The Story of Siegfried Page 10

  Siegfried stopped not long in this land. Thoughts of the NibelungenLand, and of his faithful liegemen who waited for his return, began tofill his mind. Then the heroes turned their horses' heads, and rode backtowards the north, following the course of the River Rhine, as it wound,here and there, between hills and mountains, and through meadows wherethe grass was springing up anew, and by the side of woodlands, nowbeginning to be clothed in green again; for the winter was well over,and spring was hastening on apace. And as they rode down the valley ofthe Rhine they came, ere they were aware, into the Burgundian Land,and the high towers of King Gunther's castle rose up before them. ThenSiegfried remembered again his father's words,--

  "Only go not into Burgundy-land."

  But it was now too late to go back, and they determined to stop fora few days with the Burgundian kings. They rode onwards through themeadows and the pleasant farming-lands which lay around the city; andthey passed a wonderful garden of roses, said to belong to Kriemhild,the peerless princess of the Rhine country; and at last they haltedbefore the castle-gate. So lordly was their bearing, that a company ofknights came out to meet them, and offered, as the custom was, to takecharge of their horses and their shields. But Siegfried asked that theybe led at once to King Gunther and his brothers; and, as their staywould not be long, they said they would have no need to part with horsesor with shields. Then they followed their guides, and rode through thegreat gateway, and into the open court, and halted beneath the palacewindows.

  And the three kings--Gunther, Gernot, and Giselher--and their youngsister, the matchless Kriemhild, looked down upon them from above, andhazarded many guesses as to who the lordly strangers might be. And allthe inmates of the castle stood at the doors and windows, or gathered incurious groups in the courtyard, and gazed with open-mouthed wonder uponthe rich armor and noble bearing of the thirteen heroes. But all eyeswere turned most towards Siegfried and the wondrous steed Greyfell. Someof the knights whispered that this was Odin, and some that it was Thor,the thunderer, making a tour through Rhineland. But others said thatThor was never known to ride on horseback, and that the youth who saton the milk-white steed was little like the ancient Odin. And the ladieswho looked down upon the heroes from the palace windows said that thisman could be no other than the Sunbright Balder, come from his home inBreidablik, to breathe gladness and sunshine into the hearts and livesof men.

  Only one among all the folk in the castle knew who the hero was who hadridden thus boldly into the heart of Burgundy-land. That one wasHagen, the uncle of the three kings, and the doughtiest warrior in allRhineland. With a dark frown and a sullen scowl he looked out upon thelittle party, and already plotted in his mind how he might outwit, andbring to grief, the youth whose name and fame were known the whole worldover. For his evil mind loved deeds of darkness, and hated the pure andgood. By his side, at an upper window, stood Kriemhild, the peerlessmaiden of the Rhine; but her thoughts were as far from his thoughts asthe heaven-smile on her face was unlike the sullen scowl on his grimvisage. As the moon in her calm beauty is sometimes seen in the sky,riding gloriously by the side of a dark thunder-cloud,--the one morelovely, the other more dreadful, by their very nearness,--so seemedKriemhild standing there by the side of Hagen.

  "Think you not, dear uncle," she said, "that this is the Shining Baldercome to earth again?"

  "The gods have forgotten the earth," answered Hagen in surly tones. "Butif, indeed, this should be Balder, we shall, without doubt, find anotherblind archer, who, with another sprig of mistletoe, will send him backagain to Hela."

  "What do you mean?" asked Kriemhild earnestly.

  But old Hagen said not a word in answer. He quietly withdrew from theroom, and left the maiden and her mother, the good dame Ute, alone.

  "What does uncle Hagen mean by his strange words? and why does he lookso sullen and angry?" asked Kriemhild.

  "Indeed, I know not," answered the queen-mother. "His ways are dark, andhe is cunning. I fear that evil will yet come to our house through him."

  Meanwhile the three kings and their chiefs had gone into the courtyardto greet their unknown guests. Very kindly did Gunther welcome thestrangers to his home; and then he courteously asked them whence theycame, and what the favors they wished.

