id stringlengths 16 16 | text stringlengths 150 2.3k | word_count int64 30 60 | source stringclasses 1
value | book_id stringclasses 1
value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
twg_000012587000 | however, without learning on the way that preparations were being secretly made all over that district to resist the King, and that, in particular, Solve Klofe was in the fiord at Horlingdal, with several ships of war, doing his best to fan the flame of discontent, which was already burning there briskly enough of its ... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587001 | to King Harald's quarters, Hauskuld found that energetic monarch engaged in celebrating one of the heathen feasts, and deemed it prudent for some hours to avoid his master, knowing that when heated with deep potations he was not in the best condition to receive or act upon exasperating news. He therefore went into the ... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587002 | his guests were assembled, and quietly took his place at the lower end of one of the long tables near the door. As is usual with men of inferior and debased minds, the berserk misunderstood and misjudged his master. He had counted on escaping notice, but the King's eye fell on him the instant he entered the hall, and h... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587003 | was at once summoned before him, and bidden tell his tale. While he related the details of the dreadful massacre Hauskuld felt quite at ease, little dreaming that the King's fingers twitched with a desire to cut him down where he stood; but when he came to speak of the widespread disaffection of the people in the south... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587004 | a little, and glanced uneasily at the flushed countenance of the King, fearing that the news would exasperate him beyond endurance. Great, therefore, was his surprise when Harald affected to treat the matter lightly, made some jesting allusion to the potent efficacy of the sword in bringing obstinate people to reason, ... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587005 | berserk a foaming tankard of ale. "There, drink, Hauskuld, my bold berserk! drink down to a deeper peg, man. After such warm work as thou hast had, that will serve to cool thy fiery spirit. Drink to the gods, and pray that thou mayest never come to die, like an old woman, in thy bed--drink, I say, drink deep!" The | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587006 | King laughed jovially, almost fiercely, in his wild humour, as he made this allusion to the well-known objection that the Norse warriors of old had to dying peacefully in bed; but for the life of him he could not resist the temptation, as he turned on his seat, to touch with his elbow the huge silver tankard which the ... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587007 | raised to his lips! The instantaneous result was that a cataract of beer flowed down Hauskuld's face and beard, while the rafters rang with a shout of laughter from the Sea-kings and court-men who sat in the immediate neighbourhood of the King's high seat. Of course Harald blamed himself for his clumsiness, but he too ... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587008 | masses of his fair hair shook all over his shoulders, while he ordered another tankard to be filled for his "brave berserk". That brave individual, however, protested that he had had quite enough, and immediately retired with a very bad grace to drink his beer in comfort out of a horn cup among kindred spirits. Immedia... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587009 | the King sent for Hake, for whom he also ordered a silver tankard of ale; but to him the King spoke earnestly, and in a low whispering voice, while his courtiers, perceiving that he wished his converse with the berserk to be private, quaffed their liquor and talked noisily. The young woman who filled Hake's tankard at ... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587010 | was no other than Gunhild, the unfortunate widow of Swart of the Springs. For some time after the death of her husband she had dwelt at Haldorstede, and had experienced much kindness at the hands of the family; but having taken a longing to visit her relatives, who belonged to the Drontheim district, she was sent thith... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587011 | a member of Harald's household, through the influence of King Hakon of Drontheim, the father of Ada of Horlingdal. Hakon had from necessity, and much against his inclination, become one of Harald Fairhair's jarls. During the feast of which we write, he sat on the King's left hand. After filling Hake's tankard Gunhild r... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587012 | the King, leaning over the arm of his high seat, "it is now time that we were moving south; and the news thou hast brought decides me to complete my arrangements without delay. It seems that Ulf of Romsdal and that fellow Erling the Bold, with his fierce father, are making great preparations for war?" "Truly they are,"... