through the air, and choosing the bravest of the fallen heroes, and
bearing them to the castle of the gods, the change may well seem hard
to suffer at first. So the Daughter of the God thinks that no heavier
punishment could have been found for her. Her sisters think so, too,
and they beg their father to have mercy on her, but he sternly bids
them be silent and to leave him. Now the Daughter of the God tells him
how she tried to do what he would have her do; she knew that he loved
the hero and hated the robber, and that his command to her was given
unwillingly; she hoped to gain for him the wish of his heart, in spite
of his words, and she threw her shield over the hero.

"It is useless; he cannot stay her punishment now, but his anger is all
gone and he is filled with sorrow like her own. He loves her still,
more than any other daughter, and now he will never have her beside him
in the halls of the gods again, never again see her ride to the battle,
never see her return with brave men to guard his house, never again
speak to her as he could to no other, and tell her all that is in his
heart, never again see her glad, deep, answering eyes look into his,
full of sympathy and help. One thing yet she begs: if all that they
have been to each other, the god and his daughter, must be no more, if
she must sleep and wait here for an unknown husband to wake her, she
prays him to set some guard around her, a wall of fire, that no one but
a brave man, the bravest of men, may win her for his bride.

"Yes, he will do this; she shall be shut in by fire and none shall ever
come to her but the bravest of heroes, one who knows no fear at all. No
one who fears even his own terrible spear, that spear which broke the
magic sword that he himself had made, shall ever awake her who was his
daughter, and now is to be his daughter no more. He draws her to him
for one last time; he kisses her lips and they are silent; he kisses