PREFACE.

TO MY YOUNG READERS.

It is now just thirty years since I first began to read the"Saga of Grettir the Strong" in Icelandic. At that time Ihad only a Danish grammar of Icelandic and an Icelandic-Danishdictionary, and I did not know a word of Danish. SoI had to learn Danish in order to learn Icelandic.

It was laborious work making out the Saga, and every linewhen I began took me some time to understand. Moreover,I had not much time at my disposal, for then I was a masterin a school.

Now, after I had worked a little way into the Saga, Ibecame intensely interested in it myself, and it struck me thatmy boys whom I taught might like to hear about Grettir. SoI tried every day to translate, after school hours, a chapter,hardly ever more at first, and sometimes not even as muchas that. Then, when on half-holidays I proposed a walkto some of my scholars, they were keen to hear the storyof Grettir. Well, Grettir went on for some months in thisway, a fresh instalment of the tale coming every half-holiday,and it was really wonderful how interested and delighted theboys were with the story. Nor was I less so; the labour oftranslation which was so great at first became rapidly lighter,and I was as much interested in the adventures of the hero aswere the boys. The other day I met an old pupil of mine,and almost the first thing he said to me was: "Oh! do youremember Grettir? Thirty years ago! F

BU KİTABI OKUMAK İÇİN ÜYE OLUN VEYA GİRİŞ YAPIN!

Sitemize Üyelik ÜCRETSİZDİR!