Well, it was no easy task to make what the queen wanted; all the same, the lad would try what he could do. So he rolled up his sleeves and out he went into the forge and laid a piece of iron upon the bed of hot coals.
This time he would not trust the old man to blow the bellows for him, but took the handle into his own hand and blew and blew.
The dwarf knew what was happening this time as well as before. He changed himself into a fly and came and sat on the lad’s forehead, and bit until the blood ran down into his eyes and blinded him; but the lad blew the bellows and blew the bellows.
First the fire burned red, and then it burned white, and then it burned blue, and after that the work was done.
Then the young man raised his hand and struck the fly and killed it, and that was an end of the dwarf for good and all.
What he had made he dipped into the water and it was a gold ring, nothing less nor more. He took a sharp knife and drew charms upon it, and inside of the circle he wrote these words:
“WHO WEARS THIS SHALL HAVE THE BEST
THAT THE WORLD HAS TO GIVE.”
“Here,” said the lad to his father, “take this up to the queen, for it is what she wants, and there is nothing better in the world.”
Off marched the old man and gave the ring to the queen, and she slipped it on her finger.