Chapter I: Front Matter

TOLD TO THE CHILDREN SERIES

EDITED BY LOUEY CHISHOLM

STORIES OF

SIEGFRIED

TOLD TO THE CHILDREN BY

MARY MACGREGOR

WITH PICTURES BY

GRANVILLE FELL

LONDON: T. C. & E. C. JACK

NEW YORK: E. P. DUTTON & CO.

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TO

DENIS

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Dear Denis,--Here is a story that I found in an old German poem called the Nibelungenlied. The poem is full of strange adventure, adventure of both tiny dwarf and stalwart mortal.

Some of these adventures will fill this little book, and already I can see you sitting in the nursery as you read them.

The door is opened but you do not look up. 'Denis! Denis!' You are called, but you do not hear, for you are not really in the nursery any longer.

You have wandered away to Nibelheim, the home of the strange little people of whom you are reading, and you have ears only for the harsh voices of the tiny Nibelungs, eyes only for their odd, wrinkled faces.

Siegfried is the merry hero of the Nibelungenlied. I wonder will you think him as brave as French Roland or as chivalrous as your English favourite, Guy of Warwick? Yet even should you think the German hero brave and chivalrous as these, I can hardly believe you will read and re-read this little book as often as you read and re-read the volumes which told you about your French and English heroes.--Yours affectionately,

MARY MACGREGOR.

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CONTENTS

Chap. Page

I. Mimer the Blacksmith, 1

II. Siegfried wins the Treasure, 11

III. Siegfried comes home, 18

IV. Kriemhild's Dream, 23

V. Siegfried journeys to Worms, 27

VI. Siegfried's Welcome to Worms, 32

VII. Siegfried's Sojourn at Worms, 42

VIII. Siegfried sees Kriemhild, 59

IX. Siegfried goes to Isenland, 64

X. Siegfried subdues Brunhild, 71

XI. Siegfried goes to the Cave, 80

XII. The Wedding Feast, 87

XIII. Siegfried goes home with Kriemhild, 93

XIV. Siegfried and Kriemhild go to Worms, 99

XV. Siegfried is slain, 106

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LIST OF PICTURES

Then Mimer saw the bear, _Frontispiece_

Facing page

'I will kill thee, for in truth thou art an ugly monster', 8

Seizing the magic sword, he cut off their heads, 16

Knighted by the royal hand of Siegmund the King, 20

The heroes entered the streets of Worms, 32

The maiden hurled her spear, 76

Siegfried bent low before the lady Kriemhild, 86

While Siegfried drank of the cool, clear water, Hagen stabbed him, 114

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