wn beside a stream to sleep. Watch thou there,
and have a care for thyself." So saying the Mime went off a little way
and laid himself down. When he had gone, Siegfried stretched himself
beneath the lime tree to listen to the birds' song. He cut himself a
reed and tried to answer the birds, but could not. As he rested there
in the bright day, he had lonely thoughts of his mother and his
father, and longed for some one whom he could love. While in the midst
of these musings, he looked up and there, with his frightful head
resting upon the knoll, was Fafner, the Dragon. He was giving vent to
a terrific yawn, and made such an awful sound that Siegfried regarded
him in amazement, but suddenly burst out laughing.

"Hello! Are you the beauty who is to teach me to be afraid? Well,
well!" and he laughed again. The Dragon ceased to yawn and stared hard
at Siegfried.

"You are a pretty plaything," Siegfried continued. "Such a nice, rosy
little mouth. I fancy you must be the fellow who was to scare me to
death. Thou art a beauty, surely!"

"Who is it?" the Dragon roared suddenly.

"Ho! And a sweet voice--like the birds," Siegfried grinned.

"Since my mouth is so rosy, let me see how my teeth will feel when set
in a juicy morsel like you," said the Dragon and he spouted venomous
vapours, stretching his horrid jaws, while Siegfried nimbly sprang to
one side to avoid the poisonous steam. Standing watchful, with his
sword, he tried to thrust it at the Dragon's tail, but Fafner roared
and swished his tail away, and prepared to strike with his body; but
to do this he had to raise himself upon high, and in so doing exposed
his breast. Instantly Siegfried plunged Nothung into his heart, and
the Dragon rolled over upon his side with a groan which shook the
trees to their very roots. Siegfried left his sword in the wound and
sprang to one side.

"Oh," groaned the Dragon, with a sigh like a weary earthquake. His
blood spouted upon Siegfried and burnt his hand like fire. As the
blood soused him, a little bird sang.

"It is almost as if that little bird was speaking to me," he said,
pausing and looking up into the trees. "Can it be the Dragon's burning
blood has some virtue which makes me understand the bird's song?"

"Siegfried now owns all the Nibelung's hoard which lies hidden in the
cave. There will be found the Tarnhelm and the ring, which will give
him power over all the earth," so the bird sang, and Siegfried
understood.

"I