The Greatest World Classics Retold for Children. Гарриет Бичер-Стоу

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      Olaf's Farm

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      At another time Harald asked:

      "What is your country, Olaf? Have you always been a thrall?"

      The thrall's eyes flashed.

      "When you are a man," he said, "and go a-viking to Denmark, ask men whether they ever heard of Olaf the Crafty. There, far off, is my country, across the water. My father was Gudbrand the Big. Two hundred warriors feasted in his hall and followed him to battle. Ten sons sat at meat with him, and I was the youngest. One day he said:

      "'You are all grown to be men. There is not elbow-room here for so many chiefs. The eldest of you shall have my farm when I die. The rest of you, off a-viking!'

      "He had three ships. These he gave to three of my brothers. But I stayed that spring and built me a boat. I made her for only twenty oars because I thought few men would follow me; for I was young, fifteen years old. I made her in the likeness of a dragon. At the prow I carved the head with open mouth and forked tongue thrust out. I painted the eyes red for anger.

      "'There, stand so!' I said, 'and glare and hiss at my foes.'

      "In the stern I curved the tail up almost as high as the head. There I put the pilot's seat and a strong tiller for the rudder. On the breast and sides I carved the dragon's scales. Then I painted it all black and on the tip of every scale I put gold. I called her 'Waverunner.' There she sat on the rollers, as fair a ship as I ever saw.

"The night that it was finished I went to my father's feast. After the meats were eaten and the mead-horns came round, I stood up from my bench and raised my drinking-horn3 high and spoke with a great voice:

      "'This is my vow: I will sail to Norway and I will harry the coast and fill my boat with riches. Then I will get me a farm and will winter in that land. Now who will follow me?'

      "'He is but a boy,' the men said. 'He has opened his mouth wider than he can do.'

      "But others jumped to their feet with their mead-horns in their hands. Thirty men, one after another, raised their horns and said:

      "'I will follow this lad, and I will not turn back so long as he and I live!'

      "On the next morning we got into my dragon and started. I sat high in the pilot's seat. As our boat flashed down the rollers into the water I made this song and sang it:

      "'The dragon runs.

      Where will she steer?

      Where swords will sing,

      Where spears will bite,

      Where I shall laugh.'

      "So we harried the coast of Norway. We ate at many men's tables uninvited. Many men we found overburdened with gold. Then I said:

      "'My dragon's belly is never full,' and on board went the gold.

      "Oh! it is better to live on the sea and let other men raise your crops and cook your meals. A house smells of smoke, a ship smells of frolic. From a house you see a sooty roof, from a ship you see Valhalla.

      "Up and down the water we went to get much wealth and much frolic. After a while my men said:

      "'What of the farm, Olaf?'

      "'Not yet,' I answered. 'Viking is better for summer. When the ice comes, and our dragon cannot play, then we will get our farm and sit down.'

      "At last the winter came, and I said to my men:

      "'Now for the farm. I have my eye on one up the coast a way in King Halfdan's country.'

      "So we set off for it. We landed late at night and pulled our boat up on shore and walked quietly to the house. It was rather a wealthy farm, for there were stables and a storehouse and a smithy at the sides of the house. There was but one door to the house. We went to it, and I struck it with my spear.