HAGEN.
Zealously the in and to their
country's Sigeband their king, when he the Midsummer
feast at his high of Balian in Ireland. Sweetly the minstrels
sang the of deeds; and did boys of birth
contend in of the and with the bow. But
evermore did little Hagen, the king's son, him best in the gentle
strife; and the of his mother, the Lady Ute, was pleased.
One day the boys were themselves by their at a
target. Having them all, they ran to their weapons
again, the among the rest. As he than his
companions, he the first, and was out his
spear, when an old man called to the children to and hide
themselves, for was approaching. He pointed up at the sky,
crying, "A griffin!"
The Lady Ute looked, and saw a dark spot in the sky. It too
small to be dangerous. But it approached with the of an
arrow, and the nearer it came the it grew. All now hear
the noise by its wings, and the the of the
storm. The other boys in terror, but Hagen his ground
boldly, and his with all his at the great
bird. The its harmlessly, and, at the same
moment, it upon the child and him off in its talons.
So the and that had at Castle Balian were turned
into mourning, for the to the was gone. There was no hope
of rescue; for though many a hero would have with the
griffin, its was so that no one see where it was
gone. Years passed on, and the king and queen had no news of their boy.
The Hagen over land and sea to its nest, which it had
built on a out of the water. It gave the boy to its young
ones to eat, and then away in search of new booty. The little
griffins upon the child, and prepared to him, but he made
ready for his defence, their with all his strength,
and the by the to them. At length
one of the griffins, which was old to fly, him up, and
carried him to the branch of a tree, that it might the sweet
morsel alone. The was too weak to their weight; it
bent, broke, and the with the boy into a of thorns
beneath. The away, and Hagen into the
thicket, the thorns. At length he a dark cave, where
he exhausted. When he came to his senses, he saw a
little girl of about his own age a little way off and looking
at him in astonishment. He himself on his to see her
better, upon which she to a distance, and no wonder, his
appearance was so frightful. He was dirty, wounded, and bleeding, and
his about him in rags. He and as well as he
could after the girl, and that she had taken in a large
cave with two companions. They all when they saw him, for they
thought he was either a or a merman, who had them
to them; but when he told them that he was a who had been
carried off by the griffin, and had only from the as by
a miracle, they were comforted, and their with him.
After that they told him their story, which was much the same as his
own. He that the girl he had was called Hilde, and
that she was an Indian princess; the second was Hildburg of Portugal;
and the third came from Isenland. The nursed their young
companion with such that his were soon healed. When he was
well again, he out to provide the needful food, and ventured
deeper into the land than the had done. He himself a
bow and arrows, the of which he with fish-bones, and
brought home small game of all kinds. As the children had no fire, they
were to eat their food raw, but they all the stronger
and for that, and when Hagen was twelve years old he was almost
a man in size.
Meanwhile the were up, and were able to go out in
search of food for themselves, so that the boy no longer wander
about as and as before. Nevertheless, one he
ventured to the shore, and under an which
hid him from view. He looked out at the and the wild sea,
which now looked dark as night, and again was up by the vivid
flashes of that from the storm-clouds. He listened
fearlessly to the loud of thunder, the of the wind, and
the of the against the rocks. But suddenly
he of a boat, in with the
elements, and his was with and fear; of hope, because
thoughts of home and his were in his breast; of fear,
because the too weak to live on such a sea. Then he saw it
drive upon a point of rock. There was one of agony, and ship and
crew were in the waves. The on, until morning
came, and with its soft light to the of the winds. On
the were pieces of the wreck, and the of the
luckless mariners. Hagen was going to out in of up
something useful, when he was stopped by the of griffins'
wings, and that the great had come to the shore, having
scented the prey. While the were with their meal, the
boy out of his hiding-place in search of something to eat. But he
only drift-wood, and a man in full armour, with and
bow, and a of sharp-pointed arrows. He have shouted
aloud for joy, for now he had arms, such as he used to see at his
father's court. Quickly he the of mail, his head
with the helmet, the to his side, up the bow
and the arrows. It was high time, for at this moment one of the
griffins upon him. He his with all his strength,
and the his enemy in the breast, it with
fluttering wings. It at his feet, dead. A second shared
its fate, and now the three other him all at once; but
he them all with his sword. He took the of the monsters
to his friends in the cave, who had passed a night in anxiety
for him. Great was their when they that the were
dead. They their hero to the place of his victory, they
helped him to the great into the sea, and then, true to
pious custom, they him to up a over the dead
warrior had helped Hagen to victory. Vainly did they seek
for among the wreckage; but they a well-preserved box
with and steel, which them to make a fire. So they were
now able to a well-dressed meal, which after their former
privations a perfect banquet.
