One morning, when the sun was shining very brightly, the Rhine-daughters
were startled by a strange sound in the depths of the water.
"Look!" whispered one. "What is that scowling at us from the rocks
below?"
There, stealing along the river-bed, they saw a hideous little black
dwarf.
"Who are you, and what do you want?" asked the Rhine-daughters.
"I am Alberich," answered the dwarf as he tried to climb up on the
slippery rocks. "I came from the kingdom of the Nibelungs, down under
the earth."
"What!" said the Rhine-daughters. "Surely you do not live down in the
dark earth where there is no sunshine?"
"Yes," answered Alberich. "But I have come up to frolic in the sunshine
with you"; and he held out his ugly, misshapen little hands to take the
hands of the Rhine-daughters.
They only laughed at him and darted away to a higher rock.
Alberich hurried after them.
He blinked and scowled in the sunshine, because his eyes were not used
to the light.
The maidens laughed and shouted in their play.
They called to Alberich and teased him.
They went very close to him, pretending that they would take his hand,
that he, too, might play in the sunshine. Then they would quickly dart
away, mocking him, and laughing at him more loudly than ever.
Alberich grew fierce and angry.