he found the king she says to him that her son is
dangerously ill of a boil in his neck, and begs him to lay his hand on
the boil. The king tells her he is not a physician, and bids her go to
where there were physicians. She replies, that the queen had told her
to come to him; "and told me to add the request from her, that you would
would use the remedy you understood, and she said that thou art the best
physician here in the town." Then the king took the lad, laid his hands
upon his neck, and felt the boil for a long time, until the boy made
a very wry face. Then the king took a piece of bread, laid it in the
figure of the cross upon the palm of his hand, and put it into the boy's
mouth. He swallowed it down, and from that time all the soreness left
his neck, and in a few days he was quite well, to the great joy of his
mother and all his relations. Then first came Olaf into the repute of
having as much healing power in his hands as is ascribed to men who have
been gifted by nature with healing by the touch; and afterwards when his
miracles were universally acknowledged, this also was considered one of
his miracles.

201. KING OLAF BURNS THE WOOD SHAVINGS ON HIS HAND FOR HIS SABBATH BREACH.

It happened one Sunday that the king sat in his highseat at the dinner
table, and had fallen into such deep thought that he did not observe
how time went. In one hand he had a knife, and in the other a piece
of fir-wood from which he cut splinters from time to time. The
table-servant stood before him with a bowl in his hands; and seeing what
the king was about, and that he was involved in thought, he said, "It is
Monday, sire, to-morrow." The king looked at him when he heard this,
and then it came into his mind what he was doing on the Sunday. Then the
king ordered a lighted candle to be brought him, swept together all the
shavings he had made, set them on fire, and let them burn upon his
naked hand; showing thereby that he would hold fast by God's law and
commandment, and not trespass without punishment on what he knew to be
right.

202. OF KING OLAF.

When King Olaf had resolved on his return home, he made known his
intention to King Jarisleif and Queen Ingegerd. They dissuaded him
from this expedition, and said he should receive as much power in their
dominions as he thought desirable; but begged him not to put himself
within the reach of his enemies with so few men as he had. Then King
Olaf told them of his dream