Now the story turns to the old man who fostered the king’s children.  The eldest of these, a boy, he called Vilhjamr, the second, also a boy, Sigurdr; the third child was a girl and her name was unknown.  All that came to him, or with whom he met, the old man would ask if they knew nothing of the children he had found on the bank of the slough.  But no one seemed to have the faintest notion about their birth or descent.  As the children grew up they were hopeful and fine-looking.  The earl had now waxed very old, and, expecting his end, he gave the children this rede, always to ask every one to whom they spoke for news of their family and birth, in order that they might perchance be able at last to trace out the truth.  He himself told them all he knew about the matter.  After this the old man died, and the children followed closely his advice.  Once there came to them an old man, of whom they asked the same questions as of all others.  He said he could not give them any hints on the matter himself, but that he could point out one to them who was able to do so.  He told them that a short way from their farm was a large stone, whereupon was always sitting a bird which could both understand and speak the tongue of men.  It would be best for them, he went on, to find this bird; but there was a difficulty in the matter to be got over first, for many had gone there but none had ever returned.  He said that many king’s children had gone to this bird in order to know their future fate, but they had all come short in the very thing needed.  He told them that whosoever wanted to mount the stone must be so steady as never to look back, whatever he might hear or see, or whatever wonders seemed to take place around the rock.  All who did not succeed in this were changed into stones, together with everything they had with them.  This steadiness no one had had yet, but whosoever had it could easily mount the rock, and having once done so would be able to quicken all the others who have been turned to stone there.  For the top of the rock was flat, and there was a trap-door on it, wherein the bird was sitting.  Underneath the trap-door was water, the nature of which was that it would turn all the stones back to life again.  The old man ended by saying, “Now he who succeeds in getting to the top is allowed by the bird to take the water and sprinkle the stone-changed folk, and call them to life again, just as they were before.”  This the king’s children thought no hard task.  The brothers, however, were the most outspoken about the easiness of the thing.  They thanked the old man much for his story and took leave of him.