"Ay, cousin, I mind it," he answered, laughing. "Also I mind that a king's son is a king's son, whatever else he may be called." Then he shook hands with Harek, and after that turned to Kolgrim, holding out his hand also to him. "Concerning sails," he said gravely, "I have many questions to ask you. Is it to the starboard hand that the bolt rope goes, or to the other board?" "I pray you to forget my foolishness, lord king," cried Kolgrim, growing very red and shame faced. "That I shall not," the king answered, laughing. "I owe you thanks for such a jest as I have not played on a man for many a long day. Truly I have been more light hearted for my laugh ever since." "Ay, lord, you had the laugh of me," Kolgrim said, grinning uneasily. Then the king nodded gaily to him and asked who Thord was. "This is my master in sea craft," said Odda. "Verily I fear him as I have feared no man since I was at school. But he cured the seasickness of me." "Maybe I forgot the sickness when I sent landsmen to sea in all haste," said the king. "Nevertheless, Thord, how fought they when blows were going?" "Well enough, king. And I will say that what I tried to teach them they tried to learn," answered Thord. "Wherein is hope. You think that I may have good seamen in time, therefore?" "Ay, lord. It is in the blood of every man of our kin to take to the sea. They are like hen-bred ducklings now, and they do but want a duck to lead them pondwards. Then may hen cackle in vain for them." The king laughed. "Faith," he said, "I--the hen--drove Odda into the pond. He is, according to his own account, a poor duckling." "Let him splash about a little longer, lord king," said Thord. But Odda spoke with a long face. "Not so, King Alfred, if you love me. Landsman am I, and chicken-hearted at sea. Keep the gamecock to mind the farmyard; there be more birds than ducks needed." "Make a song hereof, Harek," said the king. "Here is word play enough for any scald." Then sang Harek, laughing, and ever ready with verses: "The gamecock croweth bravely, And guardeth hawk-scared hen roost; But when the sea swan swimmeth Against the shoreward nestings, There mighty mallard flappeth, And frayeth him from foray; Yet shoreward if he winneth, The gamecock waits to meet him." "That is in my favour," said Odda. "Mind you the scald's words, I pray you, lord king, and send me to my right place, even with hawk on one side and swan on the other." So a pleasant laugh went round, and then the king went back to his throne, and spoke words of open thanks to us of the fleet who had gained him such victory. Good words they were, neither too few nor too many, such as would make every man who heard them long to hear the like of himself again. Now, while he was speaking, men came to the tent door and waited for his words to end; and then one came forward and told a noble, who seemed to be ordering the state which was kept, that Danish lords had come to speak with the king.