Page:Kalevala (Kirby 1907) v1.djvu/237

Runo XIX]

Not a small pike of the smallest,

Nor a large pike of the largest;

Long his tongue as twain of axe-shafts,

Long his teeth as rake-shaft measures,

Wide his gorge as three great rivers,

Seven boats’ length his back extended,

And the smith he sought to seize on,

And to swallow Ilmarinen.

But the eagle rushed against him,

And the bird of air attacked him;

Not an eagle of the small ones,

Nor an eagle of the large ones.

Long his beak as hundred fathoms,

Wide his gorge as six great rivers,

Six spears’ length his tongue extended,

Five scythes’ length his talons measured

And he saw the pike so scaly,

Saw the fish so plump and floundering.

Fiercely on the fish he darted,

Rushed against the fish so scaly.

Then the pike so large and scaly,

He the fish so plump and floundering,

Tried to drag the eagle’s pinions

Underneath the sparkling waters,

But the eagle swift ascended,

Up into the air he raised him,

From the grimy ooze he raised him,

To the sparkling water o’er it.

Back and forth the eagle hovered,

And again he made an effort,

And he struck one talon fiercely

In the pike’s terrific shoulders,

In the water-dog’s great backbone,

And he fixed the other talon

Firmly in the steel-hard mountain,

In the rocks as hard as iron.

From the stone slipped off the talon,

Slipped from off the rocky mountain,

And the pike again dived downward,

In the water slid the monster,