them to Fyen. He is captured and admits that he has the boys in his
protection; but he begs the king not to injure them, calls attention to
the foulness of doing them harm, and promises, in case they make any
disturbance in the kingdom, to report the matter to the king. Frothi,
whose severity Ragnar thus transforms into mildness, spares the boys,
and for many years they live in security. When they are grown up, they
go to Seeland. Their friends urge them to avenge their father's death,
and this they promise to do. Ragnar, when he hears of this, reports it
to the king in accordance with his promise, whereupon the king proceeds
against them with an army. In desperation, the boys pretend insanity;
and, as it is considered shameful to attack people who are insane, the
king again spares them. But in the night the boys set fire to his hall,
after having stoned the queen to death; and Frothi, having hid himself
in a secret underground passage, perishes from the effects of smoke and
gas. The boys share the crown, ruling the kingdom by turns.

Before proceeding further, it would be well to have a summary of the
relations of the Danish kings concerned, up to the last stage of
development, the stage with which we are dealing; and this summary is
best supplied by quoting the following from Olrik's _Danmarks
Heltedigtning:[127]--

"Der er en fortælling, som bar banet Skjoldungsagnene vej til
manges hjærter, i vort århundrede ikke mindre end på selve
sagafortællingens tid: sagnene om de to unge kongesönner Hroar og
Helge, der må skjule sig for deres faders morder og tronraner,
farbroderen Frode, men som efter en række æventyrlige oplevelser på
den enlige holm og i selve kongsgården ser lejlighed til at
fuldföre hævnen og hæve sig på, tronen. En strålende begyndelse på
den navnkundige kongeæts mange skæbner! Det er denne fortællings