Once upon a time in Lapland, there was a man who was incredibly strong and fast. No one in his hometown of Vadso could match him in races during the summer evenings. The people of Vadso were proud of their champion and believed there was no one like him in the world. But then they heard rumors about a Lapp named Andras Baive, who lived in the mountains and was said to be even stronger and faster than their bailiff. Naturally, no one in Vadso believed this and thought the mountaineers were just making up stories.

The winter was long and cold, and the villagers were more worried about wolves than Andras Baive. But one frosty day, Andras showed up in Vadso. The bailiff was thrilled at the chance to test his strength and immediately sought out Andras to challenge him. As he walked, he spotted a large eight-oared boat on the shore and grinned. "That's perfect," he laughed. "I'll make him jump over that boat." Andras was ready to accept the challenge, and they quickly agreed on the terms. Whoever could jump over the boat without touching it with their heel would win a large sum of money. So, with many villagers following, the two men headed to the sea.

An old fisherman was chosen to watch for fairness and hold the stakes. Andras, being the newcomer, was asked to jump first. He stepped back to the starting point marked by a flag in the sand, ran forward with his head held high, and cleared the boat with a mighty leap. The onlookers cheered, and he deserved it, but they were still eager to see how the bailiff would do. The bailiff, taller but heavier than Andras, also jumped high, but his heel just grazed the edge of the boat. Silence fell over the townsfolk, but Andras laughed and said casually, "Just a little too short, bailiff; next time you must do better than that."

The bailiff turned red with anger at Andras's mocking words and quickly replied, "Next time you will have something harder to do." He then turned his back on his friends and went home sulking. Andras, pocketing the money he had won, went home too.