Wise the words of the wisest of all
Mind your courtesies !
As he led forth the Gefndene heroes
his choice of the best of the best
Whose mettle and courage he'd put the the test
By lich-flood to point of despair
Tall striding the Eotanhame greensward
with little folk jogging in train
Osgar and Hrothgar and Wystan Wulfinga
None by the wayside permitted to linger
Till Stead of Lord Skullmar came into view
A Hall of the giants wrought wondrous of stone.
Mouse sized the geatlings in midst of the Eotan
Doffed caps politely saluted the Lord.
A giant in stature and awesome of aspect
Plainly in anger a beard to be feared
That worthy then sending for one he named bee-ward
Bade smallthings be patient and ordered them fed.
Iduma the Lord's wife queenly and gracious
To kitchen and hearth conducted them then
Safely on settle from underfoot placed them
and called forth good mead and the finest of bread
In an instant up sprang there a riddle of manners
claws and teeth ready some manflesh to taste
Geats there at bay stood in front of the monster
does the good hearth guest slay his hosts cat?
dourly made shield-wall against furry foe
Trapped there by Tiddles awaited their fate
Saved of a sudden by serving maid scolding,
swiped she the savage beast on to the floor
and then they beheld the arrival of Bee-ward
new come to the steading their purpose to set
That worthy showed wonders; an orchard and bee skeps
big as a meadhall; stripey great fliers
busy at work in the trees high above
Swift to slay a hornet the Beewarden tasked them
Fight through the skep where hornet queen waits
sending such minions to ruin and slay
those useful good bees in the direst peril
Anointed withall by the beewards arts
The tongues of the fliers those warrior kenned
by helpful workers were flown to the nest
through honeyed passages sticky they strode within
like beetles that writhe in a marrow full grown
Shown in to the Queen; so fair to their sight
Beseeching their help and in terrible fright
Burst in on by hornet no time to delay
Three Geats made haste the intruder to slay
By spear and by axe they went to that work
Combat unceasing to slaughter the stingers
Ever closer they drew to the lair of their mistress
Ever more of her kin they toiled to dispatch
Trapped in a passage from both ends beleaguered
Wystan alone in defence of the rear
Lytelman forward through hornets cleaving
Hrothgar his back rank a deadly spear bore.
Savage the bites and the stings of the hornets
took from the Thegn a severe wounding price
Drew back from the threshold a healing to gain
And stepped forward Hrothgar with stinger of white ash
Bold and unflinching to match with the foe
By hael-seith recovered then came on the Thegn
By luck finding space to the side of Hrothgar
So shield locked the Geat pair stood stalwart allied
And saw near an end as the hornets were fewer
their champions appearing in final despair
In battle heat Osgar chanced to discover
where Hornet queen lay by some magic obscured
resolved to leap forward and scotch the thing quickly
Ere sorcery mazed him and hid her anew
Two carls of the queen thing the Lytleman slew
As Hrothgar likewise for them death pictures drew
Great axe and spearpoint upon them struck true
Dealt then the bee friends to odious monster
full ration of iron with never a stint
until it lay smashed as the last of its creatures
was dealt by the battle-hard Wystan its fate
the last of so many by Wulfing laid waste
Bee people happy, their grateful report
By Bee-ward with pleasure passed on to Hall
for small heroes bath house and wonderful presents
from Queen Bee and Lady alike were bestowed
Grim that had brought them at need of a service
Fully requited at liberty set
Free his brother the Esa whose freedom
Won by the war craft of Geats had been
And shortly the allfather portal created
door that to Gefndene winterfell led
Sent the small heroes away with a god-gift
Safely to Osgarstede coming again.