he last of all the sons of Eirik and Gunnhild; all were now
dead.

|| The winter after that King Olaf was come from Halogaland, caused he to
be built under the cliffs at Ladir a great ship: a ship far mightier
than any other ship of that land, and the stocks whereon she was built
are still to be seen.

Of this ship was Thorberg the master-smith, but with him were many
others at work, some felling trees, some shaping them, some hammering
nails, & some carrying timber. All the material was of the choicest, and
the ship was both long and broad, built with great beams, and the
bulwarks thereof were high. Now when the outer sheathing was being put
on, some errand of necessity carried Thorberg thence unto his homestead,
and there he tarried a great while.

When he came back the ship was fully sheathed, and the King went in the
evening, and Thorberg with him, even to see how all things had been
done; and men said never before had been seen a long-ship so big or so
fine.

Then went the King back even unto his town, but early on the morrow came
he once more to his ship and Thorberg accompanied him, and they found
that the smiths were gone forward, standing there, all of them, without
working. The King asked wherefore were they doing nothing, & they made
answer that the ship had been spoiled; that a man must have gone from
stem to stern hacking her with an axe even the whole length of the
gunwale.

Then went the King and witnessed with his own eyes the truth thereof,
and straightway said he, & sware thereon, that die should that man once
the King wot whosoever he was who from envy had spoiled the ship, 'but
he who can tell me this thing shall have great reward.' Then said
Thorberg, 'I can tell thee, King, who it is that hath wrought this.'
'I cannot indeed expect of another that he should so well as thee get to
wot of this matter & tell me thereof.' 'I will tell thee, King,' quoth
he, 'who hath done it: I did it.'

Then answered the King, 'thou shalt make it good, so that all shall be
as well as it was before; and thy life shall be on it.'

Thereafter went Thorberg to the ship and chopped the gunwale in such
wise that all the notches were pared away, and the King said then, and
all the others likewise, that now the ship was even so goodlier by far
on that side on which Thorberg had cut the notches. So then the King
bade him fashion both sides alike, & gave him land even for so doing,
and thus was Thorberg master-smith