ors could turn them. The
king was aware that the mill was enchanted and would grind anything
he wished, so he was very anxious indeed to set it to work, and,
during a visit to Sweden, he saw and purchased as slaves the two
giantesses Menia and Fenia, whose powerful muscles and frames had
attracted his attention.

On his return home, Peace Frodi led his new servants to the mill,
and bade them turn the grindstones and grind out gold, peace, and
prosperity, and they immediately fulfilled his wishes. Cheerfully
the women worked on, hour after hour, until the king's coffers were
overflowing with gold, and prosperity and peace were rife throughout
his land.

"Let us grind riches to Frothi!
Let us grind him, happy
In plenty of substance,
On our gladdening Quern."

Grotta-Savngr (Longfellow's tr.).

But when Menia and Fenia would fain have rested awhile, the king,
whose greed had been excited, bade them work on. In spite of their
entreaties he forced them to labour hour after hour, allowing them
only as much time to rest as was required for the singing of a verse
in a song, until exasperated by his cruelty, the giantesses resolved
at length to have revenge. One night while Frodi slept they changed
their song, and, instead of prosperity and peace, they grimly began
to grind an armed host, whereby they induced the Viking Mysinger to
land with a large body of troops. While the spell was working the
Danes continued in slumber, and thus they were completely surprised
by the Viking host, who slew them all.

"An army must come
Hither forthwith,
And burn the town
For the prince."

Grotta Savngr (Longfellow's tr.).

Mysinger took the magic millstones Grotti and the two slaves and put
them on board his vessel, bidding the women grind salt, which was
a very valuable staple of commerce at that time. The women obeyed,
and their millstones went round, grinding salt in abundance; but
the Viking, as cruel as Frodi, would give the poor women no rest,
wherefore a heavy punishment overtook him and his followers. Such an
immense quantity of salt was ground by the magic millstones that in
the end its weight sunk the ship and all on board.

The ponderous stones sank into the sea in the Pentland Firth, or
off the north-western coast of Norway, making a deep round hole,
and the waters, rushing into the vortex and gurgling in the holes
in the centre of the stones, produced t