Stories of the Nibelungen for Young People.
by Various.
I
YOUNG SIEGFRIED
IN THE good old days of Long Ago, when kings had absolute power over all their subjects, even in the matter of life and death, there dwelt in the city of Santum, on the beautiful Rhine River, a great and good king named Siegmund.
He was very powerful, and ruled over the kingdom of Niederland so wisely and so well that he was loved and honored by all his people. He shared his throne with Siegelinda, his beautiful wife, who also was n.o.ble and kind of heart.
Siegmund and Siegelinda had one son, called Siegfried--a handsome, well-built lad, with eyes as blue and sunny as the sky above on a fair spring morning. He was the only child of the king and queen, but he was more of a sorrow than a joy to them, for he was as willful and disobedient as he was beautiful. He could not bear to be crossed in any way, and wished that he were a man, so that he might do exactly as he pleased.
Siegfried"s parents loved him dearly in spite of his faults and all the sorrow his wild ways caused them. But one fine morning, while the king and queen were still asleep, he quietly took his hat, and stole out of the castle, for he had made up his mind to go out into the wide world to seek his fortune.
Siegfried walked through the beautiful city, and then for some time followed a winding country road, until at length he found himself in the midst of a dense forest. But he was not afraid; he could hear the birds singing and calling to one another in the green trees overhead, and now and then a rabbit or a timid squirrel ran across his pathway, and disappeared in the bushes.
So he wandered along, quite happy. Sometimes he would come to a little brook, winding its way through the trees and gra.s.s, and babbling and singing among its pebbles. Across the stream he would leap, as lightly as a hare.
Thus the day wore on, and as twilight gathered, he began to feel very tired and hungry. He was just beginning to wonder what he should do, when he noticed that he was nearing the edge of the forest, and a little farther on what should he see but a blacksmith"s shop among the bushes.
In the doorway stood the smith himself in his leathern ap.r.o.n--a little, odd, misshapen dwarf named Mimi. He looked in wonder at the beautiful boy, who smiled upon him in a friendly way, and said:
"Good-evening. I am almost dead with thirst and hunger; will you not take me in, and let me be your helper?"
Mimi was about to say no, when he chanced to look at Siegfried the second time. He noticed how strong and well built the boy was; so he said:
"I am not really in need of a helper, for in this out-of-the-way place there is very little work to be done; but if you wish to learn my trade, I am willing to give you a trial."
Siegfried was happy to hear this, and with a hearty relish he ate the coa.r.s.e brown bread and bowl of milk which Mimi brought to him.
The next morning the blacksmith showed Siegfried how to blow the bellows, and swing the sledge-hammer, and also how to shape a horseshoe.
"Now, you try it," he said, laying a red-hot piece of iron on the anvil.
Siegfried was eager to try. He raised the hammer above his head, and brought it down with such force that the iron flew to pieces and the anvil was buried in the ground.
Mimi was very angry. He gave the boy a box on the ear that nearly knocked him over. Now, Siegfried was a king"s son, and never before in all his life had any one but his parents dared to punish him. Therefore he was indignant, and without giving Mimi a moment"s warning, he seized the dwarf by the collar and dashed him to the ground.
When Mimi came to his senses, he was almost dead with pain and fright.
He made up his mind then and there that he would have his revenge, but he knew he was no match for Siegfried in strength; so he picked himself up, and pretended that he was not in the least angry. After a while he sent Siegfried to fetch a basket of coal from the colliery, which was near a great linden tree in the forest. Under this tree dwelt a terrible monster, and Mimi hoped that the huge beast would make an end of the lad.
As Siegfried reached the tree, out rushed the monster, with open jaws, ready to devour him. But the boy nimbly sprang aside, and uprooting a tree which stood near, he brought it down with such force on the monster"s back that the huge creature was dazed by the blow, and lay writhing in pain.
Then quick as thought, Siegfried pulled up tree after tree, and piled them high above the struggling monster, pinning him fast to the earth.
Thus he slowly crushed the terrible beast to death.
As he stood there watching, a pool of blood oozed slowly out from under the pile of trees. He dipped his finger in it without thinking, and was surprised and delighted to find that his finger had become as hard as horn, and that he could neither scratch nor pierce it.
