e made as if he were exceeding old.

So he met certain herdsmen, and, going heavily, he asked them: "Whence
are ye?" They answered and said: "We are of Streitaland, whereas the
king dwelleth."

Quoth the carle: "Is King Ring a mighty king, then?"

They answered: "Thou lookest to us old enough to have cunning to know
what manner of man is King Ring in all wise."

The carle said that he had heeded salt-boiling more than the ways of
kings; and therewith he goes up to the king's house.

So when the day was well worn he came into the hall, blinking about as a
dotard, and took an outward place, pulling his hood over him to hide his
visage.

Then spake King Ring to Ingibiorg: "There is come into the hall a man
far bigger than other men."

The queen answered: "That is no such great tidings here."

But the king spake to a serving-man who stood before the board, and
said: "Go thou, and ask yon cowled man who he is, whence he cometh, and
of what kin he is."

So the lad ran down the hall to the new-comer and said: "What art thou
called, thou man? Where wert thou last night? Of what kin art thou?"

Said the cowled man: "Quick come thy questions, good fellow! but hast
thou skill to understand if I shall tell thee hereof?"

"Yea, certes," said the lad.

"Well," said the cowl-bearer, "Thief is my name, with Wolf was I last
night, and in Grief-ham was I reared."

Then ran the lad back to the king, and told him the answer of the
new-comer.

"Well told, lad," said the king; "but for that land of Grief-ham, I know
it well: it may well be that the man is of no light heart, and yet a
wise man shall he be, and of great worth I account him."

Said the queen: "A marvellous fashion of thine, that thou must needs
talk so freely with every carle that cometh hither! Yea, what is the
worth of him, then?"

"That wottest thou no clearer than I," said the king; "but I see that he
thinketh more than he talketh, and is peering all about him."

Therewith the king sent a man after him, and so the cowl-bearer went up
before the king, going somewhat bent, and greeted him in a low voice.
Then said the king: "What art thou called, thou big man?"

And the cowl-bearer answered and sang:

"Peace-thief they called me
On the prow with the Vikings;
But War-thief whenas
I set widows a-weeping;
Spear-thief when I
Sent forth the barbed shafts;
Battle-thief when I