Story Hour Readings: Seventh Year | Page 8

with a wonderful white bear, and he at
once sent for Audun. 20
"I have heard about your white bear," said Harold, "and I wish to buy
it."
"I will not sell it," answered Audun.
"But I will pay you twice as much as you gave for it," said the king. 25

"Not for any price will I sell it," said the Icelander.
"Then will you give it to me?" asked the king.
"No, my lord, I will not do that," answered Audun.
"What, then, will you do with it?" asked the king.
Audun answered, "I have made up my mind to take it to Denmark and
give it to King Sweyn, for he is also the 5 king of my own country."
Then Harold spoke up sharply: "Don't you know, my fellow, that there
is war between Norway and Denmark, and between myself and your
King Sweyn? Don't you know that I have the power to prevent you
from ever 10 getting to his land?"
Audun answered, "I know that you have the power, and that all rests
with you. But I will consent to nothing save to do as I have told you."
The king sat in thought for a moment and then said, 15 "Well, I see no
reason why you should not do as you please in this matter. But promise
me that when you come this way again, you will tell me how King
Sweyn rewarded you for the beast."
"I give you my word to do that," answered Audun. 20
Then, leading the bear behind him, he went away. But it was a long
time before he could find any means to cross over into Denmark, and
when at last he set foot upon the shores of that country he had not even
a penny with which to buy food. Both he and the bear were starving,
and it 25 was a long way to the place where the king was staying.
In his distress, Audun went to a rich man named Auki and begged for
food for himself and his bear.
"What are you going to do with the beast?" asked Auki. 30
"Give him to King Sweyn," answered the Icelander.

"And how much do you expect to receive for him?"
"Only so much as the king in his bounty wishes to give."
Then the rich man answered, "If you will give me one half of the bear, I
will feed you both."
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."