e forges for himself after
his first wife has been given to the wolves and bears by Kullervo; and
when he forges a new sun and moon, after the old ones have been stolen
by Louhi, they turn out miserable failures.]

THE TREASURE-BRINGER.

(JANNSEN.)

Once upon a time there lived a young farmer whose crops had totally
failed. His harvest had been spoiled, his hay parched up, and all his
cattle died, so that he was unable to perform his lawful obligations to
his feudal superior. One Sunday he was sitting at his door in great
trouble, just as the people were going to church. Presently Michel, an
old fellow who used to wander about the country, came up. He had a bad
reputation; people said that he was a wizard, and that he used to suck
the milk from the cows, to bring storms and hail upon the crops, and
diseases upon the people. So he was never allowed to depart without alms
when he visited a farm.

"Good day, farmer," said Michel, advancing.

"God bless you," answered the other.

"What ails you?" said the old man. "You are looking very miserable."

"Alas! everything is going with me badly enough. But it is a good thing
that you have come. People say that you have power to do much evil, but
that you are a clever fellow. Perhaps you can help me."

"People talk evil of others because they themselves are evil," answered
the old man. "But what is to be done?"

The farmer told him all his misfortunes, and Michel said, "Would you
like to escape from all your troubles, and to become a rich man all at
once?"

"With all my heart!" cried the other.

Old Michel answered, with a smile, "If I were as young and strong as
you, and if I had sufficient courage to face the darkness of night, and
knew how to hold my tongue, I know what I'd do."

"Only tell me what you know. I will do anything if I can only become
rich, for I am weary of my life at present."

Then the old man looked cautiously round on all sides, and then said in
a whisper, "Do you know what a Kratt is?"

The farmer was startled, and answered, "I don't know exactly, but I have
heard dreadful tales about it."

"I'll tell you," said the old man. "Mark you, it is a creature that
anybody can make for himself, but it must be done so secretly that no
human eye sees it. Its body is a broomstick, its head a broken jug, its
nose a piece of glass, and its arms two reels which have been used by an
old crone of a hundred years. All these things are easy to procur