woman wills to have a thing done, she also dreads the doing of it.”
While Olaf’s queen so bitterly complained at the loss of her estates, Sweyn of Denmark had also an unhappy queen, who would not be satisfied because her lord had never avenged King Olaf’s insult. Sweyn would gladly have made warlike overtures to Olaf, but the Danish king was in great dread of the mighty viking. In the meanwhile, he pacified Queen Sigrid as best he could by promising to avenge King Olaf’s blow whenever there was a favorable opportunity.
Earl Sigvalde had become very intimate at the Danish court, to which he often repaired, greatly to the distress of the Lady Aastrid; for she knew that it boded no good to King Olaf when her designing husband became so confidential with the enemies of the king.
Olaf was walking through the streets of Nidaros one March morning. It was Palm Sunday and the king noted with pleasure how fair and green seemed the foliage for so early in the year. A man was passing with some beautiful angelica plants, when the king stopped him. “I never saw them so soon and of such growth,” he said, handing the peddler a number of coins. “It is Palm Sunday,” thought Olaf, “and I will bring the queen these first fruits of the spring.”
Holding the pretty plants in his hand, the king entered the palace and went straight to Thyra’s
