Audunn now followed the coast southward and eastward into the Vik,
and from there to Denmark, and by that time every penny of his money
had been spent, and he had to beg food for himself as well as for
the bear. He called on one of King Sveinn's stewards, a man named
Aki, and asked him for some provisions, both for himself and for his
bear.--I intend, said he, to give the bear to King Sveinn.
Aki said that he would sell him some provisions if he liked, but
Audunn answered that he had nothing to pay for them,--but yet, said
he, I would like to carry out my plan, and to take the beast to the
King.
Aki answered: I will supply such provisions as the two of you need
until you go before the King, but in exchange I will have half the
bear. You can look at it in this way: the beast will die on your
hands, since you need a lot of provisions and your money is spent,
and it will come to this, that you will have nothing out of the
bear.
When Audunn considered this, it seemed to him that there was some
truth in what the steward had said, and they agreed on these terms:
he gave Aki half the bear, and the King was then to set a value on
the whole.
Now they were both to visit the King, and so they did. They went
into his presence and stood before his table. The King wondered who
this man could be, whom he did not recognize, and then said to
Audunn: Who are you?
Audunn answered: I am an Icelander, my Lord, and I came lately from
Greenland, and now from Norway, intending to bring you this white
bear. I gave all I had for him, but I have had a serious setback, so
now I only own half of the beast.--Then Audunn told the King what
had happened between him and the steward, Aki.
The King asked: Is that true, what he says, Aki?
True it is, said Aki.
The King said: And did you think it proper, seeing that I had placed
you in a high position, to let and hinder a man who had taken it on
himself to bring me a precious gift, for which he had given all he
had? King Haraldr saw fit to let him go his way in peace, and he is
no friend of ours. Think, then, how far this was honest on your
part. It would be just to have you put to death, but I will not do
that now; you must rather leave this land at once, and never come
into my sight again. But to you, Audunn, I owe the same gratitude as
if you were giving me the whole of the bear, so now stay here with
me.
Audunn accepted the invitation and stayed with King Sveinn for a
while.