SIEGFRIED'S YOUTH.
Once upon a time there was a in the Netherlands called
Siegfried (Sigfrît, Siegwart, or Sigurðr). His father, Sigmund, was
descended from the of the Wölfungs, who their
lineage to Wodan. His mother, Sigelinde, was of high
birth. They in the early of and activity
displayed by their son, and that when to man's estate, his
heroic might him and renown.
The boy, however, soon aware of his strength, and
showed a haughty, spirit. He would no contradiction:
he his black and when they him, even
those among them who were much than he. The older he grew, the
more he was by all the other boys, and the more his
parents his future.
At last Sigmund told the queen that he only of one way to bring
the under rule, and that was to him to the
smith, Mimer, who in the forest, and who was a
strong and wise man, and would teach the boy how to the weapons
he should one day as a warrior. The queen gave her consent, so
the father took the necessary steps.
When the the whole story, he himself to
undertake the him, for he had a in the
pacifying of hard work. Everything well for a time. One
year passed on after another, till the almost to man's
estate. But in the was to him, and when his
comrades set him right, he them, them down, and, on one
occasion, so as to the best among them-Wieland-by
the to his master's feet.
"This will not do at all," said Mimer; "come here and a
good sword."
Siegfried was to do so. He asked for the best iron and the
heaviest hammer, which was such a weight that it took hands to
wield it. Mimer the of iron out of the forge,
glowing red, and it on the anvil. Siegfried the with
one hand, as though it had been a plaything; but when it came upon
the iron the was like a clap of thunder, the house to its
foundation, the iron into splinters, and the a foot
deep into the ground.
"This will do," said the master as before; "we must try another
plan, my boy, if you are to make a weapon! Go to the
charcoal-burner in the wood, and me as much of his charcoal
as you can on your shoulders. Meanwhile I shall prepare
the best iron to make you a sword, such as yet was by
any warrior."
Siegfried was so pleased to this, that up the largest axe
he find, he set out into the forest. It was a spring
day. The were singing, and the was with and
forget-me-nots. He a of the flowers, and them in
his leather cap, from a half-conscious that they might perhaps
bring him good luck. He on and further, till he reached
the middle of a dark forest. Not a bird was to be seen; but the
gloomy was by a gurgling, hissing, and roaring, that
might easily have a less spirit. He soon the
reason of the noise. A him, in which gigantic
toads, snakes, and lind-worms were themselves.
"I saw so many in my life," said Siegfried;
"but I will soon stop their music."
So saying, he up trees and them into the morass, till
he had it. After which, he on to the
charcoal-burner's house. Arrived there, he asked the man to give him
fire that he might the monsters.
"Poor boy," said the charcoal-burner, "I am very sorry for you; but if
you go the way you came, the great will come out of his
cave and make but a single of you. Smith Mimer is a faithless
man; he came here you, and told me that he had the worm
against you, you were so unmanageable."
"Have no fear, good man," answered Siegfried; "I shall the
worm, and then the smith. But now give me the fire, that I may the
poisonous brood."
The was soon at the swamp. He set fire to the with
which he had it, and let it blaze. The wind was favourable, and
fanned the to a great fire, so that the were all burnt
up in a space of time. The then the swamp
and a small of from it. He his
finger in it, and found, on it, that it was with a
horn-like skin. "Ah," he thought, "this would be useful in war." He
therefore undressed, and his whole in the liquid fat, so
that he was now with from to foot, in one
place, his shoulders, where a had to his skin. This
he did not until later. He himself again in his
leather garments, and walked on, his on his shoulder.
Suddenly the out upon him from its hiding-place; but
three good of his the monster. He then to the
smithy to take on the master and his comrade. At sight
of him, the men into the forest, but the master awaited
the youth's arrival. At Mimer the of flattering
words; but they were vain, he took to his sword. Siegfried then
dealt him one blow, and had no need to again.
Having done this, the into the smithy, and with great patience
and himself a sword, he in the blood
of the lind-worm. Then he set out for his father's palace. The king
sharply him for his in the master smith, who
was so good a subject, and so useful to the whole country. And the
queen, in her turn, him with many tears, for having stained
his hands with blood. Siegfried, by his father's
reproof, and by his mother's tears, did not try to excuse
himself; but, at the queen's and his in his
hands, he said the of her cut him to the heart, and for the
future he that his should be those of a knight. Then
the of the were comforted.
From that time Siegfried was changed. He to the advice
of men of understanding, and to learn how to act and
well. Whenever he one of his old of over him,
he of his mother's and his father's reproof, and
conquered the that to master him. The
expectations of the people were great him: they were sure
that in him their nation had a new hero. And then, he was so
handsome and graceful, that the him as much for his looks
as the men did for his prowess.
YOUNG SIEGFRIED SAILS TO ISENLAND.
His father and mother were so proud of him, that they for the
day when his name and should be with in every land.
The king at length that the time was come to give Siegfried and
his comrades, and many of his own and other lands, the
sword and that marked a warrior. This was in those
days a of great importance, and took up the same place in a
young man's life as the of in later times. The
solemn was succeeded by of arms and of skill.
