It depicts Sturla winning the favour of King Magnus VI of Norway through his storytelling; in this, it is similar to many of the Íslendingaþættir.
It is assumed that the saga was akin to the fornaldarsögur, but there is debate as to whether Sturla knew it only orally or whether it was ever written (before his time or after).
[1]: 77–78 The passage is noted as a rare account of medieval Icelandic saga-performance, composed only about thirty-five years after the event is claimed to have taken place.
Learning that Hákon's son Magnús is now ruling in Norway, an impoverished Sturla decides he needs to ingratiate himself with the new king.
En er menn lögðust til svefns, þá spurði stafnbúi konungs, hverr skemmta skyldi.
Sagði hann þá Huldar sögu — betr ok fróðligar en nökkurr þeira hafði fyrr heyrt, er þar váru.
Þröngdust þá margir fram á þiljurnar ok vildu heyra sem gerst.
Hon mælti: "Þat ætla ek, at íslendingr þessi muni vera góðr drengr ok sakaðr minnr en flutt hefir verit."
En um morgininn eftir var engi byrr, ok lá konungr í sama lægi.
En er menn sátu at drykk um daginn, sendi konungr Sturlu sendingar af borði.
Mötunautar Sturlu urðu við þetta glaðir, — "ok hlýzt betra af þér en vér hugðum, ef slíkt venst oft á."
En er menn váru mettir, sendi dróttning eftir Sturlu, bað hann koma til sín ok hafa með sér tröllkonusöguna.
[3][dubious – discuss] But when people lay down to sleep, the King's helmsman asked who would provide entertainment.