SOME YEARS AGO I came upon the historical story of the discovery of America by Leif Ericsson in A by prefered Read Free Book Online

men live?
    LEIF I'm sorry, Lady, but I never heard of any lands like that.
    THORGUNNA (Sighs) No matter. (She looks around.) Have your men everything they need? Are you all right for food? I will send you down a sheep.
    LEIF Lady, that is a kind thought. They have plenty to eat, but it is dull, dry stuff. They would like fresh meat.
    THORGUNNA I will see they get it. (She gets up to go.)
    LEIF Just one thing, Lady. Why did you ask about land over to the west of us? Is there such a place?
    THORGUNNA (Sitting down again) I'll tell you. A man came to us from Ireland last summer, a holy man, a monk. He came to tell us all about a new religion, a new way of life. He gave me this. ( She pulls out a small wooden cross from within her dress, suspended on a gold chain round her neck. ) My father does not like it, so I have to keep it hidden.
    LEIF (Curiously) Is it a talisman?
    THORGUNNA It is the sign of a new way of life.
    LEIF (Puzzled ) I'm afraid I don't quite understand.
    THORGUNNA No matter. I did not come here to convert you. I was telling you about this holy man. He said that in Ireland, where he came from, they had a legend of a country over to the west, beyond the sea. He called it Hy Breasail, the Happy Land.
    LEIF (Shaking his head) I have never heard of it.
    THORGUNNA It may be that it is not there at all. But if it is, it would be worth while to spend one's whole life looking for it.
    LEIF What sort of country is it, Lady?
    THORGUNNA If you stand on the edge of the sea looking westwards to the sunset on the evening of a fine day in summer, just after the sun has gone down, you see the sea and the high clouds flushed with pink and gold. Past the horizon and beyond those rosy clouds there lies the Happy Land, which this man called Hy Breasail. No thief, no robber, and no enemy pursues one there; there is no violence, and no winter snow. In that place it is always spring. No flower or lily is wanting, no rose or violet but you will find them there. There apple trees bear flowers and fruit on the same branch, all the year round. There young men live in quiet happiness with their girls; there is no old age, and no sickness, and no sorrow there. All is full of joy ... ( Her voice dies away. )
    LEIF (Gently) Lady, there is no place in the world like that.
    THORGUNNA I suppose you're right. I think this monk was mixing up old legends of his country with the Heaven beyond this world that he was telling us about. ( She gets up. ) Thank you for listening to me so patiently, Chief. I will send you down the sheep. ( She turns to go.)
    [ DISSOLVE TO:
    The Beach
    ( Leif and Tyrker are standing together by the ship, watching Thorgunna as she goes away across the hill.)
    LEIF She's going to send us down a sheep this afternoon. We can have fresh meat to-night.
    TYRKER That's the best bit of news we've had so far in this stinking hole. I like her better than her father.
    LEIF She is the only woman I have ever met who talks intelligently. She is a very clever girl.
    TYRKER (Grinning-) Looks all right, too.
    [ DISSOLVE TO:
    The Beach at Sunrise
    ( The ship is seen silhouetted against the dawn sky; one man is awake on watch. In the hencoop a cock crows and the men stir; each man as he wakes looks up at the burgee at the masthead. It is seen blowing straight towards the land.)
    [DISSOLVE TO:
    Leif's Camp
    ( Thorgunna is standing with Leif before his tent. )
    LEIF The men are good for nothing this morning, Lady—I can't get any work out of them. They ate too much last night; they ate every bit of that sheep. It was good of you to send it down for them. Next time you'd better send a Iamb.
    THORGUNNA (Smiling) They will want more than that. You may be here for a long time, you know.
    LEIF (Glancing at the burgee at the masthead) What winds do you get here at this time of year? How long does it go on blowing east like this?
    THORGUNNA It blows west in July, but you may be here until the end of June.
    LEIF Lady, that's bad news.
    THORGUNNA I am