--- title: The Pursuit — The Sampo: A Wonder Tale of the Old North · full text with trees description: The Pursuit, «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: Already great changes were taking place in Pohyola. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66819/37/) [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 Pursuit # The Pursuit The Pursuit of «The Sampo: A Wonder Tale of the Old North» by James Baldwin: the whole text, 82 sentences and 1326 words. The small number after every sentence leads to its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. Already great changes were taking place in Pohyola.[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") The frost spirit, peeping over the mountains, saw that the hill of copper had been robbed of its treasure, that the prison-house of the Sampo was empty.[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") He listened; he could no longer hear the whirring of the wheels or the busy clacking of the pictured cover.[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") So he stretched his long, cold fingers over the land, and everything that he touched was frozen and blasted.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") He breathed in the air, and chilling mists hovered over the hills and descended upon the fields and gardens.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") The reign of plenty in Pohyola was ended.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") Dame Louhi, old and grim and undaunted, called loudly to her serving-men, her warriors, and her sailors.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") As a mother hen summons her chickens around her at the approach of a danger, so did she marshal her swordsmen, her spearsmen, and her stout-hearted oarsmen.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") “Make ready now our great warship,” she said.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") “We must pursue the hated robbers; we must overcome and destroy them and bring the precious Sampo back to our own shores.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") Lose not a moment, be courageous, be skilful, be strong—and hasten, hasten, hasten.”[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") They sprang forward by tens and by hundreds, every one eager and impatient to obey her commands.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") They pushed the mighty warship out into the deep water.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") They hoisted her mast and spread her broad sail upon the sail-yards.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") The rowers sat down in their places and each seized his long oar.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") The warriors shouted and all the crew joined in singing the war-song of Pohyola.[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") And the Mistress herself stood at the helm and with gaunt hands wielded the great rudder and steered the vessel out to sea.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") The friendly North Wind filled the sail, the rowers bent to their oars, and the famous voyage was begun.[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") Like a monstrous sea-bird skimming over the waves, or like a white cloud scudding low upon the billows, so did the swift warship speed onward over the vast and measureless sea.[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") With lips drawn tightly over her toothless mouth, Dame Louhi stood at her post, silent and determined, and but one thought filled the minds and hearts of her courageous crew—the thought to serve her and obey her.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") Meanwhile the heroes on their storm-battered red ship were sailing hopefully homeward, thanking Jumala for their escape from the fog and the storm.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") The Sampo was still safely secured with strong ropes to the bow beams of their brave vessel; its wheels were whirring; its levers were at work; it was grinding out great streams of salt to feed the hungry sea.[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") “To-morrow we shall turn it over,” said Ilmarinen; “and then it will pour out gold and silver enough for every hero in Wainola.[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") To-morrow—but who knows what may happen to-morrow?”[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") The Minstrel, with steady hand and hopeful heart, sat at the stern, guiding the vessel straight through the pathless waters.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") “Ah! who knows what may happen to-morrow?” he echoed, as he gazed with expectant eyes toward the dim, distant horizon.[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") “Ahti,” he cried, “climb up on the broken mast and look around at the sea and the sky.[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") Tell us whether the horizon is clear or whether clouds are rising in the air to vex us.[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") Look before us, look behind us, and then tell us what you see.”[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") Quickly the long-armed one obeyed.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") He climbed the mast to its splintered top, and there he stood, balanced on one foot, unmoved and unafraid, as though on solid ground.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") Eastward he looked and westward, and naught did he see but the trackless waters and the unscarred sky.[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") He looked toward the south, and a smile of pleasure overspread his face.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") “Far away, I see the lofty headland and the long, white shore of your own dear country, O heroes!” he said.