? E-UBRARYQc, % & ^ CO E2 =1 clOS-ANCfl ^ao I 3 i | I 3 Q. * I ^HIBRARY^ ^G/vi S I[ O^S ^OJnVD-JO^ ^DNV-SOl^ ^ 11 F0 % ^HMn*, ni jftiv9n-j i ' 'J&.ijiviiiin-i^ *J:?nniw r irrl -AKGElft CAlIFO&fc, ^ME | S> ^fnvw-vn^ I l~BJi 3 i irf si A". The eroic Life and Exploits of I EG FRIED the ragon Slayer. AN OLD GERMAN STORY. With Eight Illuftrations dejigned by WILHELM KAULBACH. LONDON : Jofeph Cundall^ Art-publifher^ 12, Old Bond Street ; and David Eogue^ 86, Fleet Street. 1848. SSH4 CONTENTS. FIRST ADVENTURE. Page F King Siegmund, and of Heroes, Dwarfs, Giants, and Dragons of ancient Times . . . I SECOND ADVENTURE. Of Siegfried the Swift, how he grew up to be a Hero, and of his throwing the Spear 6 THIRD ADVENTURE. Of the Emperor Otnit and Wolfdietrich, and how Siegfried afked permiflion to go out into the World 12 FOURTH ADVENTURE. How Siegfried the Swift went through the Wildernefs, and what he encoun- tered there 29 FIFTH ADVENTURE. Mimer relates the Adventures of Wieland, the beft of all Smiths and Ar- mourers 38 SIXTH ADVENTURE. How Siegfried brings an Urochs to the Smiths 55 718730 iv Contents. SEVENTH ADVENTURE. Page How Siegfried learns to be a Smith, and how he was fent by the treacherous Mimer to the Dragon 58 EIGHTH ADVENTURE. How Siegfried fights with the Dragon, and bathes himfelf in his Blood . . 60 NINTH ADVENTURE. How Siegfried comes again to the Smithy, and fettles Accounts with Mimer 65 TENTH ADVENTURE. Siegfried fees the great Dragon, and meets a King of the Dwarfs .... 68 ELEVENTH ADVENTURE. Siegfried's fight with the faithlefs Giants under the Drachenftein .... 74 TWELFTH ADVENTURE. Of the great Wonders which Siegfried law in the Dragon's Rock . . . 81 THIRTEENTH ADVENTURE. How Siegfried firft fees the King's Daughter and is received by her ... 99 LAST ADVENTURE. Siegfried's fight with the Dragon 106 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. FIRST ADVENTURE. Of King Siegmund, and of Heroes, Dwarfs, Giants, and Dragons of ancient Times. N times of old there lived, in the Low Coun- tries, a King named Siegmund, who was mighty in power and rich in honour. His caflles were flrong, and his men-at-arms were brave ; he had fwords glancing as the fun, and fhields of filver white as the moon, feftal robes embroidered with gold, precious jewels, noble fleeds, and herds of fat cattle. But his greateft and nobleft treafure was a lofty and truly royal mind, for King Siegmund was wife in counfel, brave in battle, and upright in judgement. He liftened willingly to the advice of the wife and aged among his people, and was never difpleafed even if they fpoke with rudenefs and reproach. His heart was not fet upon wealth or treafures : as the majeftic fun fills hill 2, Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. and vale with warmth and light, as the cheerful May decks the fields and woods with flowers, fo from his gentle hand flowed gifts and favours in rich abundance to reward true merit, to honour the deeds of fathers or kindle the heroifm of their fons. To every wanderer his kingly hall ftood open, to every one he proffered the hand of welcome ; he entertained all as became his royal dignity, and at parting he offered to every one a gift in token of remembrance. Thus King Siegmund was famed throughout all Germany, and along the Rhine, from north to fouth, the keen edge of his fword and the glitter of his gold-wrought fhield were the theme of heroic fong. Far and wide, too, whoever had com- plaint to make againft injuftice or oppreflion, whoever defired to acquire honour and renown, repaired to Xanthe at Konigfburg on the Rhine, where Siegmund fat amid his heroes at an iron table. On his right hand was Siegelinde, his beauteous queen and his companion, who fhared his happinefs, confoled him in adverfity, and tended his wounds with her gentle hand. All the people honoured and loved the wife and brave King Sieg- mund and the gentle and fair Siegelinde. But fmce the day when they both fat upon the royal throne in honour and fplendour on the banks of the Rhine, many generations have defcended to that filent and narrow houfe whence none return. Nor in any of the lands where German ibngs are fung, does there ftand any oak fo old that it might fay, "When I was young and in my early vigour, many Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 3 hundred years ago, the noble King Siegmund and his faithful train of followers rode pafl me to the chafe and the battle.'* For in the time of King Siegmund there flill flood in the old primeval forefls, broad and high, the ancient " thunder- oaks" of heathen times, which at a much later period were cut down by Bonifacius, that highly favoured man of God, and his holy companions, when they brought to our forefathers in their dark forefls the light of the Chriflian faith, and fuffered for this with joyful courage the death of martyrs. Dark and fearful were thofe ancient forefls, as tradition tells, where flood the oaks and the blood-flained altars of the Pagan gods in the days of King Siegmund. None dared wan- der there without his fword at his fide and his fpear in his hand. The hunter might purfue the beafls of prey through the lonely woods and vales for many a day and neither meet a human being nor find a path. The flars of heaven and the courfe of the waters were his only guides in the vafl wildernefs. Ravenous wild beafls of enormous flrength and fearful nature, fuch as are now no longer feen, the urochs and the bear, the lion and the wolf, prowled, through the woods, and filled the air with their fierce and hungry cries, making the forefls re-echo with their founds. And when the lofty oaks ruflled, and the branches cracked and fnapped afunder, and the winds moaned and whiflled in angry founds from the rocks and caves, it feemed as if the fpirit of the florm had come with horfe and hound, to chafe the wild inhabitants of the forefls. 4 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. In the air there dwelt a yet more favage race of birds, who built their nefts high upon the rocks, and thence defcend- ing upon the woods contefted with the wolves their prey, and carried off men and beafts in their talons as food for their young. Poifonous vapours brooded over the vaft and bottom- lefs morafles, in which bafked ferpents and adders, as long as trees, of every kind and form. In the hollow rocks and caves lurked fnakes and dragons, their bodies clad in fcales black as night, whofe peftilential breath linged and burned like fire. But worft of all, fierce and evil Giants were in alliance with this hellim dragon brood. They were a dark and wicked race, who, created before heaven or earth, refufed to bow the knee, and fet their foot on the necks of weaker mortals, com- pelling them to do what their impious arrogance required- For their hearts were dark as the woods of old, and wild as the favage animals that dwelt therein ; and, like the fnakes and dragons in the poifonous fwamps, they had grown amid all horrible vices to a fearful fize, and mocked at heaven, and thought only of evil. In thofe fad times the poor Dwarfs were compelled to fuffer moft from the wicked Giants. Thefe were a people weak and fmall of ftature, but who from time immemorial had handed down among themfelves many a tradition of old ; and pofleiled much fecret knowledge of the powers of plants and ftones. Thus they had become experienced in many myfte- rious arts, and were rendered cunning, my, and referved by the Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 5 fevere oppreffion they endured. They dwelt chiefly in the deep fhafts of mines, and there wrought trufly weapons and rich ornaments from the precious metals and brilliant jewels. The Giants, however, kept watch over their abodes, and forced them to work night and day. If the poor little Dwarfs wifhed to repofe, they angrily thruft down their large flakes of iron, or trod them to death like rats. Then the affrighted Dwarfs dared no longer venture into the light of day, but hid them- felves in the deepeft recefTes. The cunning Dwarfs were therefore bitter foes of the arrogant Giants and warm friends to the Heroes. Thefe were men of the fword, and endowed by heaven with courage and flrength to fight againfl the Giants and poifonous ferpents, to clear the forefls and fwamps, fo that the feed of a milder and more holy doctrine might be fown there. The Dwarfs often furnimed the Heroes with fharp fwords and flout fhields, and taught them many of their arts, that they might gain the victory over their opprefTors. This was therefore a time of wild flrife and combat, and the befl treafure which a man could have was an active courage, a flout heart, and a trufly fword. All thefe the Heroes pof- fefTed, and to them belonged the noble race of Siegmund, the King of the Low Countries, famed in ancient fong and flory. Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. SECOND ADVENTURE. Of Siegfried the Swift, how be grew up to be a Hero, and of his throwing the Spear. !OW King Siegmund with his confort, the beauteous Siegelinde, had a youthful fon, who was fair and ftrong and of a lofty fpirit. While an infant on his mother's lap, his clear blue eyes glanced brightly as thofe of an eagle, and whoever beheld him could at once perceive that in him the heroic fpirit of his race exifted, and that his name would one day be mentioned with honour. He was quick as lightning in all his actions, whence they named him Siegfried the Swift. From his childhood he was carefully inftrufted by the Heroes at the round iron table of his fire in all the duties of a Hero ; yet he fcarcely required this care, for his own courage impelled him from the earlieft dawn of day to pradlife every kind of weapon, and endure the harder! toils. In the evening he liftened with eager curiofity while the old Heroes, grown gray in fights, recounted the adventures that had befallen them in their wanderings in foreign lands, or while they extolled the great names and deeds of ancient times, and taught him maxims Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 7 befitting a noble and high-minded Hero. From his earlieft childhood his daring courage fpoke forth in all his language and difcourfe. Siegfried had once gone into the foreft, accompanied by one of his venerable tutors in fong and war, and two young companions, to hew fome trees for the handles of their fpears. As evening drew on, the aged man feated himfelf on a high rock, whence he could furvey the country round, with its dark forefts, its green meadows and golden fields of corn. He took one boy after another in turn upon his knee, held him firmly before him and looked at him fternly, as if about to throw him over the precipice. The two other lads trembled at his angry look, as at a gleam of lightning ; but Siegfried gazed on him with a fearlefs fmile and open eye, like a young falcon when looking for the firft time at the fun. The old man fet him down, and was pleafed, for he felt that the blood of the ancient heroes flowed in the boy's veins, and that he would one day, in like manner, look with a fleady eye upon the flaming fwords when they mould gleam around him. One of the boys looked at the goats that grazed near them ; the other looked up at the wild fruits of the foreft ; but Sieg- fried remained feated on the old warrior's knee, playing with the handle of the hero's fword, which his young hands could fcarcely lift. Then faid one of the boys, as he looked at the wide landfcape before him, " Now if I had anything to wifh for, it mould be that all the valley of the Rhine, from the lofty 8 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. mountains in the fouth to the fea in the north, were one large field of grain, and that I had in every part my farmyards and granaries and barns, fo that no King might be richer than I." " And I," faid the other boy, " would wifh that the whole vale beneath us were one vaft meadow, and that my herds, horfes, oxen and cows were grazing on it in fuch numbers that no one could count them from morning to night." Siegfried liftened, but was filent, until the old man afked him what his wim would be. " I mould wifh for a good, fharp fword, like thine," exclaimed Siegfried boldly ; " and I would brandifh it like a King upon this high rock, and if foes and giants and dragons mould come, I would fmite them with the fword, that not one fhould return home ; and fo many brave and noble heroes mould ftand by me, that all your granaries and herds mould not fuffice us when we partook our meal together. And I would go forth with them and free every country, from eaft to weft, of monfters and opprefTors of every kind." Thus fpoke Siegfried, and the old man fmiled approvingly, for he be- thought him that the boy had fpoken well. When he returned home, the young King's fon could not fleep for thinking how he fhould one day be a renowned hero like his forefathers, who had worn the crown with honour, and had done mighty and valiant deeds ; fo that their fame was extolled throughout all lands, from the rifing to the fetting of the fun. Siegfried's mafters in warlike exercifes took increafing plea- Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 9 fure in the lad, whofe eye was keen as his arm was ftrong and his feelings noble. None could moot the eagle as he foared high in the air like him, nor fpear the mighty boar with fo fure a ftroke : yet all were fond of him, for he excelled them all no lefs in magnanimity and gentlenefs than in ftrength of arm. If in their exercifes he overthrew one of his companions, he was himfelf the firft to help him up again, and comfort him ; fo that no one envied him, for none was fo generous and noble- hearted as he. Thus the young Hero grew up and profpered, and could foon wield his falchion better even than his inftrucliors ; no wild beaft was there in the woods around that he would have mrunk from attacking, and no hero drank from the cup of King Siegmund to whom he would have yielded in fight, although he was as yet but a mere tripling. Now it happened that he was one evening amufing himfelf in a meadow on the banks of the Rhine, in front of his father's caftle, with fome of his young companions in wreftling, racing, throwing the fpear, and other martial games. There was not however one who could throw his fpear fo fwiftly but that Siegfried could run after it, catch it in its flight, and bring it back to its owner. There was one alone among them who at all approached him in fpeed : to him he faid, " Hark ye, my friend, I will dart my fpear into yonder oak, and before thy hand has touched the fpear, either in the air or in the tree, I will have drained my drinking-horn to thy health. If I fucceed, thy noble falcon io Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. fhall be mine ; if thou winnefl, thy prize (hall be my drinking- horn." All who heard this deemed it a foolifh offer, for the drink- ing-horn was of ivory, richly adorned with gold and filver, and with ancient ftories fkilfully depicted on it. Ten noble falcons would not have matched its worth. " Surely," thought they all, " he has quaffed his lafl draught out of that drinking-horn. The oaks in yon meadow are not far off, and the other lad will have brought the fpear ere he mail have put the horn to his lips." The other lad thought fo likewife, and gladly prepared for the trial. Siegfried now filled his horn, while all around flood anxioufly watching him. With one hand he fwept the fair curls from his brow, with the other he poifed his fpear, as if aiming at the nearefl oak in the meadow. Near him flood the runner, while around him his companions watched his motions as he bent backwards and forwards to balance the fpear, all full of curiolity to fee how the affair would end. Siegfried now drew back, and with a mighty effort hurled the fpear, fmiling as he threw it ; the fpear flew whittling acrofs the broad Rhine, and pierced deep into a diflant oak on the oppofite fide. His competitor had already fet off running towards the oaks on the meadow ; he thought he was in advance of the fpear, but turning round, he faw all his companions laughing and pointing to the diflant oak. Inflantly he fprang into the river, and fwam flraight as an arrow to where the fpear had flown. Siegfried, Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 1 1 fmiling, emptied his richly ornamented horn to the fuccefs of the fwimmer, and bade his comrades do the like. They drank, and exclaimed, " Hail to young Siegfried ! fmce the days of the heroes of old, no fpear has been better thrown in the lands of Germany, and long will it be remembered from north to fouth!" Prefently the fwimmer returned with the fpear, took his falcon, and offered it to Siegfried as his prize. But Siegfried prefented to him the full drinking-horn, faying, " Scarcely along the whole courfe of the Rhine could a fwimmer be found to excel thee; but thou haft tafted water enough, fo refrefh thee from the horn." After he had drank, Siegfried placed the falcon on his own arm, playfully put the gold band of his horn in his beak, took the hood from his eyes, and let him loofe. The falcon flew with the horn into the blue fky : wheeling round and round, as if feeking his prey, he floated with outftretched and almoft motionlefs wings over the Konigs- burg. Then faid Siegfried fmiling, " Call thy falcon off, or he will pounce upon my mother's white doves on the caftle roof, and then he will never dare come into her fight again." His companion did fo, and at his whiftle the falcon defcended ftraight down, and fettled on the moulder of his former mafter. But Siegfried faid, " See ! the faithful creature will not acknow- ledge me as his rightful mafter; he thinks I have won the wager wrongfully, and he has therefore brought the drinking- horn as the prize which of right belongs to thee. His decifion 12 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. fhall prevail ; keep the horn, and when in the focial banquet thou drinkeft from it, thou and thy race to all futurity fhall think of me and of my cafting the fpear !" So fpake Siegfried, and all who heard him were well pleafed with his fpeech, and faid one to another, " He has thrown the fpear like a hero, and fpoken as became a King's fon." THIRD ADVENTURE. Of the Emperor Otnit and Wo If diet rich, and how Siegfried ajked permiffion to go out into the World. N the evening they all returned finging to the Konigfburg, where they fat down to table in the large hall. They ranged themfelves around the fire ; one cut himfelf arrows, another fharpened his fword, or polimed his mield, or fet his hunting-gear in order. Meantime much was faid, both mirthful and grave, of battles and hunting, of feafts and fefKvals. Siegfried alone fat lilent by the fire, played with the burning brands, and looked thought- fully on the flames as if dreaming. The evening was far advanced, when one of the party took down a horn from the wall, and began to blow on it, whilfr. an aged minftrel fang a fong of the Emperor Otnit, which began thus : Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 1 3 " No longer may I tarry," The Emperor Otnit faid, " For I muft fight the Dragon In yonder foreft made." In vain around him clinging Fail hung his anxious wife, He leaves her in her forrow, And haftens to the ftrife. He rode about the foreft, He rode the vale along, The weary way beguiling With many an ancient fong. In hollows and in caverns He ftrove the foe to find ; His fhouts of bold defiance Were loft upon the wind. At length he fees a meadow, Through which a ftreamlet flows, A bird fang there fo fweetly, Inviting to repofe. The air was all enchanted, The earth was fairy ground ; The very winds breathed mufic, And magic dwelt around. 