so broken his trusty
club, he laid hold of a lusty raw-boned miller and made use of him as
a weapon till he had quite cleared the field.

If Tom Hickathrift had been a hero before, he was twice a hero now.
When the king heard of it all, he sent for him to be knighted, and
when he was Sir Thomas Hickathrift nothing would serve him but that he
must be married to a great lady of the country.

So married he was, and a fine wedding they had of it. There was a
great feast given, to which all the poor widows for miles round were
invited, because of Tom's mother, and rich and poor feasted together.
Among the poor widows who came was an old woman called Stumbelup, who
with much ingratitude stole from the great table a silver tankard. But
she had not got safe away before she was caught and the people were
so enraged at her wickedness that they nearly hanged her. However,
Sir Tom had her rescued, and commanded that she should be drawn on
a wheelbarrow through the streets and lanes of Cambridge, holding a
placard in her hand on which was written--

"I am the naughty Stumbelup,
Who tried to steal the silver cup."

HEROES OF SCANDINAVIA

THE STORY OF FRITHIOF

ADAPTED BY JULIA GODDARD

I

In a cottage overshadowed by wide-spreading oaks, and surrounded by a
garden in which bloomed the sweetest flowers of summer, lived an aged
peasant named Hilding.

Two children might be seen playing about the garden from sunrise to
sunset, but they were not old Hilding's children. The handsome boy
was the son of the thane Thorsten Vikingsson; the little girl, with
dove-like eyes and silken tresses, was the daughter of good King Bele.

Together the little ones played through the long pleasant days in
their foster-father's garden, or wandered through the woods, or
climbed the hills that sheltered them from the northern winds. The boy
would seek treasures from the birds' nests for his fair companion,
not even fearing to rob the mountain eagle, so that he might bring the
spoil to Ingebjorg. He would also take her far out on the blue sea in
his little boat, and Ingebjorg never felt afraid as long as Frithiof
was with her.

As Frithiof grew older, he became a great hunter, and once he slew
without weapons a fierce bear, which he brought home in triumph and
laid at Ingebjorg's feet.

During the winter evenings, they sat by the blazing logs on the
hearth, and Hilding told them wonderful stories of Asgard and all