  "I have heard," answered Siegfried, "that many knights and heroes livein this land, and that they are the bravest and the proudest in theworld. I, too, am a knight; and some time, if I am worthy, I shall be aking. But first I would make good my right to rule over land and folk;and for this reason I have come hither. If, indeed, you are as brave asall the world says you are, ride now to the meadows with us, and let usfight man to man; and he who wins shall rule over the lands of both. Wewill wager our kingdom and our heads against yours."

  King Gunther and his brothers were amazed at this unlooked-for speech.

  "Such is not the way to try where true worth lies!" they cried. "We haveno cause of quarrel with you, neither have you any cause of quarrel withus. Why, then, should we spill each other's blood?"

  Again Siegfried urged them to fight with him; but they flatly refused.And Gernot said,--

  "The Burgundian kings have never wished to rule over folk that are nottheir own. Much less would they gain new lands at the cost of their bestheroes' blood. And they have never taken part in needless quarrels. Goodmen in Burgundy are worth more than the broadest lands, and we will nothazard the one for the sake of gaining the other. No, we will not fight.But we greet you most heartily as our friends and guests."

  All the others joined in urging Siegfried and his comrades to dismountfrom their steeds, and partake of the cheer with which it was their useto entertain strangers. And at last he yielded to their kind wishes,and alighted from Greyfell, and, grasping King Gunther's hand, hemade himself known. And there was great rejoicing in the castle andthroughout all the land; and the most sumptuous rooms were set apart forthe use of Siegfried and his Nibelungen knights; and a banquet was atonce made ready; and no pains were spared in giving the strangersa right hearty welcome to the kingly halls of Burgundy. But Hagen,dark-browed and evil-eyed, stood silent and alone in his chamber andwaited his time.

  Adventure X. Kriemhild's Dream.

  Early on the morrow morning, ere the sun had risen high, the peerlessKriemhild walked alone amid the sweet-scented bowers of her rose-garden.The dewdrops still hung thick on flower and thorn, and the wild birdscarolled their songs of merry welcome to the new-born day. Everything seemed to have put on its handsomest colors, and to be usingits sweetest voice, on purpose to gladden the heart of the maiden. ButKriemhild was not happy. There was a shadow on her face and a sadnessin her eye that the beauty and the music of that morning could not driveaway.

  "What ails thee, my child?" asked her mother, Queen Ute, who met her."Why so sad, as if thy heart were heavy with care? Has any one spokenunkindly, or has aught grievous happened to thee?"

  "Oh, no, dearest mother!" said Kriemhild. "It is nothing that saddensme,--nothing but a foolish dream. I cannot forget it."

  "Tell me the dream," said her mother: "mayhap it betokens something thatthe Norns have written for thee."

  Then Kriemhild answered, "I dreamed that I sat at my window, high up inthe eastern tower; and the sun shone bright in the heavens, and theair was mild and warm, and I thought of nought but the beauty and thegladness of the hour. Then in the far north I saw a falcon flying. Atfirst he seemed but a black speck in the sky; but swiftly he drew nearerand nearer, until at last he flew in at the open window, and I caughthim in my arms. Oh, how strong and beautiful he was! His wings werepurple and gold, and his eyes were as bright as the sun. Oh, a gloriousprize I thought him! and I held him on my wrist, and spoke kind words tohim. Then suddenly, from out of the sky above, two eagles dashed in atthe window, and snatched my darling from me, and they tore him in piecesbefore my eyes, and laughed at my distress."

  "Thy dream," said Queen Ute, "is easy to explain. A king shall come fromthe north-land, and a mighty king shall he be. And he shall seek
thee,and love thee, and wed thee, and thy heart shall overflow with bliss.The two eagles are the foes who shall slay him; but who they may be, orwhence they may come, is known only to the Norns."

  "But I slept, and I dreamed again," said Kriemhild. "This time I sat inthe meadow, and three women came to me. And they span, and they wovea woof more fair than any I have ever seen. And methought that anotherwoof was woven, which crossed the first, and yet it was no whit lessbeautiful. Then the women who wove the woofs cried out, 'Enough!' Anda fair white arm reached out and seized the rare fabrics, and tore theminto shreds. And then the sky was overcast, and the thunder began toroll and the lightning to flash, and red fires gleamed, and fiercewolves howled around me, and I awoke."

  "This dream," said Queen Ute, "is more than I can understand. Only thisI can see and explain, that in the dim future the woof of another's fateshall cross thy own. But trouble not thyself because of that whichshall be. While yet the sun shines for thee, and the birds sing, andthe flowers shed their sweet perfume, it is for thee to rejoice andbe light-hearted. What the Norns have woven is woven, and it cannot beundone."[EN#21]

  Adventure XI. How the Spring-time Came.

  Siegfried, when he came to Gunther's castle, thought of staying therebut a few days only. But the king and his brothers made every thing sopleasant for their honored guest, that weeks slipped by unnoticed, andstill the hero remained in Burgundy.

  Spring had fairly come, and the weeping April clouds had given place tothe balmy skies of May. The young men and maidens, as was their wont,made ready for the May-day games; and Siegfried and his knights wereasked to take part in the sport.

  On the smooth greensward, which they called Nanna's carpet, beneath theshade of ash-trees and elms, he who played Old Winter's part lingeredwith his few attendants. These were clad in the dull gray garb whichbecomes the sober season of the year, and were decked with yellowstraw, and dead, brown leaves. Out of the wood came the May-king and hisfollowers, clad in the gayest raiment, and decked with evergreens andflowers. With staves and willow-withes they fell upon Old Winter'schampions, and tried to drive them from the sward. In friendly fraythey fought, and many mishaps fell to both parties. But at length theMay-king won; and grave Winter, battered and bruised, was made prisoner,and his followers were driven from the field. Then, in merry sport,sentence was passed on the luckless wight, for he was found guilty ofkilling the flowers, and of covering the earth with hoar-frost; andhe was doomed to a long banishment from music and the sunlight. Thelaughing party then set up a wooden likeness of the worsted winter-king,and pelted it with stones and turf; and when they were tired they threwit down, and put out its eyes, and cast it into the river. And then apole, decked with wild-flowers and fresh green leaves, was planted inthe midst of the sward, and all joined in merry dance around it. Andthey chose the most beautiful of all the maidens to be the Queen of May,and they crowned her with a wreath of violets and yellow buttercups; andfor a whole day all yielded fealty to her, and did her bidding.

  It was thus that May Day came in Burgundy. And in the evening, when theparty were seated in King Gunther's hall, Siegfried, at the command ofthe May-queen,--who was none other than Kriemhild the peerless,--amusedthem by telling the story of

  Idun and Her Apples.

  It is a story that Bragi told while at the feast in AEgir's hall. Idunis Bragi's wife. Very handsome is she; but the beauty of her face is byno means greater than the goodness of her heart. Right attentive is sheto every duty, and her words and thoughts are always worthy and wise.A long time ago the good Asa-folk who dwell in heaven-towering Asgard,knowing how trustworthy Idun was, gave into her keeping a treasurewhich they would not have placed in the hands of any other person.This treasure was a box of apples, and Idun kept the golden key safelyfastened to her girdle. You ask me why the gods should prize a box ofapples so highly? I will tell you.

  Old age, you know, spares none, not even Odin and his Asa-folk. They allgrow old and gray; and, if there were no cure for age, they would becomefeeble and toothless and blind, deaf, tottering, and weak minded. Theapples which Idun guarded so carefully were the priceless boon of youth.Whenever the gods felt old age coming on, they went to her, and she gavethem of her fruit; and, when they had tasted, they grew young and strongand handsome again. Once, however, they came near losing the apples,--orlosing rather Idun and her golden key, without which no one could everopen the box.

  In those early days Odin delighted to come down now and then from hishigh home above the clouds, and to wander, disguised, among the woodsand mountains, and by the seashore, and in wild desert places. Fornothing pleases him more than to commune with Nature as she is foundin the loneliness of vast solitudes, or in the boisterous uproar of theelements. Once on a time he took with him his friends Hoenir and Loki;and they rambled many days among the icy cliffs, and along the barrenshores, of the great frozen sea. In that country there was no game, andno fish was found in the cold waters; and the three wanderers, as theyhad brought no food with them, became very hungry. Late in the afternoonof the seventh day, they reached some pasture-lands belonging to thegiant Hymer, and saw a herd of the giant's cattle browsing upon theshort grass which grew in the sheltered nooks among the hills.

