--- title: The Slave Boy — The Sampo: A Wonder Tale of the Old North · full text with trees description: The Slave Boy, «The Sampo: A Wonder Tale of the Old North» by James Baldwin: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: Happy, happy Ilmarinen! --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66819/29/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [The Sampo: A Wonder Tale of the Old No…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66819/) / The Slave Boy # The Slave Boy The Slave Boy of «The Sampo: A Wonder Tale of the Old North» by James Baldwin: the whole text, 159 sentences and 2657 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66819/29/page/2/) Happy, happy Ilmarinen\![1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") With her who had been the Maid of Beauty as queen of his household, naught but good fortune was his.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") Wherever he went, whatever he did, he was sure to prosper.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") His smithy was full of rare and beautiful things, the work of his own skilful hands.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") His barns were full of grain, barley, and wheat, hay and soft straw for his horses.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") His farmyard was full of lowing cattle, broad-horned milk cows, fat beeves, and sleek-coated yearlings.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") And his house was full of joy, the abode of peace, the home of plenty.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") Now among the servants of the hero there was a young slave whose name was Kullervo.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") A worthless fellow he was, ill-favored, ill-natured, selfish, and unkind.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") When any work was given him to do he was sure to spoil it; he could not be trusted, he seemed to be unfit for any duty.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") Ilmarinen had bought him for a small price: two old cracked kettles, three broken hooks, four dull-edged scythes, and five toothless rakes.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") “It is a good price for him, more than he is worth,” said all his neighbors, for they knew that the slave would serve him ill.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") “Never will he earn the food that is given him, never will his master have any joy from his labor.”[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") Ilmarinen smiled and said nothing.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") He gave the boy an axe and bade him cut an armload of kindlings for the fire; but the worthless fellow began chopping the beams of the house.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") He sent him into the garden to pull up weeds; but the worthless fellow destroyed the useful plants and flowers and left the weeds untouched.[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") He sent him to pick berries in the marshes; but the worthless fellow picked only the green fruit and trampled upon the ripe.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") “The new slave is good for nothing,” said Dame Lokka, Ilmarinen’s busy mother.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") “No, no!” answered his wife, the mistress of his household.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") “Every man has his place in the world, and surely there is something for this poor fellow to do.”[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") And so, one day when Ilmarinen was far away, she said to the mother, “I have a mind to send Kullervo out with the cattle.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") Surely he can drive them to the hill pastures and the marshes, he can watch them while they graze, he can keep them from wandering in the woods and thickets.”[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") “Do as you like,” answered Dame Lokka.[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") “A herdsman’s task requires neither skill nor wearying labor, and perhaps the slave will find his proper place among the cattle in the quiet pastures.”[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") Forthwith the wife and mistress called to the old cook, the kitchen wench, and said, “The new slave, Kullervo, is to go with the cattle to-day.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") Make haste and put up a luncheon for him—something that will stay his hunger in the middle of the day, for he will be far from home and the noon sun is hot in the lonely hill pastures.”[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") “Yes, my mistress,” answered the cook, “I will fill a basket for him with food good enough and wholesome enough for any such slave as he.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") I will bake a fresh, hot cake for him and have it ready when he starts with the herd.”[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") So to her task she went, chuckling and growling, for she hated Kullervo and not without reason.[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") First, she rolled out the dough and then she baked the cake.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") The upper half was of wheaten flour, the lower half was of coarse oatmeal, and in the centre was a round black sandstone cunningly concealed.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") “He will enjoy that when he comes to it,” laughed the wicked wench, holding her sides and grinning with mirth.[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") When the cake was baked very hard and dry she took it from the oven and rolled it in butter, laying a slice of raw bacon around it.