The  Viking's  wife  sat  on  the  cross  bench  in  the  open

banquet  hall.     She  wore  a  silk  dress,  gold  bracelets,  and

large  amber  beads.     She  was  in  her  grandest  attire,  and

the  skald  named  her  also  in  his  song,  and  spoke  of  the

golden  treasure  she  had  brought  her  husband ;  and  he

rejoiced  in  the  lovely  child  he  had  only  seen  by  daylight,

in  all  its  wondrous  beauty.     The  fierce   temper  which

accompanied  her  exterior  charms  pleased  him.      "  She

might  become,"  he  said,  "a  stalwart  female  warrior,  and


THE    MUD-KING'S    DAUGHTER.  Gl

able  to  kill  a  giant  adversary."  She  never  even  blinked
lier  eyes  when  a  practised  hand,  in  sport,  cut  off  her  eye-
brows with  a  sharp  sword.