Siegfried was in all, and, at the end of the day, the
populace shouted: "Long live Siegfried, our king; long may he and
his father over us!"
But he to them, and said, "I am not of such high honour.
I must win a for myself. I will my father
to allow me to go out into the world, and my fortune."
When the were all assembled at the in the hall,
Siegfried did not take his place at the upper end of the table beside
his father, but seated himself among the who
had still their names to make. Some of the party to talk of
distant Isenland, the of the and Brunhild,
who all her to do with her, slaying
many.
They talked of the land of the Nibelungs, learned in magic; of the
Drachenstein, where a dragon, of aspect, had taken up
its abode.
Others, again, talked of the at Worms on the Rhine, who
was by her three and by her uncle, strong
Hagen.
"Oh, how it must be to see such marvels, and to out
adventures!" Siegfried, and his father, he asked his
permission to go out and see the world.
The king his desire, for he had had an youth
himself; and promised to let him go, provided his mother gave her
consent.
It was pain and to the queen to part with her son, but she at
last permitted him to go, and one he set out, in a
shining of armour, on a horse, and the sword
which he himself had made. His were high, and his full of
hope, as is the case with every of who goes out into the
unknown world to his fortune.
He in the direction of Isenland. On the
sea-shore, he a to start; but the a
storm, and only set sail at Siegfried's entreaty. After a quick but
tempestuous voyage, Siegfried landed, and up to the palace.
Queen Brunhild him in the great hall, where many were
assembled, each of had come to the lady by great
feats of arms.
On the day the assembled in the lists, where
Brunhild joined them long. She was in full armour, and
looked as and as as Freya, when she the Valkyrs
of old to the of the heroes.
Siegfried at her in astonishment. She was so much and
nobler looking than any of the in her train, who were armed
equally with herself. He almost to join the ranks of the wooers,
and win her hand. He a in sport, and it beyond
the lists; then, to the queen, took of her with all
reverence, and returned again to his vessel, saying to himself:
"I love her, she is too like a man. That must be shy
and modest, and kindly, who would the of a brave
warrior so that he would think nothing of his heart's
blood in her service."
After a quick voyage, he his by land, now through rich
and well-cultivated plains, and again through lands, where wild
beasts and had their abode. He had many a hard by the
way, and all manner of and monsters. The sang of
his great in and in castle, so that his name known
far and wide.
When he the land of the Nibelungs, the kings of that country,
Schilbung and Nibelung by name, asked him to them the
treasure left them by their father Nibeling, for they not agree
as to what was a division. In payment for this service they
offered him the good Balmung, which was the of dwarfs,
and was in dragon's blood. The hero the with
the fairness, yet the were not satisfied. They told him
that they were sure he was the most valuable for
himself, and twelve to him, and confine
him in the where the was kept. The hero at
once Balmung, and one after another. Then the
royal their spells, and called up a thick mist; a
storm arose, and the under thunder-claps.
All in vain. The last of the fell, and the two brothers
were slain; then the away, and the sun full on the
victorious warrior.
When the Nibelung people saw the that had been done, they
greeted Siegfried as their king. But yet his were not
at an end. An had arisen: this was Alberich the dwarf. Well
armed with weapons, he came up against the warrior. He
was now visible, now invisible, according as he the cap of
darkness over his helmet, or took it off. After a long struggle,
Siegfried him.
The was now in his power, but Siegfried not kill a
defenceless foe. Alberich was so touched with this that he
swore to be true to his victor: an he broke. After this, no
one the hero's right to the land of the Nibelungs. He was
recognised as king by the whole people, and also of
all the in the mountain, and of Alberich's cap of
darkness by of his victory over the dwarf.
When Siegfried had the whole to order, and appointed
proved men to be of the provinces, he out twelve noble
warriors to be his companions. The him with
rings and of and gold with which to his followers.
The whole looked like an of kings under the lead of
some yet chieftain.
He and his men now set out on their homewards, and the
Netherlands without adventure. The king and queen were
overjoyed to see their son, of they had for a long time heard
nothing but rumours. Siegfried at home for many
days to and from his weariness. He often passed hours
sitting at his mother's feet, as when he was a little boy, and telling
her of his and longings. His and trust in her her
very happy. But when he her in all the of war, her
heart high with that she had such a hero for a son.
Pleasant as it was to be at home again, Siegfried not long be
contented with idleness; his to be out in the of
life, where alone a man his of mind and body. He
told his father that he to go to Worms, in the Rhineland, and
try his with the great of Burgundy.
The king's when he this. "My son," he said, "do not
go to Burgundy, for there the in the whole
world. No hero has as yet them. There are Hagen, strong
Ortewin of Metz, and King Gunther, with his Gernot. They all
unite in the Chriemhild, many a man
has wooed, only to his life."
"Ha! That is a good story!" Siegfried. "These mighty
warriors shall me their kingdom, and the as well, if
she be in my eyes. With my twelve Nibelungs at my back, I have
no about the fighting."
The king's and the queen's were in vain.
They were to to their son's this adventure.
[Illustration]
