from the wounds which the woman had given him. He was now brought home into the very chamber of this same sweetheart of his, and speedily he recovered, and lived a long time afterwards. Now if he might not endure for half an hour. the halter placed close up under the chin, what shall then be said of the other, hanging from the third unto the eleventh hour strangulated with halter and knot midway round the throat? Verily thy works, O Lord, are glorious, thus to preserve the man's life against nature, for thine is all might and power in heaven and on earth.

son.

spur

CHAP. XCIV.

OF A CERTAIN CARL.

There was a certain carl, who had a wife and a young He tenanted a wealthy man's farm, lying near the of a certain wood. The carl's wealth was nought more than one single cow, dark-speckled and short-horned. It was so fond of the carl, that it followed him, like a small dog, wheresoever he went. Now one day it so happened that he went to the wood, as was his wont, and the cow with him. And the day passeth thus on to evening, that they keep in the wood both together. But then the carl turneth away into the thick of the wood to choose for him some timber, so that the view

sýn í millum hans ok kýrinnar. Hon poler þat eigi vel ok vill leita fóstra síns, því at meir elskar hún1 hann enn afkvæmi sitt; þat til marks um, at svo hafde för hennar farit um morguninn, at nýborinn kálfr var eftir3 at húsi, ok þó vilde hún1 fara sem 5 áðr. Enn hversu henni tekst 4 leitin, mun síðar

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ljósara verða. Enn þat heyrer karl í mörkina,5 at hún kveðr við hátt. Hann flýter þá ferðinne ok vill sýna sik fóstru sinne, enn þá er eigi þess kostr, því at hún1 finnst eigi. Hann leitar þá heim at bænum, 10 ef hon hefde minnzt kálfsins; eyðist þat alt fyrer honum, því at ekki er hún þar komin. Líðr nú svo nóttin. Enn um morguninn í góðu ljósi, fara þau bæði hjón framm 6 í skóginn ok finna um síðer, hvar kýrin hefer geingit framm á hrísrunn nökkurn,' enn 15 djúpt fen var under, ok þar var hon dauð, efter3 líkendum svo langs tíma. 8 pau draga upp kúna 10 ok flá, ok í flættinum berr svo til, at annarr 11 knýfill fylgir húðinne, enn annarr 11 dvelst efter. Síðan hrinda þau búknum aftr 12 í fenit, því at forboð lá við í 20 Englandi,13 ef nökkurr1 át af sjálfdauðu kvikende.15 Húðina flytja þau heim, því at hana ætlar kall at hafa til sölu 16 á torgi næsta dag 17 efter. Ok pat fer svo, at hann sækir marknaðinn ok lætr fala húðina, enn einginn 18 býr við meir enn hálfvirði. Hann berr 25 heim aftr 12 húð kýrinnar,19 kemr heim til ríka manns, er bólstaðinn átti, ok kærer sik fyrer honum, at öll 20

between him and the cow was intercepted. This the cow beareth not well, but seeketh to find its master, whom it loveth more than its own offspring, as was seen from its having left in the morning a new-born calf in the house at home, yet being willing to go away none the less, as usually. But how it succeedeth in the search will clear up anon. Now, however, the carl heareth in the wood that it belloweth loudly. He then hieth away to show himself to his pet, but may do so nowise, as now it is to be found nowhere. He then maketh for the house, thinking the cow might have remembered the calf, but all this is a vain ado for him, for it hath not come there. And thus the night weareth. But in the morning, when daylight was bright, both man and wife go into the wood, and find at last how the cow had gone into a certain thicket of copsewood whereunder there was a deep slough, and here it lay dead, as was like enough after so long a time. Then they drag it out, and flay the hide off, and in skinning it, it so chanceth, that the one horn goeth with the hide while the other was left on the head. Then they tumble the carcase into the slough, it being forbidden in England that any one should eat the flesh of any quick thing that had died a natural death. The hide they brought home, the carl being minded to sell it in the market the next day. And it cometh to pass, that he goeth to the market, offering the hide there for sale, but no one offereth him more than half the price. He now carrieth home the hide of the cow, and cometh to the wealthy man to whom the manorhouse belonged, and complaineth to him of having

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atvinna er farin. Sá dugande maðr harmar þat, ok fær honum fyrst í bráðabirgð .xx. hleifa brauðs með þess háttar orðum: "Seg mèr, fèlagi, þá er þetta er "farit, ok skal ek styrkja til með pèr.5" Karl þakkar honum fagurliga ok fer heim síðan. Hugsar nú 5 um, hvat líkast er um húðarsöluna, ok sýnist honum, at eigi mune annat vænna til ávinnings, enn gjöra felag við 10 Thómam erkibyskup. Ok því gefr hann honum hálfa húðina, sækir síðan torg, ok nú bjóðast þegar í mót húðinne fimmtán 11 enskir peningar, ok 10 svo selr hann. Skiftir 12 síðan verðinu í miðil erkibyskups ok sín, skal Thómas hafa átta peninga, enn hann sjálfr sjö. petta fèlag lítr heilagr Thómas, ok leggr svo fagra ömbun 13 í mót,14 at á næstu nótt eft

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sem þau sálug hjón liggja í16 sæng sinni, vakna 15 þau vit, at eitt naut 17 háreyster úte.18 Kerling talar svo: "Kall minn, sagde hún, upp muntu standa verða "ok víkja nauti þessu frá húsum okkrum." Hann gjörer svo, geingr út ok sèr,19 at hèr 20 er kýr komin harðla lík þeiri, er hann átti, utan 21 pat ber í millum, at 20 þessi hefer einn knýfil ok þó í miðju enni. Veðr var vott, ok því vill hún gjarna inn komast, svo kunnigt sem hon átti þar heima. Hann vísar henni til annars þorps, ok litlu síðar kemr hún aftr 22 ok gjörer sömu 23 ónáð sem fyr. Kall vísar henni á brutt annan tíma 25 ok þriðja. Enn þat vinnr honum ekki, því at nú

lost all his livelihood. This good man grieveth his lot, and giveth him first, to stave off urgent need, twenty loaves of bread, with these words: "Tell me, good fellow, "when this is up, and I will still lend thee some help." The churl thanketh him well and goeth home. He now turneth over in his mind, what may be the likeliest thing to do for the sale of the hide, and it seemeth to him, that he can do nothing better towards profiting by the sale of the hide than to enter a partnership with archbishop Thomas. He therefore promiseth to give him the half of the hide, whereupon he goeth to market, and forthwith fifteen English pennies are offered for it, and he striketh the bargain. He then shareth the price between the archbishop and himself, so that Thomas getteth eight-pence, he seven himself. To this partnership the holy Thomas turneth his eye, and giveth such a fair reward in return therefore, that during the next night, as the hapless couple lie in their bed, they awake at a neat bellowing loudly outside. The carline spoke : "Now, husband, thou must get up to drive the neat from our house." Doing this, and going out, he seeth, how a cow has come there, right alike to the one he had owned before, with the difference, however, that this one has one short horn in the middle of the forehead. The weather was wet, and therefore it will fain get in, showing a knowledge of the stead as if it belonged to it. He driveth the cow away unto another village, but shortly afterwards it returneth, making the same disturbance as before. The carl turneth it away for a second and a third time. But this availeth him not, for now it