"What a fine thing!" thought the lad. "I will bathe myself in the pool, and then nothing on earth can harm me."
Accordingly, he quickly undressed and bathed himself in the pool; but as he was stooping over, a broad leaf from the linden tree fell upon his back, between the shoulders, and the spot where it lay was not touched by the monster"s blood. Siegfried knew nothing of the leaf. "Now," said he to himself, "I am safe; neither sword nor spear can wound me." Then he cut off the monster"s head, filled Mimi"s basket with coal, and carried both back to the smithy.
Mimi could hardly believe his eyes when Siegfried appeared; he began to fear the wonderful strength of this half-grown boy, and to hate him with a deadly hatred. However, he was far too wise to let Siegfried know his feelings, and so he praised the lad"s courage highly. But he at once began to think of another plan to get rid of him.
That night, while they were sitting together before the fire, Mimi said:
"I know of an adventure which would just suit you, Siegfried. If you succeed in it, it will make you famous all over the world, and you will be very rich."
The boy was eager to be off at once, but the dwarf declared that Siegfried must first listen to a long, strange story. Mimi bade him give good heed to what he was about to hear.
II
MIMI"S STORY
MY FATHER was a dwarf, and belonged to a race of dwarfs called the Nibelungs. He had three sons, Fafner, Otto, and myself. Fafner was the eldest; I was the youngest. Otto, my second brother, was very fond of fishing, and liked nothing better than to spend whole days at the sport.
My father had a magic cap called a tarnhelm. Any one who put this cap on could make himself invisible, or a.s.sume any form he desired. Otto would borrow this tarnhelm, and a.s.suming the form of an otter, he would go to a waterfall near our home to fish. He would go right into the water, and catching the fish in his mouth, would lay them down on the bank, one after another, until he had enough. Then he would become himself once more and would carry the fish home for supper.
Near this waterfall there lived another dwarf, named Alberich, who also belonged to the race of the Nibelungs. He possessed a great treasure of gold, which he had captured from the nymphs of the Rhine. The father of the nymphs, the G.o.d of the Rhine, had entrusted the treasure to their care.
Alberich gained possession of the Rhine gold, but in doing so he lost everything which helps to make life beautiful. Like my brother, he was very fond of fishing, and taking the form of a huge pike, he would go with Otto to the waterfall, and fish all day.
One day Wotan, the King of the G.o.ds, was wandering through the forest with Loki, the G.o.d of Fire. They were both very tired and hungry, and as they came near the waterfall, what should they spy but an otter in the water, with a large salmon in its mouth. Here was a chance not to be missed.
Seizing a big stone, Loki hurled it with all his might at the otter, killing it instantly. Then they carried it to my father"s house, and begged for a night"s lodging.
As soon as my father saw the otter, he told them that they had killed his son. Both Wotan and Loki were very sorry to hear this, and regretted that they could not restore my brother to life. To make up to my father for what they had done, they agreed to fill the otter skin with gold, and also to cover the outside of it with the same precious metal. Then Wotan sent Loki out in search of gold.
Now Loki knew that the dwarf Alberich possessed the Rhine gold; so he hastened to the waterfall, and demanded the entire treasure.
At first Alberich refused to part with the gold; but Loki threatened to kill him unless he gave it up. So Alberich unwillingly gave the treasure to Loki--all except a ring of gold, which he kept hidden in his hand.
But the G.o.d"s eyes were sharp, and he saw what Alberich had done.
Now this ring was a magic ring, and whoever owned it might claim all the gold in all the rivers and mountains upon earth. Alberich believed that if he kept it he could some day get back his treasure through its magic power.
Loki commanded him to give it up, and the dwarf refused to do so. Seeing that words were useless, the G.o.d s.n.a.t.c.hed it from Alberich"s hand, and started off. Alberich fell into a terrible fury, and cried:
"A curse upon the gold! Death to all its possessors!"
But Loki had obtained that which he set out to get. The gold was not to be his, and he cared nothing for the dwarf and his curses. He only laughed at Alberich, and hastened with his burden to my father"s house.