' oh , only the words of an old rhyme that keeps running in my head , ' answered the old woman ; and she raised her voice and went on : oh , ahti , with the long , long beard , who dwellest in the deep blue sea , a thousand cows are in thy herd , i pray thee give one onto me . ' that 's a stupid sort of song , ' said matte . ' what else should one beg of the sea - king but fish ? but such songs are not for sunday . ' his wife pretended not to hear him , and sang and sang the same tune all the time they were on the water . matte heard nothing more as he sat and rowed the heavy boat , while thinking of his cracked pipe and the fine tobacco . then they returned to the island , and soon after went to bed . but neither matte nor maie could sleep a wink ; the one thought of how he had profaned sunday , and the other of ahti 's cow . ' we shall require a better house , ' said maie the following summer ; ' the old one is too small for ourselves and the men . ' ' yes , ' said matte . so he built a large cottage , with a real lock to the door , and a store - house for fish as well ; and he and his men caught such quantities of fish that they sent tons of salmon , herring , and cod to russian and sweden . ' i am quite overworked with so many folk , ' said maie ; ' a girl to help me would not come amiss . ' ' get one , then , ' said her husband ; and so they hired a girl . then maie said : ' we have too little milk for all these folk . now that i have a servant , with the same amount of trouble she could look after three cows . ' ' all right , then , ' said her husband , somewhat provoked , ' you can sing a song to the fairies . ' 
why did maie and matte have a lot of fish every day ?
maie sang the magic rhyme .
it is because of the song maie sang to the fairies .