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") Then she put it in a small basket and covered it with green oak leaves.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") “He must needs have strong teeth to eat it,” she muttered, “but it is good enough for him.”[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") Soon Kullervo came to get his luncheon.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") The cattle were waiting to be driven to the pasture, the milk cows were lowing impatiently, the yearlings were browsing beside the hedges.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") “Here’s your luncheon, you worthless fellow,” said the old cook.[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") “It is fresh and hot, and far too good for such as you; keep the green leaves over it till you’re ready to eat, for the flies are many and very bad to-day.”[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") The slave took the basket.[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") Although ill-favored, his face was not wholly bad, for his father had been a freeman and a hero.[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") His coat was of coarsest cloth, much patched; his trousers were of reindeer skin; his stockings were of blue-dyed wool; his shoes were heavy and serviceable.[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") No beard was yet on his chin or sun-browned cheeks; his eyes were blue with shades of savagery lurking in their depths; his uncombed hair was yellow, long, and frowzy.[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") With the basket on his arm he opened the farmyard gate and shouted to the cattle.[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") The broad-horned oxen crowded themselves out into the road and walked briskly but sedately down the well-worn pathway towards their accustomed pasture, the mild-eyed milk cows followed, and the calves and yearlings hurried impatiently to the front.[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") The wife and mistress, she who had been the Maid of Beauty, was sitting in her chamber counting the days that must pass before her husband’s return.[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") She heard the tinkling of the bells and the hoarse discordant mooing of the beasts.[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") She heard the shouts of the slave boy and the trampling of the younger cattle.[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") She rose quickly and hurried to the door, waving her hand to Kullervo and calling to him in shrill, commanding tones:[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") “Have a care that you do your work well to-day, young man.[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") Drive the milkers to the high meadows where the grass is green and sweet.[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") Drive the oxen and the yearlings to the woodlands; let them browse among the bushes and lie down in shady places.[52](52/ "tree and pragmatics") See that you guard them all to keep them safe from wily wolves and lurking bears.[53](53/ "tree and pragmatics") Watch them well, and when the day is almost done, bring them home.[54](54/ "tree and pragmatics") Woe be to you if you leave one of them behind.[55](55/ "tree and pragmatics") Bring them home and drive the milkers into the paddock; then call loudly, and I will come down with the milkmaids to milk them.[56](56/ "tree and pragmatics") Do you hear, Kullervo?”[57](57/ "tree and pragmatics") The slave boy growled a surly answer, and went slouching behind the herd, shouting to the laggers and casting stones at the browsing oxen.[58](58/ "tree and pragmatics") He drove the milk cows to the meadow pastures where the grass was tall and green, but the oxen and the younger cattle he allowed to wander as they would in the open fields or the marshy thickets.[59](59/ "tree and pragmatics") Then, at length, when all were peacefully feeding, he sat down upon a grassy hummock and looked around him, sad, lonely, vindictive.[60](60/ "tree and pragmatics") The autumn sun beamed hot upon his head, and the fresh sea breeze fanned his face and played in his yellow hair.[61](61/ "tree and pragmatics") The grasshoppers chirped at his feet and the crows scolded him harshly from the treetops.[62](62/ "tree and pragmatics") Kullervo looked and listened, but he saw nothing beautiful, he heard nothing musical.[63](63/ "tree and pragmatics") His heart was filled with dismal thoughts, and he loudly bewailed his wretched fate.[64](64/ "tree and pragmatics") “Ah, me! ah, me\![65](65/ "tree and pragmatics") Wheresoever I go I am still a miserable slave and hard tasks are set for me to do.[66](66/ "tree and pragmatics") While others are happy and free I am forced to trudge unwillingly among briars and thorns, over hills and through marshes, watching the tails of hateful cattle.[67](67/ "tree and pragmatics") O Jumala, giver of good\![68](68/ "tree and pragmatics") Let the sun shine gently upon me, a wretched slave boy; but make it scorch and blister my master and my master’s household.[69](69/ "tree and pragmatics") Turn their boasting into grief and their success into dire misfortune.[70](70/ "tree and pragmatics") So hear me, O Jumala, friend of the friendless!”[71](71/ "tree and pragmatics") **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66819/29/page/2/) - ← previous: [The Home Coming](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66819/28/) - next →: [page 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66819/29/page/2/) - ↑ back to [The Sampo: A Wonder Tale of the Old North](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66819/)