1 4 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. Upon a bed of rofes The Hero lays him low, Nor thinks that near him lieth His fierce and deadly foe. In vain his hound is barking, His fteed neighs loud and deep ; Alas ! their faithful warning But foothes him in his deep. He dreams that he has conquer'd, That the mighty Dragon's dead : The Monfter howls befide him, And wakes him from his bed. In vain he grafped his weapon, The Dragon o'er him flood : Alas ! that pleafant meadow Is dyed with Otnit's blood. When the minftrel had finifhed, Siegfried faid, " In truth, 'tis a mournful lay, and it makes me fad to think that fo bold a hero mould perifh fo miferably in his ileep. Sing us a more cheerful fong, and tell us if no one came who avenged the noble Emperor on the poifonous ferpent." " The fong, it is true, is melancholy ; but you youths and fons of heroes may learn from it a ufeful leflbn, not to allow yourfelves to be allured by foft voices, or lie careleffly down to Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 15 flumber on rofes when you are going to meet the foe. Yes indeed the Emperor Otnit was avenged, and that is the fubject of a more cheerful fong, which I will fing you as my parting fong to-night." Accordingly he began again : SAY, who was beft and braveft Amid the battle's rage ? And who was held moft famous In the old heroic age ? The Knight moft bold and famous, Wolfdietrich he is named, He flew full many a Dragon, Full many a Lion tamed. 'Twas early in the morning, The Hero, waking, cried, ff Awake ! away ! to battle This moment I muft ride." 'Twas thus he cried at waking, And fprang at once to horfe, Fierce Giants and fell Dragons Deftroying in his courfe. He rode a long day's journey The woods and meadows through, And came to Berne's fair city, Befide the lake fo blue. 1 6 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer* He gazed upon the caftle, Where once in joyous mood The Emperor's guefts were feafted, And drank the red grape's blood. And hafting to the portal, The brave Knight blew his horn, And aiked the filent watchman, In anger and in fcorn : " Now fpeak, and fay this moment, Thou watchman on the wall, Why Otnit's dogs are howling, Why keeps his deed the ftall ? " Why are your halls fo filent, Your banner darkly furled ? Has then brave Otnit perimed, The wonder of the world ? " Refponding from the turret, The forrowing watchman faid, " Refpect our grief, and leave us, We mourn, alas, the dead ! " 'Twas on a fatal morning Lord Otnit left thefe walls ; For this his hounds are howling, And filent are his halls." Siegfried the Dragon-flayer* 1 7 " And tell me, old man, truly, Before I may depart, Where dwells his lovely widow, And weeps her bitter fmart ? " Erewhile a hundred maidens Her truth and beauty fang ; A hundred heroes' fabres Their glad accordance rang." A voice came from thofe turrets, So foft, fo fad, fo deep, " Sir Knight, depart in pity, And leave me here to weep. " My grief is paft my telling, I weep both night and day, For this is forrow's dwelling, And now, Sir Knight, away ! " He only will I welcome, I ever, ever faid, Who on the poifonous Serpent Revenges Ofnit dead ! " And fince none dared avenge him, I ftill withheld my hand ; For this the bafe oppreflbr Hath taken my gold and land. D 1 8 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer* " So ride away, Sir Stranger, For all my joys have flown ; From early morn till even I fit and weep alone." *' I ride not home, fweet Lady, 'Tis not for gold or land I come to feek your caftle, With my trufty {word in hand ; *' But Giants fierce and Dragons I dare to mortal ftrife ; The fufferer and the mourner I guard with limb and life : *' Where pain and forrow languifh Beneath oppreflion's might, Where death appears in anguifh Upon the field of fight, *' There is my fcene of labour, 'Tis there I hafte with fpeed, 'Tis there I wield my fabre, 'Tis there I urge my fteed." *' O ride along, Sir Stranger, Your hand is all too weak, Nor on the field of danger Prefume your fate to feek." Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 19 Thus fpoke the weeping Lady, A veil conceal'd her face, While down her cheeks of beauty Her tears each other chafe. That moment came a falcon, And feized upon her dove. And bore his prey fo gentle To the blue fky far above. His fpear the Hero grafping, He hurled it fwift on high ; It reached the falcon flying, And pierced him in the fky. The dove return'd uninjured, And fought his miftrefs fair ; The hawk fell in the waters, And fank and perimed there. She gave him from her finger A ring, a ring of gold ; He faid, " O gentle Lady, Be kind, as I am bold." He fpoke, me clofed the cafement,. He faw her parting form, Then fwiftly turned his courfer And hurried like the ftorm. 20 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. On either hand betide him A dog now fwiftly bounds ; They follow him, and gladly, For they are Ofnit's hounds. And hafting on his fally, He rides in joyous mood, And finds at length the valley Where dwells the Dragon brood. And hark, o'er all the valley, What fights and founds of ire ! What mean thofe fearful roarings, Thofe flames of deadly fire ? A Lion fights the Dragon, And hence thofe horrors came ; The Lion breathes the roaring, The Dragon breathes the flame. The Lion bounds to greet him, With teeth fo fharp, fo white ; The Dragon crawls to meet him, With fangs of deadlier might. " 'Tis well, my trufty Lion," The hero Dietrich cried, " I'll help thee in the conflict, And battle by thy fide." Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 21 The Hero braves the monfter, And hurls his fpear with fpeed, But 'gainft that fcaly armour 'Tis broken like a reed. Again he braves the monfter, And wields his fword in ire, But it melts before his breathing, Like lead before the fire. Again the Lion fallies In fury to the ftrife ; Again Wolfdietrich rallies, And feeks the Dragon's life. They wreftle and they ftruggle, Yet feem to ftrive in vain, For neither yields the conteft, Though their blood has dyed the plain. The Dragon with his talons Has feized the Hero's fhield ; The Lion fprings upon him, The Dragon feems to yield. And now the Dragon feizes The Lion in his tail, Againft its deadly preflure Nor ftrength nor fkill prevail. 22 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. And weaker yet, and weaker, The brave Wolfdietrich grows, Till the Dragon breath'd but o'er him, And no more the Hero rofe. The monfter bore the Lion Wrapt in his fcaly fold, And in his jaws of fury He bore the Knight fo bold. But ah ! his limbs were weary, And as he reach'd his neft He fell for very weaknefs, And fank at once to reft. Then creeping to the Lion Came firft the Dragon's brood, They broke his bones afunder, And then they fuck'd his blood. They fwallow firft the Lion, And, finifhing their meal, They next attack the Hero, And lick his coat of mail ; But though they lick him over, And moiften leg and arm, They cannot pierce his armour, The Knight lies' free from harm. Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 2,3 And wearied thus and anger'd, They feize him in their fport, And throw him to each other, With many a wound and hurt. They throw him each to other, Amid their cruel play, Till fleep hath feized each brother, And all in flumber lay. So long the ftars above him Their nightly watching kept ; So long 'mid his tormentors The patient Hero flept. But when the fun, arifmg, Shot forth his earlieft beam, The Hero then awoke him, As from fome fearful dream. He rofe at once on waking, And fought his fword and {pear, But Dragons dire and corfes Alone were lying near. But fearching all around him, What charm might aid afford, He faw not far before him A light and gleaming fword. 2,4 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. The fword was once Lord Ofnit's, He had borne it to the ftrife ; That fword alone is fated To take the Dragon's life. He waved it high, and fwung it So bravely and fo true, That ere the monfter waken'd His head from fhoulders flew. He then affair d the young ones, He firft cut off their head, And next their tongue of venom, And then exulting faid : " Now I return in triumph, And afk the Lady's hand, For Ofnit fleeps with honour And free is all the land." When the fong was ended it was near midnight ; the aged man laid himfelf down to reft, and the others followed his example. Siegfried alone remained befide the fire ; he fat filent and motionlefs, watching fixedly, like a man lurking in ambum for his foe ; on a fudden he fnatched up a firebrand, waved it on high, and ftruck at the flames violently, as if he would flay a Dragon, whilft the fparks flew about far and wide in the ancient hall. Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 25 The youth fat thus awhile, in deep thought, when his eye fell on the wall where the deeds of his anceftors, the Kings and Heroes of old, were to be feen fkilfully worked in tapeftry by noble dames, how they fought with Giants and Dragons. Above the pictures hung their victorious fwords, and the wea- pons with which they had conquered, and the tongues and teeth of the monfters they had flain. Siegfried, however, felt as if he dared not venture to look up at the ancient and venerable Heroes, as he fat fo idly there at home, and performed no deed worthy of remembrance. And as he raifed his eyes, it appeared as if the faded pictures became reanimated, and were looking down upon him with reproach and fcorn, and he feemed to hear a voice faying, " Ay, fit there like a girl by the fire, Siegfried, and warm thee, all the days of thy life ! that is thy place, but not abroad in the field, where brave men wield the fword." Then the youth grew angry ; his eye mone bright and clear, he ftarted up, feized the firebrand, and was about to hurl it againft the figures that feemed to mock at him. But letting fall his arm, he exclaimed, " Had ye been living men and fpoken to me thus fcornfully, it would have availed you little, old gray- beards, that ye were my anceftors ; I would have mown you that I can fight like a man. But what a fool am I to be quar- relling with old pictures on a wall! I will go forth into the world this very hour, and try the fate of battle, and win glory like my fathers, thofe Kings and Heroes." 26 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. He went and took his befl fword, and girded it on his fide. A large ancient fhield which hung over the pictures he fattened about his neck, flung over his fhoulders a rich crofs-bow and a horn the one that Wolfdietrich had borne of old, and then threw over him the flcin of a bear which he had himfelf over- come with his fingle arm, without fword or weapon. Thus armed, he entered the apartment where his father and mother flept, and flood before their couch. They afked him what he was doing fo early, and if he wifhed to go forth to the chafe. " Ay, truly, I do wim to go to the chafe ; but the game I feek is the fame of a Hero and the glory of the fight, and therefore am I come to afk your leave and bleiTing. For I can bear no longer to fit here idle, day after day, like a fick falcon, that with broken wing dares not venture from its neft ; and I long to go forth into the world, to add to the glory of my race, as thou, father, and our forefathers, the Heroes and Kings from time immemorial have done in the days of your youth." His father liftened with joy to the words of the brave youth, yet not all unmixed with a faddened feeling ; but the mother fell to weeping bitterly for her loved fon, at the thought of the perils that his courage urged him to feek. " Nay, thou art yet too young," faid his father ; " flay here awhile with us, until thou art ftronger ; then I will find companions to go with thee on thy heroic courfe." " No, that may not be," anfwered Siegfried ; " it would be death to me to tarry longer here. Wherever I look all Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 2,7 feem to mock my idle repofe night and day I have no reft, and a fecret impulfe drives me from my home. The thought is for ever prefent to my mind, that when the minftrels of future times mall fing of my anceftors and of thee, and extol your deeds, they will think of me too, and fcornfully exclaim, ' King Siegmund had indeed a fon, ftrong and tall as his father, but his name is loft in the darknefs of night, for he accomplifhed no deeds that might have adorned it. He thought only of chafing the ftags and timid deer in the foreft, but he never ventured into the field of manly fight.' This is my conftant thought, and it cuts me to the foul more than could the keeneft edge of an enemy's fword. Rather than wafte my life thus in- glorioufly, and die like a young oak which cannot ftretch itfelf out in the open air, let me go forth ! perchance I may return a joyous vidlor, or find at leaft a glorious death." When Siegfried's fire perceived his firm refolution, he no longer withheld his confent, but gave him his hand in teftimony of his approbation, faying, " Go then, my fon, and mow thyfelf worthy of thy fathers, the hero kings ; be prudent in counfel and quick in action ; ftrong be thy arm and gentle thy mind, like the good fword, which is fharp and bending. Guard thyfelf againft arrogance in profperity, for that is the father of ruin ; and be afhamed of cowardice in ill-fortune, for fuch is the mother of dimonour and deftrucliion. Avoid the difcourfe and friendfhip of the artful and unworthy, for even the fmell of poifonous flowers is deadly. Truft not, my fon, the falfe fmile of 28 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. the wicked, for it is like the green bog in the funfhine. Main- tain thyfelf honourably in combat, be true to thy word, firm in friendship, and fpotlefs in life ; for life foon pafles away, and when death meets thee, and robs thee of fword and fhield, helmet and fpear, thy deeds will follow after thee, and for them thou wilt receive honour or mame, reward or punimment from thy Almighty Father, and may he accompany thee on thy way !" Siegfried kifTed his father's hand gratefully and with rever- ence for his wholefome instruction and advice, and promifed to bear faithfully in his mind and heart all that he had faid, as his heft treafure. His parents then embraced and kifTed him once more, and with hurried fteps he left their prefence and haftened out of the hall to the green wood, over which the morning fun was rifing in foft beaming fplendour. Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 2,9 FOURTH ADVENTURE. How Siegfried the Swift went through the Wildernefs, and what he encountered there. IEGFRIED left his father's caftle alone ; his com- panions were all ftill afleep, and his two faithful dogs only followed his fteps. He took his way up the Rhine, towards the fouth, over green fields, through dark forefts, and acrofs gloomy glens. The hounds bounded on before him, chafing the beafts of prey, and roufing them before his fpear. Many a poifonous ferpent and many a wild bird of prey the hero flew with his arrow and trans- fixed to the rocks, to mark the path that he had followed. One while he would rum forth like the hurricane that roars over the wooded heights ; then again he would ftand ftill, and found his horn to the barking dogs, or he fang fome old heroic fong or cheerful hunting-tune, till the rocks re-echoed with the found. The clear water of the foreft ftream was his drink, the beafts he flew and the wild fruits were his food. At night he flept on his fhield beneath the old oak trees, with his naked fword by his fide : at his feet lay his faithful dogs, who roufed him whenever a beaft of prey approached, and he rofe as foon as the day began to dawn. Onward he went, blithe and joyous, but as yet he had met 30 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. with no Giant, nor the figns of any Dragon, for which he longed fo much. This troubled him greatly, and he faid to himfelf : " My fathers, the Heroes of old, have left me a forry chafe; the noblefl game they have flam themfelves, and may fairly mock at me from the old pictures ; I fear, in truth, that but little hero's work is left for me." So faying, he vented his vexation on the fnakes and beafls of prey, and proceeded onwards with increafed hafle and impatience, where the trees in the ancient forefl flood the thickefl, fo that the fky was fcarcely to be feen. Upon the ground, the roots of the trees were clofely prefled together, and fo flrangely entwined, that Siegfried was one moment obliged to leap over and at another to creep under them. One morning, as he was haflening on impatiently, he came to a fpot where the trees flood more apart : fkirting this lay a fmiling mead, adorned with varied flowers and tall grafs, through which ran a forefl flream. Suddenly he heard a loud noife, as if fome horfemen were darning through the wood ; the boughs of the trees were forcibly bent back, and a fnow- white flag of unufual fize made its appearance. The hair on its breafl hung down with age, like a beard, and its antlers, divided into many branches, were fo far parted from each other that the arms of a man were unable to flretch from end to end. What mofl excited Siegfried's aflonifhment was a brilliant crown of gold that the flag bore upon his head, as he flalked proudly along like the king of the forefl. It feemed as if the animal Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 31 had wandered for many years in folitude, with the golden crown upon his head, without feeing the face of man ; for he flood quietly belide the young hero, looking fleadfaflly at him, as if flruck with wonder. Siegfried was fain to know the meaning of the crown upon the animal's head, fo he called to his dogs to take the flag alive. But no fooner did he approach than the flag bounded forward, followed by Siegfried along the vale, up and down, through meadows and fields, over flreams and rocks ; and every time that the young hunter thought to catch him, the flag efcaped by a frefh leap. Thus they continued the chafe, followed by the hounds, till the wearied animal came to the edge of a precipice. Deep beneath lay an unfathomable lake. The flag was jufl in the act of fpringing over, when Siegfried caught him with his right hand by the golden crown, and planting his left foot againfl his back, he pulled the flag towards him. He now perceived that it was the fame flag of which the flory had oft been told him, how his grandfather had taken it when young, and had placed the golden crown with a filver rim upon his head. Siegfried broke off a point from the crown, as a remembrance, and let the affrighted animal run loofe. Then he continued his courfe onwards through the wildernefs, day after day, like a lion in quefl of prey. It happened one evening that he was in chafe of a bear in a deep and fhady vale. Steep and dark rofe the rocky heights to the right and the left, while from a narrow opening beneath 3 2 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. roared a foreft ftream white with foam. The full moon had already rifen, and caft here and there a bright gleam over the dark glen. The projecting rocks however, with their corners and points of a thoufand varied forms, half illumined, half in made, looked fo ftrange, that Siegfried at firft fancied them no other than real Giants and Dragons and dark figures of the night, of which the old minftrels fang. His ear now caught in the far diflance, amid the noife of the ruming ftream, the founds of hollow blows, as if two mighty rocks were being ftruck and fevered from each other. He battened towards the fpot, and as he advanced they appeared to grow gradually louder and louder, until at length he feemed to be in the midfl of the noify din. Yet he fancied that they mufr, proceed from the in- terior of the mountain ; fo he applied his ear to the fide of the rock, and it feemed as if he heard rough voices difcourfing in a language quite unintelligible to him, and yet he nowhere faw any entrance. Again he advanced a few yards, when fud- denly the valley took a turn, and he found himfelf ftanding before a high wall of blocks of ftone ; rays of light gleamed through the crevices, and black fmoke ftreamed forth : the wall was overgrown with foreft-plants, and below lay enor- mous trunks of trees. The heavy blows of a hammer re- echoed from the interior, accompanied by a hollow, murmuring found of muiic, as from voices. Even the ruming noife of the neighbouring waterfall was overpowered by this fubterranean fong, which refembled the wind when in the ftillnefs of night Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 33 it howls through the hollows of the rocks, and then fuddenly rages with a loud roar over the ocean waves and forces them on high. When Siegfried had liftened for awhile, he climbed up to the rocky heights to fee who dwelt there. Through a wide opening he looked into a deep and high vaulted cavern. A dark red flame was burning upon a forge in the depths of the cave, whilft men of a wild afpect lifted with large pincers the glowing iron from the fire to an anvil, where they ftruck it with heavy hammers. Through the hol- low trunk of a tree the wind whittled into the fire, through that of another the water flowed into a veflel of rock. The dark red flame was ftrangely reflected in the agitated water, clear as cryftal, and in the footy faces of the fmiths. On the walls hung heavy fwords, old and new, of various kinds, and near them were richly ornamented ftiields. In the former were reflected the red and flickering flames, in the latter the rays of the filent filver moon, and they hung there and fhone like large lamps. Meanwhile a mower of fparks was fcattered through the cave, fo that the black men feemed like evil fpirits {landing in the midfl of the fiery element. They were of large make, but of greater breadth than height ; their faces were black as the wall itfelf, and their eyes beamed from beneath their bumy eyebrows like the red flames of the forge ; ftifF and briftly, their raven black hair hung down their backs. They fpoke not a word to each other, except when they laid the iron on the fire and ftirred the flames. 