For my work is as far as from that of Grep, as an act of self-defence is from an attack upon another." Then the brethren of Grep began to spring up and clamour and swear that they would either bring avengers upon the whole fleet of Erik, or would fight him and ten champions with him.
Erik said to them: "Sick men have to devise by craft some provision for their journey.

He whose sword-point is dull should only probe things that are soft and tender.

He who has a blunt knife must search out the ways to cut joint by joint.

Since, therefore, it is best for a man in distress to delay the evil, and nothing is more fortunate in trouble than to stave off hard necessity, I ask three days' space to get ready, provided that I may obtain from the king the skill of a freshly slain ox." Frode answered: "He who fell on a hide deserves a hide"; thus openly taunting the asker with his previous fall.

But Erik, when the hide was given him, made some sandals, which he smeared with a mixture of tar and sand, in order to plant his steps the more firmly, and fitted them on to the feet of himself and his people.