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Once Odin and Hönir and Loki had come to Andvari's waterfall,
and in the fall were many fish.
Andvari was a dwarf, who had dwelt long in the waterfall as a pike, gathering food.
Otr was a brother of ours, said Regin, who often went into the fall as an otter;
he had caught a salmon, and sat on the high bank eating it with his eyes shut.
Loki threw a stone at him and killed him;
the Æsir thought they had great good luck, and stripped the skin off the otter.
That same evening they were guests at Hreithmar's, and showed him their ***.
Then we seized them, and demanded ransom, to fill the otter skin with gold,
and cover it as well with red gold.
Then they sent Loki for the gold;
he went to Ran and got her net, and went then to Andvari's fall
and cast the net in front of the pike, and the pike leaped into the net.
Then Loki said:
What is the fish | that runs in the flood, And itself from ill cannot save?
If thy head thou wouldst | from hell redeem, Find me the water's flame.
Andvari am I, | and Oin my father, In many a fall have I fared;
An evil Norn | in olden days Doomed me in waters to dwell.
Loki saw all the gold that Andvari had.
But when he had brought forth all the gold, he held back one ring,
and Loki took this from him.
The dwarf went into his rocky hole and said:
Now shall the gold | that Gust once had Bring their death | to brothers twain,
And evil be | for heroes eight; joy of my wealth | shall no man win.
The Æsir gave Hreithmar the gold, filled up the otter-skin raised to its feet.
Then the Æsir had to heap up gold and cover it.
And when that was done, Hreithmar came, saw a whisker, and bade them cover it.
Then Odin brought out the ring Andvaranaut and covered the hair.
Then Loki said:
The gold is given, | and great the price Thou hast my head to save;
But fortune thy sons | shall find not there, The bane of ye both it is.
Hreithmar spake:
Gifts ye gave, | but ye gave not kindly, Gave not with hearts that were whole;
Your lives ere this | should ye all have lost, If sooner this fate I had seen.
Worse is this | that methinks I see, For a maid shall kinsmen clash;
Heroes unborn | thereby shall be, I deem, to hatred doomed.
The gold so red | shall I rule, methinks, So long as I shall live;
Nought of fear | for thy threats I feel, So get ye hence to your homes.
Fafnir and Regin asked Hreithmar for a share of the wealth paid for their brother, Otr.
This he refused, and Fafnir thrust his sword through Hreithmar while he was sleeping.
Then Hreithmar died, and Fafnir took all the gold.
Thereupon Regin asked for his inheritance, but Fafnir refused this.
All these happenings did Regin tell to Sigurth.
One day, when he came to Regin's house, he was gladly welcomed.
Regin said:
Hither the son | of Sigmund is come, The hero eager, | here to our hall;
His courage is more | than an ancient man's, And battle I hope | from the hardy wolf.
Here shall I foster | the fearless prince, Now Yngvi's heir | to us is come;
The noblest hero | beneath the sun, The threads of his fate | all lands enfold.
Sigurth stayed there with Regin, who said to Sigurth
that Fafnir lay at Gnitaheith, in the shape of a dragon.
Regin made Sigurth the sword which was called Gram.
After that Regin sent Sigurth on his way to Fafnir.