ir, Brynhild, his foster-daughter,
and she sat in her bower with her maidens, and could more skill in
handycraft than other women; she sat, overlaying cloth with gold, and
sewing therein the great deeds which Sigurd had wrought, the slaying of
the Worm, and the taking of the wealth of him, and the death of Regin
withal.

Now tells the tale, that on a day Sigurd rode into the wood with hawk,
and hound, and men thronging; and whenas he came home his hawk flew up
to a high tower, and sat him down on a certain window. Then fared Sigurd
after his hawk, and he saw where sat a fair woman, and knew that it was
Brynhild, and he deems all things he sees there to be worthy together,
both her fairness, and the fair things she wrought: and therewith he
goes into the hall, but has no more joyance in the games of the men
folk.

Then spake Alswid, "Why art thou so bare of bliss? this manner of thine
grieveth us thy friends; why then wilt thou not hold to thy gleesome
ways? Lo, thy hawks pine now, and thy horse Grani droops; and long will
it be ere we are booted thereof?"

Sigurd answered, "Good friend, hearken to what lies on my mind; for my
hawk flew up into a certain tower; and when I came thereto and took him,
lo there I saw a fair woman, and she sat by a needlework of gold, and
did thereon my deeds that are passed, and my deeds that are to come."

Then said Alswid, "Thou has seen Brynhild, Budli's daughter, the
greatest of great women."

"Yea, verily," said Sigurd; "but how came she hither?"

Aswid answered, "Short space there was betwixt the coming hither of the
twain of you."

Says Sigurd, "Yea, but a few days agone I knew her for the best of the
world's women."

Alswid said, "Give not all thine heed to one woman, being such a man as
thou art; ill life to sit lamenting for what we may not have."

"I shall go meet her," says Sigurd, "and get from her love like my love,
and give her a gold ring in token thereof."

Alswid answered, "None has ever yet been known whom she would let sit
beside her, or to whom she would give drink; for ever will she hold to
warfare and to the winning of all kinds of fame."

Sigurd said, "We know not for sure whether she will give us answer or
not, or grant us a seat beside her."

So the next day after, Sigurd went to the bower, but Alswid stood
outside the bower door, fitting shafts to his arrows.

Now Sigurd spake, "Abide, fair and hale lady,--how farest thou?"

She answered, "Well it