which you have tasted will help you to understand the meaning that is
in his heart instead of the words that he says.'

"So the dwarf comes back, with a drinking-horn in which he has poured
the poison, and he offers it to the hero to drink. But with all the
friendly words that he tries to speak, he can hide nothing from the
young man, who reads his heart and knows that he has kept him and fed
him all these years only that he might kill the dragon, and that now he
means to poison him and get the gold for himself. There is only one
thing to be done with such wickedness as this. He raises his sword and
with one blow strikes the dwarf dead.

"You can guess how the bird is delighted at this. It sings to him
again: 'I know where you could find the loveliest woman in the world.
There is fire burning all around her, and if you could only pass
through that you could win her for your wife.'

"'But could I pass through the fire?' he asks.

"'Only the hero who knows no fear can do that,' sings the bird.

"'Very well, then, I know no fear,' he answers; 'the dragon could not
teach it to me; lead me to this woman; perhaps I may learn it from
her.'

"The bird flutters down a little from the tree and then flies away. Did
you see the big, bright spark that flew up the chimney?

"Away runs the hero too, following the bird. It is a long journey,
through the forest and over the rocks and the mountains, but he is