y land he could see nothing.
But Fafnir was by far more grim, as he was greater than us all, and he
would have everything we possessed called his.

"Now in the waterfall hard by our house lived a dwarf called Andvari,
who had changed himself into the likeness of a pike; and this he did
that he might eat the smaller fishes, of which the river was full.

"And one day it came to pass that three of the Asa folk, Odin, Loki,
and Hoenir, being on a journey, came to Andvari's waterfall just as
Otter, having eaten a large salmon, was slumbering on the river bank.
When Loki saw him he took up a stone, and threw it with such force
that my brother fell dead on the ground. At this the Asas were well
content, for they did not know that he was a dwarf's son. And they
flayed off his skin and Loki carried it away with him, hanging it over
his shoulder.

"Now at eventide they came to the house of my father, and entered in,
suspecting no evil. But when Loki, coming last, threw his burden on
the floor, the dwarf king recognised the skin, and his face grew
black with rage. Before the Asas could defend themselves or flee, he
made signs to his servants who bound them fast in the midst of the
floor.

"Then the Asas asked what ransom they should pay, and Hreidmar
answered and said: 'In the depth of the waterfall lies the Flame of
the Waters, the Gold of the Sea, hidden there by the dwarfs, and
called by men Andvari's Hoard. Find this for me, and fill with it the
otter skin, and cover it outside with the same red gold, and then, and
then only, will I let you go free.'

"Now this was a heavy ransom indeed, for not only was Andvari's hoard
hidden cunningly away, but the otter skin had the property of
stretching itself to an enormous size.

"The Asas, however, determined to do their best, and they sent Loki,
who was set free for the purpose, to find the Magic Gold.

"So Loki went down to the river bank and peered and poked and
searched. This he did for days, but nowhere could he discover either
the dwarf Andvari or his hoard. At length he noticed a wonderfully
fine pike, with gills of gold, which each day sported in the foam of
the waterfall, and he suspected that this was the dwarf in the form of
a fish.

"So he went to Ran, the goddess of the sea, and borrowed her magic
net, and taking this to the waterfall he cast it therein; and the pike
swam into the net and was caught. Then said Loki:

"What fish of all fishes
Swims stro