"You tell such lovely fairy-tales, papa, I was just wishing for one.
See! The moon is just rising above the tree-tops. It is the very
time for stories of the wonderful beings."

Her father smiled. "It shall be as you wish, Bertha. It is hard to
refuse you when you look at me that way. Come, children, let us sit
in the doorway. Goodwife, put down your work and join us while I
tell the story of Siegfried, the old hero of Germany."




CHAPTER IX.

THE MAGIC SWORD

Far away in the long ago there lived a mighty king with his goodwife
and his brave son, Siegfried. Their home was at Xanten, where the
river Rhine flows lazily along.

The young prince was carefully taught. But when his education was
nearly finished, his father said:

"Siegfried, there is a mighty smith named Mimer. It will be well for
you to learn all you can of him in regard to the making of arms."

So Siegfried went to work at the trade of a smith. It was not long
before he excelled his teacher. This pleased Mimer, who spent many
spare hours with his pupil, telling him stories of the olden times.