The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-10-22
HaraId and Guyda.

Long ago the peninsula northwest Oh
Europe. which is now divided into Nor
way and Sweden, contained great num-
Der of small kingdoms. In the ninth cen
fury all of Sweden was brought unoeE
one king, whose name was Erik.
At that time, in one of the small states
of Norway, there reigned young KING
called Harald the Fairhaired. he was
fond of riding and outdoor sports, put
cared little for the affairs or MIS- king
dom.
One day. while hunting. he became sep
arated from his courtiers- He stopped
at a farm house to ask the way
The door was opened by the most pc
witchingly beautiful young girl ne mad
ever seen. She was simply attired IN
peasant costume, but her loneliness could
not be concealed.
Strangely enough, though Harald was
handsome and richly clad, the peasant
maid seemed not in the least impressed.
She answered his questions civllly out
coolIy. Beyond that she had nothing To
say.
Her beauty and refinement amazed
him. Her hands were small and exquls-
itely shaped her bearing stately ana
graceful, her voice clear and sweet ner
manner gentle but dignified. she Is
marvel for peasant She "oulu 5i"NS @
palace" he often thought.
1t, however. happened that Guyda was
no peasant, as the King supposed, but
Princess. She was the daughter OF
king of Hoerland, one Of the other small
states of Norway. Two years before an
enemy had conquered her father and
driven him and his daughter from their
own land They had taken shelter with
a farmer. and there the King had died.
The Princess still remained, but was
hoping for a time TO come when she
could return to her own country.
So Harald's proposals did not over
whelm her. Indeed, she desDised the
king of a small country. She admired
King Erik, who had conquered all Swed-
en-.
To the messengers she replied: Tell
your master ] will not honor with my
hand a King who has only few coun-
ties to rule over. Strange it seems To me
there is no King here who can conquer
all Norway as King Erik has conquered
Sweden"
The messengers were amazed at the
peasant girl who dared to refuse o. criu-
else the King.
BE careful" they said, you should
send no such message to a King. You
should be humble and glad to be So hon
ored.",
Your mission is not to dictate or adj
vise,'' she replied haughtily. Take this
message to King Harald: shall promise
TO be his welded wife when he snail
have conquered all Norway, and not be
fore. Then only will he be King of PEG.
pie"
The indignant messengers returned to
the King and told him what the maid
had said.
II would humble her PRIDE said one.
81 would carry her off by force" said
another.
But the King was thoughtful for
time, then he spoke.
The maids words are not ILL.," said he.
Rather she has awakened me to a great
thought which never yet had come to
me- 1 would thank her. not chide her.
As well may there be one Norway as one
Sweden. She is right. vow now that
shall be the first King of Norway and
she shall be the Queen
So Harald marshaled his armies and set
out for conquest. One kingdom after an
other fell before him. At every conquest
he would go Guyda and plead with her
to marry him.
'Is it not yet enough?" he would say.
Always she would answer: LESS than
all is not enough
When Harald conquered her own coun-
try, Hoerland. she felt almost tempted to
yield. Instead she told Harald who she
was and that she was of royal birth and
equal to himself
so far" she said. you have fought
for love of me, thinking me just a peas
ant girl. Well now do I know that your
love is true. So will I tell you that
am in truth a Princess. and the throne or
Hoerland, which you have just captured,
is my rightful inheritance
At length, after many years of hard
fighting, Harald. in So, was acknowledge
ed King of all Norway.
Then he came to Guyda to claim his
reward, and in great pomp and state
they were married
Harald the Fairhaired was the first of
Kings of Norway whose deeds were writ
ten In the poems called Sa gas
The story of the grandson Of Harald
and Guyda is told in Longfellow's Saga
of King Olaf" which the musician re-
lates in the Tales of a Wayside Inn
New York Evening Journal