nce there was a man who decided to take a journey to the uttermost end
of the world where it touches the sky. He thought he could reach that
point only by sea, but being tired of the water decided to travel on the
wings of an eagle. A raven told him better, however, for the nights are
months long in the far Northland and the eagle loves the sunlight.

Then this man, who was a king, gave orders to fell the greatest oak tree
in his three kingdoms. Olaf the Brave undertook this task. The oak tree
was very large and neither sun, moon, nor stars could shine between its
leaves, they were so close together. The king commanded that deep-sea
sailing ships should be made from its trunk, warships from its crown,
merchant ships from its branches, children's boats from the splinters,
and maidens' rowing boats from the chips.

But the wise men of Norway and Finland assembled and gave the king
advice. They told him that it was no use building a wooden ship, for the
spirits of the Northern Lights would set it on fire. Then the king made
a ship of silver. The whole of the ship--planking, deck, masts, and
chains--was of silver, and he named his vessel "The Flyer."

Then--for this was ages ago--he provided golden armor for himself,
silver armor for his nobles, iron for the crew, copper for the old men,
and steel for the wise men.

When everything was ready, he and his sailors set out for Finland. But
they soon turned and headed "The Flyer" to the far north. The Great Bear
in the sky guided them.

At the helm of the ship was a wise pilot who knew all languages and
the speech of birds and beasts. The winds of Finland were angry
because he slighted their country, and a great storm arose and blew
the ship out of her course. The birds sang to the helmsman and told
him by their song that his ship was being driven on the bleak and
desolate coast of Lapland.