  "Ah!" cried Loki: "after fasting for a week, we shall now have food inabundance. Let us kill and eat."

  So saying, he hurled a sharp stone at the fattest of Hymer's cows, andkilled her; and the three quickly dressed the choicest pieces of fleshfor their supper. Then Loki gathered twigs and dry grass, and kindled ablazing fire; Hoenir filled the pot with water from melted ice; and Odinthrew into it the bits of tender meat. But, make the fire as hot as theywould, the water would not boil, and the flesh would not cook.

  All night long the supperless three sat hungry around the fire; and,every time they peeped into the kettle, the meat was as raw and gustlessas before. Morning came, but no breakfast. And all day Loki keptstirring the fire, and Odin and Hoenir waited hopefully but impatiently.When the sun again went down, the flesh was still uncooked, and theirsupper seemed no nearer ready than it was the night before. As they wereabout yielding to despair, they heard a noise overhead, and, looking up,they saw a huge gray eagle sitting on the dead branch of an oak.

  "Ha, ha!" cried the bird. "You are pretty fellows indeed! To sit hungryby the fire a night and a day, rather than eat raw flesh, becomes youwell. Do but give me my share of it as it is, and I warrant you the restshall boil, and you shall have a fat supper."

  "Agreed," answered Loki eagerly. "Come down and get your share."

  The eagle waited for no second asking. Down he swooped right over theblazing fire, and snatched not only the eagle's share, but also what theLybians call the lion's share; that is, he grasped in his strong talonsthe kettle, with all the meat in it, and, flapping his huge wings,slowly rose into the air, carrying his booty with him. The three godswere astonished. Loki was filled with anger. He seized a long pole, uponthe end of which a sharp hook was fixed, and struck at the treacherousbird. The hook stuck fast in the eagle's back, and Loki could not loosehis hold of the other end of the pole. The great bird soared highabove the tree-tops, and over the hills, and carried the astonishedmischief-maker with him.

  But it was no eagle. It was no bird that had thus outwitted the hungrygods: it was the giant Old Winter, clothed in his eagle-plumage. Overthe lonely woods, and the snow-crowned mountains, and the frozen sea,he flew, dragging the helpless Loki through tree-tops, and over jaggedrocks, scratching and bruising his body, and almost tearing his armsfrom his shoulders. At last he alighted on the craggy top of an iceberg,where the storm-winds shrieked, and the air was filled with drivingsnow. As soon as Loki could speak, he begged the giant to carry him backto his comrades,--Odin and Hoenir.

  "On one condition only will I carry you back," answered Old Winter."Swear to me that you will betray into my hands dame Idun and her goldenkey."

  Loki asked no questions, but gladly gave the oath; and the giant flewback with him across the sea, and dropped h
im, torn and bleeding andlame, by the side of the fire, where Odin and Hoenir still lingered. Andthe three made all haste to leave that cheerless place, and returned toOdin's glad home in Asgard.

  Some weeks after this, Loki, the Prince of Mischief-makers, went toBragi's house to see Idun. He found her busied with her household cares,not thinking of a visit from any of the gods.

  "I have come, good dame," said he, "to taste your apples again; for Ifeel old age coming on apace."

  Idun was astonished.

  "You are not looking old," she answered. "There is not a single grayhair upon your head, and not a wrinkle on your brow. If it were not forthat scar upon your cheek, and the arm which you carry in a sling youwould look as stout and as well as I have ever seen you. Besides, Iremember that it was only a year ago when you last tasted of my fruit.Is it possible that a single winter should make you old?"

  "A single winter has made me very lame and feeble, at least," said Loki."I have been scarcely able to walk about since my return from the North.Another winter without a taste of your apples will be the death of me."

  Then the kind-hearted Idun, when she saw that Loki was really lame, wentto the box, and opened it with her golden key, and gave him one of theprecious apples to taste. He took the fruit in his hand, bit it, andgave it back to the good dame. She put it in its place again, closed thelid, and locked it with her usual care.

  "Your apples are not so good as they used to be," said Loki, making avery wry face. "Why don't you fill your box with fresh fruit?"