Svó lauk skiftum skolla og sauðar,
að grákollur giekk frá lífi.
Bjóz dratthali burt* heim þaðan;
hafði sauð feingið sier til vista.
Svó lauk skiftum skolla og sauðar, að grákollur giekk frá lífi. Dratthali bjóz burt* heim þaðan; hafði feingið sauð til vista sier.
The dealings of the fox and the sheep ended in such a way that grey-skull departed from life. Dragging-tail prepared to set off home from there; he had obtained a sheep for his provisions.
[3] grákollur ‘grey-skull’: Koll(u)r ‘head’ can denote an animal without horns. The corresponding f. noun ‑kolla ‘female animal without horns’ is often combined with terms for colour (cf. svartkolla ‘black ewe’, gulkolla ‘yellow ewe’, etc.). Earlier eds (except Jón Þorkelsson 1922-7) omit the excrescent [u] in ‑kollur, which makes the line hypometrical. See Note to st. 13/5.