“Was it thou, Wieland, who did forge the knife?”
And again Wieland answered: “Of a truth, my lord, it was I.”
Again, too, Amilias denied it, whereupon Wieland strode to his side, and flung his lying words back to him. But the smith only laughed a scornful laugh and said:
“Fool! Soon shall thy false head roll upon the ground and thereby prove me right!”
Hereupon the King gave the signal. Quick as thought the good sword Mimung flashed in the air, and descended so swiftly that none could mark its flight, cleaving Amilias in twain, through helm and head, mail and body, and even through the stool on which he sat. Then Wieland said to the smith:
“How feelest thou?”
And Amilias replied: “I feel as it were a stream of ice-cold water had been poured over my body.”
“Shake thyself!” said Wieland; and Amilias shook himself, whereat, with a great crash down fell his two halves from the stool, one to the right, the other to the left.
“It was indeed thou that forged the knife,” cried the King; “henceforth thou shalt be my master smith!”
And so it came to pass. Nor was there any in all the land to equal him for skill and cunning; and from that time Wieland was renowned as the greatest of all smiths.