Therewith he went up to Grettir and pointed finger, and wagged head at him, and called him mermaid’s son, and many other ill names.

Grettir grew wroth beyond measure hereat, and could not keep himself in; he lifted up his fist, and smote the lad under the ear, so that forthwith he fell down stunned, but some say that he was slain there and then.  None seemed to know whence that lad came or what became of him, but men are mostly minded to think, that it was some unclean spirit, sent thither for Grettir’s hurt.

Now a great clamour rose in the church, and it was told the king, “He who should bear the iron is smiting all about him;” then King Olaf went down the church, and saw what was going on, and spake—­

“A most unlucky man art thou,” said he, “that now the trial should not be, as ready as all things were thereto, nor will it be easy to deal with thine ill-luck.”

Grettir answered, “I was minded that I should have gained more honour from thee, Lord, for the sake of my kin, than now seems like to be;” and he told withal how men were faring to King Olaf, as was said afore, “and now I am fain,” said he, “that thou wouldest take me to thee; thou hast here many men with thee, who will not be deemed more like men-at-arms than I?”

“That see I well,” said the king, “that few men are like unto thee for strength and stoutness of heart, but thou art far too luckless a man to abide with us:  now shall thou go in peace for me, wheresoever thou wilt, the winter long, but next summer go thou out to Iceland, for there will it be thy fate to leave thy bones.”

Grettir answered, “First would I put from me this affair of the burning, if I might, for I did not the deed willingly.”

“It is most like,” said the king; “but yet, because the trial is now come to nought for thy heedlessness’ sake, thou will not get this charge cast from thee more than now it is, For ill-heed still to ill doth lead, and if ever man has been cursed, of all men must thou have been.”

So Grettir dwelt a while in the town thereafter, but dealt no more with the king than has been told.

Then he fared into the south country, and was minded east for Tunsberg, to find Thorstein Dromond, his brother, and there is nought told of his travels till he came east to Jadar.

CHAP.  XL.

Of Grettir and Snoekoll.

At yule came Grettir to a bonder who was called Einar, he was a rich man, and was married and had one daughter of marriageable age, who was called Gyrid; she was a fair woman, and was deemed a right good match; Einar bade Grettir abide with him through Yule, and that proffer he took.

Then was it the wont far and wide in Norway that woodmen and misdoers would break out of the woods and challenge men for their women, or they took away men’s goods with violence, whereas they had not much help of men.