“Myfathertellsmeyouwishtospeakwithme，“andshelaughedalittlesoftlyandheldmewithherbeautifuleyes。
　　AfterthatIknownotwhathappenedtillIsawIdunabendingtowardsmelikeawillowinthewind，andthen——oh，joyofjoys！——feltherkissuponmylips。Nowmyspeechwasunsealed，andItoldherthetalethatlovershavealwaystold。HowthatIwasreadytodieforhertowhichsheansweredthatshehadratherthatIlived，sinceghostswerenogoodhusbands；howthatIwasnotworthyofhertowhichsheansweredthatIwasyoung，withallmytimebeforeme，andmightlivetobegreaterthanIthought，asshebelievedIshould；andsoforth。
　　Onlyonemorethingcomesbacktomeofthatblissfulhour。FoolishlyIsaidwhatIhadbeenthinking，namely，thatIblessedRagnar。Atthesewords，ofasuddenIduna’sfacegrewsternandthelovelightinhereyeswaschangedtosuchasgleamsfromswords。
　　“IdonotblessRagnar，“sheanswered。“IhopeonedaytoseeRagnar——“andshecheckedherself，adding:“Come，letusenter，Olaf。Ihearmyfathercallingmetomixhissleeping-cup。“
　　Sowewentintothehousehandinhand，andwhentheysawuscomingthus，allgatheredthereburstintoshoutsoflaughteraftertheirrudefashion。Moreover，beakerswerethrustintoourhands，andweweremadetodrinkfromthemandswearsomeoath。Thusendedourbetrothal。
　　Ithinkitwasonthenextdaythatwesailedforhomeinmyfather’slargestshipofwar，whichwasnamedthe/Swan/。Iwentunwillinglyenough，whodesiredtodrinkmoreofthedelightofIduna’seyes。
　　Still，goImust，sinceAthalbrandwouldhaveitso。Themarriage，hesaid，shouldtakeplaceatAaratthetimeoftheSpringfeast，andnotbefore。Meanwhilehehelditbestweshouldbeapartthatwemightlearnwhetherwestillclungtoeachotherinabsence。
　　Thesewerethereasonshegave，butIthinkthathewasalreadysomewhatsorryforwhathehaddone，andreflectedthatbetweenharvestandspringtimehemightfindanotherhusbandforIduna，whowasmoretohismind。ForAthalbrand，asIlearnedafterwards，wasaschemingandafalse-heartedman。Moreover，hewasofnohighlineage，butonewhohadraisedhimselfupbywarandplunder，andthereforehisblooddidnotcompelhimtohonour。
　　Thenextscenewhichcomesbacktomeofthoseearlydaysisthatofthehuntingofthewhitenorthernbear，whenIsavedthelifeofSteinar，myfoster-brother，andnearlylostmyown。
　　Itwasonadaywhenthewinterwasmergingintospring，butthecoast-linenearAarwasstillthickwithpackiceandlargefloeswhichhadfloatedinfromthemorenorthernseas。Acertainfishermanwhodweltonthisshorecametothehalltotellusthathehadseenagreatwhitebearononeofthesefloes，which，hebelieved，hadswumfromittotheland。Hewasamanwithaclub-foot，andIcanrecallavisionofhimlimpingacrossthesnowtowardsthedrawbridgeofAar，supportinghimselfbyastaffonthetopofwhichwascutthefigureofsomeanimal。
　　“Younglords，“hecriedout，“thereisawhitebearontheland，suchabearasonceIsawwhenIwasaboy。Comeoutandkillthebearandwinhonour，butfirstgivemeadrinkformynews。“
