Six Sagas of Adventure Read Online Free PDF

doors of the hall where the jarl was accustomed to sit, he asked the doorkeepers to call the jarl to speak with him. They answered, “Your foolishness just doesn’t quit. The jarl is not in the habit of rushing to speak with a peasant.”
    Ref said, “Take him my message, and let him decide on an answer.”
    They went to find the jarl, and said that Ref the Foolish was asking him to come out. The jarl said, “Say that I will meet with Ref. You never know what sort of luck each person brings.”
    The jarl went outside, and Ref greeted him courteously. The jarl said, “Why have you come here?”
    Ref answered, “My father has driven me away. But here is an ox that I own, and I want to give him to you.”
    The jarl replied, “Haven’t you heard that I accept no gifts, because I’m not willing to repay anyone?”
    Ref answered, “I have heard that you’re so stingy that no one needs to assume that he’ll get anything valuable in return, even if he gives you a gift. Still, I want you to accept this treasure. Maybe you will do me good by your words, whatever the monetary reward is.”
    The jarl said, “I will accept the ox because of what you say. Come inside and be my most highly honored guest tonight.”
    Ref released the ox and went in. The jarl ordered him to be brought clothes, so that he wouldn’t be shamed. When Ref washed, he was the finest-looking man. He sat there for a while. The jarl’s entire hall was decorated with shields, so that each touched another where they were hung up. The jarl took one shield which was inlaid all over with gold, and he gave it to Ref.
    When the jarl went to his feasting the next day, he turned to where the shield had been hanging. He then spoke a verse:

    The showy prize once shimmered,
    my shield against the hangings.
    The greatest sorrow grips me
    when I gaze in that direction.
    The chasm looks unlovely;
    I’ll lose my riches quickly,
    once warriors win my shields
    without wiles, by their own gifts.

    The jarl was so affected by the loss of his shield that he turned his high seat away. When Ref saw that, he went before the jarl, with the shield in his hand, and said, “My lord, cheer up, because here is the shield that you gave me. I want to give it to you because it’s of no use to me, since I have no other weapons.”
    The jarl said, “You gave the finest gift of all, because it’s a great ornament to my hall to have it back in the place where it formerly hung. But here’s a treasure I want to give you, and it might be to your benefit if you follow my advice.”
    The jarl put a whetstone [34] in his hand—“and you won’t think this gift valuable.”
    Ref said, “I don’t know how this helps me.”
    The jarl said, “Here’s how it is: I won’t feed any man who sits there and doesn’t busy himself with something. Now I want to send you to King Gautrek. Put this whetstone in his hand.”
    Ref said, “I’m not used to going between noble men, and I don’t know what use this stone will be to the king.”
    The jarl said, “My cleverness wouldn’t be of much use if I couldn’t see farther forward than you. But the only trial for you will be to find the king, because you mustn’t talk to him. I’m told that the king often sits on his queen’s burial mound and hunts from there with his hawk, and often, when day is passing, the hawk droops. Then the king has to sweep around his chair with his hands to find something to throw at it. If it happens that the king doesn’t get anything to throw at the hawk, put the stone in his hand. If he passes something in his hand to you, accept it and come back to me.”
    Then Ref left, as the jarl had instructed him, and came to where the king was sitting on the mound. It went as Neri had guessed: the king flung everything that he picked up at the hawk. Ref sat down by the king’s chair, behind the king. At once he saw how things were. The king reached out his hand behind him. Ref stuck the stone into his hand, and the king