serpent's fiery breath on his cheek.

And now the serpent rolled over into the ditch, and Siegfried was
covered by the folds of his huge body. He did not fear or falter.
He thrust Balmung, his wonderful sword, deep into the monster's body.
The blood poured forth in such torrents that the ditch began to fill
fast.

It was a time of great danger for Siegfried. He would have been
drowned if the serpent in his death-agony had not rolled over on one
side and given him a chance to free himself.

In a moment more he was standing, safe and sound, by the side of the
ditch. His bath in the serpent's blood had given him a great
blessing. Hereafter it would be impossible for any one to wound him
except in one tiny place on his shoulder. A leaf had fallen on this
spot, and the blood had not touched it.

"What did Siegfried do with the golden treasure?" asked Hans, when
his father had reached this point in the story.

"He had not sought it for himself, but for Mimer's sake. All he
cared for was the power of killing the serpent."

As soon as this was done, Mimer drew near and showed himself
ungrateful and untrue. He was so afraid Siegfried would claim some
of the treasure that he secretly drew Balmung from out the serpent's
body, and made ready to thrust it into Siegfried.

But at that very moment his foot slipped in the monster's blood, and