said Wayland, "come on a day when snow has freshly fallen,
and you must walk facing backward all the way."

The children cared little whether they walked backward or forward, as
long as they got their arrows, and so they promised. To their delight
next morning they found that snow had fallen. Quickly they set out for
the smithy, walking backward all the way.

"O Wayland, make us the arrows," they cried. "The king, our father,
has said that we might have them."

But Wayland had no intention of making the arrows, for the king had
treated him unjustly and cruelly, and he saw the opportunity for
revenge. With his mighty hammer he struck the two children on the head
and killed them. Then he threw their bodies into a cave adjoining the
smithy.

When the children did not return the castle messengers were sent out
to find them. They inquired at the smithy.

"The boys have gone," said Wayland. "I made arrows for them, and no
doubt they have gone into the woods to shoot birds."

Returning to the castle the messengers saw the footprints in the snow,
and since they pointed toward home, decided that the children must
have gone back. But they were not there. Then Nidung sent his servants
far and wide throughout the country, and when the boys were nowhere to
be found, he concluded that they must have been devoured by wild
animals.

When all the searches were over, Wayland brought forth the bodies of
the two children, stripped the bones of flesh, whitened them, and made
them into goblets and vessels for the king's table, mounting them with
silver and gold. The king was delighted with them, and had them placed
upon his board whenever there were guests of honor present.

A long time later, Badhild, the king's daughter, while playing with
her companions in the garden one day, broke a costly ring that Nidung
had given her. She was greatly vexed and feared to tell her father.

"Why not take it to Wayland to mend?" suggested one of her trusted
maidens.

So Badhild gave the trinket to the girl and bade her take it to
Wayland. She brought it back with her.

"Without the command of the king he will not mend it," she said,
"unless the king's daughter herself will come to him."

Badhild set out immediately for the smithy. There Wayland substituted
for her ring his own, which had the curious magic power of making its
wearer fall in love with the smith.

The smith slipped the jewel on her finger, gazed into her eyes and
said, "This