　　AtthattimeIthinkmyfather，Thorvald，wasawayfromhomewithmostofthemen，Idonotknowwhy；butRagnar，SteinarandIwerelingeringaboutthesteadwithlittleornothingtodo，sincethetimeofsowingwasnotyet。Atthenewsoftheclub-footedman，weranforourspears，andoneofuswenttotelltheonlythrallwhocouldbesparedtomakereadythehorsesandcomewithus。Thora，mymother，wouldhavestoppedus——shesaidshehadheardfromherfatherthatsuchbearswereverydangerousbeasts——butRagnaronlythrustheraside，whileIkissedherandtoldhernottofret。
　　OutsidethehallImetFreydisa，adark，quietwomanofmiddleage，oneofthevirginsofOdin，whomIlovedandwholovedmeand，saveoneother，meonlyamongmen，forshehadbeenmynurse。
　　“Whithernow，youngOlaf？“sheaskedme。“HasIdunacomeherethatyourunsofast？“
　　“No，“Ianswered，“butawhitebearhas。“
　　“Oh！thenthingsarebetterthanIthought，whofearedlestitmightbeIdunabeforehertime。Still，yougoonanillerrand，fromwhichI
　　thinkyouwillreturnsadly。“
　　“Whydoyousaythat，Freydisa？“Iasked。“Isitjustbecauseyoulovetocroaklikearavenonarock，orforsomegoodreason？“
　　“Idon’tknow，Olaf，“sheanswered。“Isaythingsbecausetheycometome，andImust，thatisall。Itellyouthatevilwillbebornofthisbearhuntofyours，andyouhadbetterstopathome。“
　　“Tobelaughedatbymybrethren，Freydisa？Moreover，youarefoolish，forifevilistobe，howcanIavoidit？Eitheryourforesightisnothingortheevilmustcome。“
　　“Thatisso，“answeredFreydisa。“Fromyourchildhoodupyouhadthegiftofreasonwhichismorethanisgrantedtomostofthesefoolsaboutus。Go，Olaf，andmeetyourfore-ordainedevil。Still，kissmebeforeyougolestweshouldnotseeeachotheragainforawhile。Ifthebearkillsyou，atleastyouwillbesavedfromIduna。“
　　NowwhileshesaidthesewordsIwaskissingFreydisa，whomIloveddearly，butwhenIunderstoodthemIleaptbackbeforeshecouldkissmeagain。
　　“WhatdoyoumeanbyyourtalkaboutIduna？“Iasked。“Idunaismybetrothed，andI’llsuffernoillspeechofher。“
　　“Iknowsheis，Olaf。You’vegotRagnar’sleavings。Althoughheissohot-headed，Ragnarisawisedoginsomeways，whocantellwhatheshouldnoteat。There，begone，youthinkmejealousofIduna，asoldwomencanbe，butit’snotthat，mydear。Oh！you’lllearnbeforeallisdone，ifyoulive。Begone，begone！I’lltellyounomore。Hark，Ragnarisshoutingtoyou，“andshepushedmeaway。
　　Itwasalongridetowherethebearwassupposedtobe。Atfirstaswewentwetalkedagreatdeal，andmadeawagerastowhichofthethreeofusshouldfirstdriveaspearintothebeast’sbodysodeepthatthebladewashidden，butafterwardsIgrewsilent。Indeed，IwasmusingsomuchofIdunaandhowthetimedrewnearwhenoncemoreI
　　shouldseehersweetface，wonderingalsowhyRagnarandFreydisashouldthinksoillofherwhoseemedagoddessratherthanawoman，thatIforgotallaboutthebear。SocompletelydidIforgetitthatwhen，beingbynatureveryobservant，Isawtheslotofsuchabeastaswepassedacertainbirchwood，Ididnotthinktoconnectitwiththatwhichwewerehuntingortopointitouttotheotherswhowereridingaheadofme。
　　Atlengthwecametothesea，andthere，sureenough，sawagreatice-
