"Slay him, Siegmund, with your matchless sword!"
Siegmund raised his sword to deal the deadly blow, when lo! Wotan dashed
through a rift in the clouds and struck Siegmund's sword with his
mighty spear.
The sword fell in pieces at the feet of Brunhilde. The victory belonged
to Hunding.
Brunhilde, terrified by the angry Wotan, snatched up the broken pieces
of the sword, and, springing to her saddle, dashed away.
Faster and faster she fled to the forest, bearing the broken blade to
Siegmund's wife.
"Siegmund is slain!" she cried. "These are the pieces of his mighty
sword. Keep them for your son, Siegfried. He will be brave like
his father.
"Yes, Siegfried will be the bravest hero the world has ever known."
Then, springing again to her saddle, she fled toward the mountains.
"On! on! my fiery steed!" she urged.
No battle-maiden ever rode so fast.
If she could but reach the other battle-maidens before the wrathful
Wotan overtook her, surely, they would protect her from his anger.