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587013 | "I saw as much with my own eyes." "But may this not be for the purpose of going on viking cruise?" "Had that been so, mine ears would have guided me, and we had brought a different report, but when men talk loudly and ill of the King, and knit their brows, and wish for a south wind, it needs | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587014 | not the wisdom of a warlock to fathom their meaning. Moreover," he continued earnestly, "I have heard that news has come from the southland that the people of Hordaland and Rogaland, Agder and Thelemark, are gathering, and bringing together ships, men, and arms--what can all this mean if it be not resistance to the Kin... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587015 | Hake, I will tell thee what to do, and see thou waste not time about it. Most of my ships are ready for sea. A few days more will suffice to complete them for a cruise, and then will I sail forth to teach these proud men humility. Meanwhile do thou get ready the ships under thy charge, and send | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587016 | Hauskuld in a swift boat with a few chosen men south to Horlingdal fiord. There let him watch the proceedings of the people--particularly of that fellow Erling and his kin--and when he has seen enough let him sail north to give me warning of their movements. They shall be saved the trouble of coming here to meet me, fo... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587017 | will fare south and slay them all, root and branch. Let thy tongue be quiet and thy motions swift, and caution Hauskuld also to be discreet. Another draught of ale, Hake, and then-- to thy duty." These last words the King spoke aloud, and while the berserk was drinking he turned to converse with Hakon of Drontheim, but... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587018 | that chief had left the board, he turned to one of the courtiers, and began to converse on the news recently brought from the south. Gunhild meanwhile slipped out of the hall, and found King Hakon hasting to his house. "Ye heard what the King threatened?" she said, plucking him by the sleeve. "I did, and will--but why ... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587019 | speak to me on this subject?" asked Hakon warily. "Because I know your daughter Ada is among the doomed and ye would not see her perish. My heart is in the house of Haldor the Fierce. Great kindness have I received there, therefore would I go and warn them of what is coming. I have friends here, and can get | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587020 | a swift cutter to bear me south. Shall I tell them to expect aid from you?" Hakon was glad to hear this, and told her to inform Haldor that he would soon be in the fiord with his longship, that he would aid the people of Horlingdal in resisting Harald, and that it was probable Rolf Ganger would also join | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587021 | them. Bearing these tidings Gunhild left Drontheim secretly, and in a swift boat with a stout crew set off for the south a considerable time before Hauskuld sailed, although that worthy did his best to carry out his master's commands without delay. King Hakon also pushed forward his preparations, and that so briskly th... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587022 | before the berserk. Meanwhile King Harald gave himself up entirely to festivity--laughed and talked with his courtiers, and seemed so light of heart that the greater part of his followers thought him to be a careless, hearty man, on whom the weighty matters of the kingdom sat very lightly. But Jarl Rongvold knew that t... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587023 | that the King's mind was much troubled by the state of things in several parts of the kingdom. He also knew, however, that Harald had an iron will, which nothing could bend from its purpose, and he felt convinced that the course which his sovereign pursued would end either in his total overthrow, or in the absolute sub... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587024 | It happened that at this time one of the festivals of sacrifice was being celebrated by the people of the Drontheim country. It was an old custom that, when there was sacrifice, all the bonders should come to the spot where the heathen temple stood, and bring with them all that they required while the festival of the s... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587025 | The men were expected to bring ale with them, and all kinds of cattle as well as horses, which were to be slaughtered, boiled, and eaten. In order to conciliate the people, the King on this occasion issued a proclamation that he meant to pay all the expenses of the festival. This had the double effect of attracting to ... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587026 | locality a vast concourse of people, and of putting them all in great good humour, so that they were quite ready to listen to, and fall in with, the plans of the King, whatever these might be. Of course there were many freeborn noble-spirited udallers who could not thus be tickled into the selling of their birthright; ... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587027 | energy and power, coupled with his rigorous treatment of all who resisted him, had the effect of reducing many of these to sullen silence, while some made a virtue of necessity, and accepted the fate which they thought it impossible to evade. On the evening of the day of which we write, the fire was kindled in the midd... