7^ James Christian Lindhcrg 



Scene III 



The Sacrificial Grove. 



Enter Hakon leading his little son Erling by the hand. 



Erling. It 's cold, my father, ver}- cold. 



Hakon. My son, 



'T is early morning yet ; the air is chilled ; 

 Art shivering- ? 



Erling. No matter, father mine. 



I 'm g-lad, for thou didst promise me that I 

 Might see the rising of the sun. How grand! 

 I never saw it rise. 



Hakon. x\long the east 



Dost see those ruddy beams ? 



Erling. [Clapping Ins hands.] What roses ! Look ! 

 See there! What pretty roses! P'ather mine. 

 Come, tell me, whence come those pretty pearls ? 

 Look, how they strew the valley here and yon, 

 And flash against the roses. 



Hakon. Child, my son. 



Those are not pearls, but morning dev/s ; and that 's 

 The sun, which thou callest roses. Look ! Behold, 

 It rises. 



Erling. What a ball ! How fiery red! 

 My father, can we ever go to see 

 The morning sun ? 



Hakon. All life is thither bound, 



M^'- child. For look, that beauteous flaming light 

 W^hich beams out yonder, that is Odin's eye. 

 The other, which thou seest at night, my son, 

 With paler beams and whitish blaze, that eye 

 Hath Odin pawned in Mimer's ,well,''^ to gain 

 A drink which makes more keen, more sharp his sight. 



Erling. And where is Mimer's well? 



Hakon. Out yonder, son. 



The mighty ocean, tumbling 'gainst the cliffs; 



' 1.14 



