and said:

"All this may be very well, Hersir Sigurd. But I fail to see how
this history can bear upon the story of the boy Ole."

"You shall see its bearing very soon," returned Sigurd. "But, if
you so wish, I will cut it short."

"Nay, tell it in your own way," said the queen, "for my time is of
no account."

"You must know, then," pursued Sigurd, "that King Harald Fairhair
had many wives, other than Gyda. And as he had many wives, so had
he many sons. These sons as they grew up to manhood became to him
a serious trouble. They were jealous of each other and for ever
quarrelling among themselves. A chief cause of their disagreement
was their bitter jealousy of Erik, the son whom Harald favoured
above all the rest.

"When Erik was but a mere boy--no older than young Ole, here --
his father gave him the command of five great ships of war, and
with a picked crew of hardy warriors the boy went a-viking along
the coasts, harrying and plundering, fighting and slaughtering
wherever he fell in with ships less powerful than his own. He became
a terror to all peaceful folk, and for his murderous deeds by sea
and land he won the name of Erik Bloodaxe.

"It was through his foolish love of this wild hearted son that
Harald Fairhair was led to commit an act whereby he undid all the
great work of his life. He had succeeded in uniting all Norway into