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587028 | the floor of the temple, and over it hung the kettles. Full goblets were handed across the fire, and the King blessed the full goblets and all the meat of the sacrifice. Then, first, Odin's goblet was emptied for victory and power to the King; thereafter Niord's and Freya's goblets for peace and a good season. After th... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587029 | much feasting; and when the ale began to mount to the brains of the revellers, many of them stood up, and raising aloft the "braga goblet"-- that over which vows were wont to be made--began, in more or less bombastic strains, to boast of what they meant to do in the future. Having exhausted all other sentiments, the gu... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587030 | emptied the "remembrance goblet" to the memory of departed friends. Soon the desire for song and story began to be felt, and there was a loud call for the scald. Whereupon, clearing his throat and glancing round on the audience with a deprecatory air--just as amateur scalds of the present day are wont to do--Thiodolph ... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587031 | up to sing. His voice was mellow, and his music wild. The subject chosen showed that he understood how to humour both King and people, and if the song was short it was much to the point. Song of the Scald. Of cup and platter need has none, The guest who seeks the generous one-- Harald the bounteous--who can trace | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587032 | His lineage from the giant race; For Harald's hand is liberal, free. The guardian of the temple he. He loves the gods, his open hand Scatters his sword's gains o'er the land. The scald sat down with the prompt energy of a man who believes he has said a good thing, and expects that it will be well received. He | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587033 | was not disappointed, for the rafters rang with the wild huzzas of the revellers as they leaped to their feet and shouted "Victory to the King!" This was just what the King wanted, and he carefully fanned the flame which the scald had so judiciously kindled. The result was that when he afterwards called for men to go f... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587034 | him to do battle with the turbulent spirits of Horlingdal, hundreds of those who would otherwise have been malcontent, or lukewarm followers, busked themselves eagerly for the fight, and flocked to his standard. His longships were crowded with picked men, and war vessels of all sizes--from little boats to dragons with ... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587035 | sailed from Drontheim with perhaps the strongest armament that had ever swept over the northern sea. CHAPTER NINETEEN. TELLS SOMETHING OF THE DOINGS OF SOLVE KLOFE AND OTHERS, AND TREATS OF A FEW OF THE MARVELLOUS ADVENTURES OF GUTTORM STOUTHEART. The scene is changed. It is night; yet how different from night in most ... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587036 | The midnight sun is just sinking beneath the horizon, close to the spot whence, in about twenty minutes, he will rise, to repeat his prolonged course of nearly four-and-twenty hours through the northern sky. But if the darkness of night is absent, its deep quietude is there. The mighty cliffs that rise like giant walls... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587037 | shadows over the sea, send forth no echoes, for the innumerable birds that dwell among them are silently perched like snowflakes on every crag, or nestled in every crevice, buried in repose. The sea resembles glass, and glides with but a faint sigh upon the shore. All is impressively still on mountain and fiord. Everyt... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587038 | the wakeful eye of day, the hum of distant rills, the boom of inland cataracts, and the ripple on the shore. These sounds, however, do but render the universal silence more profound by suggesting the presence of those stupendous forces which lie latent everywhere. A white mist floats over the sea like a curtain of gauz... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587039 | grandeur, and clothing caverns, cliffs, and mountain gorges with unusual sublimity. Only one object suggestive of man is visible through the haze. It is a ship--of the old, old-fashioned build--with high stem and stern, and monstrous figurehead. Its forefoot rests upon the strip of gravel in yonder bay at the foot of t... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587040 | clouds. The hull reposes on its own reflected image, and the taper mast is repeated in a wavy but distinct line below. It is the "longship"; the "war vessel"; the "sea horse" of Solve Klofe, the son of King Hunthiof of More, whom Harald Fairhair slew. Solve had, as we have before said, spent the winter in taking his re... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587041 | by herrying the coast in his longship, and doing all in his power to damage the King's men, as well as those who were friendly to his cause. Among other things he had, early in spring, persuaded Haldor the Fierce to let him have the use of one of his warships, with a few of his best men, to accompany | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587042 | him on a viking cruise. Erling had resisted his pressing invitation to bear him company, because of important business, the nature of which he did not think it necessary to disclose. His friend Glumm the Gruff also declined from similar reasons. At all events, he was similarly pre-engaged and taciturn. Thorer the Thick... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587043 | latter by special and importunate request--were allowed to accompany him on this expedition. We do not intend to give the details of this foray, although it was unusually stirring and prolific of adventure. Suffice it to say, that they had several hard fights both with Swedish and Danish vikings, in all of which Alric ... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587044 | would certainly have been carried home dead upon his own shield had not Kettle Flatnose watched over him with the solicitude of a father, and warded off many a blow that was aimed at his pugnacious head. We fear it must be added that Alric was not sufficiently impressed with his friend's services in this way. The truth... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587045 | he entertained the firm belief that nobody could kill him, and that he could kill anybody--which was all very well as far as it went, but would not have carried him scathless through the cruise, had not the stout Irishman been at his back. Immense and valuable booty was gained at this time, for one of the vessels which... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587046 | captured had been cruising in southern lands, and was returning with a large quantity of gold and silver ornaments when Solve Klofe attacked it. A misfortune befell them, however. On their way home a storm drove Thorer's vessel on the rocks in a fog, and it became a total wreck. The crew were all saved, however, and mu... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587047 | lading, by Solve, who stowed the goods in his own ship, and brought home the men. They were within a day's sail of Horlingdal, when they put ashore to take a few hours' repose. Three hours after midnight Solve Klofe, whose breathing up to that time had resembled that of an infant, gave vent to a prolonged bass snore, a... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587048 | opened his eyes. This was followed by the shutting of his mouth, and with one of those satisfactory stretchings of the body with which a sound sleeper is wont in the morning to dismiss repose and recall his energies. Having lain still a few moments to enjoy the result, Solve sat up, and stretching forth his hand, drew ... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587049 | curtain of the tent under which he slept, and looked out. The sight that gladdened his eyes was beautiful beyond description, for the sun was up in all his northern glory, and shone on the silver sea with dazzling light, while he scattered away the mists of morning. But the best sight of all to the bold viking was the | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587050 | splendid warship which, with painted sides and shields, and gilded masts and prow, glowed and glittered like a beautiful gem in a setting of the brightest azure blue. Turning his eyes inside his tent again, Solve gazed with the expressionless aspect of a still drowsy man upon the countenance of Kettle, whose flat nose ... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587051 | tones resembling those of a bassoon. Beside him, and nestling close to him, lay the youthful Alric, with his curly head resting on Kettle's broad bosom; for the lad, albeit manly enough when awake, had sufficient of the child still about him to induce a tendency on his part, when asleep, to make use of any willing frie... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587052 | pillow. Thorer the Thick was also there, with his head on his arm, his body sprawling indescribably, his shield above him like a literal coverlet, and his right hand on his sword-hilt. "Ho!" exclaimed Solve, in a tone that marvellously resembled the tones of modern men in similar circumstances. Kettle and Thorer, howev... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587053 | very primitive alacrity, for in those days a man's life often depended on his being and keeping very wide-awake. Poor Alric was tumbled somewhat unceremoniously to one side, but that failed to awaken him, for he was not yet sufficiently trained to sleep in the midst of alarms, and felt very naturally inclined to growl ... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587054 | told to "get up!" In a few minutes, however, his lethargy was overcome; the men were aroused; the tents were struck; the longship was pushed off, and, under the influence of thirty pair of oars, it crept like a monstrous insect away over the sea. Those who had not to work at the oars sat at first quietly on the | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587055 | thwarts, or leaned over the gunwale gazing into the deep, or up at the sky, enjoying the warm air and their own fancies. But after a time talkative spirits began to loose their tongues, and ere long a murmur of quiet conversation pervaded the ship. "I wonder what news we shall hear at the stede when we arrive?" said Th... