"Not honor, but disgrace, do I deserve, O King," he said; "for I have proved myself a false watcher." "Now, that may not be," cried the King, "for none would have dared to tread the birds' road as thou hast done." But to that Hald said-- "There is reason in the boy's words, O King. Therefore let it be as he says; but for his reward take the collar from his father's neck, and give Cerdic five hides of good land, so that he shall be noble." And all the redesmen said that the Constable's words were good words and that it was a wise saying. So the King commanded that Cerdic should be given five hides of good land and that the thrall collar should be taken from his neck; and then Reinbaldus the scald made a song and sang it in the great hall while the King feasted, and this was the song he sang-- Over the storm wave, over the swan bath, Cerdic the Saxon came, to Lethra fleeing From the fierce anger of Berwulf the viking, Fleeing with Olfa, and the child Wulnoth; Thus came young Wulnoth to fair Lethra. Wulnoth the boy thrall, friend of Prince Guthred, Straying with Edgiva deep in the woodland, Then came the waster roaring against them, Fierce in his anger, he the death giver. Woe for Prince Guthred! woe for Edgiva! Swift to their succor came Wulnoth hasting, Armed with a knife alone, slew he the monster, Dead now before them lies the wood waster. Nithing and traitor, Osbert the Dane came, Wounded with coward blow, Wulnoth the watcher, Cast from the Raven Rock, Lethra's Edgiva, Into the stormy waves hurled he the fair one. "Thus, tell ye Lethra's King, Osbert repays him." Laughter to sorrow turned when the spear bit him, Fleeing, like frightened hare, swiftly the Dane ran, Wulnoth's love token bore he away with him. Far 'neath the Raven Rock, in the wild swan bath, There is Edgiva, Edgiva the Beautiful-- Who from the death sleep backward shall bear her? Who by the birds' road rushes to save her? Who from the angry waves bravely doth bear her, While his own crimson blood marks out his pathway? Wulnoth, Cerdic's son, Wulnoth the watcher, He trod the birds' road, saving Edgiva, Skoal then to Cerdic's son, And skoal to Edgiva. Such was the song which Reinbaldus sang; and the soldiers and the people said it was a fair song and a true song, and that Wulnoth was worthy of honor. And they called the Raven's Rock "Wulnoth's Road," because of the great leap which he took thence into the swan bath to rescue Edgiva. Yet still Wulnoth himself felt darkened, for he reflected that he, being the Princess's watcher, ought to have been standing on guard rather than lying there taking his ease so that Osbert the Dane could come upon them; and though many strove to banish such thoughts from his mind, old Hald said--