Hagen out much more than before, and slew
bears, wolves, panthers, and other wild beasts. Once, however, he met
with a creature. It was with scales, its eyes
glowed like red-hot coals, and in its
blood-red jaws.
He a at its back; but the point off the
glittering scales, and the upon the lad. A second arrow
was without effect. Hagen now his sword; but all his
efforts were useless, and he only the terrible by his
marvellous agility. When he was almost by the long struggle,
he at length saw his opportunity, and his into the great
jaws. Overcome with fatigue, he seated himself on the still heaving
body of the creature. He for a of water to his
thirst, and as none was near, he of the blood that
streamed from the monster's wounds. Scarcely had he done this, when his
weakness vanished, and an of power took possession
of him. He to his feet, to put his new to the
test. He would not have to all the and giants
in the world. He his sword, and a with one stroke. In
like manner he killed two panthers, and a rhinoceros. He was covered
with blood from to foot, and looked so the bear
on his shoulders, that he the in the cave; but he
regained his manner when he had the Hilde.
Many years came and went. Hagen and his three friends had to eat
and drink, and were in the skins of wild beasts. Although they
were very happy together, they to to the of men,
and often looks over the sea in of some ship
approach. At length one morning, when the three were standing
on the shore, a white sail appeared on the horizon, and came gradually
nearer and nearer. They a fire, and called Hagen, who joined
them armed. Their were from the ship, and a was
sent out, which soon approached the shore. The a cry
of when he saw their dress, and asked if they were
human beings or water-sprites.
"We are people," said Hagen; "take us with you, for
God's sake."
So the took them to the ship, and they were soon on board. The
captain looked at them in amazement, and Hagen, in answer to his
questions, told their whole story. When he spoke of his father
Sigeband, the powerful king of Balian, the captain exclaimed:
"What! you can kill like flies! Still you are a lucky catch
for me, for I am that Count of Garadie to your father has done so
much injury. You shall now be till a proper of money is
paid to me. Here, men, put this in chains, and for
Garadin."
Scarcely had the Count said these when Hagen into a Berseker
rage. He the sailors, who would have of him, into the
sea: then, his sword, he upon the master of the vessel,
when a soft hand was upon his arm. He furiously; but
at the of Hilde's gentle, face, his terrible anger
vanished. Hilde spoke of conciliation, and Hagen listened.
Then, to the Count, he promised to make all right
between him and the King, if he would at once for Balian. The
captain to do so, and for Ireland. Favourable winds
swelled the sails, and ten days later the and towers of Balian
hove in sight. Naturally his did not at Hagen;
but great was their when they who he was. A peace
was with the Count of Garadie, and the three were
received with all and courtesy.
Hagen did not long at home in his father's house. He
wished to see something of the world, and to name and fame.
Time passed on, and Hagen, who was and wide for his great
deeds, was to the land in his old father's place. When
urged by his mother to choose a wife, now that he had settled down
after his wanderings, he Hilde, the sweet of his
childhood, and soon married her.
Queen Ute to a in her arms, who was called Hilde
after her mother; but soon after that she and Sigeband died, leaving
their son to alone.
The Princess Hilde up beautiful, and many came to Balian to
ask for her hand in marriage. But Hagen would no man as a
son-in-law without with him, that he would
never give his to one that was not than himself.
Whoever to try with him had the of it. Wild
Hagen, the terror of kings, also the terror of wooers, and
before long, he had his house to himself.
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