THE WEAPON
"And now, father," said he, "make me a weapon."
So the old smith went out to his smithy and weighed out iron enough to make a stout staff a stone weight, and he smithied it well while his son looked on. When it was done he took it and shook it, and it bent and broke in his grasp. "That is not strong enough," said the lad, "for me. Let's make another."
So the old smith weighed out two stone of iron and they smithied a great iron club like the first. Then the lad took it and shook it, and it bent and broke like the first.
"That is far too weak," said the smith's son.
So the old smith weighed out three stone of iron, and they beat it and hammered and smithied, and forged a great bar; and when that was done he took it and shook it and it bent.
"That's too weak," said the lad,
