RIDDLE*. 



397 



And starter of words, 

 King Heidrek, 1 

 Think of the riddle. 



Heidrek. 



Good is thy riddle, 2 

 Gest the blind ! 

 It is guessed ; 

 Ale changes the temper 

 And quickens prattle, 

 But in others the tongue is wrapped 

 around the teeth. 



Gest. 



1 went from home, 

 I travelled from home, 

 I looked on the road of roads, 

 Road was above, 

 Road was beneath, 

 And road in every direction. 



Heidrek. 



A bird flew above, 

 A fish swam beneath, 

 Thou walked st on a bridge. 



Gest. 



What kind of drink was it 

 I drank yesterday? 

 It was neither water nor wine, 

 Mead nor ale, 

 No kind of food. 

 However, I went thirstless thence. 



Heidrek. 



Thou went'st into sunshine, 

 Hiddest thyself in the shade; 

 There fell dew in the valleys ; 

 Then thou didst taste 

 The night-dew, 

 Cooling thy throat by it. 



Gest. 



Who is the shrill one 

 That on hard roads walks 



On which he has been before? 

 He kisses rather roughly, 

 Has two mouths ; 

 And walks on gold only. 



Heidrek. 



The hammer walks 

 On the fire of Kin, 3 

 It sounds loudly 

 Falling on the anvil. 



Gest. 



What wonder is that 

 Which I saw outside 

 Before the door of Delling ? 4 

 Two lifeless ones 

 And breathless, 

 Seethed wound- leek. 5 



Heidrek. 



There is neither breath nor heat 

 In the bellows of smiths, 

 They have neither life nor power: 

 However one can before them 

 Make a sword 

 By the wind they give. 



Gest. 



What wonder is it 

 I saw outside 

 Before the doors of Dellin" ? 



o 



It has eight feet, 



Eyes four, 



And bears its knee higher than its 



belly. 



Heidrek. 



From east thou went'st 

 To the door of a house 

 To see the hall ; 

 Thou earnest thereto 

 Where the king of webs 6 

 Wove a web from its bowels. 



1 These two lines, which are repeated 

 in every stanza in the original text, are 

 omitted in subsequent stanzas here. 



2 These three lines are repeated at the 

 beginning of each stanza, but are omitted 

 in subsequent stanzas. 



3 Rin = Rhine river, fire of Rhine = 

 gold, because hidden in the river. 



4 Door of Delling, a Dverg the 

 rock ; before his door = on the ground. 



5 A sword. 



6 Spider. 



