aised banners, and the multitude of these was very great.

Then Fin awakened the king, and said that the bonde-army advanced
against them.

The king awoke, and said, "Why did you waken me, Fin, and did not allow
me to enjoy my dream?"

Fin: "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 bonde-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 Fin, "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 when you awoke me, I was come to the highest
step towards heaven."

Fin replies, "This dream does not appear to me so good as it does to
thee. I think it means that thou art fey (1); unless it be the mere want
of sleep that has worked upon thee."

ENDNOTES: (1) Fey means doomed to die.

227. OF ARNLJOT GELLINE'S BAPTISM.

When King Olaf was arrived at Stiklestad, it happened, among other
circumstances, that a man came to him; and although it was nowise
wonderful that there came many men from the districts, yet this must be
regarded as unusual, that this man did not appear like the other men
who came to him. He was so tall that none stood higher than up to his
shoulders: very handsome he was in countenance, and had beautiful fair
hair. He was well armed; had a fine helmet, and ring armour; a red
shield; a superb sword in his belt; and in his hand a gold-mounted
spear, the shaft of it so thick that it was a handful to grasp. The man
went before the king, saluted him, and asked if the king would accept
his services.

The king asked his name and family, also what countryman he was.

He replies, "My family is in Jamtaland and Helsingjaland, and my name is
Arnljot Gelline; but this I must not forget to tell you, that I came to
the assistance of those men you sent to Jamtaland to collect scat, and I
gave into their hands a silver dish, which I sent you as a token that I
would be your friend."

Then the king asked Arnljot if he was a Christian or not. He replied,
"My faith has been this, to rely upon my power and strength, and which
faith hath hitherto given me sat