s for more--everything must bow before the mighty Olaf
Glob. His rich cousin at Thyland is dead, and his widow is to have the
rich inheritance. But how comes it that one relation is always harder
towards another than even strangers would be? The widow's husband had
possessed all Thyland, with the exception of the Church property. Her
son was not at home. In his boyhood he had already started on a
journey, for his desire was to see foreign lands and strange people.
For years there had been no news of him. Perhaps he had long been
laid in the grave, and would never come back to his home to rule where
his mother then ruled.

"What has a woman to do with rule?" said the bishop.

He summoned the widow before a court; but what did he gain thereby?
The widow had never been disobedient to the law, and was strong in her
just rights.

Bishop Olaf, of Boerglum, what dost thou purpose? What writest thou on
yonder smooth parchment, sealing it with thy seal, and intrusting it
to the horsemen and servants, who ride away--far away--to the city of
the Pope?

It is the time of falling leaves and of stranded ships, and soon icy
winter will come.

Twice had icy winter returned before the bishop welcomed the horsemen
and servants back to their home. They came from Rome with a papal
decree--a ban, or bull, against the widow who had dared to offend the
pious bishop. "Cursed be she, and all that belongs to her. Let her be
expelled from the congregation and the Church. Let no man stretch
forth a helping hand to her, and let friends and relations avoid her
as a plague and a pestilence!"

"What will not bend must break," said the Bishop of Boerglum.

And all forsake the widow; but she holds fast to her God. He is her
helper and defender.

One servant only--an old maid--remained faithful to her; and, with the
old servant, the widow herself followed the plough; and the crop grew,
though the land had been cursed by the Pope and the bishop.

"Thou child of hell, I will yet carry out my purpose!" cries the
Bishop of Boerglum. "Now will I lay the hand of the Pope upon thee, to
summon thee before the tribunal that shall condemn thee!"

[Illustration: JENS GLOB MEETS HIS MOTHER.]

Then did the widow yoke the two last oxen that remained to her to a
waggon, and mounted upon the waggon, with her old servant, and
travelled away across the heath out of the Danish land. As a stranger
she came into a foreign country, where a strange tongue was spo