A Finger That Revealed the Birds' Words

What secret were the birds telling?

Regin cut out the dragon's heart and drank blood from the wound. Then he told Sigurd to roast the heart, saying that he was going to sleep.

Sigurd put the heart on a spit and roasted it. He touched it with a finger to see whether it was cooked, but burned himself. He put the finger in his mouth. As soon as the heart's blood touched his tongue, he could understand the language of birds.

The birds in the bushes were talking about Regin's plot. He meant to betray the trusting Sigurd to avenge his brother. Sigurd cut off Regin's head. Then he ate the roasted heart.

At the dragon's lair, Sigurd packed the gold into two chests and loaded the treasure onto his horse, Grani. But the horse would not move. He refused to take a step until Sigurd climbed onto his back.

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