34 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. Clofe below Siegfried fat one of the men, who had an ox fpitted upon an iron ftake before a fire ; and every time the flake turned round, he tore offa flice and threw it into his vaft mouth, to tafte whether the meat were nearly done, and inftantly he fwallowed it down like a ravenous wolf. As foon as it was ready, he took the ox from the fire, laid it on a round iron table, and cut from it with his axe as many pieces as there were men in the cavern : he laid each piece feparate, and a block of ftone which flood near ferved as a feat. Then he lighted a fir-torch and went to another part of the cave, where he ftuck the flaming torch into the wall, and poured out the drink from huge cafks into iron jugs. Siegfried obferved all this, and faid to himfelf : " The hof- pitality of thefe people, methinks, is fmall and forry enough, but their hunger is all the greater, for truly they have enormoufly wide jaws ; the fafefl thing for me will be to take my portion at once, and leave them to fettle the refl among themfelves." Thereupon he ftretched forth his fpear towards the table, and feized the piece which lay nearefl him. Long before the black man returned, Siegfried with his dogs had devoured the meat. When all was ready, the fmith took a hammer in his hand, and ftruck three times upon an iron fhield, and inftantly all the fmiths ran each to his block of ftone, and quickly had his piece of meat in his mouth. One of them however cried out : "Hollo, Eckhart ! thou old glutton, what haft thou done with my meat?" Eckhart looked right and left, and nowhere feeing Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 35 it, he faid in a muttering tone, " If ye fteal the meat among you while I get ready the drink, ye may look yourfelves where it is gone." " Thou knoweft full well where it is gone," faid the hungry fmith ; " nor is this the firft time thou haft taken the meat and given us the bones ; and if thou canft not fay where it is, I'll hammer that fkull of thine until thou fhalt recoiled: !" So faying he fprang upon Eckhart, but another held him back, and a violent quarrel arofe among the fmiths. Some cried out that Eckhart had ftolen the meat, others faid that fome one elfe muft have flipped away from the anvil and taken it ; while Eckhart fwore hard and faft that he had not touched it. They grew more and more furious, and were about to come to blows with their hammers, when Siegfried fuddenly appeared above the cave, and called on them to defift. The noife however was fo great, that they heeded his prefence no more than they did that of the moon, which was filently beaming on them. Then Siegfried, the young hero, put his horn to his lips and blew with all his might fo loud a blaft, that the whole cavern refounded and the fhields were fhaken on the walls. All were filent, as if ftruck by lightning : but Siegfried faid to them, " Liften, ye rude and favage fellows, I tell you that ye are fools and madmen to wrangle thus with each other, for 'tis / that have eaten the meat ; and I now pray you to welcome and entertain me becomingly as your gueft." At thefe bold words the fmiths ftood even more aghaft than 36 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. at the found of .the horn ; but they foon gave way to their rage at his prefumption, and every one feized and hurled at Siegfried whatever came to hand. But quickly fnatching a heavy mafs of ftone from the rocky wall, he caft it with fuch force upon the iron table that the table broke in two, and he cried, " Let none raife a hand more, or ye are all doomed to death, unlefs your fkulls are harder than your iron." Then their leader commanded them to defift from the ftrife, fearing indeed that there might be fome mighty Giant above their cave, who in his wrath would forthwith bury them within its walls ; and he ordered one of the fmiths to admit the flranger. The fmith took a hammer, pufhed away the rock from the entrance, and exclaimed, when he beheld Siegfried, " Truly I thought to fee a Giant, and I find a Dwarf. Art thou the frog that has croaked fo loud? What is thy name and calling, and whence comeft thou ? " Siegfried anfwered him proudly, " Thou haft afked me three queftions, but haft forgotten the fourth whether it pleafes me to anfwer thee one of them ? If however a better one than thou inquire, tell him that my calling is to carry a (harp fword, to filence infolent fellows, of whom thou feemeft to be one : a name I have not yet gotten, but I am come to win one ; and if thou wouldft know the road to my fire's caftle, the wild beafts and birds of prey that I have hung upon the trees and fixed to the rocks in my way hither will fhow it thee." " Ha ! doft thou blow again fo ftoutly on thy horn ?" an- Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 37 fwered the fmith ; " I fain would try if thy fword is really better than my hammer." So faying, he fwung his hammer round, and aimed a deadly blow at Siegfried's head ; but the young hero met it with his trufty fword, whofe edge cleft the handle in twain, fo that the iron mafs fell to the earth. The fmith now hurried into the cavern, followed by Siegfried and his dogs. But here Siegfried was attacked by the furious Eckhart, who rumed upon the undaunted hero, and aimed a blow at his cheek with the marly tongs ; ere the blow reached him, however, Siegfried feized him with his left hand by his briftly hair, and threw him on the ground. All the fmiths now fell upon the intrepid youth, to refcue their companion Eckhart ; but Sieg- fried held him firmly by the hair, and ran with him round the cavern, followed by the fmiths. But his fword, which he wielded with his right hand, kept them off, whilft his trufty dogs fprang barking at their throats and dragged them down. The whole mountain trembled with the founds of fury, and it feemed as if the favage hofl within the cavern were engaged in fome wild marriage-dance : at length the leader of the fmiths commanded peace, and then turning angrily to Siegfried ex- claimed : " Hear me, thou art in truth a moft ill-mannered gueft ; firfl thou ftealeft our meal, and then draweft thy fword upon one of our comrades." Siegfried anfwered him proudly, " Truly it does thee little honour to make fuch war upon a gueft about the bone of an ox ; for in faith I give thee leave to throw me into yonder fire and burn me to aihes, if by tomor- 3 8 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. row's dawn I bring thee not in its ftead an entire urochs. And if thou wilt teach me the art of forging weapons, I will ferve thee truly, and thy fpit fhall never want fupplies from the foreft." This offer feemed to pleafe the Mafter better, and he bade Siegfried welcome ; then they all fat down together, and were foon as good friends as if nothing happened. FIFTH ADVENTURE. Mimer relates the Adventures of Wieland t the beft of all Smiths and Armourers. IEGFRIED took his feat boldly, among the fmiths, and had an anfwer for every queflion, as if he had grown up among them in the fmoky cavern. Mi- mer imagined he had gained in Siegfried a good workman, and told him that if he ferved him well he would make him as clever a fmith as Wieland, the beft of all armourers. Then Siegfried afked him who this Wieland was, and what he had produced. But Mimer replied in furprife, " Thou feemeft to me not to have long crawled out of thy neft, if thou knoweft not of Wieland, of whom every one has heard. But that is a long and wondrous hiftory, and we have no time for it to-day ; Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 39 for Wieland forged fo many fkilful things, that one can fcarcely even tell of them." Siegfried begged him again with great earnefmefs, and pro- mifed to bring him the fatteft urochs of the forefts far around. " Well then," faid Mimer, " I will tell thee of Wieland; but remember, if thou keepefl not thy word, I'll fix thee with my own hands to the highefl rock, where thou malt remain until the eagles and vultures bear thee away piecemeal." Siegfried laughed at this threat, and Mimer began as follows. " Wieland, the moft famous of all armourers, came from Zealand ; his father was named Wade, and he was of the race of the Giants. He was once told that two Dwarfs lived in a hollow mountain, who underftood everything that heart could defire to know, and were able to work in iron and filver and gold better than any one elfe. So Wade, the old Giant, took his fon Wieland and went with him to feek the little Dwarfs in the mountain. On their way they came to a river, but neither boat nor ferryman was to be feen : fo after waiting a long time, the old Giant's patience became exhaufted, and he placed young Wieland on his moulder and carried him acrofs the river. The river was five fathoms deep, and yet the water fcarcely reached the hem of his girdle. " Thus they came fafely to the fkilful Dwarfs, and the old man gave them his fon to inftrud:, and agreed to give them a mark of gold for twelve months. At parting he charged his fon to be attentive and induftrious, and then returned home. 40 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. After the expiration of a twelvemonth he came again, and Wieland had ferved the Dwarfs fo truly, and had become fo clever, that they would not part with him. They begged the Giant to leave the boy twelve months longer, and they would return him his mark of gold, and teach Wieland twice as many arts. The old father thought this a good offer, and accepted it; but afterwards the Dwarfs repented having bought his fervices fo dear, and they required that if the Giant returned not on the appointed day they mould be free to cut off his fon's head. The Giant agreed to this alfo ; but at parting he called to his fon to accompany him part of the way. On emerging from the mine, they proceeded a fhort diftance, when the father flopped, and plunging his fword into a bog, covered with brufhwood, faid, ' If I return not on the appointed day, and the Dwarfs feek thy life, take this fword and defend thyfelf like a man ; for that were better than that thou mould ft be miferably murdered by two fuch diminutive wretches. Never- thelefs I cannot but think that I mail return before the appointed day.' The father and fon parted, and faw one another no more. " Wieland learned all the other arts of the Dwarfs ; they were however much difpleafed at this, but confoled themfelves with reflecting that this fkill would be of no great ufe to him, fince his head was in their power. " When the twelve months were drawing to a clofe, the old Giant was anxious to go to his fon rather too foon than too late, for the way was long, and he feared to mifs the appointed time. Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 41 He therefore fet out on his journey and travelled day and night until he came to the hollow mountain ; and this was three days earlier than the time agreed upon. But he found the mountain clofed ; fo, feeling extremely tired, he laid himfelf down to reft until it was opened, and immediately fank into a deep flumber. As he lay upon the hard rock, fnoring fo loud that the branches of the trees fhook, the fky grew dark, a thick cloud burft, an earthquake mattered the mountain, and a cliff became loofened and fell, drowning the fleeper in the gufhing waters, and burying him amidft the falling rocks and trees. Wade, the old Giant, never awoke again : fome, however, fay he is not yet dead, and that at times you may hear him breathe plainly, and that the whole remaining portion of the mountain trembles when he turns himfelf round. " The Dwarfs opened the mountain on the appointed day, and Wieland went up to feek his father. He could nowhere find him, and when he came to the cliff and perceived the fall he gueffed what had happened. He inftantly took the fword from out of the bog, returned into the mine, and flew the two Dwarfs. Then he collected together all his tools, and all the gold and filver he could find, and placing them on a horfe, jour- neyed northwards to Denmark. " After three days he came to the Wefer, and for a long time knew not how he mould get over the deep ftream. At length he felled a lofty tree, hollowed it out, and placed on the top his tools, together with the gold and filver ; beneath thefe Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. he laid his provilions, and then made himfelf windows of the fkins of hearts and bark of trees, which were fo thick that no water could penetrate them. Then he flipt himfelf in between, and moved about until the tree rolled down the fmooth bank into the ftream. " For eighteen days in the trunk of this tree he continued his courfe down the ftream before he reached the land, which happened juft when King Nidung's people were rowing about on the fea with nets, to catch fim for their royal mailer's table. When the fimermen drew in their nets, thefe were fo heavy that they fancied they had caught fome monftrous fifh. But when they faw the tree, cut out fo fkilfully, they ran in hafte to the King to inform him of the circumftance. " The King came himfelf, and ordered the tree to be cut afunder, to fee what was iniide. So they forthwith fet to work with their axes. Wieland however, who was liftening infide the tree, was not a little afraid left they might hit him a fatal blow ; fo he called to them to defift, faying there was a man infide. When the people heard the tree fpeak with a human voice, they thought the evil fpirit himfelf was lodging in the wood, and ran away as faft as their legs would carry them. " Wieland now opened the tree himfelf, went to the King and requefting protection for his life, offered him his fervices. The King faw quickly that he was a ftranger, and a man to command attention, and not a poor wretch or wandering beggar : he therefore granted his requeft, although the way in which he Siegfried the Dragon -flayer. 43 had been taken like a fifh in a net appeared to him ftrange and wondrous. Wieland haftened back to his tree, and buried it, together with all his tools and property contained therein ; but one of the king's men, named Reigin, faw him by chance while thus engaged. " Then Wieland ferved the King faithfully and well for a year ; his duty was to have under his care and infpection the three knives which lay on the table before the king. He went one day to the feamore, and while he was warning thefe three knives, the beft of them fell from his hand into the fea and was loft. He was much troubled at this, fince he could not difcharge even fo limple an office. Then he went in hafte to Amilias, the King's fmith, but found him not, for he was gone to luncheon with his companions, and the fmithy was empty. So Wieland went to the forge himfelf, and, unfeen by any human being, he made a knife limilar to the one he had loft : where- upon he went and flood before the King's table, and appeared as if nothing had happened. " Prefently the King took up the new knife, and was about to cut with it a loaf of bread which lay before him on the table, when the knife went completely through the loaf and cut a piece out of the table on which the loaf lay. The King, in aftonimment, inquired who had made that knife. Wieland replied, ' Who elfe but Amilias, your fmith, who has made all your knives, and everything elfe that you have caufed to be forged ? Amilias confirmed what he faid. But the King an- 44 Siegfried the Dragon -flayer. fwered, ' Amilias cannot make fo good a blade;' and he threatened Wieland with his wrath if he did not tell him the truth. Then he conferred to the King all that had happened, and the King faid he knew full well that Amilias could not produce fuch workmanfhip. This feemed to Amilias to convey a great reproach and infult, and he rofe up in anger and declared that he would challenge the ftranger to forge with him ; and all mould then fee which of the two was the better fkilled in the art. Then the King commanded it to be fo, and it was agreed that Amilias mould make a helmet, with a breaftplate and leg- gings of mail, and that Wieland mould make a fword, and whofoever's work was beft mould have power to cut off the other's head. For the performance of the tafk each was to be allowed the fpace of a twelvemonth. Two of the chief ferving- men of the King ftood up and bound themfelves as fureties for Amilias, whofe fkill was fo well known that it was thought impoffible he mould fail ; whilft no one would venture to ftand furety for the ftranger Wieland, until at length the King himfelf pledged his word for him. " That very day Amilias proceeded to his fmithy with all his workmen, and began to labour at his work, and continued thus from day to day until the twelve months were ended. Wieland, on the other hand, waited every day at the King's table, and feemed as if he had heard nothing of the affair. Thus parted an entire half year, when the King one day afked him how he thought to gain his wager, Wieland replied, that if the King Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 45 were pleafed to command, he was ready to begin at once ; and he forthwith went to the fpot where he had buried his tree. But this was broken up, and all his tools, together with the gold and filver, taken out. " As he flood in trouble and perplexity, looking into the water, he remembered the man who had obferved him whilft engaged in burying the tree ; but he knew not his name. So he went ftraight to the King, told him the whole ftory, and added, that he was fure he mould recollect the man if he were to fee him again. Thereupon the King faid he would fee to this ; fo he fummoned an alfemblage of his people, and collected together all the men in his kingdom ; but none knew the mean- ing of the royal fummons. Then Wieland flood at the entrance and watched each as he arrived. " When the King had difmiffed the afTembly, Wieland went to him and faid, that among thofe prefent he had neither feen the man himfelf nor any one like him. Whereat King Nidung waxed exceeding wrath, and faid, that Wieland was not fo clever as he had taken him to be, but he found that he was a daring and prefumptuous fool ; and he had been himfelf a fool for undertaking to anfwer for him, and for having fummoned the meeting, as the man in quefl muft furely have been there. So Wieland not only loft all his tools and wealth, but had alfo brought upon himfelf the King's difpleafure, which troubled him ftill more. " In this ftrait he went fecretly and forged the image of 46 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. a man. He put hair upon its head, painted it, and drefTed it exactly as if it were a man that ftood there : for the Dwarfs had alfo taught him this art. As foon as the figure was completed, he placed it one evening in a fpot which the King would have to pafs in going from the hall to his chamber. When it was time to go to reft, and the King came to this fpot, followed by his attendants, he exclaimed in aftonimment, ' Welcome, Reigin ! wherefore do you ftand fo lonely there outiide ? how fares it with your embafly to Sweden ?" The man however was iilent he anfwered not a word. The King was about to queftion him again, when Wieland, who bare the torch, faid, ' Truly, fire, this man is bold and haughty, he will never anfwer you, for I made him, and he it is who ftole my tools.' Then the King laughed at the image, and faid, ' Nay, in truth, he could not have come to the meeting.' And when Reigin foon afterwards returned from his embaffy, he' reftored at once to Wieland, by the King's command, everything he had taken, faying that he had only done it in jeft. " Wieland meanwhile continued to ftand each day at table behind the King, and ferved him, and did as if he had nothing elfe to think of, and thus pafled other four months. Then the King warned him again, till he went to his fmithy and began his work. Three times he made a fword, and every time he brought it to the King it feemed to him the beft fword he had ever feen. But Wieland every time replied, that it was not yet good enough ; and then he went again to Siegfried the Dragon -flayer. 