IN THE good old days of Long Ago, when kings had absolute power over all
their subjects, even in the matter of life and death, there dwelt in the
city of Santum, on the beautiful Rhine River, a great and good king
named Siegmund.
He was very powerful, and ruled over the kingdom of Niederland so wisely
and so well that he was loved and honored by all his people. He shared
his throne with Siegelinda, his beautiful wife, who also was noble and
kind of heart.
Siegmund and Siegelinda had one son, called Siegfried--a handsome,
well-built lad, with eyes as blue and sunny as the sky above on a fair
spring morning. He was the only child of the king and queen, but he was
more of a sorrow than a joy to them, for he was as willful and
disobedient as he was beautiful. He could not bear to be crossed in any
way, and wished that he were a man, so that he might do exactly as he
pleased.
Siegfried's parents loved him dearly in spite of his faults and all the
sorrow his wild ways caused them. But one fine morning, while the king
and queen were still asleep, he quietly took his hat, and stole out of
the castle, for he had made up his mind to go out into the wide world to
seek his fortune.
Siegfried walked through the beautiful city, and then for some time
followed a winding country road, until at length he found himself in
the midst of a dense forest. But he was not afraid; he could hear the
birds singing and calling to one another in the green trees overhead,
and now and then a rabbit or a timid squirrel ran across his pathway,
and disappeared in the bushes.
So he wandered along, quite happy. Sometimes he would come to a little
brook, winding its way through the trees and grass, and babbling and
singing among its pebbles. Across the stream he would leap, as lightly
as a hare.
Thus the day wore on, and as twilight gathered, he began to feel very
tired and hungry. He was just beginning to wonder what he should do,
when he noticed that he was nearing the edge of the forest, and a little
farther on what should he see but a blacksmith's shop among the bushes.
In the doorway stood the smith himself in his leathern apron--a little,
odd, misshapen dwarf named Mimi. He looked in wonder at the beautiful
boy, who smiled upon him in a friendly way, and said:
"Good-evening. I am almost dead with thirst and hunger; will you not
take me in, and let me be your helper?"
Mimi was about to say no, when he chanced to look at Siegfried the
second time. He noticed how strong and well built the boy was; so he
said:
"I am not really in need of a helper, for in this out-of-the-way place
there is very little work to be done; but if you wish to learn my
trade, I am willing to give you a trial."
Siegfried was happy to hear this, and with a hearty relish he ate the
coarse brown bread and bowl of milk which Mimi brought to him.
The next morning the blacksmith showed Siegfried how to blow the
bellows, and swing the sledge-hammer, and also how to shape a horseshoe.
"Now, you try it," he said, laying a red-hot piece of iron on the
anvil.
Siegfried was eager to try. He raised the hammer above his head, and
brought it down with such force that the iron flew to pieces and the
anvil was buried in the ground.
Mimi was very angry. He gave the boy a box on the ear that nearly
knocked him over. Now, Siegfried was a king's son, and never before in
all his life had any one but his parents dared to punish him. Therefore
he was indignant, and without giving Mimi a moment's warning, he seized
the dwarf by the collar and dashed him to the ground.
When Mimi came to his senses, he was almost dead with pain and fright.
He made up his mind then and there that he would have his revenge, but
he knew he was no match for Siegfried in strength; so he picked himself
up, and pretended that he was not in the least angry. After a while he
sent Siegfried to fetch a basket of coal from the colliery, which was
near a great linden tree in the forest. Under this tree dwelt a
terrible monster, and Mimi hoped that the huge beast would make an end
of the lad.
As Siegfried reached the tree, out rushed the monster, with open jaws,
ready to devour him. But the boy nimbly sprang aside, and uprooting a
tree which stood near, he brought it down with such force on the
monster's back that the huge creature was dazed by the blow, and lay
writhing in pain.
Then quick as thought, Siegfried pulled up tree after tree, and piled
them high above the struggling monster, pinning him fast to the earth.
Thus he slowly crushed the terrible beast to death.
As he stood there watching, a pool of blood oozed slowly out from under
the pile of trees. He dipped his finger in it without thinking, and was
surprised and delighted to find that his finger had become as hard as
horn, and that he could neither scratch nor pierce it.
"What a fine thing!" thought the lad. "I will bathe myself in the pool,
and then nothing on earth can harm me."
Accordingly, he quickly undressed and bathed himself in the pool; but as
he was stooping over, a broad leaf from the linden tree fell upon his
back, between the shoulders, and the spot where it lay was not touched
by the monster's blood. Siegfried knew nothing of the leaf. "Now," said
he to himself, "I am safe; neither sword nor spear can wound me." Then
he cut off the monster's head, filled Mimi's basket with coal, and
carried both back to the smithy.
Mimi could hardly believe his eyes when Siegfried appeared; he began to
fear the wonderful strength of this half-grown boy, and to hate him with
a deadly hatred. However, he was far too wise to let Siegfried know his
feelings, and so he praised the lad's courage highly. But he at once
began to think of another plan to get rid of him.
That night, while they were sitting together before the fire, Mimi
said:
"I know of an adventure which would just suit you, Siegfried. If you
succeed in it, it will make you famous all over the world, and you will
be very rich."
The boy was eager to be off at once, but the dwarf declared that
Siegfried must first listen to a long, strange story. Mimi bade him give
good heed to what he was about to hear.