t. He
turned to look at the impression made by Slagfid, but on that fresh
green grass had sprung up over it, and on a birch-tree near it a bird
had perched, which sang a mournful song.

Then Wayland knew that his brothers were dead, and he returned to his
hut, grieving sore.

PART VI.

It was a long time before Wayland could bring himself to go out, so
great was his sorrow; but at last he roused himself from his misery,
and went to the mountain for more gold, meaning to work hard till the
nine years should be over and he should get his wife back again.

All day long he stood in his forge, smelting and hammering, till he had
made hundreds of suits of armour and thousands of swords, and his fame
travelled far, so that all men spoke of his industry.

At last he grew tired of making armour, and hammered a number of gold
rings, which he strung on strips of bark, and as he hammered he thought
of Alvilda his wife, and how the rings would gleam on her arms when
once she came back again.

Now at this time Nidud the Little reigned over Sweden, and was hated by
his people, for he was vain and cowardly and had many other bad
qualities. It came to his ears that away in the forests lived a man
who was very rich, and worked all day long in pure gold.

The King was one of those people who could not bear to see anyone with
things which he did not himself possess, and he began to make plans how
to get hold of Wayland's wealth.

At length he called together his chief counsellors, and said to them:
"I hear a man has come to my kingdom who is called Wayland, famous in
many lands for his skill in sword-making. I have set men to inquire
after him, and I have found that when first he came here he was poor
and of no account, so he must have grown rich either by magic or else
by violence. I command, therefore, that my stoutest men-at-arms should
buckle on their iron breastplates and ride in the dead of night to
Wayland's house, and seize his goods and his person."

"King Nidud," answered one of the courtiers, "that you should take
himself and his goods is well, but why send a troop of soldiers against
one man? If he is no sorcerer, then a single one of your soldiers
could take him captive; but if, on the other hand, he is a magician,
then a whole army could do nothing with him against his will."

At this reply the King flew in a rage, and, snatching up a sword, ran
it through his counsellor's body; then, turning to the rest, t