--- title: The Flight — The Sampo: A Wonder Tale of the Old North · full text with trees description: The Flight, «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: Quietly, very quietly, the Minstrel rose and looked around upon the sleepers. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66819/36/) [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 Flight # The Flight The Flight of «The Sampo: A Wonder Tale of the Old North» by James Baldwin: the whole text, 157 sentences and 2690 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/pg66819/36/page/2/) Quietly, very quietly, the Minstrel rose and looked around upon the sleepers.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") With finger-tips upon his lips he beckoned to the hero Ilmarinen and to the young heroes who stood beside him.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") “Be cautious, be brave,” he whispered, “and soon we shall win the Sampo.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") Speak no word, make no sound to break the magic spell, but follow me and do my bidding.”[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") Then with great care he opened the wallet of reindeer leather that he carried always beneath his belt.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") He looked within and picked out, one by one, a handful of sleep-needles, long and slender and exceedingly sharp.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") Silent as the moon among the clouds he moved on tiptoes cautiously between the rows of slumbering people.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") With his magic needles he crossed the eyelashes of the sleepers, pinning their eyelids close together and thus holding them so that they might not waken.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") “Sleep! sleep!” he murmured softly.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") “Sleep till the daylight fades in Pohyola.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") Sleep, and waken not till the golden sun rises bright in the Land of Heroes.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") Sleep, and let no dreams disturb you.”[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") He waved his arms above them, silently bidding them farewell, and left them there where they had fallen.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") The unlovely Mistress, the swordsmen and the spearsmen, the old men and the married women, the young men and the half-grown girls, and the little children—he left them all sweetly slumbering, forgetful, senseless, harmless.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") “Now for the Sampo!” he whispered, and with noiseless footsteps he hastened away toward the hill of copper.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") Behind him followed the heroes and the young men and the maidens with curling hair, and not one dared utter a word or in any way disturb the wonderful silence that prevailed.[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") As they drew near to the hill, however, they could hear the magic Sampo grinding, grinding in its darksome prison; they could hear the lid of many colors turning, turning, and pouring out wealth without cessation.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") But at the entrance to the cavern the great doors were shut—nine huge and heavy doors, and each door was made secure by nine locks of hardest metal.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") The Minstrel paused, he could go no farther; the heroes stood waiting around him.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") Gently he began to sing, softly he chanted a song so sweet, so strong, that it had power to move the rocks and even persuade the mighty hills and the restless sea.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") And as he sang, the copper mountain began to tremble and the doors of the cavern were shaken.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") Thereupon the hero Ilmarinen and the young men that were with him hastened to pour oil upon the rusty metal.[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") With reindeer fat they smeared the locks, and they greased the hinges with butter, lest they should creak and make a rattling.[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") Then Wainamoinen, still singing, touched the locks with his wizard fingers and the bolts slid back; he pushed gently against the yielding metal and the nine mighty doors opened silently and without a sound.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") The heroes pressed forward to the entrance, eager to see what the cave contained; and lo! as they looked within, they saw the Sampo with its lid of many colors standing in its place in the middle of the strongly built prison.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") Very beautiful was the magic mill, its resplendent sides embossed with gold and lined with silver; gorgeously beautiful was its rainbow cover, full of pictures of men and beasts and trees and flowers.[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") The wheels of the mill were whirring softly, its levers were moving in their places; it was grinding out riches for Pohyola.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") “Who now will carry this Sampo out of its prison-house?” asked the Minstrel.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") “I will carry it out,” answered Ahti, the nimble, long-armed fisherman.[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") “I am a man of strength, a son of heroes.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") Stand back and see how quickly I shall remove it to our waiting ship.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") See, I have only to touch it with the toe of my boot and the deed is done.”