Story Hour Readings: Seventh Year Part 3

And to this Audun made agreement, for he was almost dead of hunger and so was the bear. 5

Then the Icelander and the rich man went on, leading the bear, until they came to King Sweyn's house. The king greeted Auki in a friendly manner, and turning to Audun, said, "You are a stranger to me. Pray tell me whence you have come." 10

"I am from Iceland," answered Audun, "and have but lately been to Greenland. My errand here is to give you a white bear which I bought in Greenland. But my necessities have obliged me to part with one half of the beast, and I can only beg of you to accept the other half." 15 And then, after much questioning, he told the whole story.

The king turned to the rich man, who was standing by, and asked, "Is this true, Auki?"

"It is, my lord," answered Auki.

Then the king was angry and sent the rich man home, 20 empty-handed and sorrowful. But he said to the Icelander, "I thank you for the rare and wonderful gift which you have brought me. Stay here in my house for a while."

So Audun dwelt for some time with the king's household, and no man was more faithful, more honest, or more 25 brave than he. Many deeds of courage did he perform, and many and worthy were his services. All men liked him, and the king was most gracious to him; but his heart turned always toward Iceland and his poor mother whom he had left behind. 30

One day when the springtide was drawing on, the king spoke to the Icelander and said: "Audun, I have never yet given you anything for the white bear. I have a mind to make you one of my chief officers, so that you shall always be near me."

And Audun answered, "I thank you, my lord, with all my heart. But far away over the northern seas there is a 5 poor woman who is my mother. I fear that by this time she is in want; for although I left her all that I had, it was not much. I cannot bear to sit here in ease and honor while she has not enough to keep hunger away. And so I have set my heart on sailing for Iceland." 10

"There speaks a good man and true," cried the king.

"You shall do as you most desire; but wait a little while till a s.h.i.+p is ready."

So Audun waited. And one day when spring was at its best, King Sweyn went with him down to the waterside, 15 where many men were busy freighting s.h.i.+ps for foreign lands. They walked till they came to a merchant vessel of fine size.

"What do you think of this s.h.i.+p, Audun?" asked the king. 20

"She is fine enough, surely," answered the Icelander.

"Well," said the king, "I will now repay you for the bear. This s.h.i.+p and all the goods on board of it are yours."

Audun thanked the king as well as he could. And when 25 the day came for the s.h.i.+p to sail, the two walked down to the waterside again.

"I have heard much of the perils of the sea," said King Sweyn, "and if this fair s.h.i.+p should be wrecked, all your goods will doubtless be lost and little will be left to show 30 that you have met the king of Denmark."

As he said this, the king put into Audun's hand a leather bag, full of silver, saying, "Take this, and even if your s.h.i.+p goes down, you will not be entirely penniless."

Audun was so filled with grat.i.tude that he could not speak. But the king had still another surprise for him.

He drew a ring of gold, very costly, from his arm and put 5 it upon the arm of the Icelander.

"Take this," he said. "Even though you should lose s.h.i.+p and goods and money, you will still not be penniless, for the gold will be around your arm."

What could Audun do? What could he say? 10

The king shook his hand at parting, and said: "I have this to ask of you: Keep the gold ring on your arm and do not part with it on any account, unless it be to some great man to whom you feel yourself bound to give your best treasure in return for a great favor and much goodness. 15 And now, farewell, and may good luck follow your voyage."

Then Audun, in his fair, rich s.h.i.+p, put to sea.

On his way to Iceland he stopped for a time in a haven of Norway, where he heard that King Harold was holding his court. He was desirous of seeing the king, as he had 20 given his word.

King Harold remembered him well and received him kindly.

"Sit here and tell me how it fared with you in Denmark,"

he said. 25

Audun told him a part of his story.

"But how did King Sweyn repay you for the white bear?"

asked Harold.

"In this wise, my lord," answered Audun: "He took it and thanked me when I offered it." 30

"I would have repaid you as well myself," said Harold, "What more did he give you?"

"He asked me to abide in his house, and he gave me his friends.h.i.+p. He offered me still greater honor if I would stay longer with him."

"That was good; but I would have done as much.

He must have given you something more." 5

"Yes. He gave me a merchant s.h.i.+p filled with rich goods for trade in northern ports."

"That was a n.o.ble gift," said the king; "but I would have equaled it. Did he give you anything more?"

Audun answered, "Yes, he gave me a leather bag full of 10 silver; for he said that if the s.h.i.+p and her cargo should be lost in the sea, yet would I not go penniless."

"That was n.o.bly thought of," said Harold; "and it is more than I would have done. But what else did he give?"

Then Audun took the gold ring from his arm and put 15 it upon King Harold's arm, saying, "He gave me as a farewell gift this priceless ring; and he bade me never to part with it save to some great man to whom I felt myself indebted for his goodness. And now I have found that man.

For it was in your power to take away not only the bear 20 but my life also, and yet you allowed me to go in peace to Denmark."

The king looked at the ring and then at the man; for both were of very great worth. "I thank you, Audun," he said; and they had much pleasant talk before they parted. 25

And when Audun at length came with his s.h.i.+p to Iceland, everybody welcomed him as the luckiest man in the world; and he made his poor mother comfortable for the rest of her life.

1. What was the n.o.blest thing Audun did? Why do you admire the man? What in the story indicates its old age?

2. Sketch the relative locations of Iceland, Norway, and Denmark, showing a possible return course for Audun.

THE STORY OF IRON

This is one of the tales from the _Kalevala_ ("Home of the Heroes"), a group of legends from Finland.

These tales were sung in verse very similar to that which Longfellow used in _Hiawatha_. The following is a prose translation of one of the popular myths.

The first of all mothers was Air, and she had three daughters. Of these three maidens there is much to be said. They were as lovely as the rainbow after a storm; they were as fair as the full moon s.h.i.+ning above the mountains. They walked with noiseless feet among 5 the clouds and showered gifts upon the earth. They sent the refres.h.i.+ng rain, the silent dew, and the nipping frost, each in its season. They gave life to the fields, and strength to the mountains, and grandeur to the sea. And because of their bounty the earth was glad and the stars twinkled 10 for joy.

"What more can we do to make the land fit for men to dwell in? What other gift have we to bestow?" asked the eldest of the sisters.

And the youngest said, "Let us send down iron--iron 15 of which tools may be made, iron of which sharp weapons may be shaped. For without tools man will not be able to plow, to reap, or to build; and without weapons he cannot defend himself against the savage beasts of the forest." 20