Page:Kalevala (Kirby 1907) v1.djvu/294

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Go and bathe thee at thy pleasure,

Wash thou there as it shall please thee,

I myself will mind the steaming,

Standing underneath the boarding.’

“When the time has come for spinning,

And the time has come for weaving,

In the village seek not counsel,

Do not cross the ditch for teaching,

Seek it not in other households,

Nor the weaver’s comb from strangers.

“Spin thyself the yarn thou needest,

With thy fingers do thou spin it,

Let the yarn be loosely twisted,

But the flaxen thread more closely.

Closely in a ball then wind it,

On the winch securely twist it,

Fix it then upon the warp-beam,

And upon the loom secure it,

Then the shuttle fling thou sharply,

But the yarn do thou draw gently.

Weave the thickest woollen garments,

Woollen gowns construct thou likewise,

From a single fleece prepare them,

From a winter fleece construct them,

From the wool of lamb of springtime,

And the fleece of ewe of summer.

“Listen now to what I tell thee,

And to what again I tell thee.

Thou must brew the ale of barley,

From the malt the sweet drink fashion,

From a single grain of barley,

And by burning half a tree-trunk.

When the malt begins to sweeten,

Take thou up the malt and taste it.

With the rake disturb it never,

Do not use a stick to turn it,

Always use your hands to stir it,

And your open hands to turn it.

Go thou often to the malthouse,

Do not let the sprout be injured,