ngs were ready, came the
king's guests and King Siggeir withal at the day appointed, and many a
man of great account had Siggeir with him.

The tale tells that great fires were made endlong the hall, and the
great tree aforesaid stood midmost thereof; withal folk say that, whenas
men sat by the fires in the evening, a certain man came into the hall
unknown of aspect to all men; and suchlike array he had, that over him
was a spotted cloak, and he was bare-foot, and had linen-breeches knit
tight even unto the bone, and he had a sword in his hand as he went up
to the Branstock, and a slouched hat upon his head: huge he was, and
seeming-ancient, and one-eyed. (2) So he drew his sword and smote it
into the tree-trunk so that it sank in up to the hilts; and all held
back from greeting the man. Then he took up the word, and said--

"Whoso draweth this sword from this stock, shall have the same as a gift
from me, and shall find in good sooth that never bare he better sword in
hand than is this."

Therewith out went the old man from the hall, and none knew who he was
or whither he went.

Now men stand up, and none would fain be the last to lay hand to the
sword, for they deemed that he would have the best of it who might first
touch it; so all the noblest went thereto first, and then the others,
one after other; but none who came thereto might avail to pull it out,
for in nowise would it come away howsoever they tugged at it; but now up
comes Sigmund, King Volsung's son, and sets hand to the sword, and pulls
it from the stock, even as if it lay loose before him; so good that
weapon seemed to all, that none thought he had seen such a sword before,
and Siggeir would fain buy it of him at thrice its weight of gold, but
Sigmund said--

"Thou mightest have taken the sword no less than I from there whereas it
stood, if it had been thy lot to bear it; but now, since it has first of
all fallen into my hand, never shalt thou have it, though thou biddest
therefor all the gold thou hast."

King Siggeir grew wroth at these words, and deemed Sigmund had answered
him scornfully, but whereas was a wary man and a double-dealing, he
made as if he heeded this matter in nowise, yet that same evening he
thought how he might reward it, as was well seen afterwards.

ENDNOTES:
(1) Rede (A.S. raed), counsel, advice, a tale or prophecy.
(2) The man is Odin, who is always so represented, because he
gave his eye as a pledge for a