given her by the daughters of the Moon and Sun,--gold, ribbons, and
jewels. Beautifully arrayed in these long-concealed ornaments, Aino
wandered through the fields for many days, bewailing her sad fate. On the
fourth day, she laid her garments on the sea shore, and swam out to the
standing rock, a little distance from the shore. No sooner had she
clambered on the rainbow-colored rock than it turned and fell to the
bottom of the sea, carrying with it the weeping maiden, chanting a
farewell to her family. The fleet and haughty hare bore the news of her
death to the household, where her unfortunate mother sat weeping, urging
other mothers never to force their daughters to wed against their choice.
The tears that rolled down her cheeks formed three streamlets, that,
growing larger, became torrents with foaming cataracts. From the cataracts
towered three pillared rocks upon which rose three hillocks, and upon each
hillock sprang a birch-tree. On the summit of each tree sat a golden bird
singing; and the first sang, for three moons, his song of "Love! O Love!"
the second called for six moons, "Suitor! Suitor!" but the third bird sang
forever his sad song of "Consolation! Consolation!"

Wainamoinen was deeply grieved when he heard of the fate of the lovely
Aino, and he at once went to angle in the deep where dwelt the mermaids,
the daughters of Wellamo.

After he had fished many days in vain, he caught a wondrous salmon, larger
and more beautiful than he had ever before caught. But as he took out his
silver knife to cut it, the fish sprang from his hand into the deep,
telling him that it was Aino who had thus come to him, and whom he had now
lost forever by his stupidity. Then indeed the song of the golden bird
seemed sad to Wainamoinen, and he was disconsolate until his mother spoke
to him from her grave: "My son, go north and seek thy wife. Take not a
silly Lapp, but choose one of the daughters of Suomi."