She took the apple, and did on
her the gear of a crow, and went flying till she came whereas the
king sat on a mound, and there she let the apple fall into the
lap of the king; but he took the apple and deemed he knew whereto
it would avail; so he goes home from the mound to his own folk,
and came to the queen, and some deal of that apple she ate.
So, as the tale tells, the queen soon knew that she big with
child, but a long time wore or ever she might give birth to the
child: so it befell that the king must needs go to the wars,
after the custom of kings, that he may keep his own land in
peace: and in this journey it came to pass that Rerir fell sick
and got his death, being minded to go home to Odin, a thing much
desired of many folk in those days.
Now no otherwise it goes with the queen's sickness than
heretofore, nor may she be the lighter of her child, and six
winters wore away with the sickness still heavy on her; so that
at the last she feels that she may not live long; wherefore now
she bade cut the child from out of her; and it was done even as
she bade; a man-child was it, and great of growth from his birth,
as might well be; and they say that the youngling kissed his
mother or ever she died; but to him is a name given, and he is
called Volsung; and he was king over Hunland in the room of his
father.
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