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The next morning Ilmarinen's wife showed Kullervo the cattle, and bade him take them to the open glades among the forests, where they would find food in abundance. Then she addressed a prayer to Ukko that he would guard the flock in case the shepherd should neglect them.
So he set to work beating the water to scare the fish into the net; but he beat so hard that he mixed all the mud on the bottom with the water, and pounded the salmon all to pulp and destroyed all the nets. Then his father saw that he was not fit for such work, so he sent him off to pay the yearly taxes. Kullervo did so, and after he had paid them he started off in his sledge to drive home again.
They were all silent for a moment when the sad story of Kullervo's life and death was ended, and then Mimi said: 'I wish you'd tell us about nice men like Ilmarinen and Wainamoinen, Pappa Mikko; Kullervo was real hateful. 'Well, then, I will tell you of what Ilmarinen did when he had lost his wife, the Rainbow-maiden, and the old man began.
As soon as Untamo was gone, Kullervo set to work, using whole trees and raising the fence higher than the clouds; and when he had finished there was no gate to enter by, and the fence was so high that no one could climb over it.
But Kullervo unharnessed his steed from the sledge and galloped off home and there related to his mother all that had occurred, and how he had unknowingly been the cause of his sister's death, and when he had finished his story, he added: 'Woe is me that I did not die long ago.
'I will tell you about some one you have not heard of yet, Father Mikko said; 'about Kullervo, though I am sure you will none of you like Kullervo himself but yet the story itself may be interesting. So he began. Many ages ago there was a mother who had three sons, and one of them grew up to be a prosperous merchant, but the other two were carried off one to distant Pohjola and one to Karjala.
Thereupon Kullervo went forth on his journey to the icy Northland, but before he had gone far a messenger came and told him that his father was dead and asked Kullervo to come back and help bury him, but he would not come. And a little later he was told of the death of his brother and then of his sister, and last of all of his mother.
He then flees to the isle of Saari, whence he is driven for his heroic profligacy, and by the hatred of the only girl whom he has not wronged. This is a very pretty touch of human nature. He now meditates a new incursion into Pohjola. At this part of the epic there is an obvious lacuna. The story goes to Kullervo, a luckless man, who serves as shepherd to Ilmarinen.
"The mother of Kullervo awoke within her tomb, and from the deeps of the dust she cried to him, 'I have left thee the Dog, tied to a tree, that thou mayest go with him to the chase. " They domesticated likewise the useful trees and plants; and they discovered the places and the powers of the metals.
This made Untamo so angry that he collected a great army and marched against his brother to put him and all his tribe to death. And when they reached Kalerwoinen's home they burned all the houses and killed every one except Kalerwoinen's daughter Untamala. Now not long after this a child was born to Untamala, and she named him Kullervo.
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