42 James Christian Lindberg 



Scene IV 

 A Peasant's House 



Orm, with his bride, Gudrun, seated at the head of the table, Berg- 

 THOR next her. On the other side Astrid with her betrothed, Thorvald. 

 Other peasants. 



Bergthor. Be merry, children ! Let the horns go round ! 

 No stinting of the wine though dear with age. 

 Long since, the day Gunlode stood my bride, 

 I placed this wine within the cellar, swore 

 An oath that it should not be touched, before 

 I solemnized my eldest daughter's marriage. 

 You see I kept my oath. My later years 

 Are filled with Joy. A goodly wench, my friends; 

 Just nine months younger than the wine ; thus long 

 I waited ere Gunlode bore the child. 

 I well remember when 1 saw thee first ; 

 Thou madest me angry, child, I nearly cursed tliee ; 

 And then thy mother, how I chided her. 

 'Woman'! I cried, 'what pranks are these? What need 

 Have I of daughters ? Get me sons, whom I 

 Can teach the arts of war.' Therewith I threw 

 The wench upon the bed. 



Orm. And yet in time 



Thou caniest to love the child. 



Bergthor. T can't say how 



It was, but as she grew, she crawled and whisked 

 About, now here, now there, and then when girls 

 Are fifteen, sixteen years of age, — well then. 

 Somehow you have to like them, aye or no ; 

 It seems you 're forced. 



Orm. Old age is happy here 



Tonight. Come Thorvald, fill the liorns anew ! 

 Have all forgotten how to drink ? 



Thorvald. Forgot 



To drink ! How now my lad ! Forgot to drink ! 

 I feel like Fiolnir, I, the king who drowned 



8d 



