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And the great horse-fly buzzed in Brok's face, and darted at his eyes, and at last settled upon his neck, and stung him until the pain caused big drops of sweat to roll off of his forehead. But the dwarf stopped not nor faltered, until his brother again cried out, "Enough!" This time Sindre drew out a wondrous ring of solid gold, sparkling all over with the rarest and most costly jewels.
Take it to the All-Father as the best gift of the earth-folk to him and to mankind." After this the dwarfs took iron which had been brought from the mountains of Norse Land; and, after beating it upon their bellows until it glowed white and hot, Sindre threw it into the furnace. "This shall be the gift of gifts," said he to Brok.
His ship Skidbladner can carry him only over the sea; but Golden Bristle shall be a trusty steed that will bear him with the speed of the wind over the land or through the air." Next the dwarfs threw gold into the furnace, and Brok plied the bellows, and Sindre gazed into the flames, as before.
When the fire was roaring hot, and the sparks flew from the chimney like showers of shooting-stars, Sindre put a pig-skin into the furnace, and bade Brok blow the bellows with all his might, and never stop until he should speak the word.
At last, in sore distress, and wild with pain, Brok let go of the bellows, and lifted his hand to drive the fly away. Then Sindre drew his work out of the furnace. It was a blue steel hammer, well made in every way, save that the handle was half an inch too short. "This is the mighty Mjolner," said Sindre to Loki, who had again taken his proper shape.
But the dwarf kept on blowing the bellows, and stopped not until his brother cried out, "Enough!" Then Sindre drew out of the flickering blue flames a huge wild boar with long tusks of ivory, and golden bristles that glittered and shone like the beams of the sun. "This is Golden Bristle," said the dwarf. "It is the gift of Brok and his brother to the gentle Frey.
For instance, my brother Sindre, who stands here, can make three other treasures altogether as good as those you have." "It cannot be!" cried Loki. "I tell you the truth," said the dwarf.
The flames leaped up white and hot, and the furnace glowed with a dazzling light, while Brok plied the bellows, and Sindre, with unblinking eyes, watched the slowly changing colors that played around the melted and shapeless mass within. While the brothers were thus intent upon their work, Loki changed himself to a great horse-fly, and settled upon Brok's hand, and bit him without mercy.
And Brok took the three treasures which Sindre had fashioned, and went with Loki to Asgard, the home of the Asa-folk. And they chose Odin and Thor and Frey to examine and judge which was best, Loki's three gifts, the work of Ivald's sons; or Brok's three gifts, the work of Sindre.
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