Page:Kalevala (Kirby 1907) v2.djvu/274

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’Twas a berry in appearance,

And it seemed to be a cranberry,

But from ground too high for eating,

On a tree too weak for climbing.

From the heath a stick she lifted,

That she might pull down the berry;

Then from ground the berry mounted

Upward to her shoes so pretty,

From her pretty shoes arose it,

Upward to her knees of whiteness,

Rising from her knees of whiteness

Upward to her skirts that rustled.

To her buckled belt arose it,

To her breast from buckled girdle,

From her breast to chin arose it,

To her lips from chin arose it,

Then into her mouth it glided,

And along her tongue it hastened,

From her tongue to throat it glided,

And it dropped into her stomach.

Marjatta the petted damsel,

After this had chanced grew pregnant,

And it soon increased upon her,

And her burden soon was heavy.

Then she cast aside her girdle,

Loosely dressed, without a girdle,

Secretly she sought the bathroom,

And she hid her in the darkness.

Always was her mother thinking,

And her mother pondered ever:

“What has chanced to our Marjatta,

What has happened to our house-dove,

That she casts aside her girdle,

Always dresses loosely, beltless,

Goes in secret to the bathroom,

And she hides her in the darkness?”

And a baby gave her answer,

And the little child made answer:

“This has chanced to our Marjatta,

This befel the wretched creature,