unwedded, and was deemed the best match among women, both for her
kin and her possessions; Asmund was grown weary of seafaring, and
was fain to take up his abode in Iceland; so he took up the word, and
wooed this woman. Thorkel knew well all his ways, that he was a rich
man and of good counsel to hold his wealth; so that came about, that
Asmund got Asdis to wife; he became a bosom friend of Thorkel, and
a great dealer in matters of farming, cunning in the law, and
far-reaching. And now a little after this Thorgrim Greypate died at
Biarg, and Asmund took the heritage after him and dwelt there.

HERE BEGINS THE STORY OF THE LIFE
OF GRETTIR THE STRONG

CHAP. XIV.

<i>Of Grettir as a child, and his froward ways with his father</i>.

Asmund the Greyhaired kept house at Biarg; great and proud was his
household, and many men he had about him, and was a man much beloved.
These were the children of him and Asdis. Atli was the eldest son;
a man yielding and soft-natured, easy, and meek withal, and all men
liked him well: another son they had called Grettir; he was very
froward in his childhood; of few words, and rough; worrying both in
word and deed. Little fondness he got from his father Asmund, but his
mother loved him right well.

Grettir Asmundson was fair to look on, broad-faced, short-faced,
red-haired, and much freckled; not of quick growth in his childhood.

Thordis was a daughter of Asmund, whom Glum, the son of Uspak, the
son of Kiarlak of Skridinsenni, afterwards had to wife. Ranveig was
another daughter of Asmund; she was the wife of Gamli, the son of
Thorhal, the son of the Vendlander; they kept house at Meals in
Ramfirth; their son was Grim. The son of Glum and Thordis, the
daughter of Asmund, was Uspak, who quarrelled with Odd, the son of
Ufeigh, as is told in the Bandamanna Saga.

Grettir grew up at Biarg till he was ten years old; then he began to
get on a little; but Asmund bade him do some work; Grettir answered
that work was not right meet for him, but asked what he should do.

Says Asmund, "Thou shalt watch my home-geese."

Grettir answered and said, "A mean work, a milksop's work."

Asmund said, "Turn it well out of hand, and then matters shall get
better between us."

Then Grettir betook himself to watching the home-geese; fifty of them
there were, with many goslings; but no long time went by before he
found them a troublesome drove, and the goslings slow-paced withal.
Thereat he