horse, while with his right hand he raised his axe and cut off the berserk’s head.  Snaekoll’s followers when they saw what had happened fled, every man of them.  Grettir did not care to pursue them for he saw that there was no heart in them.  The bondi thanked him for what he had done, as did many other men, for the quickness and boldness of his deed had impressed them much.  Grettir stayed there for Yule and was well taken care of till he left, when the bondi dismissed him handsomely.  Then Grettir went East to Tunsberg to visit his brother Thorsteinn, who received him joyfully and asked him about his adventures.  Grettir told him how he had killed the berserk, and composed a verse: 

“The warrior’s shield by my foot propelled in conflict came with Snaekoll’s mouth.  His nether jaw hung down on his chest, wide gaped his mouth from the iron ring.”

“You would be very handy at many things,” said Thorsteinn, “if misfortune did not follow you.”

“Men will tell of deeds that are done,” said Grettir.

CHAPTER XLI

THORSTEINN DROMUND’S ARMS

Grettir stayed with Thorsteinn for the rest of the winter and on into the spring.  One morning when Thorsteinn and Grettir were above in their sleepingroom Grettir put out his arm from the bed-clothes and Thorsteinn noticed it when he awoke.  Soon after Grettir woke too, and Thorsteinn said:  “I have been looking at your arms, kinsman, and think it is not wonderful that your blows fall heavily upon some.  Never have I seen any man’s arms that were like yours.”

“You may know,” said Grettir, “that I should not have done the deeds I have if I had not been very mighty.”

“Yet methinks it would be of advantage,” said Thorsteinn, “if your arm were more slender and your fortune better.”

“True,” said Grettir, “is the saying that no man shapes his own fortune.  Let me see your arm.”

Thorsteinn showed it to him.  He was a tall lanky man.  Grettir smiled and said: 

“There is no need to look long at that; all your ribs are run together.  I never saw such a pair of tongs as you carry about!  Why, you are scarcely as strong as a woman!”

“It may be so,” said Thorsteinn, “and yet you may know that these thin arms of mine and no others will avenge you some day;—­if you are avenged.”

“Who shall know how it will be when the end comes?” said Grettir; “but that seems unlikely.”

No more is related of their conversation.  The spring came and Grettir took a ship for Iceland in the summer.  The brothers parted with friendship and never saw one another again.

CHAPTER XLII

DEATH OF ASMUND LONGHAIR