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Page 13
"You shan't twist any more of their necks," said Asmund.
"The friend aye warns his friend of ill," answered Grettir.
"I will give you other work to do."
"He knoweth most who most hath tried. But what 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 hardened to the weather. He began to feel it very
cold, and Keingala always chose the windiest places whatever the
weather was. She never came to the meadow early enough to get
home before nightfall. Grettir then thought he would play a trick
upon Keingala to pay her out for her wanderings. One morning
early he came to the stables, opened the door and found Keingala
standing in front of the manger. She had taken the whole of the
fodder which had been given to all the horses for herself.
Grettir jumped upon her back, with a sharp knife in his hand which
he drew across her shoulder and along her back on both sides.
The horse was fat and fresh; she shied back very frightened and
kicked out till her hoofs rattled against the walls. Grettir fell
off, but picked himself up and tried to mount her again. There
was a sharp struggle, which ended in his shaving all the skin on
her back down to her flank. Then he drove the horses out to the
meadow. Keingala would not take a bite except off her back,
and soon after noon she bolted off to the stables. Grettir locked
the door and went home. Asmund asked him where the horses were;
he said he had looked after them as usual. Asmund said there must
be a storm close at hand if the horses would not stay out in such
weather as there was then.
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