That same summer Thorkell runs out his ship and gets it ready for Norway.  His son, Gellir, was then twelve winters old, and he went abroad with his father. [Sidenote:  Thorkell in Norway] Thorkell makes it known that he means to fetch timber to build his church with, and sails forthwith into the main sea when he was ready.  He had an easy voyage of it, but not a very short one, and they hove into Norway northwardly.  King Olaf then had his seat in Thrandheim, and Thorkell sought forthwith a meeting with King Olaf, and his son Gellir with him.  They had there a good welcome.  So highly was Thorkell accounted of that winter by the king, that all folk tell that the king gave him not less than one hundred marks of refined silver.  The king gave to Gellir at Yule a cloak, the most precious and excellent of gifts.  That winter King Olaf had a church built in the town of timber, and it was a very great minster, all materials thereto being chosen of the best.  In the spring the timber which the king gave to Thorkell was brought on board ship, and large was that timber and good in kind, for Thorkell looked closely after it.  Now it happened one morning early that the king went out with but few men, and saw a man up on the church which then was being built in the town.  He wondered much at this, for it was a good deal earlier than the smiths were wont to be up.  Then the king recognised the man, and, lo! there was Thorkell Eyjolfson taking the measure of all the largest timber, crossbeams, sills, and pillars.  The king turned at once thither, and said:  “What now, Thorkell, do you mean after these measurements to shape the church timber which you are taking to Iceland?” “Yes, in truth, sire,” said Thorkell.  Then said King Olaf, “Cut two ells off every main beam, and that church will yet be the largest built in Iceland.”  Thorkell answered, “Keep your timber yourself if you think you have given me too much, or your hand itches to take it back, but not an ell’s length shall I cut off it.  I shall both know how to go about and how to carry out getting other timber for me.” [Sidenote:  His measuring of King Olaf’s church] Then says the king most calmly, “So it is, Thorkell, that you are not only a man of much account, but you are also now making yourself too big, for, to be sure, it is too overweening for the son of a mere peasant to try to vie with us.  But it is not true that I begrudge you the timber, if only it be fated to you to build a church therewith; for it will never be large enough for all your pride to find room to lie inside it.  But near it comes to the foreboding of my mind, that the timber will be of little use to men, and that it will be far from you ever to get any work by man done with this timber.”  After that they ceased talking, and the king turned away, and it was marked by people that it misliked him how Thorkell accounted as of nought what he said.  Yet the king himself did not let people get the wind of it, and he and Thorkell parted in great good-will.