一箭取江山 - 古德明

一箭取江山 - 古德明

DuringthedecisivenavalbattleofSvoldIslandin1000,KingOlafofNorwaysentintotheriggingEinar,thebestarcherinthecountry,andtoldhimtokilltherebelJarlEric.EinarfiredseveralarrowsbutEric'sguardstookthemontheirshields.Einarhadarivalaboardtherebelship,aFinnsoskilledthathisarrowsseemedguidedbysorcery.EricorderedtheFinntosilenceEinarandbringhimtopplingdownfromhisloftyperch.ButtheFinn,toshowhismarksmanship,wascontenttosplitEinar'sbowstring,whichbrokeandthebowsprangbackwithaloudcrackingsound."Whatisthatsound?"askedOlaf.
"ItisthesoundofthesceptreofNorwayfallingfromyourgrasp,"repliedEinar.
Olafwasfinallydefeatedandkilled.

一○○○年的斯沃爾島海戰,是十分重要的一戰。挪威國王奧拉夫派遣全國最出色弓箭手埃納爾爬到桅杆上,要他射殺造反的亞爾.埃里克。埃納爾連射幾箭,都被埃里克的衞兵用盾擋去。埃里克船上有一個芬蘭人,正是埃納爾對手,箭術高明,如有神助。埃里克命令這芬蘭人取埃納爾性命,把他從高處射下來。但那芬蘭人要誇耀箭術,只把埃納爾的弓弦射斷。弓弦一斷,弓的兩臂彈開,發出「砰」一聲,十分響亮。奧拉夫問:「這是什麼聲音?」埃納爾回答:「那是挪威國王寶杖從你手上掉下來的聲音。」
奧拉夫最後戰敗身亡。