One; "bide thou here and dig many pits, else the dragon's blood will flow into one and drown thee as thou standest." And ere the youth could answer he was gone.

So Siegfried spent the night in digging pits in the path 5 of Fafnir; and at early dawn, as he sat in the largest, he felt the trembling of the earth, and knew that Fafnir was nigh. Snorting and spitting venom as he went, the great serpent crept slowly on, fearing naught, and as he passed over the pit, Siegfried thrust up Gram with all his strength 10 behind the dragon's left shoulder, and drew it forth black to the hilt; and Fafnir's blood gushed forth and covered Siegfried as he stood, save only in one spot between his shoulders, where a dead leaf had lighted. Then he leaped from the pit and stood afar off, as the mighty serpent 15 lashed out in the pain of his death wound, crying, "Who art thou, and whence, thou that are the undoing of Fafnir?"

"I am Siegfried, son of Sigmund, the Volsung. Tell me of the days that are to come to me." For all men 20 believed that to the dying was the future clear, and Siegfried wished to see what he would foretell.

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"I see evil come unto thee from the gold, Andvari's hoard, and from the fatal ring. Take thy horse and ride away, and flee from the evil.”

"Nay," quoth Siegfried, "for thy gold I came, and without it will I not go. Without gold cannot man live."

Then Fafnir poured forth words of wisdom; and as the sun went down he quivered and lay a chill gray heap upon the Waste, and the sunset light shone upon the bright hair of the Golden Siegfried, as, sword in hand, he looked down on his huge body.

Then came Regin, who had watched from afar, hastening to greet Siegfried. "Hail, lord and conqueror!" he cried, "henceforth shalt thou be known throughout the ages as the slayer of Fafnir.”

5

"Small aid wert thou," laughed Siegfried, "hiding 13 while I fought."

"Yet," said Regin, grimly, "were it not for the sword I forged, thou hadst now lain low before Fafnir. And, since he was my brother, and thou hast slain him, for atonement shalt thou roast me his heart with fire, that I 15 may eat it."

“That will I,” said Siegfried, and he set to gather sticks while Regin slept, and the birds gathered round, and he set Fafnir's heart upon a stick to roast. When it should have been ready, Siegfried laid his fingers upon it, and the 20 fat, hissing out, burnt them so that he put them in his mouth to cool; and behold straightway he knew the words of the woodpeckers that chattered as they hopped around.

The first said, "Thou foolish Siegfried, to roast for 25 Regin. Eat thou the heart and so become wisest of men." The second said, "Thou crafty Regin, that

wouldst betray the trusting youth." The third said, "Smite thou the crafty one, Siegfried, and become thyself lord of the gold." The fourth said, "That is good counsel, to take the treasure and hie over the mountains to 5 sleeping Brynhild." The fifth fluttered and said, "Siegfried is a fool if he spareth him whose brother he has just slain."

Then up sprang Siegfried, saying, "Regin shall not plot my death. He shall follow his brother." And he 10 smote Regin with Gram, so that his head rolled away. Then he leapt on Grane and rode by the dragon's slimy trail until he came to the great cavern; and, although it was now night, the cavern shone with a light as of day, by reason of the golden shine of the Hoard.

15

So he set Andvari's ring on his finger, and put on the golden mail and the helmet of darkness, and, putting the Hoard into two chests, he fastened them upon the back of Grane, being minded to walk himself because of their weight. But Grane stirred not, and Siegfried was troubled 20 what he should do, for even he dared not smite the horse. Then he looked into the eyes of Grane and knew what was in his mind, so he gathered up the reins and leaped upon his back, and the gray horse tossed his mane for joy and galloped over the Waste, turning southward, steady 25 and untiring.

By stony ways rode Siegfried southward toward the Frankish land, and he saw before him a mountain

whereon a great fire burned, and in the midst of the fire a castle with a floating banner, and shields around the towers. And he climbed that mountain until he came close to the fire, and the crackling heat of it fanned his 5 curls. Then he cried unto Grane, and the brave gray horse, with one mighty spring, leaped through the flame and stood at the castle gate, and Siegfried, looking back, saw only a line of gray ashes where the fire had been.

The castle door stood wide, and Siegfried, with Gram 10 unsheathed, strode through the empty courts. Upon a rock in the inmost hall lay some one in full armor, the face covered by a visor. Then Siegfried cried aloud, "Arise, I am Siegfried."

But the figure moved not; so, with the point of Gram, 15 he loosed the mail coat and flung it off, and cut the string

of the helmet and cast it aside, and behold! there lay before him, in deep sleep, the fairest woman he had ever seen. Gold was her hair as the hoard of Andvari, white was her skin as the froth of sea waves, and her opening 20 eyes were as blue as a mountain lake.

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"Who waketh me?" she asked, low and soft as in a dream. "Is it thou, Siegfried, son of Sigmund, slayer of Fafnir ?"

"It is I," he answered, "tell me thy name."

“I am Brynhild, Valkyr (war maiden) of Odin. Me he sends forth when men strive in battle. And I give victory to some, according as he commands, and I bear