King Olaf's Dream 229 



which the handle was worked with gold. He had also 

 a strong coat of ring-mail. 



' Xow, when King Olaf had drawn up his men, the 

 army of the bonders had not yet come near upon any 

 quarter, so the king said the people should sit down 

 and rest themselves. He sat down himself, and the 

 people sat around him in a wide-spread crowd. He 

 leaned down, and laid his head upon Finn Arnason's 

 knee. There a slumber came upon him, and he slept 

 a little while ; but at the same time the bonders' army 

 was seen advancing with raised banners, and the multi- 

 tude of these was very great. 



' Then Finn awakened the king, and said that the 

 bonder army advanced against them. 



' The king awoke and said : " Why did you waken me, 

 Finn, and did not allow me to enjoy my dream ? " 



' Finn : " Thou must not be dreaming ; but rather thou 

 shouldst be awake and preparing thyself against the 

 host which is coming down upon us ; or, dost thou not 

 see that the whole bonder crowd is coming ? " 



' The king replies : " They are not yet so near to us ; 

 and it would have been better to have let me sleep." 



' Then said Finn : " What was the dream, sire, of 

 which the loss appears to thee so great that thou 

 wouldst rather have been left to waken of thyself ?" 



' Now the king told his dream : that he seemed to see 

 a high ladder, upon which he went so high in the air 

 that Heaven was open, for so high reached the ladder. 

 " And wdien you awoke me I was come to the highest 

 step towards heaven." 



' Finn replies : " This dream does not appear to me so 

 good as it does to thee. I think thou art fey, king." 



