Asmund Longhair now set up a large and sumptuous household in Bjarg,
where he maintained a numerous retinue and became very popular. His
children were as follows: The eldest was Atli, an able and accomplished
man, tactful and easy to deal with; he was much liked by all. His second
son was called Grettir. He was very hard to manage in his bringing up.
He spoke little and was rough in his manners and quarrelsome, both in
words and deeds. He got little affection from his father Asmund, but his
mother loved him dearly. Grettir was a handsome man in appearance, with
a face rather broad and short, red-haired and somewhat freckled; not
very precocious in his youth. There was a daughter named Thordis,
who afterwards married Glum the son of Ospak, Kjallak's son from
Skridinsenni. Another daughter was named Rannveig; she married Gamli the
son of Thorhall of Vineland, and they dwelt at Melar in Hrutafjord and
had a son named Grim. Glum and Thordis had a son named Ospak who fell
into a dispute with Odd the son of Ofeig, which is told of in the "Saga
of the Banded Men."
Grettir grew up at Bjarg until he was ten years old, when he began to
develop a little. Asmund told him that he must do some work. Grettir
said that would not suit him very well, but asked what he was to do.
"You must mind the geese," said Asmund.
"That is wretched work, only fit for an idiot," Grettir answered.
"You do that properly," his father said, "and we shall get on better
together."
So Grettir went to mind the geese. There were fifty of them, and a
number of goslings. Before long he began to find them troublesome, and
the goslings would not come on quickly enough. This put him out, for he
could never control his temper. Soon afterwards some wanderers found the
goslings lying outside dead, and the geese with their wings broken.
This was in the autumn. Asmund was very much annoyed and asked Grettir
whether he had killed the birds. Grettir grinned and answered:
"Always when winter is coming on
I like to wring the goslings' necks.
If among them there are geese
I treat the creatures all alike."
"You shan't twist any more of their necks," said Asmund.
"The friend aye warns his friend of ill," answered Grettir.
"I will give you other work to do."
"He knoweth most who most hath tried. But what am I to do now?" Grettir
asked.
"You shall rub my back when I am sitting by the fire, as I am in the
habit of having it done."
"Warm work for the hands." he answered. "It is only fit for an idiot."
This for a time was Grettir's occupation. As the autumn advanced Asmund
wanted more warmth, and was constantly telling Grettir to rub his back
hard. It was the custom in those days for people to have large rooms
with long fires in them in their houses, where men sat by the fire in
the evenings on benches, sleeping afterwards at the side away from the
fires. By day the women carded their wool there.
One evening when Grettir had to scratch Asmund's back his father said to
him: "Now you will have to put aside your laziness, you good-for-nothing
you."
Grettir answered: "`Tis ill to rouse a hasty temper."
"You are fit for nothing at all," said Asmund.
Grettir saw some wood-combs lying on one of the benches; he took up one
of them and drew it along Asmund's back. Asmund sprang up and was going
to thrash him with his stick, but he escaped. His mother came up and
asked what they were fighting about. Grettir answered in a verse:
"Oh lady, the giver of treasure, I see,
has dire intent to burn my hands.
With nails uncut I was stroking his back.
Clearly I see the bird of wounds."
His mother was much vexed with Grettir for what he had done and said he
would not grow up very prudent. The affair did not improve the relations
between Asmund and his son.
Soon after this Asmund spoke to Grettir and told him to look after his
horses. Grettir said that would be better than back-fire-warming.
"You are to do what I tell you," said Asmund. "I have a dun mare with
a dark stripe down her back whom I call Keingala. She is very knowing
about the weather and about rain coming. When she refuses to graze it
never fails that a storm will follow. You are then to keep the horses
under shelter in the stables, and when cold weather sets in keep them
to the north of the ridge. I hope you will perform this duty better than
the two which I gave you before."
Grettir said: "That is cold work, and fit for a man to do; but it seems
to me rash to trust to the mare, when to my knowledge no one has done so
before."
So Grettir took to minding the horses, and went on until Yule-tide was
past, when very cold weather set in, with snow, so that grazing was
difficult. He was very badly provided with clothes and little hardened
to the weather. He began to feel it very cold, and Keingala always chose
the windiest places whatever the weather was. She never came to the
meadow early enough to get home before nightfall. Grettir then thought
he would play a trick upon Keingala to pay her out for her wanderings.
One morning early he came to the stables, opened the door and found
Keingala standing in front of the manger. She had taken the whole of
the fodder which had been given to all the horses for herself. Grettir
jumped upon her back, with a sharp knife in his hand which he drew
across her shoulder and along her back on both sides. The horse was fat
and fresh; she shied back very frightened and kicked out till her hoofs
rattled against the walls. Grettir fell off, but picked himself up and
tried to mount her again. There was a sharp struggle, which ended in his
shaving all the skin on her back down to her flank. Then he drove the
horses out to the meadow. Keingala would not take a bite except off her
back, and soon after noon she bolted off to the stables. Grettir locked
the door and went home. Asmund asked him where the horses were; he said
he had looked after them as usual. Asmund said there must be a storm
close at hand if the horses would not stay out in such weather as there
was then.
Grettir said: "Many seem wise who are lacking in wit."
The night passed and there was no storm. Grettir drove out the horses,
but Keingala could not endure the pasture. Asmund thought it very
strange that no change came in the weather. On the third morning he went
himself to the horses and on seeing Keingala he said: "Ill indeed have
the horses fared in this beautiful weather! Thy back will not deceive
me, my Bleikala."
"The likely may happen--also the unlikely," said Grettir.
Asmund stroked the back of the horse and all her coat came off on
his hand. He could not understand how she had got into that state and
thought Grettir must have done it. Grettir grinned and said nothing.
Asmund went home and became very abusive. He heard his wife say: "My
son's watching of the horses must have prospered well."
Then he spoke a verse:
"He has cheated me sorely, and Keingala shorn.
'Tis the pride of a woman that urges her tongue.
Artful he holds my commands in derision.
Consider my verses, oh wife of my heart."
"I do not know," she said, "which seems to me the more perverse, for you
to make him work, or for him always to get out of it in the same way."
"Now there shall be an end to it," said Asmund. "He must have something
worse than merely making good the damage."
"Let neither speak of it to the other," said Grettir, and so it
remained.
Asmund had Keingala killed. Many more childish pranks did Grettir play
which are not told in the saga. He now began to grow very big, but men
did not clearly know what strength he had because he had never been
tried in wrestling. He kept making verses and ditties which were always
a little ironical. He did not sleep in the common room and was generally
very silent.