their
spears and swore to follow him to death. Two months after the murder
in Stockholm an army of thousands that swelled like an avalanche was
marching south, and province after province joined in the rebellion.
King Christian's host met them at Brunbaeck in April. One of its
leaders asked the country folk what kind of men the Dalecarlians
were, and when he was told that they drank water and ate bread made
of bark, he cried out, "Such a people the devil himself couldn't
whip; let us get out." But his advice was not taken and the Danish
army was wiped out. Gustav halted long enough to drill his men and
give them time to temper their arrows and spears, then he fell upon
Westeras and beat the Danes there. The peasant mob scattered too
soon to loot the town, and the King's men came back with a sudden
rush. Only Gustav's valor and presence of mind saved the day that
had been won once from being lost again.

When it was seen that the Danes were not invincible, the whole
country rose, took the scattered castles, and put their defenders to
the sword. Gustav bore the rising on his shoulders from first to
last. He was everywhere, ordering and leading. His fiery eloquence
won over the timorous; his irresistible advance swept every obstacle
aside. In May he took Upsala; by midsummer he was besieging
Stockholm itself. Most of the other cities were in his hands. The
Hanse towns had found out what this Gustav could do at home. They
sang his praise, but as for backing him with their purse, that was
another matter. They refused to lend Gustav two siege-guns when he
lay before Stockholm, though he offered to pledge a castle for each.
He had no money. Happily his enemy, Christian, was even worse off.
Neither pledges nor promises could get him the money he needed. His
chief men were fighting among themselves and made peace only to turn
upon him. Within a year after the Swedish people had chosen Gustav
Vasa to be Regent at the Diet of Vadstena, Christian went into exile
and, when he tried to get his kingdom back, into prison, where he
languished the rest of his life. He fully deserved his fate. Yet he
meant well and had done some good things in his day. Had he been
able to rule himself, he might have ruled others with better
success. Schoolboys remember with gratitude that he forbade teachers
to "spank their pupils overmuch and without judgment, as was their
wont."

At the Diet of Vadstena the people had offered Gustav the crown, but
h