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") “It is the same shore from which the storm drove us three days ago; but the distance is great.”[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") Then he looked toward the north and with his sharp eyes eagerly scanned the horizon.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") “Away, away in the northwest I see a little cloud,” he said.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") “It is a white cloud, and a small one, and it sits low down upon the water.”[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") “Nonsense!” said Wainamoinen, losing patience.[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") “No sailor ever saw a white cloud in the northwest sitting low upon the water.[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") Look again!”[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") Ahti obeyed.[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") “I see it more plainly now,” he said.[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") “It is not a cloud but an island—a small island looming up on the horizon.[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") And I see dark specks hovering over it—they must be falcons or nesting ravens flying among the birch trees.”[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") “Nonsense!” a second time cried Wainamoinen.[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") “Give your eyes a moment’s rest and then look again.”[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") The long-armed one shaded his brows with his broad palm and looked long and eagerly.[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") Then he leaped nimbly down upon the deck as though content to see no more.[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") “It is a warship from Pohyola,” he said, trembling and much disturbed.[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") “It is a great ship with a hundred oarsmen and a thousand armed warriors.[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") It is pursuing us, it is gaining upon us.[52](52/ "tree and pragmatics") Look now, and all of you can see it plainly.”[53](53/ "tree and pragmatics") Loudly then did the Minstrel call to the heroes.[54](54/ "tree and pragmatics") “Row, now, with all speed, my brave men\![55](55/ "tree and pragmatics") Rush the ship forward\![56](56/ "tree and pragmatics") Let us not be overtaken.”[57](57/ "tree and pragmatics") “Row, row, and let no man falter!” shouted Ilmarinen, himself wielding the foremost oar.[58](58/ "tree and pragmatics") Loudly did the rowlocks ring with the quick, even pressure of the oars.[59](59/ "tree and pragmatics") The red ship swayed from side to side as its sharp prow cut its way through the billows.[60](60/ "tree and pragmatics") Behind it the water boiled as beneath a mighty cataract.[61](61/ "tree and pragmatics") On the right and on the left the spray was dashed as the rain in a furious hurricane.[62](62/ "tree and pragmatics") But, swiftly as the heroes rowed, their vessel moved not half so swiftly as the warship of Pohyola.[63](63/ "tree and pragmatics") “We are lost!” moaned the young men, desperately bending to their oars.[64](64/ "tree and pragmatics") And the fifty maidens hid their faces in their bosoms and echoed the hopeless cry, “We are lost!”[65](65/ "tree and pragmatics") Even the hero Ilmarinen, the mighty wizard, could see no way of escape from their pitiless pursuers, and he, too, losing all his courage, began to bewail their luckless fate.[66](66/ "tree and pragmatics") But Wainamoinen, steadfast even in misfortune, spoke up cheeringly and with encouraging words.[67](67/ "tree and pragmatics") “There is yet one way by which we may escape,” he said.[68](68/ "tree and pragmatics") “There is still one trick of magic that I have reserved for a time like this.[69](69/ "tree and pragmatics") I will try it.”[70](70/ "tree and pragmatics") From beneath his belt he drew his tinder-box of silver.[71](71/ "tree and pragmatics") He opened it skilfully with his left thumb and finger.[72](72/ "tree and pragmatics") From its right-hand corner he took a bit of soft pitch, black and pliable, and from its left-hand corner a piece of tinder no larger than a pea.[73](73/ "tree and pragmatics") Then with care he enclosed the tinder within the pitch and cast it over his left shoulder far out into the sea.[74](74/ "tree and pragmatics") “O wonderful tinder and pitch,” he said, “do marvellous things now, and shield us from the wrath of Pohyola’s mighty Mistress.[75](75/ "tree and pragmatics") Raise up a barrier between her ship and ours—a barrier past which she cannot sail.[76](76/ "tree and pragmatics") Work quickly, work powerfully, and help us soon to arrive safe in Wainola’s sheltered harbor!”[77](77/ "tree and pragmatics") And now the great warship was but a little way behind.[78](78/ "tree and pragmatics") The heroes looking back could see a host of armed men standing beneath the wind-filled sail.[79](79/ "tree and pragmatics") They could see the hundred long oars rising and falling as though moved by a single hand.[80](80/ "tree and pragmatics") They could see the Mistress herself, even Dame Louhi, sitting in the high seat at the stern and shouting her commands to the crew.[81](81/ "tree and pragmatics") Her face was grim with determination, her eyes shone green with the joy of expected triumph, the sound of her harsh voice rose high above the din of clashing oars and dashing waves and the shouts and cries of pursuers and pursued.[82](82/ "tree and pragmatics") - ← previous: [The Flight](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66819/36/) - next →: [The Fate of the Sampo](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66819/38/) - ↑ back to [The Sampo: A Wonder Tale of the Old North](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg66819/)