A long time ago there lived in Iceland a man whose
name was Audun. His means were small, but everybody
knew of his goodness. In order to see the world and to
add to his wealth, he once sailed to Greenland with a sea
captain named Thorir. Before he went, he gave everything 5
that he had to his mother--and this was not much.
In Greenland Audun bought a white bear that was well
tamed and trained--and it was the greatest treasure of
a bear that had ever been thought of. The next summer
Thorir sailed back to Norway, and Audun went with him, 10
taking the bear.
Now Audun had made up his mind to give the bear to
Sweyn, the king of Denmark; and so, leaving Thorir, he
made his way south to the Cattegat. While he was waiting
for some vessel that would carry him across the channel, it 15
so happened that Harold, the king of Norway, came also to
the same place.
Of course some one soon told King Harold about the
Icelander who had lately come from Greenland with a
wonderful white bear, and he at once sent for Audun. 20
"I have heard about your white bear," said Harold,
"and I wish to buy it."
"I will not sell it," answered Audun.
"But I will pay you twice as much as you gave for it,"
said the king. 25
"Not for any price will I sell it," said the Icelander.
"Then will you give it to me?" asked the king.
"No, my lord, I will not do that," answered Audun.
"What, then, will you do with it?" asked the king.
Audun answered, "I have made up my mind to take it
to Denmark and give it to King Sweyn, for he is also the 5
king of my own country."
Then Harold spoke up sharply: "Don't you know, my
fellow, that there is war between Norway and Denmark,
and between myself and your King Sweyn? Don't you
know that I have the power to prevent you from ever 10
getting to his land?"
Audun answered, "I know that you have the power, and
that all rests with you. But I will consent to nothing
save to do as I have told you."
The king sat in thought for a moment and then said, 15
"Well, I see no reason why you should not do as you please
in this matter. But promise me that when you come this
way again, you will tell me how King Sweyn rewarded you
for the beast."
"I give you my word to do that," answered Audun. 20
Then, leading the bear behind him, he went away. But
it was a long time before he could find any means to cross
over into Denmark, and when at last he set foot upon the
shores of that country he had not even a penny with which
to buy food. Both he and the bear were starving, and it 25
was a long way to the place where the king was staying.
In his distress, Audun went to a rich man named Auki
and begged for food for himself and his bear.
"What are you going to do with the beast?" asked
Auki. 30
"Give him to King Sweyn," answered the Icelander.
"And how much do you expect to receive for him?"
"Only so much as the king in his bounty wishes to give."
Then the rich man answered, "If you will give me one
half of the bear, I will feed you both."
And to this Audun made agreement, for he was almost
dead of hunger and so was the bear. 5
Then the Icelander and the rich man went on, leading
the bear, until they came to King Sweyn's house. The
king greeted Auki in a friendly manner, and turning to
Audun, said, "You are a stranger to me. Pray tell me
whence you have come." 10
"I am from Iceland," answered Audun, "and have but
lately been to Greenland. My errand here is to give you
a white bear which I bought in Greenland. But my
necessities have obliged me to part with one half of the
beast, and I can only beg of you to accept the other half." 15
And then, after much questioning, he told the whole story.
The king turned to the rich man, who was standing by,
and asked, "Is this true, Auki?"
"It is, my lord," answered Auki.
Then the king was angry and sent the rich man home, 20
empty-handed and sorrowful. But he said to the Icelander,
"I thank you for the rare and wonderful gift which you
have brought me. Stay here in my house for a while."
So Audun dwelt for some time with the king's household,
and no man was more faithful, more honest, or more 25
brave than he. Many deeds of courage did he perform,
and many and worthy were his services. All men liked
him, and the king was most gracious to him; but his heart
turned always toward Iceland and his poor mother whom
he had left behind. 30
One day when the springtide was drawing on, the king
spoke to the Icelander and said: "Audun, I have never
yet given you anything for the white bear. I have a mind
to make you one of my chief officers, so that you shall
always be near me."
And Audun answered, "I thank you, my lord, with all
my heart. But far away over the northern seas there is a 5
poor woman who is my mother. I fear that by this time
she is in want; for although I left her all that I had, it
was not much. I cannot bear to sit here in ease and honor
while she has not enough to keep hunger away. And so I
have set my heart on sailing for Iceland." 10
"There speaks a good man and true," cried the king.
"You shall do as you most desire; but wait a little while
till a ship is ready."
So Audun waited. And one day when spring was at its
best, King Sweyn went with him down to the waterside, 15
where many men were busy freighting ships for foreign
lands. They walked till they came to a merchant vessel
of fine size.
"What do you think of this ship, Audun?" asked the
king. 20
"She is fine enough, surely," answered the Icelander.
"Well," said the king, "I will now repay you for the
bear. This ship and all the goods on board of it are
yours."
Audun thanked the king as well as he could. And when 25
the day came for the ship to sail, the two walked down to
the waterside again.
"I have heard much of the perils of the sea," said King
Sweyn, "and if this fair ship should be wrecked, all your
goods will doubtless be lost and little will be left to show 30
that you have met the king of Denmark."
As he said this, the king put into Audun's hand a
leather bag, full of silver, saying, "Take this, and even if
your ship goes down, you will not be entirely penniless."
Audun was so filled with gratitude that he could not
speak. But the king had still another surprise for him.
He drew a ring of gold, very costly, from his arm and put 5
it upon the arm of the Icelander.
"Take this," he said. "Even though you should lose
ship and goods and money, you will still not be penniless,
for the gold will be around your arm."