in
summer-tide they fare wide through the woods and slay men for their
wealth; Sigmund deems him to take much after the kin of the Volsungs,
though he thinks that he is Siggeir's son, and deems him to have the
evil heart of his father, with the might and daring of the Volsungs;
withal he must needs think him in no wise a kinsome man, for full oft
would he bring Sigmund's wrongs to his memory, and prick him on to slay
King Siggeir.
Now on a time as they fare abroad in the wood for the getting of wealth,
they find a certain house, and two men with great gold rings asleep
therein: now these twain were spell-bound skin-changers, (1) and
wolf-skins were hanging up over them in the house; and every tenth
day might they come out of those skins; and they were kings' sons: so
Sigmund and Sinfjofli do the wolf-skins on them, and then might they
nowise come out of them, though forsooth the same nature went with them
as heretofore; they howled as wolves howl, but both knew the meaning of
that howling; they lay out in the wild-wood, and each went his way; and
a word they made betwixt them, that they should risk the onset of seven
men, but no more, and that he who was first to be set on should howl in
wolfish wise: "Let us not depart from this," says Sigmund, "for thou art
young and over-bold, and men will deem the quarry good, when they take
thee."
Now each goes his way, and when they were parted, Sigmund meets certain
men, and gives forth a wolf's howl; and when Sinfjotli heard it, he went
straightway thereto, and slew them all, and once more they parted. But
ere Sinfjotli has fared long through the woods, eleven men meet him,
and he wrought in such wise that he slew them all, and was awearied
therewith, and crawls under an oak, and there takes his rest. Then came
Sigmund thither, and said--
"Why didst thou not call on me?"
Sinfjotli said, "I was loth to call for thy help for the slaying of
eleven men."
Then Sigmund rushed at him so hard that he staggered and fell, and
Sigmund bit him in the throat. Now that day they might not come out of
their wolf-skins: but Sigmund lays the other on his back, and bears
him home to the house, and cursed the wolf-gears and gave them to the
trolls. Now on a day he saw where two weasels went, and how that one bit
the other in the throat, and then ran straightway into the thicket, and
took up a leaf and laid it on the wound, and thereon his fellow sprang
up quite and clean whole; so Sigm
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