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587056 | to Kettle, who with several others sat on the poop beside Solve. "I hope it won't be bad news," answered Kettle. "Harald is not the man to sleep through the summer when there is work to be done. If it wasn't that I expect to give him the tooth-ache before I go, surely I should have been in Ireland long | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587057 | ago." "Whom didst thou serve under, Kettle, before we brought thee to Norway?" asked Alric. "Under the King of Dublin," replied Kettle. "Was he a great king?" "A great king? Aye, never was there a greater; and a great king he is yet, if he's alive, though I have my own fears on that point, for he was taking badly | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587058 | to ale when I left." There was something pathetic yet humorous in the tone and expression with which Kettle said this which caused Alric to laugh. The Irishman started, and for an instant his huge countenance blazed with a look of wrath which was quite majestic, and overawed the boy, bold though he was. But it passed a... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587059 | moment, and was replaced by a sorrowful look as Kettle shook his head and said-- "Ah! boy, your laugh reminded me of the laugh of the villain Haabrok who took the old king's throne at the time I was carried off, bound hand and foot. Lucky was it for him that my hands were not free then.--Well, well, this sounds | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587060 | like bragging," he added with a smile, "which is only fit for boys and cowards." Alric winced a little at this, for he was quite aware of his own tendency to boast, and for a moment he felt a strong inclination to stand up for "boys", and assert, that although boasting was common enough with cowardly boys, it was not | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587061 | so with all boys; but on consideration he thought it best to hold his tongue, on that point, at least until he should have freed himself of the evil of boasting. To change the subject he said-- "Was the old king fond of thee, Kettle?" "Aye, as fond of me as of his own son." "Was he like my father?" | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587062 | pursued the boy. "No; there are not many men like thy father, lad; but he was a stout and brave old man, and a great warrior in his day. Now I think of it, he was very like Guttorm Stoutheart." "Then he was a handsome man," said Solve Klofe with emphasis. "He was," continued Kettle, "but not quite so desperate. | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587063 | Old Guttorm is the most reckless man I ever did see. Did I ever tell ye of the adventure I had with him when we went on viking cruise south to Valland?" "No," said Solve; "let us hear about it; but stay till I change the oarsmen." He went forward and gave the order to relieve the men who had | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587064 | rowed from the land, and when the fresh men were on the benches he returned and bade Kettle go on. "'Tis a fine country," said the Irishman, glancing round him with a glowing eye, and speaking in a low tone, as if to himself--"one to be proud of." And in truth there was ground for his remark, for the mists | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587065 | had by that time entirely cleared away, leaving unveiled a sea so calm and bright that the innumerable islets off the coast appeared as if floating in air. "That is true," said Thorer. "I sometimes wonder, Kettle, at thy longing to return to Ireland. I am in the same case with thyself--was taken from my home in Jemtela... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587066 | a thrall, wrought out my freedom, and remained in Haldor's service, but have never wished to return home." "Didst thou leave a wife and children behind thee?" asked Kettle. "Nay; I was carried away while very young." "Is thy father alive, or thy mother?" "No, they are both dead." "Then I wonder not that ye have no desi... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587067 | home. My father and mother are both alive--at least I have good reason to believe so--my wife and children are waiting for me. Canst wonder, man, that I long to behold once more the green hills of Ireland?" "Nay, if that be so, I wonder not," replied Thorer. "Come, Kettle, thou forgettest that we wait for the story abo... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587068 | Guttorm Stoutheart," said Solve Klofe, arranging the corner of a sail so as to protect his back from the sun. "'Tis an old story now in Horlingdal," said Kettle; "but as thou hast not been in this quarter for a long time, no doubt it is new to thee. Thorer there knows it well; but I find that it bears | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587069 | telling more than once. Well, it was, as I have said, two years past that Guttorm went south to Valland on viking cruise. He called at Horlingdal in passing, and got some of the dalesmen. Among others, I was allowed to go. He and I got on very well together, and we were fortunate in getting much booty. One day | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587070 | we came to a part of the coast where we saw a strong castle of stone on the top of a hill a short way