ng in the flood,
But hath learnt little wit to unfold?
Thine head must thou buy
If fate thou would'st fly,
And find me the water's red gold."

"The dwarf now resumed his proper form, and answered sulkily:

"Andvari folk call me,
A dwarf is my father,
And deep in the fall is my home.
For of ill-luck a fay
This fate on me lay,
Through wet ways ever to roam."

"Slowly, and very reluctantly, the dwarf accepted the situation; but
at last he consented to yield up the golden hoard as ransom for his
life, and diving into the depths of the waterfall he brought up
thence, little by little, his marvellous pile of treasure.

"Last of all he laid upon the bank, which now shone like a sea of
gold, the glittering Helmet of Dread and a massive breastplate, all of
the precious metal.

"'This is the full measure,' said he, as he laid his burden at Loki's
feet.

"But Loki caught sight of a ring gleaming upon his thumb. 'Give me
also that ring,' said he.

"Now this ring was a talisman and had the power of attracting to it
all precious metal like itself; therefore Andvari would not part with
it.

"Then Loki snatched the ring from him with a wicked laugh, and went
his way chuckling. But Andvari crept into a cleft of the rocks, and
from thence called out angry curses upon him.

"That gold hoard of mine
Shall be to all thine
A cause of dissension and woe;
And no good at all
Shall ever befall
The man to whose hands it shall go."

"Meanwhile, Loki had carried the treasure to Hreidmar, and they placed
it on the otter skin, which ever stretched and widened, so that, with
all that large store, one hair of the bristle remained uncovered. And
on this Loki placed the magic ring, that was called 'Andvari's Loom,'
because it made much gold, and at last the skin was entirely covered.
Then Loki chanted:

"Gold enow, gold enow,
A great treasure hast thou,
That our heads on our necks we may hold,
But thou and thy son,
Are now both undone,
For a curse has been placed on the gold."

"Now scarcely had the Asas departed than the curse began to work. For
though Hreidmar watched night and day over the treasure, it was plain
that Fafnir coveted it. At last he slew his father, and having thus
obtained possession of the hoard he donned the Helmet of Dread and the
glittering breastplate, and," said Regin, "he drove me out when I came
to claim my share, a