be undergoing its final
convulsions in the few moments which elapsed ere the monster at length
lay limp and gasping in the last throes of death.

Then, with the voice of Fafnir the dwarf, he asked in feeble accents:
"Who art thou, and what is thy kin, that thou wast bold to lift weapon
against me?"

And his foe made answer: "Sigurd am I called, of Volsung kin."

Then Fafnir asked: "Who urged thee to this deed, O bright-eyed boy?"

And Sigurd replied: "A bold heart urged me, and a strong hand and
sharp sword aided me in the doing thereof."

But Fafnir's eyes were opened at the approach of death, and he said:
"Regin, my brother, has brought about my end, and even now he is
plotting to bring about thine also. Full soon shall the red gold of
Andvari's hoard begin to work thy destruction. I give thee counsel,
therefore, that thou ridest swiftly away without the gold; for often
it happens that he who gets a death wound is none the less avenged."

But Sigurd answered: "I will not follow thy counsel, but even now will
I rise to thy lair and take that great treasure which thou hast
hoarded there."

And Fafnir answered: "Have thine own will. Yet shalt that gold be a
curse to thee, and a curse to whosoever possesses it hereafter."

With this warning the loathsome creature breathed his last, and at the
same moment the sun broke through the clouds, casting a glamour over
the heath which only so lately had been the haunt of evil and a place
of desolation.

Now, when it was plain that nothing more was to be feared from the
dragon, came Regin from the place of safety where he lurked. And since
he feared lest Sigurd should claim the treasure as his reward for
slaying Fafnir, he began to accuse him of having murdered his kinsman,
and to remind him that, according to the law of the Northmen, he could
now require Sigurd's own life.

But Sigurd said: "I did but kill him at thy wish, O Regin, and with
the good sword that thou thyself did make for me."

"Ah yes," said the traitor warily, "it was my good sword and not thy
arm that has done the deed, and therefore no thanks are due to thee.
But now will I count thee guiltless of my brother's blood if thou wilt
cut out the heart of the dragon and give me to eat of it."

This Sigurd promised to do, and he made a fire and set about roasting
the heart of the monster upon a rod. But presently, as he felt the
heart to see if it were cooked enough, he burnt his fingers so
severely that