[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") He pushed against the Sampo; he twined his long arms about it and lifted with all his might; he braced himself with his knees and strained till the blood rushed from his mouth and nose.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") But the Sampo stood in its place unmoved, grinding and turning without cessation.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") “Foolish boaster!” cried Wainamoinen.[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") “A big mouth has never yet moved mountains.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") Great talkers are always little doers.”[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") Then he began to play softly upon the kantele; and as he played, the Sampo began to rock to and fro, it turned itself around as though breaking away from the chains which held it.[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") At a sign from the Minstrel the young heroes, with Ilmarinen as their captain, seized hold of it and carried it forth from the hill of copper.[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") Silently, without rustling a leaf or snapping a twig, they bore it across the fields and the meadows and placed it on board of their waiting vessel.[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") There they lashed it with ropes to the strong deck beams.[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") They bound it securely so that it could not be moved.[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") “Now let every one work valiantly at his oar,” said Ilmarinen, “and let the red sail be hoisted on the mast.”[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") Instantly the benches were filled with rowers; all the young men and also the fifty fair maidens bent to their work; the water boiled with the strokes of a hundred long oars.[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") “Speed thee, O crimson vessel,” said Wainamoinen.[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") “Hasten from the hostile shores of Pohyola.[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") And O, thou North Wind, come and urge the ship along.[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") Blow and give assistance to the oarsmen.[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") Give lightness to the rudder, give skill to the helmsman, and swiftly bear us over this vast expanse of water.”[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") Merrily and hopefully, then, the rowers rowed; the Minstrel steered, and the strong North Wind pushed against the well-stretched sail.[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") And away and away, onward and onward, the vessel flew over the lonely sea.[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") From morning until mid-day, and from mid-day until evening, it ploughed its way through the surging waves; the land faded from sight, and the heroes, looking forward, could see naught but one vast field of tossing waters.[52](52/ "tree and pragmatics") “We are lost\![53](53/ "tree and pragmatics") We shall never find the Land of Heroes,” they murmured.[54](54/ "tree and pragmatics") “Have courage! be brave!” said Wainamoinen.[55](55/ "tree and pragmatics") “Beyond this sea lies our own sweet country, the home of heroes.”[56](56/ "tree and pragmatics") Then Ahti, the nimble boaster, spoke up and said, “Why should we still speak in whispers, fearing to be heard?[57](57/ "tree and pragmatics") The shores of Pohyola are far away, the Mistress sleeps, there is no one to listen.[58](58/ "tree and pragmatics") Let us be jolly and glad, and even a little noisy, rejoicing over our victory.”[59](59/ "tree and pragmatics") “Nay, nay, we are not yet out of danger,” said the Minstrel.[60](60/ "tree and pragmatics") “But the time is passing,” answered the long-armed one; “daylight is fading and darkness is approaching.[61](61/ "tree and pragmatics") Let us at least have a little song to cheer our drooping spirits.”[62](62/ "tree and pragmatics") “Nay, nay,” repeated the steadfast Minstrel.[63](63/ "tree and pragmatics") “We must not sing upon these waters; singing would turn the ship from its right course, songs would hinder the rowers.[64](64/ "tree and pragmatics") The night and darkness would find us bewildered, and we should indeed be lost on a shoreless sea.[65](65/ "tree and pragmatics") Nay, nay, keep silent, and sing no songs till we sight the shores of our own fair land.”[66](66/ "tree and pragmatics") So the rowers rowed in silence, and the steersman steered and spoke not, and the hearts of all were hopeful.[67](67/ "tree and pragmatics") All night long they rowed and sailed and felt no weariness.[68](68/ "tree and pragmatics") The second day passed, and still no land was seen.[69](69/ "tree and pragmatics") The third day came, it was mid-day, when a long white shore and the lofty headland of Wainola appeared lying far away between the sea and the sky.[70](70/ "tree and pragmatics") “O master\![71](71/ "tree and pragmatics") Why may we not sing?” cried Ahti, always restless and in the way.[72](72/ "tree and pragmatics") “Before us is the Land of Heroes, and we have won the glorious Sampo.[73](73/ "tree and pragmatics") Let us sing and be glad.”[74](74/ "tree and pragmatics") “Nay, nay,” again said Wainamoinen.[75](75/ "tree and pragmatics") “It is too early to rejoice.[76](76/ "tree and pragmatics") When we hear our own home doors creaking behind us, then will be the time to sing and rejoice.[77](77/ "tree and pragmatics") When we see the fire burning on our own hearth-stones, then we may be glad because of victory.”[78](78/ "tree and pragmatics") **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66819/36/page/2/) - ← previous: [The Triumph of Music](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66819/35/) - next →: [page 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66819/36/page/2/) - ↑ back to [The Sampo: A Wonder Tale of the Old North](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66819/)