Page:Once a Week Jul - Dec 1859.pdf/15

4 enabled to give a figure of one of the celts obtained from the deposits at St. Acheul near Abbeville, which are among those originally explored by M. Boucher de Perthes, and which have been recently re-examined by Mr. Prestwich, Mr. Mylne, and other geologists.

was a man named Audun, an Icelander and Westfirther; his means were small, but his goodness was well known. This Audun once sailed from Iceland with a Norseman whose name was Thorir, but before he went he made over almost all his goods to his mother, and after all it was not more than enough to keep her for two years. After that they put to sea with a fair breeze, and soon made Norway. Audun stayed with Thorir that winter, and next summer they both sailed out to Greenland, and were there the next winter. There Audun bought a white bear well tamed, and he gave for the beast all the money he had,—for it was the greatest treasure of a bear that had ever been heard of.

Next summer they sailed back to Norway, and had a good voyage; as for Thorir, the captain, he went back to his own house; but Audun got himself a passage east to Wick in the Cattegat, and took his bear with him, and looked about for a lodging while he stayed there, for he meant to make his way south to Denmark, and give the bear to King Sweyn. But just then the war and strife between King Harold and Sweyn was at its height. It happened, too, that Garold was then in the town whither Audun came, and he soon heard how an Icelander had come from Greenland with such a tame white bear. The king sent at once for Audun, so he went before the king and greeted him. The king took his words well, and asked:

“Hast thou that white bear which is such a treasure?”

“I have,” said Audun.

The king said: “Wilt thou sell us the beast for the same price thou gavest for it?”

“I will not do that, lord,” said Audun.

“Wilt thou,” says the king, “that I give thee twice as much, and that is fairer, if indeed thou gavest for it all thy money.”