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gold and then cover it outside with gold too. They promised this with binding oaths, and so Loki was sent out to get the gold.

"He went to Ran, the wife of Ægir, the seagod, borrowed his net and threw it out into Andvari's waterfall and caught the dwarf Andvari himself. Loki threatened to kill him if he did not give him all the gold he had. So Andvari brought out all his gold, and he had a vast deal of it. Only one thing he wished to keep for himself, a gold ring; but Loki took that from him too. Then Andvari swam back to his hiding-place under the rocks and called out that the gold should be the cause of both the brothers' deaths, and should bring much misery to many noble people, and that no one should have any joy of his goods. Then Loki took the gold to Reidmar; the gods first filled the otter's skin with gold, then raised it up and piled gold round about it, until it was entirely hidden. All the gold of Andvari was gold ring, which Odin put But when my father Reidmar was about to take the gold he could still see one hair of Otter's beard that was not covered, so Odin had to bring out the gold ring and cover the hair.

used up except the away for himself.

"Then the gods had leave to go away, but as they went Loki repeated Andvari's words, that the gold should bring misery and death, and that no one would have joy of it. My brother Fafnir and I now claimed our share of the gold, but Reidmar said no, and kept it all. So Fafnir slew him with his sword as he lay and slept. I now asked Fafnir to divide the gold with me, but he put on our father's helmet, which everything living is afraid of, and bade me go away, or else it would fare with me as with my father. Then he changed himself into a foul dragon and made himself a lair on Gnitaheath, where he looks after his treasure."

When Regin had ended his story he encouraged Sigurd to slay Fafnir and take the treasure, and so win for himself good renown. Hialprek gave Sigurd the wonderful horse Grani, of Sleipnir's race, whom no one so far had been able to mount; and Regin made in his smithy a sword. But when Sigurd tried the sword by hewing at Regin's anvil it broke in two, and a new sword which Regin made had the same fate. So his mother gave him both pieces of his father's sword Gram, and Regin beat them together into a splendid

weapon. Gram bore the trial on the anvil, for Sigurd clove it to the ground without breaking it; and when he had done that he laid wool in the river Rhine, and let the stream bear it against the sword edge, which cut it through straightway.

Now Regin made the boy go forth against Fafnir. He advised him to dig a pit right across the way which Fafnir used to creep along after water. Sigurd did so, but Regin hid himself in fright. But while Sigurd was digging the pit an old, long-bearded man came to him, and showed him that he ought to dig several pits, so that he could sit in one whilst the dragon's poison flowed into another, or else it might turn out ill for him. So Sigurd followed the counsel of the old man, and hid himself in one of the pits; and when Fafnir came, casting forth venom and rolling himself so hard that all the earth shook, Sigurd made haste to drive the sword up to the hilt in his left side. Sigurd rushed up, and the dragon, who had felt his death-blow, asked him what his name was, for when one who had been wounded to death heard the name of the man who had given him the wound, it was thought that his curse would

surely fall upon his slayer. Sigurd would not therefore give his name at first, but Fafnir made it a matter of honour, and then Sigurd told him, and asked Fafnir to reveal to him certain secrets concerning life and death and the gods. Fafnir answered many of his questions and then advised Sigurd to ride away speedily, for he who has his death-wound often avenges himself terribly. But Sigurd refused to do so, and said that he would ride to Fafnir's lair and take away the treasures. Then Fafnir told him that he would find gold enough to last him all his days, but that the treasure would bring misery and death to everyone who owned it. When Regin saw that Fafnir was dead he came up to Sigurd and said, Hail, my noble master, now hast thou done a deed in slaying the dread Fafnir, which will give thee renown for ever." Then he stood looking down as in sorrow, and after a time spake again: "It is my own brother thou hast slain, and I am not free from guilt in the matter."

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Then Sigurd took his sword Gram and dried it on the ground, as he said:

"You kept far away whilst I did this deed

[graphic][subsumed]

Then Fafnir told him that he would find gold enough to last him all

his days.

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