possible, so he says that he knows all that he needs to know and does
not care to learn from anybody. But the Father of the Gods persists; he
will give the dwarf his head, he says, if he cannot answer any three
questions that he may ask him. This pleases the dwarf, for he thinks it
would be a pleasure to him to cut off somebody's head. 'What people,
then,' he asks for his first question, 'live under the ground?'

"'The dwarfs,' says the stranger; 'one of them had a ring once, by
which he ruled all the others.'

"'And what people,' asks the dwarf, 'live upon the mountains?'

"'The giants; one of them, in the form of a dragon, has the ring now.'

"'And who live up among the clouds?'

"'The gods,' says the stranger, 'and the Father of the Gods has a spear
with which he rules the world.'

"As he says that, he lets the end of the spear which he carries drop
upon the ground and instantly there is a peal of thunder.

"'Now,' says the stranger, 'as I have saved my head, you must pledge me
yours to answer the three questions which I shall ask. Who is the
strongest of heroes whom the Father of the Gods loves?'

"The dwarf answers that he thinks it must be the son of the woman who
died long ago in the forest, who will kill the dragon and win the
treasure. This is a good answer, and the stranger asks again: 'What
sword must he use to kill the dragon?'