Rauðúlfs þáttr

Rauðúlfs þáttr is a story from olden times that comes from Iceland. It tells about a man named Rauðúlfr who lived in Iceland a long, long time ago.

One day, Rauðúlfr was out in the field with his horse when he saw a big silver ring sticking out of the ground. He thought it was a treasure buried there, so he dug it up and took it home.

When he got home, Rauðúlfr showed the ring to his wife and daughter. They were amazed by its beauty and wanted to keep it. But Rauðúlfr decided to sell it and went to a nearby town to find a buyer.

He met a man who wanted to buy the ring, but he asked Rauðúlfr to swear that the ring wasn't stolen. Rauðúlfr didn't want to swear on his honesty because he was afraid the man would change his mind and not buy the ring.

Instead, he swore on a stone that the ring wasn't stolen. The man bought the ring and paid Rauðúlfr with a lot of silver coins.

However, the next day Rauðúlfr's horse died, and his house and farm burned down. He realized that he was punished for lying by swearing on the stone, and he felt guilty.

Rauðúlfr went back to the man who bought the ring and told him the truth. The man forgave him and said that Rauðúlfr had learned a valuable lesson: it's better to tell the truth, even if it costs you something.

So, the story of Rauðúlfs þáttr teaches us that honesty is the best policy, and that lying can have serious consequences.