Read Online SOME YEARS AGO I came upon the historical story of the discovery of America by Leif Ericsson in A by prefered - Free Book Online Page A

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    THORGUNNA ( Taking the belt) I will do that, Leif. Some day when I can get away from here, I will come to you in Greenland myself.
    LEIF My dear, I shall be waiting for you.
    ( They kiss. )
    —You are shivering.
    THORGUNNA It has turned cold.
    LEIF ( Taking off his cloak and putting it around her shoulders. ) Take this coat of mine. It is good Greenland frieze, woven at home; we have cold winters there.
    THORGUNNA (Gratefully) You are a good man, Leif. Before the end, I shall come to you in Greenland.
    [FADE TO:
    The Classroom
    CALLENDER She did have a son, and she sent the boy to Leif
    in Greenland as soon as he was old enough to travel; he was called Thorgils, and Leif acknowledged him as his son and brought him up. Thorgunna did not get away for a long time. Many years later, when she was growing old, she started out to go to Leif in Greenland. Travelling was hard and difficult for people in those days. Thorgunna died in Iceland, while she was waiting for a ship to take her on to Greenland to her lover. She never saw Leif again. ( He turns to the map and indicates. ) Leif sailed away from the Hebrides, here, and round the north of Scotland, and over to the coast of Norway, here. And so he came to the court of King Olaf.
    [CUT TO:
    The Next Room
    ( In the next classroom the Headmaster is looking very glum. ) HEADMASTER All this is quite unsuitable for boys.
    [FADE TO:
    King Olaf's Hall
    ( The scene is a vast wooden hall, with a high, pitched roof, rather like a college hall. It should be a busy place, full of people going about domestic tasks. There may be a long sleeping bench at one end; near this would be an enormous fireplace with a huge log fire. The body of the hall may be occupied by a couple of tables running the full length, with benches. At the end remote from the dais these tables may be used for various domestic tasks; thus there may be a man sharpening a scythe, another repairing harness, a third making some article of wooden furniture, etc. Later on, the two Scotch slaves will be seen eating at this end of the hall amongst all this litter, indicating their debased social position.)
    ( King Olaf may be a middle-aged, intelligent man, seated in a richly carved wooden chair before the fire. Behind him there stand one or two of his counsellors, amongst them a monk. Leif stands before the King, and behind him is Tyrker with one or two other men from the ship. They have brought with them a number of sacks of furs and odd parcels,)
    KING OLAF You are the son of Eric the Red?
    LEIF Yes, King.
    KING OLAF I know all about your father. He was outlawed from this country for manslaughter, and again from North Iceland, and a third time from South Iceland. Then he sailed away and settled somewhere far over to the west. Is that right?
    LEIF It is quite right, King. He sent me to you, to tell you about the affairs of our country.
    KING OLAF I shall be glad to hear them. Does your father still fight as much as ever?
    LEIF No—he's getting a bit old for that. He went back once to Iceland and had a fight with Thorgest and got beaten up. After that he gave up fighting.
    KING OLAF I dare say. It's not so much fun fighting when you can't win any longer. What has he to say to me?
    LEIF King, we are living on our farms in a vast country. There are two hundred of us there, but we all live together in one corner; no man knows how big the country is. We know this; in length it is at least six days' sailing from north to south with a fair wind. It is probably nearly as wide.
    KING OLAF (Impressed) I had no idea it was as big as that.
    LEIF It is an enormous country, King. We run it properly, too. Technically, sir, we are an outlaw settlement, and we have no rights. But we have lived now for fifteen years upon our farms in this new country; we have lived peaceably, with few quarrels and no murder. We are as clean and decent a crowd as any others in your domains.
    KING OLAF I expect that's true enough. I don't suppose that anybody