InmemoryofOodnadattaandmanywanderingsoverseaIofferthesepicturesfromthepast，mydearVincent，toyou，aloverofthepresentifanaspirantwhocanlookuponthefuturewithmoreofhopethanfear。
　　Yourcolleague，H。RiderHaggard。
　　ItchancesthatI，theEditorofthesepages——for，intruth，thatismyhumblefunction——haverecoveredaconsiderableknowledgeofabygonelifeofmine。Thislifeendedintimesthatarecomparativelyrecent，namely，earlyintheninthcentury，asisfixedbythefactthattheByzantineEmpress，Irene，playsapartinthestory。
　　Thenarrative，itwillbeobserved，isnotabsolutelyconsecutive；
　　thatistosay，allthedetailsarenotfilledin。Indeed，ithasreturnedtomeinaseriesofscenesorpictures，andalthougheachsceneorpicturehastodowitheveryother，therearesometimesgapsbetweenthem。Totakeoneexampleamongseveral——
　　thejourneyofOlafinthosedaysmynamewasOlaf，orMichaelafterIwasbaptisedfromtheNorthtoConstantinopleisnotrecorded。ThecurtaindropsatAarinJutlandandrisesagaininByzantium。Onlythoseeventswhichwereofthemostimportanceseemtohaveburnedthemselvesintomysubconsciousmemory；manyminordetailshavevanished，or，atleast，Icannotfindthem。
　　This，however，doesnotappeartometobeamatterforregret。Ifeveryepisodeofafullandeventfullifewerepaintedin，thecanvaswouldbeoverloadedandtheeyethatstudieditbewildered。
　　IdonotthinkthatIhaveanythingmoretosay。Mytalemustspeakforitself。SoIwillbutaddthatIholditunnecessarytosetouttheexactmethodbywhichIhavebeenabletodigitandothersfromthequarryofmypast。Itisagiftwhich，althoughsmallatfirst，Ihavebeenablegraduallytodevelop。Therefore，asIwishtohidemypresentidentity，IwillonlysignmyselfTheEditor。
　　OfmychildhoodinthisOlaflifeIcanregainbutlittle。Therecometome，however，recollectionsofahouse，surroundedbyamoat，situatedinagreatplainneartoseasorinlandlakes，onwhichplainstoodmoundsthatIconnectedwiththedead。WhatthedeadwereIdidnotquiteunderstand，butIgatheredthattheywerepeoplewho，havingoncewalkedaboutandbeenawake，nowlaidthemselvesdowninabedofearthandslept。Irememberlookingatabigmoundwhichwassaidtocoverachiefknownas“TheWanderer，“whomFreydisa，thewisewoman，mynurse，toldmehadlivedhundredsorthousandsofyearsbefore，andthinkingthatsomuchearthoverhimmustmakehimveryhotatnights。
　　IrememberalsothatthehallcalledAarwasalonghouseroofedwithsods，onwhichgrewgrassandsometimeslittlewhiteflowers，andthatinsideofitcowsweretiedup。Welivedinaplacebeyond，thatwasseparatedofffromthecowsbybalksofroughtimber。Iusedtowatchthembeingmilkedthroughacrackbetweentwoofthebalkswhereaknothadfallenout，leavingaconvenienteyeholeabouttheheightofawalking-stickfromthefloor。
　　Onedaymyelderandonlybrother，Ragnar，whohadveryredhair，cameandpulledmeawayfromthiseyeholebecausehewantedtolookthroughithimselfatacowthatalwayskickedthegirlwhomilkedit。I
　　howled，andSteinar，myfoster-brother，whohadlight-colouredhairandblueeyes，andwasmuchbiggerandstrongerthanI，cametomyhelp，becausewealwayslovedeachother。HefoughtRagnarandmadehisnosebleed，afterwhichmymother，theLadyThora，whowasverybeautiful，boxedhisears。Thenweallcried，andmyfather，Thorvald，atallman，ratherlooselymade，whohadcomeinfromhunting，forhecarriedtheskinofsomeanimalofwhichthebloodhadrundownontohisleggings，scoldedusandtoldmymothertokeepusquietashewastiredandwantedtoeat。
　　Thatistheonlyscenewhichreturnstomeofmyinfancy。
　　ThenextofwhichavisionhascometomeisoneofasomewhatsimilarhousetoourowninAar，uponanislandcalledLesso，wherewewereallvisitingachiefofthenameofAthalbrand。Hewasafierce-
　　lookingmanwithagreatforkedbeard，fromwhichhewascalledAthalbrandFork-beard。Oneofhisnostrilswaslargerthantheother，andhehadadroopinhislefteye，bothofwhichpeculiaritiescametohimfromsomewoundorwoundsthathehadreceivedinwar。Inthosedayseverybodywasatwarwitheverybodyelse，anditwasquiteuncommonforanyonetoliveuntilhishairturnedgrey。