47 his forge and filed it down, and made a new one of it, much better than the former. When he came to the King the third time, the fword gleamed as brightly as a diamond ; it was fet with gold, and had a beautiful handle. Then he went with the King to the river, threw in a flock of wool, which was three feet thick, and held the fword in the water ftill and fteadily againft the dream ; and when the wool reached the fword, its edge cut it as eafily as it did the water itfelf. On feeing this, King Nidung faid with delight, that in future he would have no other fword than this in battle, for never a better could be found on earth. Whereupon Wieland replied, that he had rather the King mould have it than any one elfe, but he muft firft make the meath and belt. So the King confented, and Wie- land went to the fmithy, and made a fecond fword fo like the other that no one could diftinguifh them. The good one he hid under the bellows of his forge, faying, ' Lay there, my good fword, Mimmung ! who knows whether I may not want thee ere long ?' " From this time forward he flood day by day before the King's table, until at length the appointed day arrived. Amilias took his helmet and fuit-of-mail early in the morning, put them on, and paraded with them up and down through the ftreets and market, before the aftonimed people. The armour was fo ftrong and beautifully wrought, that all who faw it faid they had never beheld the like. At the King's table it was much admired, and Amilias was aifured he could not fail to win the wager. 48 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. " When they rofe from table, the King went with all his guefls to a meadow, and Amilias feated himfelf, in the midft of an eager crowd of fpe&ators, on a broad ftone feat. " Wieland now hastened to his fmithy, took his good fword Mimmung, and went with it behind the feat on which Amilias* the fmith of King Nidung fat. Then he laid the edge of his fword on the flout helmet of Amilias, and afked him whether he felt anything ; to which Amilias replied, that he felt nothing at all, and bade him cut with all his might ; for that truly it mufr, be a mighty marvel if he could injure his invulnerable helmet. Wieland then prefTed upon his fword, and it cut fo forcibly that at one flroke it penetrated through helmet and head, armour and body, down to his rival's girdle. Whereupon he afked Amilias again, if he frill felt nothing ; and Amilias replied that he felt as if cold water were ftreaming over his body. ' Well then/ faid Wieland, ( now fland up and make thyfelf, and then thou wilt fee how thou art.' Now when Amilias fhook himfelf, he fell in two pieces on either fide of his feat, and never rofe again ; for there was no fmith fo clever as to be able to join the two parts. After this proof the King defired to have the fword of Wieland ; but Wieland was cunning, and replied that he would firft dry it, and fetch the fheath from the fmithy ; fo he went and brought the King the falfe fword from the forge, but he hid Mimmung again under the bellows. " After this Wieland remained for a long time with the Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 49 King : he made for him all forts of curiofities, in gold and lilver and other metals, fo that the fame of his fkill fpread far and wide. Things went on thus until a foreign army attacked the country of King Nidung, and the King took the field with his men : Wieland alfo girded on his good fword and went with him. And it happened on one occaiion in the battle that the King was in great peril. No one came to his aid, and at length he promifed to give his daughter to whofoever mould affift him. Then Wieland, the clever fmith, came to his aid, and performed the fervice required, and obtained for him the victory over his enemy. But the King, inftead of keeping his promife, pretended to know nothing of it, and drove his deliverer in dis- grace and fhame like a dog from his court. " Wieland burned with indignation againft the King at this treatment, and returned after fome time in difguife to the court. He went into the kitchen of the palace, gave himfelf out for a cook, and affifted the other cooks in preparing the food for the King's table. When the dimes were placed before the King and his daughter, the latter took a knife to carve a dim that ftood before her. The knife however had this property, that its handle gave a found if the dim was poifoned ; and this found was now heard. Search was everywhere made to difcover the criminal, but all in vain. Wieland laughed to himfelf, feeing that no one knew him, and went fecretly to the table, took the knife, and laid another exactly like it in its place. Then he prepared a frem dim, and poured over it fuch a magic fyrup, 50 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. that if the maiden had eaten of it, the effeft would have been to make her think it impoffible to live without Wieland for her hufband. The King's daughter however had conceived fome fufpicion, and held her knife to the dim, but it gave no found. As me was ftill in doubt, me ordered another dim of poifoned meat to be brought, and as her knife would not found, me faw plainly that there was fome deception pra&ifed. " Thereupon the King was angry, and faid, ' No one can fo fkilfully have imitated this knife as Wieland \ fo he caufed him to be fought for among his people. At laft they found him, and brought him before the King, who as a punimment ordered the tendons of both his feet to be cut, fo that he could not get away. From that time he fat conftantly in his fmithy, and contrived all kinds of ingenious work for the King, but all the while meditating in his heart day and night the means of his revenge. " At this time he fent for his brother Eigil, who could moot with the bow better than any other man, and had won great fame in this art. Eigil came, and on account of his fkill was well received by the King. One day, however, the King was deiirous to fee if Eigil could really moot as well as he had been told : fo he caufed Eigil's fon, a boy of three years old, to be brought, and an apple laid upon his head, and then ordered Zigil to moot away the apple. Although the King would grant him only one mot, yet he took three arrows from his quiver, and placing one arrow on the firing, and taking his Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 5 1 aim, he mot through the apple, which fell in halves. The King praifed the mot, but aiked him why he had taken three arrows for one fhot ? Eigil anfwered fearlefHy, Sire, I will not deceive thee ; know then that, had I not hit the apple with the one, the other two were deflined for thee.' The King received this fpeech well, but all the others thought that Eigil had fpoken very boldly. " Wieland meantime fat in his fmithy hammering away, and at every ftroke of his hammer he uttered a curfe againft the King ; until one day the two youngeft fons of King Nidung came to him in the fmithy with their bows, and begged him to make them fome arrows. Wieland anfwered that he had no time : in vain they begged him again and again ; until, at length, he promifed to grant their requeft, if they would do him a little favour in return, namely, that when the fnow had juft fallen, they fhould come walking backwards into his fmithy, and then he would mow them a trick. The boys promifed to do fo, and fcarcely had the firfl fnow fallen when they came eagerly to the fmithy. Wieland however took them and plunged a knife into their hearts, and buried them in a deep hole beneath his bellows. They were miffed the fame morning ; the King thought they were gone into the woods to moot wild hearts, or to the feaiide to fifh ; but when dinner-time came, and they did not appear, people were fent out to feek them in every direction. They came to Wieland, and alked if the boys had not been with him ; and Wieland replied that they had been 5 2 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. with him indeed, but had long fince gone away to the Konigf- burg. The melTengers perceived footfteps in the fnow in the direction of home ; no one had fufpicion of Wieland, and it was fuppofed that the boys had been torn to pieces by wild beafls, or drowned in the fea. After a time, when the matter was forgotten, Wieland took the boys from the hole, fcraped the flem from their bones, then took their fkulls, fet them in gold and filver, and made them into two large drinking-cups ; then of their moulder-blades and hip-bones he made oil-cups ; the other bones he made into knife-handles and pipes. The King was delighted with thefe treafures, and only had them placed on the table when he had perfons of diftinction as his guefts. " Wieland laughed to himfelf at the King's delight, and thinking that he was now fufficiently revenged, he began to coniider how he could return home. Then he begged his brother Eigil to get him all kinds of feathers ; fo Eigil went ftraightways into the woods, and mot all the birds he could find, great and fmall. Wieland made himfelf a winged coat of the feathers, which looked exactly like the fkin ftript off a large eagle. Then he told Eigil to put on this covering and try it. Fly high and low, as you will,' he faid, ' only in alighting go before the wind.' Eigil did as his brother told him, and flew aloft in the air like the fwifteft bird ; but when he wifhed to alight, he fell headlong with fuch violence as to lofe his fight and hearing. Wieland aiked him if anything were wanting to Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 53 his coat of feathers, that he had thus fallen. ' If it were as eafy to alight as to afcend,' replied Eigil, ' thou wouldft never more have feen me again, and I mould now be in another land.' Wieland laughed as he put the feathery covering on himfelf, and faid, ' Well I knew that thou wouldft never bring it me again, and therefore it was that I bade thee alight before the wind; for all the birds alight againfl the wind/ Then he added, that he would forthwith fly home himfelf, but he defired firft to take leave of the King ; and if the King mould command Eigil to moot at him as he flew, he begged him, as he loved him as a brother, to aim ftraight at his heart. " The two brothers now took leave of each other, and Wieland rofe into the air and flew to the higheft tower, and cried aloud, fo that every one could hear him far and wide, pray- ing the King to come forth, for he had fomething to fay to him. " Then the King came with all his attendants, and faid, ' What ! art thou now become a bird, Wieland ? What is thy defire, and whither art thou flying? What new miracle is this ?' ' Ay, fire,' anfwered Wieland, laughing, ' I am a bird now, and about to fly from hence, that thou, treacherous King, mayft no longer have me in thy power.' Thereupon he began to mock at the King, and told him how he had appeafed his revenge, until the King grew frantic with rage ; and when Wieland flew on high he turned to Eigil, exclaiming, ' Come, my good Eigil, thou beft of mots, fend thy arrows after him, 54 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. that he may not efcape alive.' To which Eigil replied, that he would not moot his own brother : but the King threatened him with inftant death unlefs he did as he commanded. Then Eigil laid his arrow on the bowftring, and aimed ftraight at his brother's heart. But Wieland held his hammer in his right hand before his heart, and as the arrow rebounded againft it, he feized it with his left. Eigil was commanded to moot again, but Wieland did as before, and flew away, laughing fcornfully, and holding an arrow in each hand. The King and all his people praifed Eigil for his fkill in aiming fo well ; but they were frill more aftonimed at Wieland's dexterity, faying they had never feen the like. Meanwhile he reached his father's home in Seeland, fafe and found, what afterwards became of him I know not. But it has now grown late, and it is time for us to go to reft." Mimer's tale was now ended, and he afked Siegfried how it had pleafed him, and whether he wimed to become as good a fmith as Wieland. Siegfried replied, " What pleafes me moft is the fword Mimmung ; as to the coat of feathers, I do not need it, for I have no thought of flying from man or beaft. Still methinks that Wieland won but little honour with all his fkill. He treacheroufly flew his matters, the clever Dwarfs, and if in return for this King Nidung was treacherous to him, he revenged himfelf cruelly and craftily on his poor and innocent children ; nor truly doth his flight and fcornful laughing befeem a hero. But had he encountered my fword, I would not have Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 55 fat fo quietly to him as Amilias, the filly fmith of King Nidung : nor mould his hammer have availed him much againft my arrows. But if thou teacheft me to make a fword like the good Mimmung fword, none mall harm a hair of thy head ; md thou mayft hang up all the precious ftones and crowns in the world on the trees before thy fmithy, and no one on earth mail dare to ftretch out his hand to take them." " That we will fee tomorrow/ 5 replied Mimer ; " we mall then try whether you can ufe your hammer as well as you can your tongue ; but now you muft go to reft, for it is midnight, and early in the morning we mall be ftrong and frefh for work." Thereupon they all lay down to reft upon their ikins of wild beafts ; but Siegfried repofed upon his fhield between his two dogs, whom he bound to the handle of his ipear, and he flept as foundly and tranquilly as if he had been at home in his father's caftle. SIXTH ADVENTURE. How Siegfried brings an Urochs to the Smiths. ARLY the next morning, when the firft rays of the fun gleamed upon the footy faces of the fleep- ing fmiths, Siegfried fprang up from his fhield and ftarted off with his dogs to hunt in the foreft. He traverfed hill and dale until he came on the track of an 5 6 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. urochs; his dogs purfued it eagerly, and barked louder and louder as they approached the animal. Siegfried haftened on, and came up juft as the urochs was rufhing upon one of the dogs, while the other hound clung faft to its ear. The furious beaft lifted one dog upon its horns and toiled it far behind him amidft the trees, whilft the other dog fell ftunned upon the ground between the animal's feet. The beaft now faw the Hero advancing againft him : at firft he tore up the earth with his fore feet, wild with rage ; then he flood ftill, meafuring the ftripling with glaring eyes, and prefently darned with fury at him. Siegfried fprang afide, feized the creature's horns with both his hands and forced back his fallen head, till the beaft reared up and was forced to ftand firm and upright, as if life had departed from him. Thus Siegfried led him to the fmithy. When he came before the cavern's mouth, he cried aloud, " Wake up ! wake up, and receive what I promifed you yefter- day." So faying he thruft the beaft into the cave, {truck afide the ftone, and placed himfelf in the opening to fee what was paffing. The fmiths leaped from their beds in confternation at the fight of the monftrous beaft, and each ran to fome place of fafety. Some jumped aloft, and held faft on the mields and nails in the wall, others placed themfelves behind an anvil ; one fprang upon the forge, and another crept haftily and hid him- felf in the ames beneath. Siegfried the Dragon -flayer. 57 The mafter alone fnatched a fhield from the wall, and placed himfelf with a heavy hammer in the centre of the cavern, facing the urochs. The animal at firft ftood ftill,, as if in amazement at the ftrange fcene, and looked around ; then he ran furioufly at the mafter, while Siegfried blew a lufty hunting ftrain on his horn. Before the mafter could fwing his hammer he was laid proftrate on the ground under his fhield. The beaft now rufhed at thofe who ftood trembling behind the anvil, but they ran right and left, climbing along the wall to the entrance. The urochs in his fury toiTed afide the anvil, and ftood ftill before the forge, pawing the ground with his feet, and watching an opportunity to attack the man who ftood upon the forge. Then the beaft bellowed aloud with fury, and the man fhrieked with fear ; while Siegfried blew a merry ftrain as an accompaniment to the dance. The mafter having now recovered a little from his fall, ftept behind the beaft, and ftriking its fkull with the fharp end of the hammer, it fell dead upon the ground. 