inland. We also saw plenty of cattle on a plain near the sea, so Guttorm ordered his longship to be steered for the shore, and we began to drive some of the cattle down to | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587071 | the beach, intending to slaughter them there, as our provisions were getting low. On seeing this, a party of men came out from the castle and bade us begone. We told them to be easy in their minds, for we only wanted a little food. We even went so far as to ask it of them civilly, but the men | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587072 | were such surly fellows that they refused to listen to reason, and attacked us at once. Of course we drove them back into their castle, but in doing so we lost one or two of our best men. This angered old Guttorm, who is not a quarrelsome man, as ye know. He would have gone away peaceably enough if he | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587073 | had been let alone to help himself to a few beasts; but his blood was set up by that time, so he ordered all the men on shore, and we pitched our tents and besieged the castle. Being made of stone, there was no chance of setting it on fire, and as the walls were uncommonly high, it was not | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587074 | possible to take it by assault. Well, we sat down before it, and for two days tried everything we could think of to take it, but failed, for there were plenty of men in it, and they defended the walls stoutly. Besides this, to say the truth, we had already lost a number of good men on the cruise and | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587075 | could ill afford to lose more. "On the third day some of our chief men advised Guttorm to give it up, but that made him so furious that no one dared speak to him about it for another two days. At the end of that time his nephew plucked up heart, and going to him, said-- "`Uncle, do you see | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587076 | the little birds that fly back and forward over the castle walls so freely, and build their nests in the thatch of the housetops?' "`I do, nephew,' says Guttorm. `What then?' "`My advice is,' says the nephew, `that you should order the men to make each a pair of wings like those the birds have, and then we shall all | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587077 | fly over the walls, for it seems to me that there is no other way of getting into the castle.' "`Thou art a droll knave,' replies Guttorm, for he was ever fond of a joke; `but thou art wise also, therefore I advise thee to make a pattern pair of wings for the men; and when they are ready--' "Here | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587078 | Guttorm stopped short, and fell to thinking; and he thought so long that his nephew asked him at last if he had any further commands for him. "`Yes, boy, I have. There is more in this matter of the wings than thou dreamest of. Go quickly and order the men to make snares, and catch as many of these little | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587079 | birds as they can before sunset. Let them be careful not to hurt the birds, and send Kettle Flatnose and my house-carle hither without delay.' "When I came to the old man I found him walking to and fro briskly, with an expression of eagerness in his eye. "`Kettle,' he said smartly, `go and prepare two hundred pieces of... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587080 | each about one foot long, and to the end of each piece tie a small chip of wood as long as the first joint of thy thumb, and about the size of a goose quill. Smear these pieces of wood over with pitch, and have the whole in my tent within three hours.' "As I walked away to obey this | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587081 | order, wondering what it could all be about, I heard him tell his chief house-carle to have all the men armed and ready for action a little after sunset, as quietly as possible. "Before the three hours were out, I returned to the tent with the two hundred pieces of cord prepared according to orders, and found old Gutto... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587082 | with a great sack before him, and a look of perplexity on his face that almost made me laugh. He was half-inclined to laugh too, for the sack moved about in a strange way, as if it were alive! "`Kettle,' said he, when I came forward, `I need thy help here. I have got some three hundred little birds in | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587083 | that sack, and I don't know how to keep them in order, for they are fluttering about and killing themselves right and left, so that I shall soon have none left alive for my purpose. My thought is to tie one of these cords to a leg of each bird, set the bit of stick on fire and let it | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587084 | go, so that when it flies to its nest in the thatch it will set the houses in the castle on fire. Now, what is thy advice?' "`Call as many of the men into the tent as it will hold, and let each catch a bird, and keep it till the cords are made fast; says I.' "This was done | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587085 | at once, but we had more trouble than we expected, for when the mouth of the sack was opened, out