"That's not at all good reasoning, Milly," said Mr. Norton, who could not resist the temptation of throwing one more sofa cushion at her laughing face. "You can't _make_ nurse stand on her head, but that's no reason why nurse should stand on her head." Just then Olly, moving up a stool behind his father's chair, brought his little mouth suddenly down on his father's head, and gave him three kisses in a great hurry, with a shout of triumph at the end. "Dear me!" said Mr. Norton, shutting his eyes and falling back as if something had happened to him. "This is very serious. Aunt Emma, that spell of yours is really _too_ strong. My poor head! It will certainly burst if I don't get this story out directly! Come, jump up, children--quick!" Up jumped the children, one on each knee, and Mr. Norton began at once. CHAPTER VIII THE STORY OF BEOWULF Once upon a time there was a great--" "Father," interrupted Milly, "I shall soon be getting tired of 'Once upon a time there was a great king.'" "Don't cry till you're hurt, Milly; which means, wait till I get to the end of my sentence. Well, once upon a time there was a great--hero." "What is a hero?" asked Olly. "I know," said Milly, eagerly, "it's a brave man that's always fighting and killing giants and dragons and cruel people." "That'll do to begin with," said Mr. Norton, "though, when you grow older, you will find that people can be heroes without fighting or killing. However, the man I am going to tell you about was just the kind of hero you're thinking of, Milly. He loved fighting with giants and dragons and wild people, and my story is going to be about two of his fights--the greatest he ever fought. The name of this hero was Beowulf, and he lived in a country called Sweden (Milly knows all about Sweden, Olly, and you must get her to show it you on the map), with a number of other brave men who were his friends, and helped him in his battles. And one day a messenger came over the sea from another country close by, called Denmark, and the messenger said, 'Which of all you brave men will come over and help my master, King Hrothgar, who is in sore trouble?' And the messenger told them how Hrothgar, for many years past, had been plagued by a monster--the hateful monster Grendel--half a man and half a beast, who lived at the bottom of a great bog near the king's palace. Every night, he said, Grendel the monster came out of the bog with his horrible mother beside him--a wolf-like creature, fearful to look upon--and he and she would roam about the country, killing and slaying all whom they met. Sometimes they would come stalking to the king's palace, where his brave men were sleeping round the fire in the big hall, and before anyone could withstand him Grendel would fall upon the king's warriors, kill them by tens and twenties, and carry off their dead bodies to his bog. Many a brave man had tried to slay the monster, but none had been able so much as to wound him.