58 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. SEVENTH ADVENTURE. How Siegfried learns to be a Smith, and how he was fent by the treacherous Mimer to the Dragon. LL now haftened up, and Mimer the mafter faid angrily to Siegfried, " Another time, rather take from us than give to us, for the fecond was worfe than the firft." " Be not fo angry, Mafter Smith," anfwered Siegfried, " I thought the urochs could better run to thee than I could drag him, and moreover I imagined it would be good fport for thee to give him his death-blow. Perhaps I may be able to make thee amends in the fmithy, and pro- duce fomething ufeful to thee." " If thou doft that, thou malt have our praife," replied the mafter ; " but we will try at once what thou canft do." Thereupon he feated himfelf before the forge, took a mafiy piece of iron, held it in the fire, and gave a weighty hammer that he could fcarcely lift into Sieg- fried's hand. When the iron was red hot, he took it out, laid it on the anvil, and bade Siegfried ftrike it. At the firft blow that Sieg- fried flruck, the ftone which fupported the anvil fplit in two, and the anvil fank into the earth ; the iron and pincers too which Mimer held with both his hands flew in pieces, and the head of the hammer flew off into a corner of the cavern. Then Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. ** 59 id Mimer in amazement, but with increafed wrath, " Never ave I feen fuch a fearful, yet clumfy blow flruck ; whoever lou art, it is clear that thou wilt never do for our work." But iegfried replied, " Did any man ever become a good mot at ic firfl aim ? what does not happen to-day, happens to-morrow ; therefore I pray be not foured in temper." Then Mimer was filent, for he thought only how he might deftroy Siegfried, believing that he was of the race of heroes, a young wolf with marp teeth, who would bring no good to him and his race. Now Mimer the fmith had a comrade whofe mind was filled with impiety and vice ; whatever he touched produced poifonous fruit, and to fofter this was his fole delight. There- fore the curfe had ftruck him, and he could only crawl about on his hands and knees in the form of a terrible dragon. Then Mimer coniidered how he could befl get rid of the flout young hero, and the idea occurred to his mind of fending him to his comrade for inftruclion. So he faid to Siegfried, " Liften, my bold young friend, you have done nothing as yet in our art ; if you wim to learn how to make a good and trufty fword, you muft firft go to the woods, and begin by charcoal- burning." Siegfried was well content, and promifed to do as he wasdefired, for his heart never dreamt of malice or evil. 6 a * Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. EIGHTH ADVENTURE. How Siegfried fights with the Dragon and bathes himfelf in his Blood. ;IMER now prepared Siegfried for the journey, and gave him meat and drink for the days that he was to be abfent, which the Hero fecured under his fhield. Mimer alfo gave him an axe, and then mowed him the way to the wood, where he intended to accom- plifh his definition. When Siegfried had come to the fpot which the falfe mafler had defcribed to him, he halted ; then he went up to the trees, gave each a blow with the axe which he held in his right hand, and bending them down with his left, he thus felled them. After awhile he carried away the trees, and piling them up in a heap he made a great fire. The fun was now at the meridian ; fo he had recourfe to his flock of provifions, and never left off until he had finifhed all the fupply that Mimer had given him, for his chafe through the forefls after Giants and Dragons had given a keen edge to his appetite. After this refreshment he faid to himfelf, as he fat on the flump of an old oak tree, " There is now no one fo flrong as to lift a fpear againfl me, but he would prefently lie flretched at his length upon the ground, and never defire to rife again." As he faid this, the Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 6 1 huge Dragon came crawling forth, with a mouth that was wide enough to fwallow a man, flefh and bones and all. It had black wings like a bat, its body was fwollen with poifon, and refem- bled a toad, but its long tail was as fharp as a two-edged fword. When Siegfried faw the monfter with his fharp white teeth, he was as delighted as if a long looked for friend were coming ; and he cried, " Now I may have a chance of trying my prowess as I wiftied !" Thereupon he ran to the fire, feized the largeft tree, and haftily attacked the fierce creature with the burning brand. He rumed headlong upon him, and forced the flaming point ftraight into his right eye, fo that the beaft writhed with the anguim. Then Siegfried ftruck him on the head with fuch force, that at the firft ftroke he fell proftrate on the earth ; and then he gave him repeated blows until the monfter was dead. Siegfried now fat down to reft, and faid chuckling to him- felf, " If the Dragons can do no more than this creature here, it is hardly worth the trouble to attack them." He had how- ever grown hungry again from this new toil, and he felt as if he had all this time eaten nothing; but it was now growing dark ; he had no wifh to return to the fmithy, and knew not where to procure food. At laft he bethought him to roaft the heart of the Dragon for his fupper. So he went at once to work, and thruft his fpear down the creature's jaws and body ; the trunk of a large tree ferved for a fpit, and on it he hung the Dragon with his fpear before the fire. But prefently the 62 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. fcaly coat began to foften before the fire, and the blood and fat flowed in a ftream like melted lead. Siegfried took the flefh of the creature in his hand, but it burned his fingers and he put them to his mouth to cool them. But when the horn be- came cold in his mouth it feemed as if he were biting into fteel, it had become fo hard. He looked at his fingers, and they were covered with horn, as with gloves of iron. When the young Hero beheld this he felt rejoiced : and quickly throw- ing off his clothing, he held his helmet under the melting fcales till it had grown hard, and then bathed himfelf in the ftream which flowed from the Dragon. The horn covered his whole body except the back, between the two moulders, where a leaf of the lime-tree had fallen* which the horn could not penetrate. This horn was like a ftrong coat of armour, which no weapon could penetrate, except be- tween the flioulders where the lime leaf had fallen. And from this horny covering the hero is called Siegfried the Horny to the prefent day. Then he took up an axe and cut the Dragon in pieces ; part he gave to his dogs, and the reft he threw to the birds of prey ; the head he put afide. Then he lay down again to take his meal, and the birds of the foreft fung their evening fong. He cut out the heart of the beaft with his fword, and behold ! while he was eating, there refounded many voices as if of men around him; whereupon he turned, and was about to invite them to his meal, but he faw nothing but trees, and birds which Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 63 were hopping from bough to bough and feeking a place of reft. He now perceived that the voices he heard could come only from the birds ; and he remembered that he had once heard an old ballad fung by a foreign minftrel, in which it was faid that whoever ate the heart of a Dragon mould inftantly learn the language of the birds, and thus learn many a fecret. He there- fore defifted from eating and liftened to the voices of the birds. Prefently a quail cried out to her lifter, " Bilderick ! Suc- cefs ! Succefs ! the Dragon is conquered and killed ! killed !" As me was crying thus, a chaffinch came flying by ; he had not underftood the quail clearly, and cried, " What, what, what ? the Dragon conquered ! Victory, victory, victory !" A black- bird whiftled, " Yes, yes, only think of it! Siegfried has done it ; hail to thee, Siegfried, Siegfried, Siegfried !" With him came three old ravens and feated themfelves croaking on the bough of a withered oak ; the firft faid to the fecond, " Alas ! alas ! thou haft again deceived us, fifter ; didft thou not fay that we (hould find Siegfried dead ?" " Yes," replied the other, " I heard myfelf this morning how Mimer laughed at Siegfried, and faid, ' Go, proud boy, the ravens will foon fly off with thy bones : the Dragon will help thee to burn coals.' Thus faid Mimer, and if Siegfried's arm had not been ftronger than his underftanding, it would have turned out fo." Thereupon the third raven began, " I am afraid there will not be much for us here, for Siegfried's dogs leave little behind. However we muft not defpair ; we fhall ftill all be able to pick out his eyes, 64 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. for he is too confiding, and trufts too much in men, otherwife he would have feen from Mimer's evil eyes that he meant him no good. If Siegfried does not take care, the other will plant his iron in his heart yet." " Ay, but if he is wife," replied the firft raven, " he will cut off Mimer's head in time." " That I mould be forry for," faid the third, " for he has given us many a good feaft from dead bodies ; but let us fly away before the fun fets, for yonder in the foreft I know of a fallen flag, let us go and enjoy it together." The two others accepted the invitation, and they all flew away together with a loud croak. Meantime the little birds had all become filent. Siegfried, with his dogs, continued his fupper in peace ; then he went to a clear ftream,. where he drank, and laid himfelf down to fleep under an oak, refting, according to his cuftom, upon his fhield. And when he looked up at the huge trunk of the tree, and faw its wide and leafy branches, and how the winds of evening played around its top, and the ftars fhone through its boughs ; how the birds found reft in its covering and the animals lay beneath its fhelter, and the branches were ranged around its ftem and when he further reflected how many a tempeft and ftorm it had defied, and that it now overfhadowed the land like a king then Sieg- fried thought how he mould like to ftand like an oak among men, lending made and protection to all around ; and with this thought he fell afleep. Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 65 NINTH ADVENTURE. How Siegfried comes again to the Smithy, and fettles Accounts with Mimer. 'EXT morning early, when the birds of the forefr, large and fmall, hailed the young day with their joyous fong, Siegfried arofe, ftuck the head of the Dragon on the point of his fpear, and went ftraight back to the fmithy. Mimer and his companions heard from afar the barking of dogs, the ruftling of the bumes and the fteps of the hero as he approached. They all came running out before the cave, and Eckhart faid to Mimer, " Ay, mafter, here comes Siegfried, and on his lance he bears the Dragon's head. Now he will ferve us as he has done the Dragon I mail flay no longer." " What ! you cowardly fellows," anfwered the angry mafler, " go back immediately into the cave and put the large hammer in the fire. Then we will place ourfelves at the entrance to welcome him, and brand the boy on his fair forehead with the red-hot iron if he makes aught ado." " Nay," replied Eckhart, " I will have nothing more to do with him, unlefs he were to lie afleep before me, fo that I could drive a wedge into his head before he awaked ! but fee, K 66 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. here he comes in great anger ! we are twelve in number, it is true, but were we half as many more, nothing could help us but the fwiftnefs of our legs." So faying, Eckhart ran away the firft into the thicket, and all the others after him. Mimer remained alone, curling and ftamping. " I mail manage the boy however," faid he : " for many is the piece of hard iron I have foftened." So he went to meet Siegfried, and bade him welcome. Siegfried however looked at him fternly, and his anger darted like lightning from his eyes, fo that Mimer was fain to look on one fide, while the hero thus anfwered his greeting. " None of you, ye faithlefs ones, mail be welcome to me ! I have burned the coals and I have paid his recompenfe to the companion you fent me, and now thou malt receive thine ; for Siegfried the Swift, the fon of King Siegmund, is not accuftomed to be in anybody's debt." Mimer was not frightened at this fpeech, but faid, " Now I plainly perceive that thou art not fo valiant as I thought thee, and as thy fathers were. So much anger about a young reptile, which thy anceftors would have trodden in the duft or ftrangled without a word ! I thought the creature would give thee a little paftime, for hadft thou only aiked it, he would have helped thee in thy tafk. With the fire which fpouted like a fountain from his jaws I have burned many coals, and roafted many a head of game, whilft thou, who thinkeft thyfelf fo wondrous bold, art afraid of it, and canft do nothing with the poor thing but kill it. I verily believe thou haft poked out its Siegfried the Dragon -flayer. 67 eyes when afleep, that thou mighteft cut off its head without danger, like a lamb bound for the flaughter." At thefe words Siegfried was ftill more wrath, and faid, laughing difdainfully, " Only ffoop, thou old reptile, and my fword mail fmite through thy bald head and fend thee to thy companion the dragon, that ye may amufe yourfelves toge- ther, and roaft and burn coals as long as you pleafe." So faying he grafped his fword. Mimer itepped back and faid, ftretching out his right hand, " Stay ! and only hear me ; I will offer thee amends that mall ten times outweigh thy anger. Gold and filver thou malt gain as none has ever done before, of all who ever wielded a fword or mounted a horfe. Seeft thou yonder, between two oaks, the blue mountain with the rocky peaks ? there lives my eldeft brother. He watches in his cave over countlefs treafures, fuch as no king poffeffes ; to obtain them he murdered our father. Now he is accurfed, and crawls about in the form of a dragon. I will conduct thee to him, and will provide thee with good and trufty weapons. When we have killed him we will mare his treafures. Wait till I fetch thee the arms." So faying, he went ftraight into the cave, and brought a helmet, fhield and armour, the moft beautiful Siegfried had ever feen. Thefe he gave the hero, who was however iilent and expreifed not a word of pleafure . A t laft the fmith gave him the fword, faying, " Look-ye, this is the beft of all fwords ; I made it for Hartuit the King in Holmgart, take it in both 68 Siegfried the Dragon -flayer. hands and flab my brother the Dragon to the heart ; his trea- fures will then be ours." Then Siegfried took the fword in both his hands, raifed it on high, and faid, " Now I will try the fharpnefs of this fword, whether it be as good as thou haft faid ; and thy faithlefs heart, thou murderer of thy brother, mall feel it firft." Ere the laft word was off his tongue, Mimer the falfe fmith lay dead at his feet. TENTH ADVENTURE. Siegfried fees the great Dragon, and meets a King of the Dwarfs. IEGFRIED now thought of purfuing his journey ; but he firft tore down the walls, and deftroyed the entire cave, where only weapons for fraud, treachery and wickednefs were forged. He left not one ftone upon another, fo that at the prefent day no one can fay where ftood the fmithy of the Giants, where Siegfried the Swift learned the art of a fmith. With joyous courage he advanced through the dark woods and the green and funny meadows ; quickly he leaped over the roaring ftreams of the foreft, and nothing could flop his courfe. But the country became daily more awful and terrific ; more Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 69 fleep and lofty were the jagged rocks, more rapidly and fiercely fell the flreams, the grafs and weeds in the meadows were fo high that they rofe far above the heads of his dogs, and hearts of prey ran about in troops. The undaunted hero pro- ceeded onwards, till one day he heard his dogs howl mourn- fully. He haflened up, fuppofing that fome venomous ferpent or beafl of prey had feized them. But nothing of the kind was to be feen; his dogs were {landing in a meadow, the damp grafs of which was reeking with the heat of the fun. On approaching near, he faw that they were howling at fome foot-tracks which they had difcovered, the like of which he had never feen. They mowed two large paws with long claws ; and as he was infpecling them, the fun fuddenly became dark- ened, and his dogs crept timidly up to him. He was furprifed at this, for there was not a cloud in the fky. For the firfl time in his life he felt alarmed, when he faw a wild Dragon flying over him in the air. It was black as night, but at every breath it drew, a pointed flame of fire ifliied from its jaws ; its head and neck were of horn, and the internal fire mone through both, with a dark red colour, and lighted its blue wings. It flew flowly and fleadily, making vafl circles with its long tail. Siegfried now perceived to what creature the foot-tracks belonged ; he flood under a tree and watched the flight of the monfler for a long time, and thought to himfelf, " May the leader of battles affifl me now ! Yon creature is the fiend him- felf in a living form, for of all the Dragons depi&ed on my 70 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. father's walls, not one is equal to this. Grant but the victory to my good fword, that I may fight a good fight againft this fon of darknefs!" Meanwhile the Dragon flew quietly on and difappeared behind a mountain. Siegfried now heard on a fudden the jingling of bells and the tramp of a horfe. He turned round, and before him on the meadow was a tall jet-black horfe, on which was feated a very little rider. Siegfried at firft thought it muft be a child of three years old, and wondered that any mother could be fo carelefs as to let the poor infant ride about in the foreft on a high horfe, fo near the mighty Dragon. But when he faw the little rider nearer, he was aftonifhed to perceive that he had a beard whiter than fnow, which reached to his girdle. His limbs and whole frame moreover were not formed like thofe of a child, but were in good proportion like thofe of a grown- up man. He had a venerable appearance with his long beard, and looked kindly and fhrewdly from his little bright eyes. Both horfe and rider were fo beautifully and richly adorned that Siegfried had never feen the like in his father's cattle of Konigfburg. The horfe's trappings were adorned in front with gold and behind with filver, the gold inlaid with white precious ftones, the filver with red ; while bells of gold and filver hung on the mane, fifty on each fide, giving a pleafing found. Thrown over the horfe hung a cloth of velvet, green as the grafs of the meadow in fpring, on which was figured the whole earth ; Siegfried the Dragon -flayer. 