
THE CHILDREN'S
THE CHILDREN'S LIBRARY.
PREFACE
TABLE OF PROPER NAMESWITH PRONUNCIATION
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
FATHER MIKKO
THE WORLD'S CREATION AND THE BIRTH OF WAINAMOINEN
THE PLANTING OF THE TREES
WAINAMOINEN AND YOUKAHAINEN
AINO'S FATE
A friendly storyteller named Father Mikko opens the door to a magical north, guiding young listeners through the ancient songs of Finland’s epic past. The tales are gently reshaped for English‑speaking children, keeping the rhythm and wonder of the original while using names that sound inviting rather than daunting.
Within the collection, listeners meet the world’s beginning and the birth of the heroic bard Väinämöinen, watch as trees are planted to shade the earth, and follow his early quests with the mischievous Youkahainen. Later stories introduce the clever smith Ilmarinen as he forges the wondrous Sampo, the brave Lemminkäinen on his daring adventures, and the tragic yet poignant fate of the tragic Kullervo. Vivid illustrations accompany each episode, making the distant lands of Lapland and Karelia feel vivid and familiar.
These legends blend excitement, gentle moral lessons, and a splash of fairy‑tale charm, offering a fresh, approachable glimpse into a culture whose myths have long inspired imagination.
Language
en
Duration
~4 hours (242K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Joe Longo and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
Mar 29, 2008
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Best known for opening a door into Finnish folklore for young English-speaking readers, this elusive compiler shaped old legends into lively, approachable tales. Very little is known about the person behind the name, which gives the work an extra air of mystery.
View all books
by Herodotus

by Annie Keary, Eliza Keary

by Maria Edgeworth

by Izumo Takeda, Shoraku Miyoshi, Senryu Namiki

by Ernest Thompson Seton

by I. T. (Ida Treadwell) Thurston

by James Otis

by Francis W. (Francis Wayland) Parker, Nellie Lathrop Helm