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Adventure II.
Greyfell.
Many were the pleasant days that Siegfried spent in Mimer's
smoky smithy; and if he ever thought of his father's stately
dwelling, or of the life of ease which he might have enjoyed
within its halls, he never by word or deed showed signs of
discontent. For Mimer taught him all the secrets of his
craft and all the lore of the wise men. To beat hot iron, to
shape the fire-edged sword, to smithy war-coats, to fashion
the slender bracelet of gold and jewels,--all this he had
already learned. But there were many other things to know,
and these the wise master showed him. He told him how to
carve the mystic runes which speak to the knowing ones with
silent, unseen tongues; he told him of the men of other
lands, and taught him their strange speech; he showed him
how to touch the harp-strings, and bring forth bewitching
music: and the heart of Siegfried waxed very wise, while his
body grew wondrous strong. And the master loved his pupil
dearly.
But the twelve apprentices grew more jealous day by day, and
when Mimer was away they taunted Siegfried with cruel jests,
and sought by harsh threats to drive him from the smithy;
but the lad only smiled, and made the old shop ring again
with the music from his anvil. On a day when Mimer had gone
on a journey, Veliant, the foreman, so far forgot himself as
to strike the boy. For a moment Siegfried gazed at him with
withering scorn; then he swung his hammer high in air, and
brought it swiftly down, not upon the head of Veliant, who
was trembling with expectant fear, but upon the foreman's
anvil. The great block of iron was shivered by the blow, and
flew into a thousand pieces. Then, turning again towards the
thoroughly frightened foreman, Siegfried said, while angry
lightning-flashes darted from his eyes,--
"What if I were to strike you thus?"
Veliant sank upon the ground, and begged for mercy.
"You are safe," said Siegfried, walking away. "I would scorn
to harm a being like you!"
The apprentices were struck dumb with amazement and fear;
and when Siegfried had returned to his anvil they one by one
dropped their hammers, and stole away from the smithy. In a
secret place not far from the shop, they met together, to
plot some means by which they might rid themselves of him
whom they both hated and feared.
The next morning Veliant came to Siegfried's forge, with a
sham smile upon his face. The boy knew that cowardice and
base deceit lurked, ill concealed, beneath that smile; yet,
as he was wont to do, he welcomed the foreman kindly.
"Siegfried," said Veliant, "let us be friends again. I am
sorry that I was so foolish and so rash yesterday, and I
promise that I will never again be so rude and unmanly as to
become angry at you. Let us be friends, good Siegfried! Give
me your hand, I pray you, and with it your forgiveness."
Siegfried grasped the rough palm of the young smith with
such a gripe, that the smile vanished from Veliant's face,
and his muscles writhed with pain.
"I give you my hand, certainly," said the boy, "and I will
give you my forgiveness when I know that you are worthy of
it."
As soon as Veliant's aching hand allowed him speech, he
said,--
"Siegfried, you know that we have but little charcoal left
for our forges, and our master will soon return from his
journey. It will never do for him to find us idle, and the
fires cold. Some one must go to-day to the forest-pits, and
bring home a fresh supply of charcoal. How would you like
the errand? It is but a pleasant day's journey to the pits;
and a ride into the greenwood this fine summer day would
certainly be more agreeable than staying in the smoky shop."
"I should like the drive very much," answered Siegfried;
"but I have never been to the coal-pits, and I might lose my
way in the forest."
"No danger of that," said Veliant. "Follow the road that
goes straight into the heart of the forest, and you cannot
miss your way. It will lead you to the house of Regin, the
master, the greatest charcoal-man in all Rhineland. He will
be right glad to see you for Mimer's sake, and you may lodge
with him for the night. In the morning he will fill your
cart with the choicest charcoal, and you can drive home at
your leisure; and, when our master comes again, he will find
our forges flaming, and our bellows roaring, and our anvils
ringing, as of yore."
Siegfried, after some further parley, agreed to undertake
the errand, although he felt that Veliant, in urging him to
do so, wished to work him some harm. He harnessed the donkey
to the smith's best cart, and drove merrily away along the
road which led towards the forest.[EN#5] The day was bright
and clear; and as Siegfried rode through the flowery
meadows, or betwixt the fields of corn, a thousand sights
and sounds met him, and made him glad. Now and then he would
stop to watch the reapers in the fields, or to listen to the
song of some heaven-soaring lark lost to sight in the blue
sea overhead. Once he met a company of gayly dressed youths
and maidens, carrying sheaves of golden grain, --for it was
now the harvest-time,--and singing in praise of Frey, the
giver of peace and plenty.
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