Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 3.djvu/195

 KINGS OF NORWAY. 183 plundered, as well as in Smoland, and imposed on the sa ga x h. country a tribute of 1500 cattle for ship provision; and the people of Smoland received Christianity. After this King Sigurd turned about with his fleet, and came back to his kingdom with many valuable arti- cles and great booty, which he had gathered on this expedition ; and this levy was called the Calmar levy. This was the summer before the eclipse. This was the only levy King Sigurd carried out as long as he was king. It happened once when King Sigurd was going Chapter from the drinking-table to vespers, that his men were q^ tho- * very drunk and merry ; and many of them sat outside ^^f""^,. the church singing the evening song, but their sing- ing was very irregular. Then the king said, " Who is that fellow I see standing at the church with a skin jacket on ?" They answered, that they did not know. Then the king said, — ^' This skin-clad man, in sorry plight. Puts all our wisdom here to flight." Then the fellow came forward and said, — "I thought that here I might be known, Although my dress is scanty grown. 'Tis poor, but I must be content: Unless, great king, it's thy intent To give me better; for I have seen When I and rags had strangers been." The king answered, " Come to me to-morrow when I am at the drink-table." The night passed away; and the morning after, the Icelander, who was afterwards called Thorarin Stuttfeld, went into the drinking- room. A man stood outside of the door of the room with a horn in his hand, and said, " Icelander ! the king says that if thou wilt deserve any gift from him thou shalt compose a song before going in, and make it about a man whose name is Hakon Serkson, and N 4