A FAIR. 



"Next summer Thrand went with trading men south to 

 Denmark, and reached Haleyri in the summer. There were 

 very many people gathered, and it is said that thither come 

 more people than to any other place in Nordrlond (the 

 northern lands) while the fair lasts. At that time King 

 Harald Gormsson, called Blatdim (blue tooth), ruled Den- 

 mark. King Harald was at Haleyri in the summer, and main- 

 men with him. Two of the king's hirdmen who were there 

 with him are mentioned ; one was called Sigurd, the other 

 Harek. These brothers always went round the town, and 

 wanted to buy the best and largest gold ring they could get. 

 They entered a booth which was very finely arranged ; a man 

 sitting there received them well, and asked what they wished 

 to buy. They said they wanted to buy a large and good 

 gold ring. He answered there was a good choice of them. 

 They asked for his name, and he called himself Holmgeir 

 Audgi (the wealthy). He set forth his costly things, and 

 showed them a heavy gold ring which was very costly, and 

 valued at so high a price that they did not know whether 

 they could get so much silver at once as he wanted, and asked 

 him to delay it till next morning, to which he assented. 



" The king and others perceived that silver had been stolen 

 from them, so the king issued a proclamation that no ships 

 were to sail as long as matters stood thus. This seemed to 

 many a great disadvantage, as it was, to stay there longer than 

 the fair lasted. Then the Norwegians had a meeting among 

 themselves to take counsel. Thrand was at the meeting, and 

 said : ' The men here are very helpless.' They asked : ' Dost 

 thou know a plan ? ' ' Certainly I do,' he said. ' Then give 

 us thy advice,' they said. ' I will not do that gratuitously.' 

 They asked what he demanded, and he answered : * Every one 

 of you shall give me one eyrir of silver.' They said that was 

 a great deal, but it was agreed that every man there should 

 give him half an eyrir at once, and the other half if he was 

 successful. The next day the king had a Thing, and said that 

 the men should never go thence until this theft was discovered. 

 Then a young man with long red hair, freckly and rather ugly 

 of face, began to speak, and said : ' The people here are rather 

 helpless.' The advice-givers of the king asked what advice he 

 had to give. He answered : ' It is my advice that every man 

 here present give as much silver as the king demands, and 

 when that is put into one place, then pay the loss of him who 

 has suffered, and let the king have the rest as a gift of honour. 

 I know that he will use well what he gets ; let not people stay 

 here weatherbound, such a multitude as here is assembled, to 

 such a great disadvantage.' The assembled quickly accepted 



p 2 