7 1 round it ran a fky-blue border, reprefenting the great ocean of the world, in which fwam fifh of gold and filver and purple. On the green velvet were embroidered flowers of all kinds, animals and men, with pearls and diamonds, all fo fmall and fo highly adorned that a day would not fuffice to examine them. The rider wore a filver helmet, on the top of which fhone a carbuncle bright as the morning-ftar, while the cafque itfelf was encircled by a crown of gold. His armour was of white freel ; over it was fpread a broad, royal mantle, fattened at the waifl by a girdle of diamonds, in the form of a fnake. At his fide hung a fmall fword, with a handle of rubies. Above all glanced his fhield, appearing as if formed of diamonds. In the middle fhone the fun, and around it the feven ftars ; whilfl between thefe ran circles of all the colours of the rainbow. The fhield had this power, that when the bearer held it before him he could fee everything through it without being feen himfelf. Siegfried flood mute, and knew not what this ftrange appear- ance meant. " Hail to thee, valiant hero !" began the little ftranger, " come hither under the trees ; thou needfl not fear me, I have no ill defign againft thee ; on the contrary, I come to offer thee fidelity and fervice, and my aid in every danger." " Why," faid the hero fmiling, " I had no fear of thee, little man ! For thy proffered friendfhip however I thank thee, although thy help may avail but little in danger; thou couldft fcarcely be feen in the high grafs, and when ftanding 72 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. by my fide a ftork might fnap thee up, with fword and ihield, taking thee for a little frog." At thefe words the little rider was fomewhat difpleafed, and faid, " Thou art thyfelf lefs than the giants, and yet thou thinkeft to gain the viclory over them ! True, I am fmall of ftature, yet I know much more than thou doft, for Siegfried the fon of King Siegmund knows not my name, nor does he perhaps know my power. From gratitude I am come to lead thee out of the wood, becaufe thou haft flain the Dragon who held me and my people in flavery. For know I am named Euglein, and I am a rich and potent King of the Dwarfs of thefe mountains." " Well then, King Euglein," anfwered Siegfried, " mow me where I can gain honour, and my fword mail ever be devoted in gratitude to thee." " 'Tis well," anfwered the other ; " and had I not come hither thy life would have been loft, for the Dragon who lives hereabouts is the moft fearful of all creatures, and he it is who holds captive the beautiful King's daughter of the Rhine. He took her from her father's caftle, and now me fits weeping and wringing her hands on the Drachenftein. No one but myfelf knows the way to the fpot, and me will never be releafed unlefs Heaven takes pity on the poor maiden. But let us hafte, or we are loft!" Siegfried was delighted at hearing thefe words ; he fprang from amid the trees, fmote three times with his fword on a Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 73 ftone, which he cut afunder like a fponge, and then exclaimed, " May the fword of my enemies thus pierce my body if I depart hence till I have fought with the Dragon for the maiden !" " If that be the cafe, give me leave," faid the Dwarf in alarm, " to quit the wood and fly hence : for hadft thou traverfed the whole earth from eaft to weft, and overcome all ftrong men and all monfters, ftill muft thou leave the maiden to the Dragon on the rock." " Nay, not fo, little man ; thou mufl (how me thy fidelity and give me thy affiftance, and help me to win her." " That cannot be," replied the Dwarf; " if thou wilt rum upon thy death, thou muft do fo alone ; I will no longer keep thee company. But if thou wilt follow me, I will give thee gold and pearls and coftly jewels, magic weapons and roots of healing powers, and will teach thee likewife many a maxim of ancient wifdom ; but never will I guide thee to the Drachen- ftein." So faying, the little man gave his horfe the golden fpur, but Siegfried feized the bridle, and thus in anger fpoke the hero : " Thou muft mow me the way, or thou rideft not home with thy head upon thy moulders !" Then he feized the Dwarf by the beard ; but the little man ftrove and ftruggled with fuch force that Siegfried could not fufficiently admire his prodigious ftrength. A magic ring gave the Dwarf this fupernatural power. The fweat ftood upon Siegfried's forehead in great 74 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. drops, but ftill he was unable to matter his tiny opponent, and the conteft lafted till in the ftruggle the ring fell from the Dwarf's ringer. Then Siegfried feized the mannikin by his right foot, threw him from the faddle, and held him head downwards againfl a ftone, faying, " On this ftone I will dam out thy obftinate brains if thou lead me not to the Dragon." But the Dwarf cried out piteoufly and faid, " Calm thy anger, thou proud hero ! I will advife thee as well as I am able, if thou wilt only fpare my life." With this Siegfried was fatisfied, and fet the Dwarf upon his legs again. ELEVENTH ADVENTURE. Siegfrieds fight 'with the fait hie fs Giants under the Drachenftein. jHEN the poor Dwarf had recovered his breath, he tied his horfe with fear and trembling to the trunk of a tree, and then ran on before Siegfried to the Drachenftein. He pafTed over wild ravines, be- hind waterfalls, and through the hollows of rocks, till at length he came to the entrance of a cave. It looked much like Mimer's fmithy, only that it was wilder and more appalling. " Here," faid he, " dwells Kuperan, a King of the Giants; when he takes his ftand upon the rocks and blows his horn a thoufand Giants are ready at his command, and all the Dwarfs in the Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 75 mountains around, and all the fpirits of the woods and waters are fubjed: to him, for he is of all giants the ftrongeft and fierce/I. He with his companions can overturn mountains and pour ftreams over the land as he pleafes ; he can fink mips and root up forefts. He has formed an alliance with the fierce Dragon, and keeps the key which locks up the hollow cave. Heareft thou the roaring in thofe rocky hills, as if a mountain torrent were ruming through ? that is his fnoring. It is high time that we depart, for if he awakes there will be rough fport." " Nay, it is for that fport," faid Siegfried, " that I have come hither." And thereupon he went to the entrance and blew the horn which hung before it, fo loud that the rocks far and near re-echoed to the found. The Dwarf leaped in affright into a hollow tree. But the Giant ilept on. Then Siegfried blew the horn a fecond time, with fuch force that all the birds in the wood were filent and flew to their nefts. But the Giant never opened his eyes ; he muttered only, " How loud thofe plaguy wafps are humming to-day." Siegfried now turned his fpear and ftruck the favage fleeper in the fide. Without opening his eyes, the Giant ftruck at the fpear, thinking a wafp had ftung him. The iron bent in Siegfried's hand, but the monfter continued his flumber. Then the hero knelt at his head and fhouted with a loud voice, " Wake up, wake up, thou prince of giants ! a young wolf is in thy neft." The monfter now turned himfelf round and looked at the hero in Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. fcorn. Grim was his afpe<5t, and his face was covered with red hair : his limbs were huge and clumfy, his eyes round, his mouth reached almoft from ear to ear, and gaped like a moun- tain cave : two large boar's tufks ftuck out, and reached up to his ill-formed nofe. From his frightful appearance he bore the name of Wolfgrambear, for he was as hungry as a wolf and as favage as a bear. " What has brought thee here, boy ?" he faid, grinding his teeth ; " I know not whether I ought to hang thee up here in my hall by thy head or thy heels, my little fellow." " Heaven forbid thou mouldft do either, thou hungry vul- ture !" faid Siegfried ; " I am furely not come here to be hung ; the fword is my friend, fighting my pafKme, and danger my delight. So releafe the maiden whom thou and the Dragon are keeping in captivity, or elfe thou malt fink into the earth, and the oak-trees mall grow over thy body." At thefe words the Giant was in great wrath ; he fnatched up a rock and hurled it at the hero; but Siegfried the Swift leaped afide with a fmile, and avoided it. Raging with anger, the Giant now raifed his mighty iron poleaxe to cleave him from head to foot : but Siegfried avoided the blow, and the weapon fplit the rock at his feet and fank deep in the earth out of the Giant's hand. As he ftooped to draw it out, Sieg- fried fprang on him and gave him many fevere cuts in his arm, while the dogs flew at him and fattened on his legs. The Giant feized the dogs one after another, and threw them far Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 77 away into the valley ; then he feized the poleaxe anew, but the blood flowed in copious flreams from many a deep wound, fo that he became exhaufted and fled into the middle of his cave. Here he drefled his wounds, and put on a coat-of-mail which the Dwarfs had made for him and hardened in dragon's blood. To his fide he fattened a fword, broad and long, at the point of which ran a fnake, and wherever it flew hilling, death entered and life departed. On his head he put a helmet of black fteel in the form of a dragon ; the mield which he hung around him was inlaid with iron, and fo huge that he could lift upon it a knight and his horfe. Thus armed he came out with a four-edged poleaxe, which at every ftroke rang like a bell. Then he cried aloud to Siegfried, " Tell me, thou little man, what have I done to thee, that thou comeft here to murder me in my fleep ?" " Thou lieft, favage monfter ! have I not myfelf aroufed thee to the fight, when I could have plunged my fword in thy heart ?" The Giant replied, " He who led thee hither has led thee to thy death, and that thou malt find before the fun goes down behind the hills ; and were there ten fuch as thou art, I would put you each on a mirt you mould never get off again." " Come on then !" cried Siegfried, " but take care of thy- felf, for many a one has boafted of doing great things when the ravens were already fitting on his helmet ready to peck at his eyes." 78 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. The two now rufhed at each other, and dealt fuch weighty blows that the fire flew from their mields, and the eagle high above the rocks and the wolf in the cave below let go their prey and fled. The Giant however conftantly miffed his aim, for he was naturally clumfy and unwieldy, and his wounds had crippled him ; but Siegfried flruck blow after blow as rapidly as if he had had ten fwords in his hand, and hewed pieces out of the large iron mield like a carpenter at his work. Kuperan at length had only the flrap left in his hand ; covered with blood, he began to reel like fome mighty oak, till at length he piteoufly exclaimed, " Hold, hold, thy fword ! ihort as it is, it ftrikes deep; I have proved thy courage, and fee that I cannot gain the victory over thee. Grant me but my life, brave hero, my weapons and myfelf thou mayft take as thine own." " Then," faid Siegfried, " the firft thing I require of thee is to free the maiden on the rock." " Thus ended the flrife, and both fwore fidelity to each other in all their dangers the Giant that he would ferve the hero faithfully, and Siegfried that he would take no revenge for the conflict. But the Giant was deceitful, and all the while conildered only how he could accomplifh Siegfried's deftruction. Siegfried, on the contrary, fpoke to him frankly and kindly. " Thy wounds, my poor fellow, grieve me much, I will drefs them before we afcend the rock." So faying, he tore his own gar- Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 79 ments and bound them round the wounds of the treacherous Giant, and they went on their way together. Eugelein, the dwarf-king, crept from his hollow tree and ran behind them, but without being feen, for he wore his cap of mift which ren- dered him invifible. Siegfried went before, followed by Kupe- ran the faithlefs. The way led into a narrow rocky valley. On the further fide flood, upon dry ftony ground, dwarf oaks and bufhes ; be- yond rofe fteep and naked rocks, half covered with trees and hollowed by falling waters. On the right defcended fteeply a fmooth precipice of flone, and in the depth of the valley itfelf, foaming over rocks, rumed a wild flream. A bow-mot further on, the valley was clofed by another fteep precipice a hundred fathoms deep, over which the flream rumed into the depth below darning againft the rocks and mafles of ftone. The Giant raifed his hand, and pointing to a crevice in the rock above, faid, " Seeft thou the cave yonder behind the water- fall there we muft enter." While Siegfried was looking about, the falfe monfter raifed his hand and gave King Siegmund's fon fuch a blow on his helmet, that he fell fenfelefs on his fhield and lay ftretched on the ground like one dead. Then the Giant ftooped to throw him over the precipice into the foaming waters beneath ; but the hero's dogs flew fiercely at him, and Eugelein the nimble dwarf fprang forwards, put on his cap of miil and bore Siegfried away in fafety under the trees. The Giant was much furprifed when he found that his 80 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. enemy had difappeared. He looked round on all fides, fancying that he muft have fallen over the rocks from the force of the blow, and he was about to fend the hounds after him. But they, accuftomed to fight with wild-beafts, drew back quickly when he {looped to feize them, and as he flowly rofe they fprang barking between his legs. The Giant {looped again, feized one of them by the throat, and was going to throw him over the rock, when the other dog fprang upon his back and feized him by the right ear, fo that Wolfgrambear bellowed till the valleys echoed around. Again the Giant tried to feize the dog ; but by this time he had come to the place where Sieg- fried lay with his cap of mift, and thus inflead of the dog he caught hold of the Dwarfs head, who immediately began to cry out piteoufly. Siegfried awoke from his fwoon, fprang up, threw away the cap of mift and gave the Giant fuch a wound in the neck with his {harp fword, that he inftantly let go the Dwarf. Then he raifed his fword again to give the faithlefs Giant his death-blow, when the latter held out in his right hand a golden key, and faid, " Hold ! or I will throw away this key, and then you will never reach the King's daughter on the Drach- enftein, for in the whole world there is no key but this that will open the enchanted caftle." Siegfried let fall his fword, and gave the treacherous monfter his life a fecond time. Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 81 TWELFTH ADVENTURE. Of the great Wonders which Siegfried J aw in the Dragons Rock. IEGFRIED, being aware of the treachery of the Giant, now made him go on before, and fo they arrived at the cave, which was concealed behind the water that fell from on high. Here they were firft obliged to creep down eight fathoms ; then the Giant fcraped away the earth and leaves from the ground and a large iron lock was vifible ; this he unfaftened, and lifting up a heavy iron plate, under which ran a {tone ftaircafe, Kuperan bade Siegfried go before. But the hero looked angrily at him and faid, " Thinkeft thou I have fo foon forgotten thy treachery, that thou openeft a new trap for me ?" Then he took the large key from the lock and pufhed the Giant on with it, and made him run quickly down the fteps, Siegfried and the Dwarf fol- lowing after. They patted through long palTages which led right and left into the interior of the mountain, in which a perfon ignorant of the place would foon be loft, for one might wander there days and days without finding an outlet. The Giant would doubtlefs have led the hero through byeways into fome abyfs where he would have fallen headlong, and either have dafhed out hi s M 8 a Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. brains againft the rocks or perifhed of hunger and thirft among poifonous fnakes, but the Giant was afraid of the Dwarf, who was well acquainted with the mountain. Upon the walls Siegfried faw the blackened fkeletons of various animals of frightful forms and prodigious lize. The Dwarf told him thefe were the dragons who for centuries had lived here in alliance with the giants. Some of them fhill held in their claws the fkeletons of thofe creatures that had fallen their victims ; others ftill ftretched out their jaws as if to vomit fire and poifon. Going further, they came to a hall which was fb lofty that the highefl oak would not have reached the roof. In the middle of the apartment burned a dark red fire, and around it flood a circle of altars of flone ftained with blood. " This is the great burial-place of the giants," faid Eugelein ; and Siegfried faw their corpfes lying in two rows on flone fhields, with flone clubs. On the altars near the fire the prifoners whom they took were flam as death-offerings, and their blood was drunk at the funeral feaft. They now pafTed through many pafTages, till they came to a hall which fhone fo bright that Siegfried was obliged to hold his fhield before his eyes to prevent being dazzled. The hall looked like a vaft arbour ; the walls were compofed of mining trees, which twined their leaves and branches clofe together. Fruits of filver and gold fhone amid the dark green foliage, and creeping plants of all kinds wound around the flems. Thefe however were none of the plants which grew on the foil of the Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 83 earth above, but only rare and precious metals that lie hid in the interior of the earth. The moft beautiful objects of all were the flowers, which bloomed around in a thoufand varied colours. They were the precious flones that lie concealed in the mines. Elves and Dwarfs, and tiny men of elegant fhape and afpecl:, tripped nimbly to and fro, to tend the flowers, to water the trees, and to pluck the fruits : they wore garments white as the daylight, and zealoufly performed their duty without look- ing up. From this hall Siegfried entered a fecond, conftrufted of pure cryftal. In the midfl flood tranfparent pillars in two rows, and brilliant ftreams of water poured from them, forming arches of varied colours. The foot of the columns was adorned with coftly fhells, from which fprung up water-plants, encircling the columns with their flowers. Little water-fprites peeped out from the foliage, and held flowers in their mouths, from which they playfully fpouted water. Beneath, in the green grafs, fat fea-nymphs, combing their long wet hair : others were playing on harps, while their fitters danced in graceful movements around the pillars. So ftrange, yet fo fweet, were the tunes to the fongs, that whoever heard them once could never forget them. The third hall, which fucceeded this, was of blue tranf- parent jafper. On the ceiling beamed ftars of gold, and the fun and moon fat on mining horfes of light and played at ball with the morning and evening flars. High above was perched a 84 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. mighty eagle ; when he expanded and flapped his wings, the breeze floated now louder, now more gently through the hall, and the birds began to fing around. The Giant now complained that he muft reft, on account of his wounds ; fo they feated themfelves, and while Siegfried looked around in aftonimment, Eugelein, the dwarf-king, faid, " It may well furprife thee how a Dragon can have fo many fplendid apartments, iince his abode is the darkness of night ; but thou wilt fee another chamber ftill which outfhines this as the noon excels the morning. The halls reprefent the elements, and for many a century thoufands of induftrious Dwarfs have laboured here, and the hammer has never been out of their hands. But all this now belongs to the Dragon whom we are compelled to ferve ; and if thou canft not overcome him, he will kill us all with his poifonous breath, and the maiden will be irrecoverably loft. " Yet it was not always fo, as my forefathers have told me. There was a time when blefTed fpirits lived on earth in joy and unity, in dwellings of heavenly light. No fword or pointed dagger was then made, nor did the fweat of flavery run from man's brow. Vafes for offerings alone came from our forges, from which pure incenfe rofe up to heaven. Life was a plea- fure and labour fport ; and on bright and mining feats fat the Afl, the fathers of mankind, and read from iron tablets the facred maxims of eternal wifdom and the laws of the infcrutable Deity, whofe name none ventures to utter. Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 85 " But from the bofom of Night rofe Loki, the prince of darknefs. In a form of beauty, with fmiling countenance and feduftive fpeech, the arch deceiver appeared before the patriarch of our race, who believed his fmooth words. They pledged a brotherly love to each other, and in token of amity they mingled their blood. This was the beginning of all evils. The deceived one knew not that the old Dragon, the enemy of gods and men, the father of darkness, had infufed into him his own poifonous breath. And there alfo arofe from the bofom of the fame Night, where the fiery Dragons dwell with favage Giants, an evil en- chantrefs, who was verfed in all black arts. In pleafing form me appeared before our fathers, and on her forehead fhone a rich ornament of gold, which me had formed by magic power from ftolen rays of heavenly light. And as the Fathers looked in her glowing eyes, and the dazzling brilliancy of the falfe gold enchained their looks, the cunning deceiver whifpered to them, and avarice, envy, and difcord arofe in their hearts. Then all oaths and vows of fidelity were forgotten, and the firft battle was fought on earth. Ever fince a fearful curfe has refted on alluring magic gold, which was the caufe of the evil. " The Afi, when they came to their fenfes, would fain have deftroyed in the fire the enchantrefs with her treacherous wealth ; but thrice me rofe from the flames uninjured, and laughed them to fcorn. When after being pierced with the fpear, me was again thrown into the flames, the crafty deceiver approached the fire, took her half-confumed heart from her bofom, and 86 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. fwallowed it. With the heart he became porTefled of all her magic arts and power ; but he had alfo imbibed all her wick- ednefs, her evil defires and favage luft ; thus the flames of vice ever burned more darkly and fiercely in his bofom, and he con- fidered only how he might deftroy both heaven and earth in one vaft conflagration. But the hypocrite would not caft oft his dazzling appearance, for he was bent on more furely effect- ing the definition of all. " He now married a Giantefs, a bafe witch, the daughter of primeval Night, who continually brooded over and foretold mifchief ; and me produced three monfters, from whom all other monfters have come upon the earth. Her ftrft child was the great ferpent of the world, who, concealed at the bottom of the fea, winds his folds around the earth, holds his tail in his mouth, and fwallows all that approaches him. If the water becomes too dry and mallow, he turns in raging anger and the earth trembles at his convulftons. The fecond monfter was the great wolf of the abyfs, who is equalled by no other in favage cruelty and ftrength. From his noftrils he fnorts forth flames, his eyes fcatter fire, and he threatens to fwallow up both fun and moon with his dark and voracious jaws. The third child of this pair was the princefs of the lower world and of death. Shuddering awe dwells in her looks, and her empire is the dark valleys where the fun never fmiles and clouds and mifts form eternal night. Thefe three children Loki caufed to be brought up among the Giants in the land of Night, where they Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 87 to enormous fize and ftrength. But he himfelf kept up ntercourfe in various forms with our forefathers, and fowed >oifon and deftruction everywhere around. Loki once went forth with Odin and Haener to wander over the earth. They came to a piece of water named the waterfall of ^.ndvari : in the flream fat an otter, catching fifh and devouring :hem eagerly. It was not however a real otter, but the fon of a powerful enchanter, and the brother of Mimer the bafe finith and of Fafner the Dragon, who dwells here on the rock. Catching fifh and hunting were his only pleafure, and he changed himfelf daily into an otter and caught fifh in the ftream, which he took home, where he fat in a corner and ate them. He had juft fnapped up a fifh, when the treacherous Loki, who well knew that he was a man, caught up a ftone and killed him. Loki's companions were delighted with their prey, and ftripped off" the fkin of the otter. But it fo happened that in the even- ing they entered the dwelling of his father, the old enchanter Reidmar, who, by the fkin and by their blood-ftained hands, perceived at once that they had flain his fon. With the help of his fons he took away their weapons, made them prifoners, and threatened to be revenged on them, unlefs by way of atone- ment they filled the fkin of the otter and covered the outfide of it with gold, fo that not a hair could be feen. " Odin and Haener were compelled to remain with him, for they fent Loki forth to get the gold, becaufe he was the moft cunning. So he went again to the waterfall and there 88 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. made prifoner a Dwarf, who kept concealed in his cave the richer! treafure known to mankind. Belide an infinite quantity of gold and diamonds, there was alfo a miraculous helmet, the light of which makes all living things tremble, a tarn-cap, which beftows invifibility and ftrength upon the wearer, and the fvvord Balmung, againft which no fhield is proof. The moft precious object however was a gold ring of wondrous power ; whoever poflerTed it was fure never to want gold, for it always increafed according to his wifh. The ring however was made of falfe gold, which the enchantrefs had brought from the bofom of Night for the purpofe of deception, and it was the caufe that oaths were firft broken and blood was fhed in the firfl: battle. On it alfo retted the primeval curfe, for it brought evil on whoever polTerTed it. " Loki compelled the captive Dwarf to bring the whole of the treafure from his cave ; but the magic ring he concealed under his arm ; however Loki faw the glitter of the gold, and infifted on having the ring likewife ; the Dwarf begged piteoufly that he would leave him this one of all his treafures ; but Loki was inexorable. Then the Dwarf went into his cave and uttered a fearful curfe on the treafure, that it might bring no good fortune to any one, and on the ring, that it might caufe the death of any one who porTeiTed it. " Loki now returned to Reidmar, and they filled the otter's fkin with the gold, placed the animal on its feet, and covered it with gold. Reidmar examined the fkin, and perceiving a fingle Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 89 hair, required that this alib fhould be covered with gold. Odin took the ring of difcord from his finger, and while he was covering the hair with it, Loki repeated the curfe of the Dwarf. Reidmar now allowed them to go their way, and from that time the treafure has been called the treafure of the Nibelungen, for Reidmar's family was a race of Night, and they were called the Nibelungen. " It was not long before the fplendour of the gold ring caught the eye of Fafner, and he longed to poffefs it, for he was the ftrongeft and fierceft of the brothers, and wimed to call his own all that was there. He excited his brother Mimer, and they both went to their father and required their (hare of the recompenfe. Reidmar however refufed to give up the gold, Snd concealed it under his couch, that his fons might not fleal it, and night and day this treafure was his anxiety and care. " But the ring was never out of Fafner's mind. In an evil hour he ftole to his father's bed, drew the fword Balmung, and plunged it into the heart of his parent as he flept. When Reid- mar the old magician faw how his unfaithful fon feized upon the gold, he repeated with his dying breath the horrible curfe which he had learned from Loki, and conjured his daughters to avenge his murder. The curfe of a dying father had its effect, and Fafner was immediately changed into a fierce and fiery Dragon. The flames of burning luft and the poifon of confuming envy darted from his jaws, and nothing fince has power to affuage his 90 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. thirft of evil, for he is ever impelled to fome new deed of plun- der and murder. " Mimer, his brother, required from him fome portion of his inheritance of blood ; and when Fafner angrily refufed him, he vowed his death ; and for this reafon he hath fent thee to him, and longs to drink his blood and eat his heart, for he alfo thirfts after this accurfed gold. Loki the crafty deceiver, who prepared this mifchief, did not efcape the fearful punifhment of his wickednefs. He committed many a ruthlefs act, and became more and more cruel and daring, till at laft he perpetrated the moil frightful deed that the human heart ever conceived. Odin, the father of the Afi, had a fon, whofe countenance fhone like the fun, and whofe mild and gentle looks delighted every one ; wife was his difcourfe, and all his fayings came to pafs. Be^ fore the light which beamed from his countenance, impurity vanifhed and fin fled away. Hence he was named Balder the Good, and was loved and praifed by all. Now Loki the evil one hated no one fo much as Balder the Good, and would rather have loft his own life than that he mould continue to live. " Evil dreams and forebodings troubled the good Balder. Fearing fome dread misfortune, the Afi fent to Frigga, requefl- ing that me would exacl: an oath from all and everything on earth trees and animals, ftones and difeafes, poifons and fnakes that they would not injure Balder the Good, whom all fo love'd. All promifed the goddefs ; and the Afi, highly de- Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 91 lighted, placed the illuflrious youth in the midfl of them, and in fport threw fharp fpears and pointed flones at him. Nothing injured him, for he was facred to all things. Loki flood by and watched the fport with envious eyes : then he aflumed the form of a woman, went to Frigga and told her with feigned delight of the fport of the Afi, and cunningly afked her if all had pledged her their oath, and if none was forgotten. Frigga faid, Eafl- ward from Walhalla grows a mifTelto, I pa/Ted it by, for it feemed to me too tender to do any harm.' When Loki heard thefe words, he immediately went and cut a flip from the plant for a dart. Then he returned to the fport, and went up to Hoedur, who flood by and took no part in the paflime, becaufe he was blind. Loki gave the dart into his hand and defired him to throw it in honour of the beloved Balder, and that he him- felf would guide his arm. Hoedur threw the dart, and Balder fell pierced and dead on the ground. The Afi were flruck dumb with terror and grief, and each looked fpeechlefs at the other, for they faw in Balder's death a prefage of their own deflruction and that of the whole vifible world ; fince the curfe had come upon it through the evil one whom they had received among them, and with whom they had mingled their blood. But Odin forbade them to take revenge, becaufe the fpot was dedicated to peace. " With great lamentation they buried the corpfe by the fea- fide, and all the families of mankind, even the Giants from the icebergs, came to the interment. Nanna, the wife of Balder, 9 2 Siegfried /& Dragon -flayer. died of a broken heart, and was buried by his fide. Laftly Odin approached the corfe and whifpered in its ear : no one knows the words of the farewell he uttered, but fome fay he fpoke of a happy meeting again. " Thereupon the Afi fent Herrnodur, the brother of Balder, down to the pale Goddefs of the Dead, to entreat her to reftore the murdered Balder to the upper world. Herrnodur rode for nine nights through the deep valleys of the fhades which lead to the kingdom of the Dead. Then he came to a ftream, and rode over a bridge which (hone with gold : it was guarded by a maiden, of a bold and confident afpect, armed with fword and fhield. ' What wilt thou here ?' me cried. ' Five troops of corfes rode over yefterday, and the bridge trembled not thus ; thou haft not the look of the dead.' When Herrnodur fpoke to her of Balder, me bade him ride further toward Midnight. He came to a caftle, leaped over the high gate, and ftepped into the hall of the pale Princefs of the Dead. Around her ftood the maidens who accompany the dead in their journey to the tomb ; behind her ftood a red cock, and at her feet lay Pain, Wearinefs and Exhauftion. There he faw Balder and his wife fitting on high. But the princefs replied to his requeft, ' Now I can prove whether it be true, as report declares, that Balder is fo beloved by all. His return to the light fhall be permitted if all things alive and dead lament his death.' Balder gave his brother a miraculous ring for Odin, by way of remembrance ; then they parted, and Herrnodur returned. Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 93 " The Ali immediately fent out their meffengers into the wide world to beg all creatures to releafe Balder with their tears. All Nature the birds of the foreft, the flowers of the meadow and the beafts of the field lamented the murdered one, who had been their joy and delight. As the meflengers were return- ing home with joy, they found a hideous Giantefs fitting in a cave, who exclaimed, ' No tears will I med for one whofe life or death troubles me not : the pale Princefs of the Shades may keep him !' The merlengers at once perceived that this was no other than the bafe Loki, the old murderer and liar, who thus prevented the deliverance of Balder, and they returned home forrowful. " Loki however, urged by the fear of punimment and haunted by the thoughts of his own wickednefs, flew off to a mountain, where he built a houfe with four gates, facing the four winds. All night he watched ; in the day he changed himfelf into a fim, and concealed himfelf in a waterfall. But fearing that they would catch him there, he made himfelf fkil- fully a little net, that he might praftife how to efcape from its melhes. But the wicked Loki was caught in his own fnare, for as he was weaving it the Afi came. He quickly threw the net into the fire and leaped into the water ; but the Afi faw the enchanted net in the flames, and immediately made one exactly like it, as broad as the flream in which Loki had hidden him- felf. Then they flretched it out and went along the ftream to catch the cunning ferpent. 94 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. " Loki fwam away from the net and concealed himfelf between two ftones, fo that the net pafled over him. Still they could perceive that fomething living had touched it : fo they fattened heavy balls to it, and the net then fank fo clofe to the ground that Loki could not creep away from it. Then he fwam to the mouth of the ftream, and they faw him fuddenly leap over it and turn back to the waterfall. So they returned back a third time, divided themfelves into two bands, and one of them, Thor the Strong, went through the middle of the ftream. Loki was again driven towards the fea ; he was afraid to fwim into it, and leaped into the air, when, fwift as lightning, Thor caught him and held him by the tail. " They bore him immediately to a dark and deep cavern, and then piled up three ftones, through which they bored a hole. A fon of Loki, changed into a wolf, was there, devouring his own brother, and with the entrails of this infernal offfpring they bound the father faft to the ftones, for no other tie could hold him. Then a Giantefs, whofe father he had murdered, ap- proached and hung over him a poifonous fnake, which dropped its burning venom on his face. But the Afi allowed Sigyn his wife to attend him in his torment. She holds a cup under the fnake and catches the poifon : but when me goes out to empty the cup, as it becomes filled, and the poifon drops like fire upon his brow, he writhes with anguifh, fo that the whole earth trembles. And thus he muft ever lie, until that day when heaven and earth mall be deftroyed ; and till then the ftruggle Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 95 will continue with his poifonous brood, the giants, enchanters and dragons, which our anceftors the All commenced, and which you the Heroes now continue." While King Euglein related this with a very ferious and folemn air, the Giant had leaned his head on his hands and fallen fafb afleep, and it was with the greatefb difficulty that Siegfried could awaken him. Then they went quickly on and came to the fourth hall, which, as Euglein faid, furpafled the others in miraculous fplendour. Around the walls burnt fire ; white flames and blue and red and green wound round in figures of varied kinds, flowers and birds and beafts. Then fuddenly a thoufand fparks mot forth, and transformed themfelves in the air into mining fbars, golden crowns, and wreaths of flowers. In the middle of the hall was a bafm with a golden rim, from the midft of which grew an afh-tree that reached to the ceiling ; the ground in which it flood was clear cryftal, fo that all its roots could be feen as if it ftood mirrored in a lake. Siegfried could not fufficiently admire this tree, which the Dwarfs had fo fkilfully made. Green leaves and golden fruits adorned the wide-fpread boughs and dropped their dews of honeyed fweetnefs. Above, on the fummit, fat a royal eagle, with a bright and piercing glance, and fpread out his broad wings ; on his head flood a hawk. Below on the ground were ftanding, on the four fides, four ftags, which ftretched out their necks upwards and ate the leaves of the tree. Three roots ran from it into the cryftal bafin. The middle root 9 6 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. went deep into the abyfs below. There lay an enormous Dragon enveloped in darknefs, fwelling with poifon and gnaw- ing incefTantly at the root. Around him crawled a thoufand poifonous ferpents and hungry wolves, and a dark vapour afcended from the pit. In the midft of it was a feat, on which fat a female, with a crown on her head, of pallid countenance and with a dark drefs : behind her, on the back of the feat, flood a large flame-coloured cock, at whole feet grazed a raven- black horfe near a rufhing ftream. The fecond root ran from the am towards the north ; there mafTes of ice lay piled up on each other, and therein fat great Giants around an enormous horn, from which ifTued a fpring. Oppofite to this root ran a third, which was furrounded with light, and from a fpring near it came forth fky-blue water; two white fwans were fwimming in the water, and three beaming maidens flood on the margin, and took up water in golden vefTels and fprinkled the tree. Around the fpring were placed twelve royal feats or thrones, upon which fat princes and princefTes with golden crowns. A fquirrel ran nimbly up and down the trunk, from the eagle on the top to the ferpent below. Siegfried looked at all this with amazement, and afked the Dwarf what was the meaning of the tree. " That," replied the wife King, " is the celebrated afh-tree Ygdrafil, an image of the world. The leaves of the tree are the clouds, and the golden fruits are the ftars of heaven. The eagle that floats above is the King of heaven, who with fearching eye overlooks Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 97 the world. The ftem is the earth, and thence a root goes down into the depths below, where fits the princefs of the lower world ; near her grazes the horfe who brings to her the dead from life, and behind her fits the red cock. When the cock begins to crow, the world is deftroyed. The Dragon that vomits flames, and the ferpents, are the fubterranean fire and the fierce ftorms which agitate earth and fea, and the wild defires and pafiions which difturb the breaft of man and undermine his life, and gnaw continually until the tree is deftroyed. The beautiful fountain with the golden feats, near the fecond root, to the right, is the fouth portion of the world. The three maidens are the three Fates who fpin the thread of life. The two fwans of light are the fun and moon, and around mine the princes of heaven with their crowns. " The root on the left is the north portion of the earth ; there ftand the lofty icebergs, there rifes the fea, and there lies the great horn from which, at the laft day, when the fix winters of the world have pafied away, the fummons to the laft judgment will be founded. Its call will fummon all, from the higheft heaven above to the deepeft abyfs below ; the leaves of the tree will tremble with fear, and its boughs will make, and the earth will be convulfed and the fea will roar. Then all ties will be loofened and torn afunder ; the ferpent of the world will rife with giant fury out of the water ; the wolf will fpring howling from the abyfs, and open wide its jaws at heaven ; the dwarfs will figh at the gates of rock ; fires will rage around the tree 98 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. of the world ; the fun and moon will be fwallowed up by the wolves of darknefs, and the ftars will fall from the fky. The day will be turned into night, and Loki will appear with all his evil fpirits from hell, and the heroes will contend with him in the laft great conteft of the world. The Deity, who firft created all things and fent light into the world, will confume the corrupted earth with his purifying fire. When however the laft battle has been fought, when the dying heroes mall have conquered the powers of darknefs, and the flames have confumed the world, then a new morning will dawn in the heavens. A new and more happy earth will arife, the feeds will grow up of themfelves, and fparkling waterfalls will gum forth over the fmiling verdure of the meadows. Then the good will receive their reward, and will again become pof- fefled of the brazen tablets of eternal wifdom, which they loft in the beginning of time. But the bad, the perjurers, mur- derers, and deceivers, will wade in ftreams of poifon on the ftrand of corpfes in the hall of ferpents, and the old Dragon with his brood will fall into the abyfs." Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 99 THIRTEENTH ADVENTURE. How Siegfried firft fees the King's Daughter and is received by her. [HUS fpeaking, they entered a lofty chamber by an iron door. Around, on the walls, hung in double rows helmets and fhields ; and between them, in wild diforder, fplendid garments embroidered with gold, drinking-horns ornamented with filver, and filken banners. But all looked defolate and wafle, the garments were ftained with blood, the helmets and fhields were rutted, over the drinking-horns large fpiders had woven their nets, and the lilken banners were yellow with fmoke. By the general dif- order it might eafily be feen that it was all the produce of pillage. But the moil fearful objedts that met the eye in this robber's den of the Dragon were black iron pillars which ran through the hall : around them were faftened horns of the deer and the urochs, and on every point of thefe horns was ftuck a naked fkull. Siegfried, fword in hand, glanced around the apartment, but neither the Dragon nor the maiden were to be feen. It now appeared as if his ear caught the founds of mufic not far from him ; he went in the direction in which it came, and looked through a high vaulted gallery on ioo Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. the diftant landfcape ; at the end of this paffage he fa w a maiden feated on a rock with a harp in her hand. She looked down into the wooded valleys, and fang and played, whilft a falcon fat upon her harp, as if liftening to her. Siegfried flood dill with his companions and hearkened as me fang thus : My father fat within his hall And drank the red and cooling wine, He drank from out a cup of gold At Worms, upon the dark green Rhine. My mother held the filken threads Within her hand fo lily white, And worked upon the cloth of gold The deeds of hero and of knight. My brothers threw the dice in fport, For fwords and arms enrich'd with gold, The while I fat within and fang The deeds of knight or hero bold. But fwift defcending from above A Dragon fierce was feen to glide ; He twined his folds around my form And faid, " Come hence and be my bride !" My father dropped his cup of gold, My mother wrang her hand fo white, My brothers drew their fwords in vain, The Dragon bore me from their fight. Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 101 And long may I here fit and fing My lay upon the Drachenftein, My fong will never reach, dear friends, To you upon the dark green Rhine. And long may I lament in vain ! Yon valley lies fo far, fo deep, I never can my woes explain, O would I in the grave could fleep ! The finger here ceafed, interrupted by her tears, but fhe quickly and more vigoroufly feized the firings and renewed her fong : Yet fay, art thou a captive For ever doomed to be ? What hinders thee to venture- To venture to be free ? One effort ftill may fave thee, Then why delay fo long ? Are fear and fright fuch fetters ? Is the dread of death fo ftrong ? Oh no, the father's fpirit Still liveth in the heart, It mrinketh not from danger, Nor dreads from life to part. Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. Oh then found my harp-ftrings And echo my lay, Ye both mail attend On my dangerous way. For hence I would flee And find myfelf free. Then take me, ye breezes, And raife me above, And waft me away To the region I love, Where fpring's foft bowers Are filled with flowers. Nor leave me to wander, Uncertain my flight, But grant me the blefling, The blefling of light ! Hence, hence let me flee, From Dragon's haunt free. When me had ended her fong, me turned to the abyfs ; but at this moment Siegfried iprang towards her and held her back. " Stay, thou noble daughter of a king !" he cried, " here ftands Siegfried, the fon of King Siegmund, who will die or plunge the Dragon into this abyfs. Ceafe therefore from weep- ing ; thy forrow fhall be changed to joy, and the Dragon mall crouch in the dufl before thee, and fhall atone for thy tears with his heart's blood." Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 103 " Thanks, valiant hero, for thy aid ; but hafte away from hence ! thou canft not fave me, but wilt only perifh here, and thus increafe my grief." " No," replied Siegfried, " here will I fight for thee ; for otherwife fhame would flrike me to the heart, which is fharper than iron itfelf. When a child I made a vow never to turn my back upon fire or fword." " Thou knoweft not what thy tongue utters," anfwered the maiden ; " 'tis madnefs to contend with that horrid creature. Wilt thou place thyfelf on the very fpot where the lightning ftrikes ? No fword can pierce his fcales, and fteel itfelf melts before his flaming breath. Return, and bear to my parents and brothers my laft farewell !" " Nay, lady ; unworthy were I to be called the fon of King Siegmund, nor could I ever dare to look my noble anceflors in the face and fight as they did the great battle of the world, were I to flee like a coward. Never has fear ftained the honour of our race ; and when once my fword gleams in my hand, victory or death can alone return it to its fcabbard I" " Alas," interrupted the Dwarf, " thy fword can little help thee ! One fword alone Balmung, the fword of the Nibel- ungen, with which Fafner flew his father has the power of giving the Dragon his death-wound. For this reafon he keeps it concealed, and if the maiden cannot reveal to us this fecret, all conflict is vain." The King's daughter faid that me had never heard of this fword. " Then much I fear," faid the 104 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. Dwarf gloomily, " that our death is not far diftant ; for never wilt thou flay the Dragon with the fword thou beareft, and of this I will give thee a proof." Thereupon he fprang fuddenly into the hall, and returned with a large and ancient fhield j which he could only juft drag after him. " As vainly may your fword attempt to cut the dragon's fkin that is ftretched over this mield, as to wound the Dragon himfelf." Then Siegfried fwung his fword above his head with both hands and dealt fo powerful a blow that it refounded through all the halls of the hollow mountain ; but the mield remained uninjured, and the fword broke off at the handle. At the fight of this, all were loft in amazement : the Dwarf wrung his hands, and the maiden entreated Siegfried to fly. But the hero was ftill undaunted, he yielded not a ftep, and faid, " To the brave man courage is more than a good fword, and my courage at leaft is yet unbroken ; my arms are ftill ftrong, and with them I will flay the Dragon ; for to the juft, Heaven will give ftrength and victory !" " As thou art a bold hero," faid the Giant, who had hitherto kept filence, " and thy magnanimity has granted me my life, thou malt now reap the fruit of my fervices in return. I once flept near the Dragon, he had juft had a hard battle, and threw himfelf down to fleep, when, in a dream, he exclaimed, ' Ho, ho ! they cannot kill me yet, for they know not that the fword lies hid in yon corner ?' I fought for the fword in that corner, Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 105 and found it ; only lift yon ftone and you will fee a ring, beneath which it lies." Siegfried, overjoyed, haftened to the fpot, removed the ftone, raifed the ring with both his hands, and beneath it, like a bright flame, lay the glittering Dragon's fword. He ftooped to lift it up, but the faithlefs Giant took his dagger and aimed a blow at Siegfried's neck, at the fpot where the linden-leaf had fallen. But juft as he was fucceeding in inflicting the wound, Euglein ftruck the Giant with his ring fo violently on the knee, that he daggered, and the edge of the dagger glided off. But the Giant now feized the hero, and clafping him with both arms from behind, dragged him to the abyfs, in fpite of the furious attacks of the dogs. The King's daughter fell weeping on her knees, wrung her hands, and prayed to Heaven, while the Giant laughed aloud, as if certain of victory. Siegfried however twined his arms around the body of the falfe monfter, and prefled fo ftrongly into his wounds, that all his ftrength patted away, and the Giant loft both fight and hearing. His black blood flowed in broad ftreams ; he roared and curfed himfelf and the hero, on whom he ftill kept a firm hold with his laft ftrength to pull him into the abyfs with himfelf. But it was all in vain : Sieg- fried loofened himfelf from his grafp, and at length pufhed him into the chafm. With a hollow found he fell into the mighty depth below, and as he fell he broke afunder an enormous oak, which covered his corpfe. io6 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. LAST ADVENTURE. Siegfried's Fight with the Dragon. IEGFRIED was now defirous to try the marpnefs of his fword, and it glided through the Dragon's fhield like water and went deep into the rock. All were full of joy when they faw this; but the wife Dwarf alone looked grave and faid, " Thou haft a harder battle ftill to fight, and thou requireft meat and drink to refresh thee for it." Then he blew his little filver horn, and at its fhrill found there came forth from the crevices of the rocks Dwarfs, white and grey. Then they fpread a carpet and brought meat and drink of all kinds, and Siegfried fat down and ate, and the maiden offered him a golden drinking-horn, faying, " Hail to the hero of the Netherlands ! hail to the bold fon of Sieg- mund ! hail to the fighter with the Dragon, Siegfried !" The hero drained the cup and faid, " Truly never did I feel fo in- fpired with courage, and never longed for the chafe of the boar in my father's forefts as I now do for the conteft with this hideous Dragon, the keeper of the treafure of the Nibelungen. If my forefathers flood here in a circle, as they ftand around the walls of our halls at home, they would indeed rejoice in the conteft, for the found of my fword mail re-echo far around, and Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 107 gladden the heart of many a hero. Come what may, I dread none on earth, and I fland here on this flone, armed and pre- pared with this uplifted fword to meet the fight." As he fpoke thus a roaring found was heard, which vibrated nearer and nearer, as if the mountain were fhaken and falling into ruins. Thereupon the maiden was flruck with great terror; but the eyes of Siegfried glanced like two flaming fwords, and he bade her be of good cheer, faying, " The Author of Light gave us life, and how mall the Dragon of darknefs take it away ? my fharp and gleaming fword mall dazzle him fo that he mall not be able to diflinguifh the day from the night." As the evening twilight arofe, the Dragon came flowly onwards, hovering like a dark florin-cloud. Siegfried ad- vanced and met him on the edge of the rock. Near him flood his two faithful dogs. The maiden drew back, and the Dwarf put on his cap of mifl and crept into a crevice of the rock. Three times did the Dragon fly fearching around the flone, for as yet he had not feen the hero. But jufl as he was about to lie down he perceived Siegfried, and fending forth furioufly blue flames, he lamed the earth with his tail. In a moment the hero's fhield was covered with blue flame, and be- came glowing hot ; his dogs were about to fly at the monfler, but they fell dead to the earth at his firfl breath. The poifonous flames darted more and more fearfully on Siegfried ; and to cool himfelf he was forced to withdraw into the vaulted gallery of io8 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. the mountain. Thither the Dragon could not follow him, for the paffage was too narrow ; fo he remained fpouting forth fire at the entrance, and knew not how to get in; nor did Siegfried know how he mould reach the Dragon with his good fword. In this difficulty he looked around and faw lying near him a huge ftone, which ten men could not have lifted. Remembering his great anceftors, he feized it, and threw it in the gaping throat of the peftiferous monfter ; and now the flames being quenched, he darted with fword and fhield upon the Dragon, and dealt him blow after blow upon the head. But the blows of Siegfried's fword at firft produced no effect, the fcales were hard as diamonds, and the fword flew back. On a fudden, as he was ftriking with all his might, he heard a plaintive tone, which feemed like the voice of the Dwarf, as if calling for help from the Dragon's jaws. And fo it was ; for the Dwarf had feated himfelf, under his invifible cap of mift, upon the ftone which Siegfried had thrown into the Dragon's mouth, and he now called out in terror left Sieg- fried mould kill him. When the Dragon heard the cry of the invifible Dwarf he turned round ; but at that moment Siegfried dealt him a heavy blow on his neck, at the point where the fcales were a little parted. The fword ftruck into the neck, and the pent-up flames burft through the wound at the fide, fo that Siegfried was now fafe from them. The little Dwarf crept quickly out of the wound. The Dragon raved ftill more with the Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 109 pain; he fell on Siegfried, fnatched his fhield, and fnapping it like a lath he flew at the hero's head. But Siegfried too was now fired with rage, and grafping his fword firmly ftruck off the monger's right claw. Thereupon the Dragon roared with fury, fwung his tail around, and ftrove to entwine the hero in its folds. But Siegfried at a bound leaped high above the tail, and now ran with fuch force again ft the monfter that he threw him backward on the ground ; then feizing his fword with both hands, with the firft blow he drove it two fpans deep into his breaft, at the fecond he cut his heart through and through, fo that the fword fank deep into the ftone ; and as he was about to give a third blow, he himfelf fell fenfelefs befide the monfter, which in the death-ftruggle was confumed in its own fire. Such was the great fight with the black, poifonous Dragon, who guarded the treafure of the ancient curfe, by which the hero of the Low Countries acquired fame and glory above that of all his fathers. The deeds he wrought with his fharp fword at the Drachenftein have refounded for centuries from north to fouth in many an heroic lay by the ancient minftrels ; nor can the name of Siegfried the Dragon-flayer ever pafs away as long as German fong is fung. Pale as death lay the exhaufted hero for a long time ; then he fetched a deep breath, and flowly opened his eyes. But how great was his forrow when he faw lying near him the King's daughter, pale and motionlefs as a corpfe. He fprang no Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. up, took her in his arms, called on her by name ; but me awoke not, nor gave any figns of life. The hero began to lament aloud his misfortune, when at length Euglein the Dwarf came ftealing by. He looked about on all fides, and was overjoyed when he faw that Siegfried had flain the Dragon. He imme- diately went to the virgin, took a root from his girdle, and with its fcent awoke her to new life. The joy of Siegfried was only equalled by that of the beautiful daughter of the Rhine King ; and Euglein too was fo delighted at their deliverance from the Dragon, that he begged the hero to claim from him what- ever he liked, gold or diamonds, coftly ornaments or weapons, for all were at his command. Siegfried thanked him for his offer, but faid that his deliverance of the maiden was reward enough for him ; if however he defired to do him a favour, he would afk him, who was fo well informed of the future, to tell him his deftiny. The Dwarf immediately placed his bright gleaming fhield on a table of ftone, and held a handful of dry grafs to the fun, which forthwith burfl into a flame : then he ftrewed a precious perfume over the fhield. A fin- gular odour diffufed itfelf around, but the Dwarf inhaled the vapour, his eyes clofed, and turning a coflly ring on his ringer, began, as if in a deep flumber, to pronounce the following invocation : " As the falcon in its motion Flies in circles round and round, Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. in Seeking both o'er land and ocean Where its prey may beft be found ; " So the venerable fage, Turning ftill his magic ring, Sees through many a coming age Many a dim and diftant thing." On this he ceafed awhile, then pointed with his finger to the fouth, then to the right and left, as if forms furrounded him on every fide, and then announced the marriage of Siegfried with Kriemhilda thus : " Rofy gardens on the Rhine, Meadows full of bright funmine, Through which wander ftreamlets fair, Stags and roebucks pair and pair, Foliage, with the feather'd throng Warbling wild the woods among ; While a filken thread inclofes All this fairy bow'r of rofes. Many a knight, with martial tramp, Watches round that foreft camp ; From the branches, from the trees Pennons wanton in the breeze. Round the throne fo fair to fee, All of gold and ivory. 112 Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. " Ladies look on fcenes fo fair, Brave knights look on ladies there ; One his proud compeers outvies, Like the fun in yonder ikies ; Like the moon in modeft pride, One fweet maiden is his bride ; For to her that hero-youth Gives a ring in pledge of truth. All the maidens foftly figh, All the youthful heroes cry, Hail to Siegfried and his prize, This, O this, is Paradife ! " But an evil dame is nigh, Malice in her heart and eye, And me brings that bride fo fair Three young rofebuds fweet and rare, Take the pureft of the three, Take, me cries, 'tis meant for thee ! But beware, fweet bride, beware, For a thorn is lurking there ; See, it wounds thy finger fair. Bride, why flops thy fobbing breath ? Bride, why art thou pale as death ? " The Dwarf was filent for awhile, and then turning towards the weft began to fing thus of Siegfried's death : Siegfried the Dragon-flayer. 113 f< Hunter's horn and hunter's fong, Wolves and bears together throng, Through the wild wood runs the boar, Hounds that follow bark and roar. " Foxes creep in corners fly, Birds are twitt'ring in the fky, Two white does in flight are feen, And a flag in clover green.