“You are far better than your conversation，” said the papa stork; “I know you betterthan you know yourself.” And with that he gave a hop， and flapped his wings twice， proudly;then he stretched his neck and flew， or rather soared away， without moving his outspreadwings. He went on for some distance， and then he gave a GREat flap with his wings and flewon his course at a rapid rate， his head and neck bending proudly before him， while the sun'srays fell on his glossy plumage.
“He is the handsomest of them all，” said the mamma stork， as she watched him; “but Iwon't tell him so.”
Early in the autumn， the Viking again returned home laden with spoil， and bringingprisoners with him. Among them was a young Christian priest， one of those who contemnedthe gods of the north. Often lately there had been， both in hall and chamber， a talk of thenew faith which was spreading far and wide in the south， and which， through the means ofthe holy Ansgarius， had already reached as far as Hedeby on the Schlei. Even Helga had heardof this belief in the teachings of One who was named Christ， and who for the love ofmankind， and for their redemption， had given up His life. But to her all this had， as it were，gone in one ear and out the other. It seemed that she only understood the meaning of theword “love，” when in the form of a miserable frog she crouched together in the corner of thesleeping chamber; but the Viking's wife had listened to the wonderful story， and had feltherself strangely moved by it.
On their return， after this voyage， the men spoke of the beautiful temples built ofpolished stone， which had been raised for the public worship of this holy love. Somevessels， curiously formed of massive gold， had been brought home among the booty. Therewas a peculiar fragrance about them all， for they were incense vessels， which had beenswung before the altars in the temples by the Christian priests. In the deep stony cellars of thecastle， the young Christian priest was immured， and his hands and feet tied together withstrips of bark. The Viking's wife considered him as beautiful as Baldur， and his distress raisedher pity; but Helga said he ought to have ropes fastened to his heels， and be tied to the tailsof wild animals.
“I would let the dogs loose after him” she said; “over the moor and across the heath.Hurrah! that would be a spectacle for the gods， and better still to follow in its course.”
But the Viking would not allow him to die such a death as that， especially as he was thedisowned and despiser of the high gods. In a few days， he had decided to have him offered asa sacrifice on the blood-stone in the grove. For the first time， a man was to be sacrificedhere. Helga begged to be allowed to sprinkle the assembled people with the blood of the priest.She sharpened her glittering knife; and when one of the GREat， savage dogs， who wererunning about the Viking's castle in great numbers， sprang towards her， she thrust theknife into his side， merely， as she said， to prove its sharpness.
the Viking's wife looked at the wild， badly disposed girl， with GREat sorrow; and whennight came on， and her daughter's beautiful form and disposition were changed， she spokein eloquent words to Helga of the sorrow and deep grief that was in her heart. The ugly frog，in its monstrous shape， stood before her， and raised its brown mournful eyes to her face，listening to her words， and seeming to understand them with the intelligence of a humanbeing.
“Never once to my lord and husband has a word passed my lips of what I have to sufferthrough you; my heart is full of grief about you，” said the Viking's wife. “The love of amother is GREater and more powerful than I ever imagined. But love never entered thy heart;it is cold and clammy， like the plants on the moor.”
then the miserable form trembled; it was as ifthese words had touched an invisible bondbetween body and soul， for GREat tears stood inthe eyes.
“A bitter time will come for thee at last，”continued the Viking's wife; “and it will be terriblefor me too. It had been better for thee if thou hadstbeen left on the high-road， with the cold night windto lull thee to sleep.” And the Viking's wife shedbitter tears， and went away in anger and sorrow，passing under the partition of furs， which hungloose over the beam and divided the hall.