The Story of Siegfried by Baldwin, James, 1841-1925

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And Mimer looked long at the ruddy hilts of the weapon, and
at the mystic runes that were scored upon its sides, and at
the keen edge, which gleamed like a ray of sunlight in the
gathering gloom of the evening. But no word came from his
lips, and his eyes were dim and dazed; and he seemed as one
lost in thoughts of days long past and gone.Siegfried raised the blade high over his head; and the
gleaming edge flashed hither and thither, like the
lightning's play when Thor rides over the storm-clouds. Then
suddenly it fell upon the master's anvil, and the great
block of iron was cleft in two; but the bright blade was no
whit dulled by the stroke, and the line of light which
marked the edge was brighter than before.Then to the flowing brook they went; and a great pack of
wool, the fleeces of ten sheep, was brought, and thrown upon
the swirling water. As the stream bore the bundle downwards,
Mimer held the sword in its way. And the whole was divided
as easily and as clean as the woollen ball or the slender
woollen thread had been cleft before."Now, indeed," cried Mimer, "I no longer fear to meet that
upstart, Amilias. If his war-coat can withstand the stroke
of such a sword as Balmung, then I shall not be ashamed to
be his underling. But, if this good blade is what it seems
to be, it will not fail me; and I, Mimer the Old, shall
still be called the wisest and greatest of smiths."And he sent word at once to Amilias, in Burgundy-land, to
meet him on a day, and settle forever the question as to
which of the two should be the master, and which the
underling. And heralds proclaimed it in every town and
dwelling. When the time which had been set drew near, Mimer,
bearing the sword Balmung, and followed by all his pupils
and apprentices, wended his way towards the place of
meeting. Through the forest they went, and then along the
banks of the sluggish river, for many a league, to the
height of land which marked the line between King Siegmund's
country and the country of the Burgundians. It was in this
place, midway between the shops of Mimer and Amilias, that
the great trial of metal and of skill was to be made. And
here were already gathered great numbers of people from the
Lowlands and from Burgundy, anxiously waiting for the coming
of the champions. On the one side were the wise old Siegmund
and his gentle queen, and their train of knights and
courtiers and fair ladies. On the other side were the three
Burgundian kings, Gunther, Gernot, and Giselher, and a
mighty retinue of warriors, led by grim old Hagen, the uncle
of the kings, and the wariest chief in all Rhineland.