or them at Wotan's bidding. As a
reward for their services they are to obtain Freia, the goddess of
youth; but already Wotan repents of his promise and forms plans with
his wife, to save her lovely sister. The giants Fafner and Fasold
enter to claim their reward. While they negociate, Loge, the god of
fire, comes up, relates the history of Alberich's theft of the
Rhinegold and tells Wotan of the gold's power. Wotan decides to rob
the dwarf, promising the treasure to the giants, who consent to accept
it in Freia's stead. But they distrust the gods and take Freia with
them as a pledge. As soon as she disappears, the beautiful gods seem
old and grey and wrinkled, for the golden apples to which Freia attends
and of which the gods partake daily to be forever youthful, wither as
soon as she is gone. Then Wotan without any further delay starts for
Nibelheim with Loge, justifying his intention by saying that the gold
is stolen property. They disappear in a cleft and we find ourselves in
a subterranean cavern, the abode of the Nibelungs.

{289}

Alberich has forced his brother Mime to forge a "Tarnhelm" for him,
which renders its wearer invisible. Mime vainly tries to keep it for
himself; Alberich, the possessor of the all-powerful ring, which he
himself formed, takes it by force and making himself invisible, strikes
Mime with a whip, until the latter is half dead. Wotan and Loge,
hearing his complaints, promise to help him. Alberich, coming forth
again, is greatly flattered by Wotan and dexterously led on to show his
might. He first changes himself into an enormous snake and then into a
toad. Wotan quickly puts his foot on it, while Loge seizes the
Tarnhelm. Alberich becoming suddenly visible in his real shape, is
bound and led away captive. The gods return to the mountain-heights of
the second scene, where Alberich is compelled to part with all his
treasures, which are brought by the dwarfs. He is even obliged to
leave the ring, which Wotan intends to keep for himself. With a
dreadful curse upon the possessor of the ring Alberich flies.

When the giants reappear with Freia, the treasures are heaped before
her; they are to cover her entirely, so it is decided, and not before,
will she be free. When all the gold has been piled up, and even the
Tarnhelm thrown on the hoard, Fasold still sees Freia's eye shine
through it and at last Wotan, who is most unwilling to part with the
ring, is induced to do so by Erd