　　floe，whichnowandagaintiltedasthesurgecaughtitsbroadgreenflank。Whenittiltedtowardsusweperceivedatrackworndeepintotheicebythepawsoftheprisonedbearasithadmarchedendlesslyround。Alsowesawabiggrinningskull，whereonsataravenpickingattheeye-holes，andsomefragmentsofwhitefur。
　　“Thebearisdead！“exclaimedRagnar。“Odin’scursebeonthatclub-
　　footedfoolwhogaveusthiscoldridefornothing。“
　　“Yes，Isupposeso，“saidSteinardoubtfully。“Don’tyouthinkthatitisdead，Olaf？“
　　“WhatisthegoodofaskingOlaf？“brokeinRagnar，withaloudlaugh。
　　“WhatdoesOlafknowaboutbears？Hehasbeenasleepforthelasthalf-hourdreamingofAthalbrand’sblue-eyeddaughter；orperhapsheismakingupanotherpoem。“
　　“Olafseesfartherwhenheseemsasleepthansomeofusdowhenweareawake，“answeredSteinarhotly。
　　“Ohyes，“repliedRagnar。“Sleepingorwaking，Olafisperfectinyoureyes，foryou’vedrunkthesamemilk，andthattiesyoutighterthanarope。Wakeup，now，brotherOlaf，andtellus:Isnotthebeardead？“
　　ThenIanswered，“Why，ofcourse，abearisdead；seeitsskull，alsopiecesofitshide？“
　　“There！“exclaimedRagnar。“Ourfamilyprophethassettledthematter。
　　Letusgohome。“
　　“Olafsaidthat/a/bearwasdead，“answeredSteinar，hesitating。
　　Ragnar，whohadalreadyswunghimselfroundinhisquickfashion，spokebackoverhisshoulder:
　　“Isn’tthatenoughforyou？Doyouwanttohuntaskullortheravensittingonit？Oristhis，perchance，oneofOlaf’sriddles？Ifso，I
　　amtoocoldtoguessriddlesjustnow。“
　　“YetIthinkthereisoneforyoutoguess，brother，“Isaidgently，“anditis:Whereisthelivebearhiding？Can’tyouseethatthereweretwobearsonthatice-head，andthatonehaskilledandeatentheother？“
　　“Howdoyouknowthat？“askedRagnar。
　　“BecauseIsawtheslotofthesecondaswepassedthebirchwoodyonder。Ithasasplitclawontheleftforefootandtheothersareallwornbytheice。“
　　“ThenwhyinOdin’snamedidyounotsaysobefore？“exclaimedRagnarangrily。
　　NowIwasashamedtoconfessthatIhadbeendreaming，soIansweredathazard:
　　“BecauseIwishedtolookupontheseaandthefloatingice。Seewhatwondrouscolourstheytakeinthislight！“
　　Whenheheardthis，Steinarburstoutlaughingtilltearscameintohisblueeyesandhisbroadshouldersshook。ButRagnar，whocarednothingforsceneryorsunsets，didnotlaugh。Onthecontrary，aswasusualwithhimwhenvexed，helosthistemperandsworebythemoreevilofthegods。Thenheturnedonmeandsaid:
　　“Whynottellthetruthatonce，Olaf？Youareafraidofthisbeast，andthat’swhyyouletuscomeonherewhenyouknewitwasinthewood。Youhopedthatbeforewegotbackthereitwouldbetoodarktohunt。“
　　AtthistauntIflushedandgrippedtheshaftofmylonghuntingspear，foramongusNorthmentobetoldthathewasafraidofanythingwasadeadlyinsulttoaman。
　　“Ifyouwerenotmybrother-“Ibegan，thencheckedmyself，forI
　　wasbynatureeasy-tempered，andwenton:“Itistrue，Ragnar，Iamnotsofondofhuntingasyouare。Still，Ithinkthattherewillbetimetofightthisbearandkillorbekilledbyit，beforeitgrowsdark，andifnotIwillreturnaloneto-morrowmorning。“
　　ThenIpulledmyhorseroundandrodeahead。AsIwent，myearsbeingveryquick，Iheardtheothertwotalkingtogether。Atleast，I