r counsel; but
Ragnar, who chanced to be present at the assembly, said: "The short bow
shoots its shaft suddenly. Though it may seem the hardihood of a boy
that I venture to forestall the speech of the elders, yet I pray you
to pardon my errors, and be indulgent to my unripe words. Yet the
counsellor of wisdom is not to be spurned, though he seem contemptible;
for the teaching of profitable things should be drunk in with an open
mind. Now it is shameful that we should be branded as deserters and
runaways, but it is just as foolhardy to venture above our strength;
and thus there is proved to be equal blame either way. We must, then,
pretend to go over to the enemy, but, when a chance comes in our way, we
must desert him betimes. It will thus be better to forestall the wrath
of our foe by reigned obedience than, by refusing it, to give him a
weapon wherewith to attack us yet more harshly; for if we decline the
sway of the stronger, are we not simply turning his arms against our own
throat? Intricate devices are often the best nurse of craft. You need
cunning to trap a fox." By this sound counsel he dispelled the wavering
of his countrymen, and strengthened the camp of the enemy to its own
hurt.

The assembly, marvelling at the eloquence as much as at the wit of one
so young, gladly embraced a proposal of such genius, which they thought
excellent beyond his years. Nor were the old men ashamed to obey the
bidding of a boy when they lacked counsel themselves; for, though it
came from one of tender years, it was full, notwithstanding, of weighty
and sound instruction. But they feared to expose their adviser to
immediate peril, and sent him over to Norway to be brought up. Soon
afterwards, Siward joined battle with Ring and attacked him. He slew
Ring, but himself received an incurable wound, of which he died a few
days afterwards.

He was succeeded on the throne by RAGNAR. At this time Fro (Frey?), the
King of Sweden, after slaying Siward, the King of the Norwegians, put
the wives of Siward's kinsfolk in bonds in a brothel, and delivered
them to public outrage. When Ragnar heard of this, he went to Norway to
avenge his grandfather. As he came, many of the matrons, who had either
suffered insult to their persons or feared imminent peril to their
chastity, hastened eagerly to his camp in male attire, declaring that
they would prefer death to outrage. Nor did Ragnar, who was to punish
this reproach upon the women, scorn to use