t back into the sea with all his might, bade his brother sail
away to the Land of Giants and never return.

Odin, feeling sure that all was well with the boys, had resigned his
care for their safety and had returned to Asgard, and thus the giants
were able to play him a trick, which they did by causing the wind to
veer round, whereby Agnar was carried away to the edge of the world.

Meantime, the hard-hearted Geirrod ran cheerfully into his father's
palace, and announced that he had come back alone from a desert island
upon which his boat had been stranded, his elder brother having been
drowned in the sea.

His father was overjoyed to see him, for he had given up hope of
setting eyes on either of his sons again. He made him his heir, and in
due time, when some years had passed away, he died, and Geirrod became
king in his stead.

Now All-Father Odin had so many things to attend to that, as we have
seen, he thought no more of his boy friends for many years.

Then at length, when Geirrod had sat for some time on his fathers
throne, Odin looked from his high seat in Asgard upon him, and seeing
with pleasure how great a man he had become, his thoughts turned to
Agnar. For a time he could see nothing of him, but at last he
discerned that he had returned in disguise to his brother's palace and
was living there, unknown to Geirrod, as a servant.

Then Odin turned to Frigga, who sat by his side on the high seat, and
said tauntingly, "Did I not always say that Geirrod was by far the
better and braver and stronger of those two boys? Behold, although he
is the younger, he sits upon his father's throne, while Agnar brews
ale for his table."

To this Frigga quietly replied: "It is better to be a poor servant
than a hard-hearted king. For see how rich is Geirrod; yet he turns
away the guest from the door, and ill-treats those who ask a kindness
at his hands."

"I will never believe it," said Odin, who could be very obstinate when
he liked; "and to prove you are wrong I will disguise myself again as
a wanderer, and ask for food and shelter from the king."

So he took his blue-grey cloak and broad-brimmed hat, and, with a
pilgrim's staff in his hand, set off adown the Rainbow Bridge.
Meantime, Frigga, determined to show that she was right, and to
prevent Geirrod from receiving Odin with favour by mere chance, sent a
swift and secret messenger, warning the king to beware of a man in a
blue-grey mantle and wide-brimmed hat, fo