disappeared in the earth, as
Wotan rushed toward her. Donner and Froh held him back.

"Touch her not--to touch her would mean death!" they cried. Wotan
stood thoughtfully, looking at the spot where Erda had been, till
presently, with a quick movement, he threw the ring upon the
Rheingold.

"Freia!" he cried, "give us back our youth and life, and thou, Giants,
take thy treasure." As Freia sprung toward her sister Fricka to
embrace her, the Giants fell to quarrelling over the gold.

"Here, thou! give me my share," Fafner roared, as Fasolt was trying to
possess himself of all the hoard. Thus they fought while the Gods
looked on.

"Keep the ring, Fafner," Loge called. "It is worth more to thee than
all the gold." But the struggle became more fierce till at last Fafner
with one great blow killed his brother, while the Gods looked on in
horror.

"Behold how Alberich's curse begins to work," Loge cried to Wotan.

"I must see Erda the Wise again," Wotan answered, abstracted and
troubled.

"Nay," said Fricka, grasping his arm. "See thy palace--the Walhall of
the Eternals for which thou hast nearly caused us to perish. Thou hast
got what thou desired, yet hast not even entered its halls. Come--let
us go and seek peace and happiness." Thus urged, but looking
thoughtfully at the spot where Erda had disappeared, he permitted
himself to be led toward Walhall.

"The place was paid for with an evil wage," one of the Gods said,
moodily, for all saw the mists settling upon them and felt youth and
hope leaving them. They had not yet eaten of their apples of life, but
Donner at last aroused himself and strode to a high peak.

"Come," he cried, in a mighty voice; and swinging his mammoth hammer
above his head he called again: "Come! Come, ye mists of all the
earth! Gather around me. Come, ye hovering clouds, ye foreboding
mists! Come with lightnings and with thunder and sweep the heavens
clear," and swinging his hammer he shouted: "Heda, heda, heda! To me,
all mists! To me, all ye vapours! Donner calls his hosts. Vapours and
fogs; wandering mists, heda, heda, heda!"

The black clouds gathered about him till all the Gods were obscured,
and as they enfolded them, even the Thunder God was hidden.

Out of the darkness flashed the lightning. Boom! his hammer crashed,
and the thunders rolled away into the hills.

Boom! the hammer crashed against the rock again, and with another
mighty stroke the darkness rolled away, the storm cle