scarcely catch a glimpse of the soft
lines of her body. Nor did he go nearer in order to see better. He
drew his good knife from its sheath and threw it between the girl
and the cliff, so that the steel-shy daughter of the giants should
not be able to flee into the mountain when she awoke.

Then he stood still in deep thought. One thing he knew, that he
wished to possess the maiden who lay there; but as yet he had not
quite made up his mind how he would behave towards her.

He, who knew the language of nature better than that of man,
listened to the great, solemn forest and the stern mountain. "See,"
they said, "to you, who love the wilderness, we give our fair
daughter. She will suit you better than the daughters of the plain.
Reor, are you worthy of this most precious of gifts?"

Then he thanked in his heart the great, kind Nature and decided to
make the maiden his wife and not merely a slave. He thought that
since she had come to Christendom and human ways, she would be
confused at the thought that she had lain so uncovered, so he
loosened the bearskin from his back, unfolded the stiff hide, and
threw the old bear's shaggy, grizzled pelt over her.

And as he did so a laugh, which made the ground shake, thundered
behind the cliff. It did not sound like derision, but as if some
one had sat in great fear and could not help laughing, when
suddenly relieved of it. The terrible silence and oppressive heat
were also at an end. Over the grass floated a cooling wind, and the
pine-branches began their murmuring song. The happy huntsman felt
that the whole forest had held its breath, wondering how the
daughter of the wilderness would be treated by the son of man.

The snake now glided down into the high grass; but the sleeper lay
bound in a magic sleep and did not move. Then Reor wrapped her in
the coarse bear-skin, so that only her head showed above the shaggy
fur. Although she certainly was a daughter of the old giant of the
mountain, she was slender and delicately made, and the strong
hunter lifted her on his arm and carried her away through the forest.

After a while he felt that some one lifted his broad-brimmed hat.
He looked up and found that the giant's daughter was awake. She sat
quiet on his arm, but she wished to see what the man looked like
who was carrying her. He let her do as she pleased. He went on with
longer strides, but said nothing.

Then she must have noticed how hot the sun burned on his head,