“I am quite ready to do that,” says he, and sang these verses—­

  Lady proud with hawk in hand. 
  Prithee why should dungbeard boys,
  Reft of reason, dare to hammer
  Handle fast on battle shield? 
  For these lads of loathly feature—­
  Lady scattering swanbath’s beams[20]—­
  Shall not shun this ditty shameful
  Which I shape upon them now.

  He the beardless carle shall listen
  While I lash him with abuse,
  Loon at whom our stomachs sicken. 
  Soon shall hear these words of scorn;
  Far too nice for such base fellows
  Is the name my bounty gives,
  Een my muse her help refuses,
  Making mirth of dungbeard boys.

  Here I find a nickname fitting
  For those noisome dungbeard boys—­
  Loath am I to break my bargain
  Linked with such a noble man—­
  Knit we all our taunts together—­
  Known to me is mind of man—­
  Call we now with outburst common,
  Him, that churl, the beardless carle.

“Thou art a jewel indeed,” says Hallgerda; “how yielding thou art to what I ask!”

Just then Gunnar came in.  He had been standing outside the door of the bower, and heard all the words that had passed.  They were in a great fright when they saw him come in, and then all held their peace, but before there had been bursts of laughter.

Gunnar was very wroth, and said to Sigmund, “thou art a foolish man, and one that cannot keep to good advice, and thou revilest Njal’s sons, and Njal himself who is most worth of all; and this thou doest in spite of what thou hast already done.  Mind, this will be thy death.  But if any man repeats these words that thou hast spoken, or these verses that thou hast made, that man shall be sent away at once, and have my wrath beside.”

But they were all so sore afraid of him, that no one dared to repeat those words.  After that he went away, but the gangrel women talked among themselves, and said that they would get a reward from Bergthora if they told her all this.  They went then away afterwards down thither, and took Bergthora aside and told her the whole story of their own free will.

Bergthora spoke and said, when men sate down to the board, “Gifts have been given to all of you, father and sons, and ye will be no true men unless ye repay them somehow”.

“What gifts are these?” asks Skarphedinn.

“You, my sons,” says Bergthora, “have got one gift between you all.  Ye are nick-named ‘Dung-beardlings,’ but my husband ’the beardless carle’.”

“Ours is no woman’s nature,” says Skarphedinn, “that we should fly into a rage at every little thing.”

“And yet Gunnar was wroth for your sakes,” says she, “and he is thought to be good-tempered.  But if ye do not take vengeance for this wrong, ye will avenge no shame.”

“The carline, our mother, thinks this fine sport,” says Skarphedinn, and smiled scornfully as he spoke, but still the sweat burst out upon his brow, and red flecks came over his cheeks, but that was not his wont.  Grim was silent and bit his lip.  Helgi made no sign, and he said never a word.  Hauskuld went off with Bergthora; she came into the room again, and fretted and foamed much.