h to meet him, and told him that the great hall was already
full of guests, expecting to see the wonders he had brought.

The King said little about his adventures, but went into the armoury to
put on his armour in order to appear before his nobles. Piece by piece
he fastened it, but he found the helmet so heavy that he could hardly
bear it on his head. However, he did not look properly dressed without
it, so he had to wear it, though it felt as if a whole mountain was
pressing on his forehead. Then, buckling on the sword which Wayland
had forged, he entered the hall, and seated himself on the throne.

The Earls were struck dumb by his splendour, and thought at first that
it was a god, till they looked under the helmet and saw the ugly little
man with the pale cowardly face. So they turned their eyes gladly on
the Queen and Princess, both tall and beautiful and glittering with
jewels, though inwardly they were not much better than the King.

A magnificent dinner made the nobles feel more at ease, and they begged
the King to tell them what man was so skilled in smith's work. Now
Nidud had drunk deeply, and longed to revenge himself on Wayland, whom
he held to have caused the loss of his army; so he gave the key of the
tower to one of his Earls, and bade him take two men and bring forth
Wayland, adding that if the next time he visited the tower he should
find a grain of gold missing, they should pay for it with their lives.

The three men got a boat, and rowed towards the tower, but on the way
one who, like the King, had drunk too much fell into the sea and was
drowned. The other two reached the tower in safety, and finding
Wayland, blackened with dust, busy at his forge, bade him come just as
he was to the boat.

With his hands bound they led him before the King, and said, "We have
done your desire, Sir King, and must now hasten back to look for
Grullorm, who fell into the sea".

"Leave him where he is," replied Nidud; "and in token of your obedience
to my orders I will give you each these golden chains."

The guests had not thought to see the man who had made such wonderful
armour helpless and a cripple, and said so to the King. "He was once
handsome and stately enough," answered Nidud, "but I have bowed his
stubborn head." And the Queen and her daughter laughed and said, "The
maidens of Finmark will hardly fancy a lover who cannot stand upright".

[Illustration: Wayland mocked by the Queen and Banvilda]