in the palace
instead of his wife. Unfortunately, their joy only lasted a short
while; for the very first night after the king's arrival the queen
related the evil dream she had dreamt in his absence, and begged him
to go out the next morning and kill every living creature he saw
within two miles of the city. The king, who always believed everything
the queen said, promised to do as she wished. But before he had ridden
through the lovely gardens that surrounded the palace, he was
attracted by the singing of two little blue birds perched on a
scarlet-berried holly, which made him think of everything beautiful
that he had ever heard of or imagined. Hour after hour passed by, and
still the birds sang, and still the king listened, though of course he
never guessed that it was Geirlaug and Grethari whose notes filled him
with enchantment. At length darkness fell; the birds' voices were
hushed, and the king awoke with a start to find that for that day his
promise to the queen could not be kept.

'Well! did you see anything?' she asked eagerly, when the king entered
her apartments.

'Ah, my dear, I am almost ashamed to confess to you. But the fact is
that before I rode as far as the western gate the singing of two
strange little blue birds made me forget all else in the world. And
you will hardly believe it--but not until it grew dark did I remember
where I was and what I should have been doing. However, to-morrow
nothing shall hinder me from fulfilling your desires.'

'There will be no to-morrow,' muttered the queen, as she turned away
with a curious glitter in her eyes. But the king did not hear her.

That night the king gave a great supper in the palace in honour of the
victory he had gained over the enemy. The three men whom the queen had
sent forth to slay the wild beasts held positions of trust in the
household, for to them was committed the custody of the queen's
person. And on the occasion of a feast their places were always next
that of the king, so it was easy for the queen to scatter a slow but
fatal poison in their cups without anyone being the wiser. Before dawn
the palace was roused by the news that the king was dead, and that the
three officers of the guards were dying also. Of course nobody's cries
and laments were as loud as those of the queen. But when once the
splendid funeral was over, she gave out that she was going to shut
herself up in a distant castle till the year of her mourning was over,
and af