Gudmund asked why no man answered his greeting, I replied that they did not know his language, or at least but little of it, and so were ashamed of saying anything before him. Then Gudmund invited us to be his guests, and took us away with him in chariots. As we went forward we saw a river and across it a golden bridge. This delighted us so that we wanted to cross it. But Gudmund would not let us. 'By this river,' said he, 'the world of men is divided from the world of monsters. No mortal man may cross the Golden Bridge to enter that other world.' Now by this time we had reached the Big Man's dwelling, but before entering I took my men apart, and warned them to behave like men of good counsel amidst the divers temptations chance might throw in their way. I bid them abstain from the Stranger's food, and partake only of their own. Also to sit apart from the people of that land, and have nothing to do with them at their banquets. I told them further, that if they ate of the Stranger's food they would forget everything they had ever known, their homes, their wives and children, all the good and beautiful things they had ever seen or heard or felt, and would henceforth lead mean wretched lives among these terrible monsters.
"The magnificent hall of Gudmund's palace was thronged with guests, and the tables were covered with delicate meats and costly wines. Twelve tall, handsome sons had he, and as many daughters of surpassing beauty. And he led us to our seats and bade his serv-