　　ThereasonofourvisittothischiefAthalbrandwasthatmyelderbrother，Ragnar，mightbebetrothedtohisonlysurvivingchild，Iduna，allofwhosebrothershadbeenkilledinsomebattle。IcanseeIdunanowasshewaswhenshefirstappearedbeforeus。Weweresittingattable，andsheenteredthroughadooratthetopofthehall。Shewasclothedinabluerobe，herlongfairhair，whereofshehadanabundance，wasarrangedintwoplaitswhichhungalmosttoherknees，andaboutherneckandarmsweremassivegoldringsthattinkledasshewalked。Shehadaroundface，colouredlikeawildrose，andinnocentblueeyesthattookineverything，althoughshealwaysseemedtolookinfrontofherandseenothing。Herlipswereveryredandappearedtosmile。AltogetherIthoughthertheloveliestcreaturethateverIhadlookedon，andshewalkedlikeadeerandheldherheadproudly。
　　Still，shedidnotpleaseRagnar，whowhisperedtomethatshewasslyandwouldbringmischiefonallthathadtodowithher。I，whoatthetimewasabouttwenty-oneyearsofage，wonderedifhehadgonemadtotalkthusofthisbeautifulcreature。ThenIrememberedthatjustbeforewehadlefthomeIhadcaughtRagnarkissingthedaughterofoneofourthrallsbehindtheshedinwhichthecalveswerekept。Shewasabrowngirl，verywellmade，asherroughrobe，fastenedbeneathherbreastwithastrap，showedplainly，andshehadbigdarkeyeswithasleepylookinthem。Also，Ineversawanyonekissquitesohardasshedid；Ragnarhimselfwasoutpassed。Ithinkthatiswhyeventhegreatlady，IdunatheFair，didnotpleasehim。Allthewhilehewasthinkingofthebrown-eyedgirlintherussetrobe。Still，itistruethat，brown-eyedgirlorno，hereadIdunaaright。
　　Moreover，ifRagnardidnotlikeIduna，fromthefirstIdunahatedRagnar。Soitcameaboutthat，althoughbothmyfather，Thorvald，andIduna’sfather，Athalbrand，stormedandthreatened，thesetwodeclaredthattheywouldhavenothingtodowitheachother，andtheprojectoftheirmarriagecametoanend。
　　OnthenightbeforeweweretoleaveLesso，whenceRagnarhadalreadygone，AthalbrandsawmestaringatIduna。This，indeed，wasnotwonderful，asIcouldnottakemyeyesfromherlovelyface，andwhenshelookedatmeandsmiledwiththoseredlipsofhersIbecamelikeasillybirdthatisbewitchedbyasnake。AtfirstIthoughtthathewasgoingtobeangry，butsuddenlysomeideaseemedtostrikehimsothathecalledmyfather，Thorvald，outsidethehouse。AfterwardsI
　　wassentfor，andfoundthetwoofthemseatedonathree-cornered，flatstone，talkinginthemoonlight，foritwassummer-time，wheneverythinglooksblueatnightandthesunandthemoonrideintheskytogether。Nearbystoodmymother，listening。
　　“Olaf，“saidmyfather，“wouldyouliketomarryIdunatheFair？“
　　“LiketomarryIduna？“Igasped。“Aye，morethantobeHighKingofDenmark，forsheisnowoman，butagoddess。“
　　Atthissayingmymotherlaughed，andAthalbrand，whoknewIdunawhenshedidnotseemagoddess，calledmeafool。Thentheytalked，whileIstoodtremblingwithhopeandfear。
　　“He’sbutasecondson，“saidAthalbrand。
　　“Ihavetoldyouthereislandenoughforbothofthem，alsothegoldthatcamewithhismotherwillbehis，andthat’snosmallsum，“
　　answeredThorvald。
　　“He’snowarrior，butaskald，“objectedAthalbrandagain；“asillyhalf-manwhomakessongsandplaysupontheharp。“
　　“Songsaresometimesstrongerthanswords，“repliedmyfather，“and，afterall，itiswisdomthatrules。Onebraincangovernmanymen；
　　also，harpsmakemerrymusicatafeast。Moreover，Olafisbraveenough。Howcanhebeotherwisecomingofthestockhedoes？“
　　“Heisthinandweedy，“objectedAthalbrand，asayingthatmademymotherangry。
　　“Nay，lordAthalbrand，“shesaid；“heistallandstraightasadart，andwillyetbethehandsomestmanintheseparts。“
　　“Everyduckthinksithashatchedoutaswan，“grumbledAthalbrand，whilewithmyeyesIimploredmymothertobesilent。
　　Thenhethoughtforawhile，pullingathislongforkedbeard，andsaidatlast:
　　“Myhearttellsmenogoodofsuchamarriage。Iduna，whoistheonlyonelefttome，couldmarryamanofmorewealthandpowerthanthisrune-makingstriplingiseverlikelytobe。YetjustnowIknownonesuchwhomIwouldwishtoholdmyplacewhenIamgone。Moreover，itisspreadfarandwidethroughoutthelandthatmydaughteristobewedtoThorvald’sson，anditmatterslittletowhichson。Atleast，I
　　willnothaveitsaidthatshehasbeengiventhego-by。Therefore，letthisOlaftakeher，ifshewillhavehim。Only，“headdedwithagrowl，“lethimplaynotrickslikethatred-headedcub，hisbrotherRagnar，ifhewouldnottasteofaspearthroughhisliver。NowIgotolearnIduna’smind。“
　　Sohewent；asdidmyfatherandmother，leavingmealone，thinkingandthankingthegodsforthechancethathadcomemyway——yes，andblessingRagnarandthatbrown-eyedwenchwhohadthrownherspelloverhim。
　　WhilstIstoodthusIheardasound，and，turning，sawIdunaglidingtowardsmeinthebluetwilight，lookingmorelovelythanadream。Atmysideshestoppedandsaid: