ld's sons also were cut off when they
became disobedient to the Danish kings; and Harald Gormson joined Norway
to his own dominions, and made it subject to scat to him. And we reckon
Harald Gormson to be of less power and consideration than the Upsala
kings, for our relation Styrbjorn subdued him, and Harald became his
man; and yet Eirik the Victorious, my father, rose over Styrbjorn's head
when it came to a trial between them. When Olaf Trygvason came to Norway
and proclaimed himself king, we would not permit it, but we went with
King Svein, and cut him off; and thus we have appropriated Norway, as
thou hast not heard, and with no less right than if I had gained it in
battle, and by conquering the kings who ruled it before. Now thou canst
well suppose, as a man of sense, that I will not let slip the kingdom of
Norway for this thick fellow. It is wonderful he does not remember how
narrowly he made his escape, when we had penned him in in the Malar
lake. Although he slipped away with life from thence, he ought,
methinks, to have something else in his mind than to hold out against us
Swedes. Now, Hjalte, thou must never again open thy mouth in my presence
on such a subject."

Hjalte saw sufficiently that there was no hope of the king's listening
to any proposal of a peace, and desisted from speaking of it, and turned
the conversation to something else. When Hjalte, afterwards, came
into discourse with the king's daughter Ingegerd, he tells her his
conversation with the king. She told him she expected such an answer
from the king. Hjalte begged of her to say a good word to the king about
the matter, but she thought the king would listen as little to what she
said: "But speak about it I will, if thou requirest it." Hjalte assured
her he would be thankful for the attempt. One day the king's daughter
Ingegerd had a conversation with her father Olaf; and as she found her
father was in a particularly good humour, she said, "What is now thy
intention with regard to the strife with Olaf the Thick? There are many
who complain about it, having lost their property by it; others have
lost their relations by the Northmen, and all their peace and quiet; so
that none of your men see any harm that can be done to Norway. It would
be a bad counsel if thou sought the dominion over Norway; for it is a
poor country, difficult to come at, and the people dangerous: for the
men there will rather have any other for their king than thee. If I
migh