
sword a lightning which will slay the whole army."--_Story of Joodar_
(_Thousand and One Nights_).]

[Footnote 126: Compare the scene between the Kalevide and Tuehi, in Canto
15 of the poem.]

[Footnote 127: This old man may have been the consort of the
Meadow-Queen. _Cf._ pp. 188, 259.]

[Footnote 128: We shall find mussel-shells used as boats in other
tales.]

THE GOLD-SPINNERS.

(KREUTZWALD.)

I am going to tell you a beautiful story about what happened in the
world in ancient days, when the meadows still resounded with the wise
sayings of birds and beasts.

Once upon a time a lame old woman lived in a thick forest with her three
beautiful daughters in a cottage hidden among the bushes. The three
daughters were like three fair flowers, especially the youngest, who was
as fair and delicate as a bean-flower, while the mother was like a
withered stem. But there was none to look upon them in their loneliness
save the sun by day, and by night the moon and the starry eyes of
heaven.

Hot, like eyes of youthful lovers,
Shone the sun upon their head-gear,
Shining on their coloured ribands,
Turning red their garment's edges.

The old mother did not allow the girls to grow up in idleness, but kept
them hard at work from morning to night spinning golden flax into
thread. She gave the poor creatures no half-holidays on Thursdays or
Saturdays, to provide themselves with anything they needed, and if they
had not sometimes taken their needles in their