Egil said:
'I shall try this counsel that you wish,
but 'twas the last thing I ever meant,
to sing king Eric's praises.'
Arinbjorn bade him try.

Then Arinbjorn went away,
and had food and drink carried
to the upper room.
Egil was there alone for the night.
Arinbjorn went to his men,
and they sate over drink till midnight.
Then Arinbjorn and his men
went to the sleeping chambers,
but before undressing he went
up to the room to Egil,
and asked how he was getting on with the poem.
Egil said that nothing was done.
'Here,' said he,
'has sate a swallow by
the window and twittered all night,
so that I have never got rest for that same.'
Whereupon Arinbjorn went away and out
by the door leading up to the house-roof,
and he sate by the window of the
upper room where the bird had before sate.
He saw that something of a shape witch-possest
moved away from the roof.
Arinbjorn sate there by the window all night till dawn.
But after Arinbjorn had come there,
Egil composed all the poem,
and got it so by heart that he could recite it in the
morning when he met Arinbjorn.
They watched for a fit time to go before the king.