t in the other he had found some source of
hope and comfort. And they talked of the great midworld, and of the
starry dome above it, and of the seas which gird it, and of the men who
live upon it. All night long they talked, and in the morning Siegfried
arose to go.

"Thou hast not told me of thy errand," said Gripir; "but I know what it
is. Come first with me, and see this great mid-world for thyself."

Then Gripir, leaning on his staff, led the way out of the great hall,
and up to the top of the highest mountain-crag. And the wild eagles
circled in the clear, cold air above them; and far below them the white
waves dashed against the mountain's feet; and the frosty winds swept
around them unchecked, bringing to their ears the lone lamenting of the
north giants, moaning for the days that had been and for the glories
that were past. Then Siegfried looked to the north, and he saw the dark
mountain-wall of Norway trending away in solemn grandeur towards
the frozen sea, but broken here and there by sheltering fjords, and
pleasant, sunny dales. He looked to the east, and saw a great forest
stretching away and away until it faded to sight in the blue distance.
He looked to the south, and saw a pleasant land, with farms and
vineyards, and towns and strong-built castles; and through it wound the
River Rhine, like a great white serpent, reaching from the snow-capped
Alps to the northern sea. And he saw his father's little kingdom of the
Netherlands lying like a green speck on the shore of the ocean. Then
he looked to the west, and nothing met his sight but a wilderness of
rolling, restless waters, save, in the far distance, a green island half
hidden by sullen mists and clouds. And Siegfried sighed, and said,--

"The world is so wide, and the life of man so short!"

"The world is all before thee," answered Gripir. "Take what the Norns
have allotted thee. Choose from my pastures a battle-steed, and ride
forth to win for thyself a name and fame among the sons of men."

Then Siegfried ran down the steep side of the mountain to the grassy
dell where the horses were feeding. But the beasts were all so fair and
strong, that he knew not which to choose. While he paused, uncertain
what to do, a strange man stood before him. Tall and handsome was the
man, with one bright eye, and a face beaming like the dawn in summer;
and upon his head he wore a sky-blue hood bespangled with golden stars,
and over his shoulder was thrown a cloak of