flew a dozen of the birds before we could close it! The curtain of the tent was down, however, so, after a good deal of hunting, we caught them again. When the cords were tied to these the men were | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587086 | sent out of the tent, each with a little bird in his hand, and with orders to go to his particular post and remain there till further orders. Then another batch of men came in, and they were supplied with birds and cords like the others; but ye have no notion what trouble we had. I have seen a hundred | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587087 | viking prisoners caught and held fast with half the difficulty and less noise! Moreover, while some of the men squeezed the birds to death in their fear lest they should escape, others let theirs go in their anxiety not to hurt them, and the little things flew back to their nests with the cords and bits of chip trailin... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587088 | them. At last, however, all was ready. The men were kept in hiding till after dark; then the little chips were set on fire all at the same time, and the birds were let go. It was like a shower of stars descending on the castle, for each bird made straight for its own nest; but just as we were | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587089 | expecting to behold the success of our plan, up jumped a line of men on the castle walls, and by shouting and swinging their arms scared the birds away. We guessed at once that the little birds which had escaped too soon with the strings tied to their legs had been noticed, and the trick suspected, for the men in | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587090 | the castle were well prepared. A few of the birds flew over their heads, and managed to reach the roofs, which caught fire at once; but wherever this happened, a dozen men ran at the place and beat the fire out. The thing was wisely contrived, but it was cleverly met and repelled, so we had only our trouble and | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587091 | the disappointment for our pains. "After this," continued Kettle, "old Guttorm became like a wolf. He snarled at everyone who came near him for some time, but his passion never lasted long. He soon fell upon another plan. "There was a small river which ran at the foot of the mound on which the castle stood, and there w... | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587092 | on the side next to it, One night we were all ordered to go to the mudbanks as quiet as mice, with shovels and picks in our hands, and dig a tunnel under the castle. We did so, and the first night advanced a long way, but we had to stop a good while before day to let the dirt | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587093 | wash away and the water get clear again, so that they might not suspect what we were about. The next night we got under the castle wall, and on the fifth night had got well under the great hall, for we could hear the men singing and shouting as they sat at meat above us. We had then to work | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587094 | very carefully for fear of making a noise, and when we thought it ready for the assault we took our swords and shields with us, and Guttorm led the way. His chief house-carle was appointed to drive through the floor, while Guttorm and I stood ready to egg him on and back him up. "We heard the men above singing | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587095 | and feasting as usual, when suddenly there was a great silence, for one of the big stones over our heads was loosened, and they had evidently felt or seen it. Now was the time come; so, while the house-carle shovelled off the earth, some of us got our fingers in about the edge of the stone, and pulled with all | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587096 | our force. Suddenly down it came and a man along with it. We knocked him on the head at once, and gave a loud huzza as the house-carle sprang up through the hole, caught a shower of blows on his shield, and began to lay about him fiercely. Guttorm was very mad at the carle for going up before him, | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587097 | but the carle was light and the old man was heavy, so he could not help it. I was about to follow, when a man cut at my head with a great axe as I looked up through the hole. I caught the blow on my shield, and thrust my sword up into his leg, which made him give back; | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587098 | but just at that moment the earth gave way under our feet, and a great mass of stones and rubbish fell down on us, driving us all back into the passage through which we had come, except the house-carle, who had been caught by the enemy and dragged up into the hall. As soon as we could get on our | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
twg_000012587099 | feet we tried to make for the hole again, but it was so filled with earth and stones that we could not get forward a step. Knowing, therefore, that it was useless to stay longer there, we ran back to the entrance of the tunnel, but here we found a body of men who had been sent out of the | 60 | gutenberg | unknown |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.