piles of the bridge, as it broke up piece by piece in the current.
The men on Ethelred's ships had all they could do to save their
vessels from being stove in by the heavier woodwork when it was
swept down among them.

That danger passed; and now was our turn come to join in the
fighting, for there were none to prevent us from getting the ships
up to the bridge. And so we scaled from our decks the bulwarks that
had been so terrible, and fell on the Danes in the rear as Eadmund
in Southwark and the citizens in London took them in the front. It
must have been that few Danes were left on either bank, for the
fighting lasted no long time, and when we had done with these men
from off the bridge there was no other attack.

So, before the evening came we knew that London was once more in
the hands of Ethelred, and the bells were ringing to welcome back
an English king to English land. For Olaf had brought him home.

There was high feasting in London town that night, and Ethelred
deemed that England was already won. Nor was there any honour too
great for him to show to the man who had wrought this for him.

But what Olaf said was this:

"To win London is much--though, indeed, it should never have been
thus lost--but London is not England. There will be more fighting
yet, if Cnut is a worthy son of Swein Forkbeard."

Now, in after years men made light of this breaking of London
Bridge, and the reason is not far to seek. For, first of all,