History of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, Vol. 2 (of 2)Dunham, S. A. (Samuel Astley)
History
History of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, Vol. 2 (of 2)
Dunham, S. A. (Samuel Astley)
Scandinavia -- History
“When spring came, Thorston made ready his ship, and put twenty-four men
on board of her. When they came to Vinland, they ran her into a harbour,
and every day he went on shore to amuse himself.
“He came one day to an open part of the wood, where he saw a great rock,
and out a little piece from it a Dwarf, who was horridly ugly, and was
looking up over his head, with his mouth wide open; and it appeared to
Thorston that it ran from ear to ear, and that the lower jaw came down
to his knees. Thorston asked him why he was acting so foolishly. ‘Do not
be surprised, my good lad,’ replied the Dwarf; ‘do you not see that
great dragon that is flying up there? He has taken off my son, and I
believe that it is Odin himself that has sent the monster to do it. But
I shall burst and die if I lose my son.’ Then Thorston shot at the
dragon, and hit him under one of the wings, so that he fell dead to the
earth; but Thorston caught the Dwarf’s child in the air, and brought him
to his father.
“The Dwarf was exceeding glad, and was more rejoiced than any one could
tell; and he said, ‘A great benefit have I to reward you for, who are
the deliverer of my son; and now choose your recompense in gold and
silver.’ ‘Cure your son,’ said Thorston, ‘but I am not used to take
rewards for my services.’ ‘It were not becoming,’ said the Dwarf, ‘if I
did not reward you; and let not my shirt of sheep’s-wool, which I will
give you, appear a contemptible gift, for you will never be tired when
swimming, or get a wound, if you wear it next your skin.’
“Thorston took the shirt and put it on, and it fitted him well, though
it had appeared too short for the Dwarf. The Dwarf now took a gold ring
out of his purse, and gave it to Thorston, and bid him to take good care
of it, telling him that he never should want for money while he kept
that ring. He next took a black stone, and gave it to Thorston, and
said, ‘If you hide this stone in the palm of your hand, no one will see
you. I have not many more things to offer you, or that would be of any
value to you; I will, however, give you a fire-stone for your
amusement.’
“He then took the stone out of his purse, and with it a steel point. The
stone was triangular, white on one side, and red on the other, and a
yellow border ran round it. The Dwarf then said, ‘If you prick the stone
with the point in the white side, there will come on such a hail-storm
that no one will be able to look at it; but if you want to stop this
shower, you have only to prick on the yellow part, and there will come
so much sunshine that the whole will melt away. But if you should like
to prick the red side, then there will come out of it such fire, with
sparks and crackling, that no one will be able to look at it. You may
also get whatever you will by means of this point and stone, and they
will come of themselves back to your hand when you call them. I can now
give you no more such gifts.’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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