The Hero of Esthonia and Other Studies in the Romantic Literature of That CountryKirby, W. F. (William Forsell)
History
The Hero of Esthonia and Other Studies in the Romantic Literature of That Country
Kirby, W. F. (William Forsell)
Estonian literature; Estonian literature -- History and criticism
A third suitor, the Lord of the Waters, now appeared; but Linda replied
that the roaring of the waves was terrible, and the depth of the sea
was awful; that the brooks only gave a scanty supply of water, and the
river-floods were devastating. He was followed by the Wind, who rode
the Horse of the Tempest, and, like all the other suitors, was attended
by a cavalcade of fifty horses and sixty grooms; and he too asked the
hand of Linda. But she replied that a delicate girl could never take
pleasure in the howling of the wind and the raging of the tempest. The
Wind whistled out of the house, but his trouble did not weigh on his
heart very long.
Another suitor for the hand of Linda now appeared in the person
of the Prince of Kungla.
[22] All the guests, and Linda's own sisters, approved of this
suitor. But Linda declared that she could not
[Pg 16]
think of accepting him; for the king, his father, had wicked
daughters, who would treat a stranger unkindly.
A sixth suitor now appeared in the person of the young and handsome
giant Kalev. All the wedding-guests grumbled, and even the widow was
opposed to the match; but he pleased Linda, and she accepted him at
once. The widow then invited him to enter and partake of the good
cheer; but he trembled with eagerness, so that his sword in its sheath,
and his chains and spurs, and even the money in his purse, jingled as
he answered that he would neither eat nor drink till Linda appeared
before him. Linda begged for a little delay to adorn herself, but Kalev
still refused to eat or drink, and then she called her slave-sister to
help her, while the widow continued her ineffectual invitations to
Kalev to feast and enjoy himself.
At last Linda appeared in the hall, where she excited as much
admiration as her sister, and her wedding was celebrated with still
greater festivities than Salme's, the guests dancing the local dances
of every province of Esthonia.
But now the Youth of the Stars could delay no longer, and Salme
took an affecting farewell
[Pg 17]
of her foster-mother and all her kith and kin, declaring that
she would now be hidden behind the clouds, or wandering
through the heavens transformed into a star. Then she mounted
her sledge, and again bade her foster-mother a last and
eternal farewell. Linda and her slave-sister called after her
to ask whither she was going; but there came no answer save
the sighing of the wind, and tears of joy and regret in the
rain and the dew; nor did they ever receive tidings of Salme
more.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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