“No, no,” Osmo said, “I don’t like your mourning either.”
So he walked on farther until by chance he met the Fox.
“Mikko,” he said, “my wife’s dead and I’m out looking for a good strong mourner. Can you mourn?”
And Mikko, beginning with a little whimpering sound, slowly rose to a high heartrending cry
“Can I? Indeed I can!” the Fox declared. “I’m a marvel at mourning! I can wail high and low and soft and loud and just any way you want! Listen!” And Mikko, beginning with a little whimpering sound, [!-- original location of Heartrending Cry illustration --] slowly rose to a high heartrending cry. This is what he wailed:
“Med! Med! Med!
The Bear’s Wife is dead!
Lax! Lax! Lax!
No more she’ll spin the flax!
Eyes! Eyes! Eyes!
No more she’ll bake the pies!
Air! Air! Air!
No more she’ll drive the mare!
Shakes! Shakes! Shakes!
There’ll be no more little cakes!
Darth! Darth! Darth!
Throw the pots on the hearth
For the Bear’s Wife is dead!
Med! Med! Med!”
Osmo, the Bear, was deeply moved.
“Beautiful! Beautiful!” he grunted hoarsely. “How well you knew her! Come along home with me, Mikko, and start right in! Oh, how beautifully you wail!”