lished it. And at last he held the
great sword by its iron hilt.

Then Sigurd took the shield that had the image of Fafnir the Dragon upon
it and he put the shield over the anvil of the smithy. Raising the great
sword in both his hands he struck full on the iron shield.

The stroke of the sword sheared away some of the shield, but the blade
broke in Sigurd's hands. Then in anger he turned on Regin, crying out,
"Thou hast made a knave's sword for me. To work with thee again! Thou
must make me a Volsung's sword."

Then he went out and called to Grani, his horse, and mounted him and
rode to the river bank like the sweep of the wind.

Regin took more pieces of iron and began to forge a new sword, uttering
as he worked runes that were about the hoard that Fafnir the Dragon
guarded. And Sigurd that night dreamt of glittering treasure that he
coveted not, masses of gold and heaps of glistening jewels.

He was Regin's help the next day and they both worked to make a sword
that would be mightier than the first. For three days they worked upon
it, and then Regin put into Sigurd's hands a sword, sharpened and
polished, that was mightier and more splendid looking than the one that
had been forged before. And again Sigurd took the shield that had the
image of the Dragon upon it and he put it upon the anvil. Then he
raised his arms and struck his full blow. The sword cut through the
shield, but when it struck the anvil it shivered in his hands.

He left the smithy angrily and called to Grani, his proud horse. He
mounted and rode on like the sweep of the wind.

Later he came to his mother's bower and stood before Hiordis. "A greater
sword must I have," said he, "than one that is made of metal dug out of
the earth. The time has come, mother, when thou must put into my hands
the broken pieces of Gram, the sword of Sigmund and the Volsungs."

Hiordis measured him with the glance of her eyes, and she saw that her
son was a mighty youth and one fit to use the sword of Sigmund and the
Volsungs. She bade him go with her to the King's Hall. Out of the great
stone chest that was in her chamber she took the beast's skin and the
broken blade that was wrapped in it. She gave the pieces into the hands
of her son. "Behold the halves of Gram," she said, "of Gram, the mighty
sword that in the far-off days Odin left in the Branstock, in the tree
of the house of Volsung. I would see Gram new-shapen in thy hands, my
son."

Then she embraced hi