coward in his old age.
"A hundred fights have I fought," said he, "and ever I had the
victory, nor shall it be said of me that I fled from a foe or prayed
for peace."
Then Signy wept right sore, and prayed that she might stay with her
kinsmen, and not return to her husband.
But this seemed not good in the eyes of Volsung, and he sent her back
sadly to her home.
As soon as it was day, King Volsung went ashore with his folk, and all
were fully armed. But that availed them little; for Siggeir fell upon
them with a great army. The Volsungs were few in number, but they
fought with desperate courage, and no fewer than eight times did they
cut their way through their foes. They would have done so yet again,
had not Volsung fallen in the midst of his folk, and his followers
with him, save only his ten sons.
Then the princes were taken and led, fast bound, into the presence of
Siggeir, who had watched the fight from afar; and when he had secured
the sword of Odin he condemned the young men to die.
But Signy, wild with grief, besought her husband: "I will not pray
thee to spare their lives, but let them be first set awhile in the
forest, chained fast to a fallen oak; for there comes to me an old
saying--_'Sweet to eye while eye can see.'_ I pray not for longer life
for them, because well I know that my prayer will avail nothing."
At this Siggeir laughed an evil laugh: "Surely thou art mad," he said,
"to wish that the suffering of thy brothers should be prolonged. I
care not, however, for the more pain they have to bear the better
shall I be pleased."
So the ten young men were chained to an oak in the woods with a heavy
beam upon their feet, and Signy meantime was shut up in the palace
under close watch, lest she should try to succour them.
Now it came to pass that at midnight there came up a great she-wolf
out of the wild woods, and she fell upon one of the brothers and
devoured him and went upon her way.
Next morning Signy sent a trusty servant to bring tidings of her
brothers, and grievously she mourned when she heard that one was dead;
for she feared that the same fate would overtake all.
Every morning she sent the man to the forest, and every morning he
returned with the news that the she-wolf had eaten up another of the
Volsung princes, until all save Sigmund were dead. Then Signy, in dire
despair, bethought herself of a plan, and she sent the messenger with
honey in his hand to her twin-brother, an
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