hat am I to do now?" Grettir
asked.

"You shall rub my back when I am sitting by the fire, as I am in the
habit of having it done."

"Warm work for the hands." he answered. "It is only fit for an idiot."

This for a time was Grettir's occupation. As the autumn advanced Asmund
wanted more warmth, and was constantly telling Grettir to rub his back
hard. It was the custom in those days for people to have large rooms
with long fires in them in their houses, where men sat by the fire in
the evenings on benches, sleeping afterwards at the side away from the
fires. By day the women carded their wool there.

One evening when Grettir had to scratch Asmund's back his father said to
him: "Now you will have to put aside your laziness, you good-for-nothing
you."

Grettir answered: "`Tis ill to rouse a hasty temper."

"You are fit for nothing at all," said Asmund.

Grettir saw some wood-combs lying on one of the benches; he took up one
of them and drew it along Asmund's back. Asmund sprang up and was going
to thrash him with his stick, but he escaped. His mother came up and
asked what they were fighting about. Grettir answered in a verse:

"Oh lady, the giver of treasure, I see,
has dire intent to burn my hands.
With nails uncut I was stroking his back.
Clearly I see the bird of wounds."

His mother was much vexed with Grettir for what he had done and said he
would not grow up very prudent. The affair did not improve the relations
between Asmund and his son.

Soon after this Asmund spoke to Grettir and told him to look after his
horses. Grettir said that would be better than back-fire-warming.

"You are to do what I tell you," said Asmund. "I have a dun mare with
a dark stripe down her back whom I call Keingala. She is very knowing
about the weather and about rain coming. When she refuses to graze it
never fails that a storm will follow. You are then to keep the horses
under shelter in the stables, and when cold weather sets in keep them
to the north of the ridge. I hope you will perform this duty better than
the two which I gave you before."

Grettir said: "That is cold work, and fit for a man to do; but it seems
to me rash to trust to the mare, when to my knowledge no one has done so
before."

So Grettir took to minding the horses, and went on until Yule-tide was
past, when very cold weather set in, with snow, so that grazing was
difficult. He was very badly provided with clothes and little hard