ess. In short, a son had been born to Karlsefin and Gudrid,
and they called him Snorro. We record it with regret--for it went a
long way to prove that, in regard to sweet sounds, Karlsefin and his
wife were destitute of taste. It is our business, however, to record
facts rather than to carp at them, therefore we let Snorro pass without
further comment.

The little body that was attached to the little voice, although far from
beautiful at first, was an object of intense affection to the parents,
and of regard, almost amounting to veneration, to the rugged men by whom
it was surrounded. Bertha declared enthusiastically that it was
"perfectly lovely," although it was obvious to all unprejudiced eyes
that it resembled nothing so much as a piece of wrinkled beef of bad
colour! Astrid declared that it had "such a wise look," despite the
evident fact that its expression was little short of idiotical!
Karlsefin said nothing, but he smiled a good deal, and chucked it under
the place where its chin ought to have been with his great forefinger in
a timid way.

But when Snorro was deemed sufficiently far advanced in life to be
handed out for public exhibition, then it was that the greatest number
of falsehoods were uttered, with the quietest deliberation, although, to
say truth, the greater number of the men said nothing, but contented
themselves with taking the infant in their big rough hands as delicately
as if they thought it was a bubble, and feared that it might burst and
leave nothing to be handed back to Thora, who acted the part of nurse.
Others merely ventured to look at it silently with their hairy lips
parted and their huge eyes gazing in blank admiration.

Perhaps Krake made the most original remark in reference to the
newcomer. "Ah," said he quite seriously, touching its cheek as softly
as though he half feared it would bite, "only to think that myself was
like _that_ once!"

This was received with a shout of laughter, so loud that little Snorro
was startled.

"Ah, then," cried Krake, with a look of great alarm, "what is it going
to do?"

This question was occasioned by the sudden change on the infant's
countenance, which became, if possible, redder than before, and puckered
up into such a complicated series of wrinkles that all semblance to
humanity was well-nigh lost. Suddenly a hole opened on the surface and
a feeble squall came forth!

"Oh, you wicked men!" cried Thora, snatching the infant indignan