cean gilded by the
glow of morning. Balder, the beautiful king of summer, was seen, the
good, kind god. Next was shown the castle of Giltner, the home of
peace. Within was Forseti, god of justice, holding the scales. Many
more pictures were graven on the great ring, showing the conflict
between light and darkness. High in the centre was a cluster of rubies
bright as the sun in the heavens. This circlet was a family heirloom,
for Frithiof's mother was a descendant of Volund, its maker.

[Illustration: Viking ship]

The third of the family treasures was _Ellide_, the famous ship, of
which this story is told. When Viking was returning from the wars he
saw a sailor adrift on the billows. Noble and tall he seemed, borne on
the waves as if he were at home on the sea. He wore a mantle of blue
bound by a golden girdle. His hair was sea-green and his beard as
white as the foam of the ocean.

Viking took him home and cared for him right courteously; but soon he
sailed away in his broken boat, thanking Viking warmly for his
kindness. "If I could only leave thee a gift!" said he. "Perhaps in
the morning the ocean will waft thee a token."

The next day Viking stood on the shore, when, lo! swiftly over the
billows came a dragon ship. There was no leader, no sailor, no
steersman. The wonderful ship drew near, the sails were furled by
unseen hands and the anchor dropped into the firm sand.

Viking was speechless with wonder. Then he heard the winds murmur
softly: "Aeger never forgetteth a kindness. He giveth thee this
dragon."

Kingly the gift and beautiful. Its throat was ablaze with gold, and
bordered with red were its inky black pinions. When they were
unfolded, the boat flew in a race with the whirlwind and left far
behind the swift eagle. Widely renowned was the ship, the chief of all
ships of the Northland.

Of chieftains Frithiof had many around his hearth. One youth whom he
greatly loved was Bjorn. Frithiof and Bjorn were of the same age and
dear to each other, brothers in joy and grief. In the days of their
boyhood they had mingled their blood, thus becoming brothers in good
Northern fashion, in peace and in war sworn to help and avenge each
other.

King Helge and Frithiof

In the spring Frithiof sailed in his dragon ship proudly over the
billows to the palace of King Helge. The kings had met at the mound of
their father to give justice to their people.

To them came Frithiof and prou