Part 10 (1/2)

He said to himself: ”That ring is hidden somewhere in the forest. I will go there and search until I know who has it. Then I will find some way of getting it.”

On he went, until he came to the darkest place in the woods.

The boughs overlapped each other, so much that almost no suns.h.i.+ne could get through.

Mimi liked this place. It was soothing to his eyes, so used to the darkness of the Nibelungs' cavern.

THE DRAGON

Mimi had found the very forest which he sought to find.

This was the one in which the dragon lay guarding the h.o.a.rd.

The sly dwarf caught a glimpse of the huge monster lying at the door of its cave.

Its great yawning jaws and sharp teeth filled him with terror.

Mimi darted into the underbrush. How glad he was that the monster had not seen him.

He shook and trembled with fear as he peeped at the loathsome creature.

Its body was covered with green scales. Poison breath came from its nostrils.

Its awful snake-like tail twisted and lashed about. In the end of the tail was a deadly sting.

”Alberich's ring is in that cave,” thought Mimi. ”Now close to this forest I must find a good little cavern in which to live.

”Then I can come often to watch the dragon.

”Some day I shall find a hero to slay this fierce monster. Then I shall slink into the cave and s.n.a.t.c.h the ring.

”Ho! ho! my brother Alberich! We shall see who shall be master and who shall be slave!”

A BABY IN THE FOREST

Mimi found a cavern in a rocky cleft. It was just the kind of place he liked.

In it was just the right kind of rock for a forge.

There he hammered at weapons or chains or whatever happened to be his need.

Daily he sneaked about in the underbrush, watching the dragon, and daily he became more anxious to gain the gold.

He was such a coward that he was frightened at almost every animal he saw in the woods and startled by every sound.

One day, when he had ventured farther from his cave than usual, he was startled by a strange little cry.

He listened a moment and thought:--