Opera Stories from Wagner
By Florence Akin

Presented by
Authorama
Public Domain Books

The Magic Fire

Wotan strode a few steps away from where Brunhilde slept, then struck the rock with his mighty spear.

Red flames shot up, leaping almost to the sky. They were magic flames and would not harm any one.

But they looked like real fire, and none but a hero would dare go into them.

They would frighten away all cowards.

Wotan walked around the peak, drawing a line with his spear.

From every place the spear touched the fire burst forth, until at length the mound where Brunhilde slept was entirely encircled by lurid flames.

Great Wotan looked upon his work. Then he turned and called to all the mountains and the valleys below:–

  “Whoso dareth Wotan’s spear,
  Whoso knoweth naught of fear,
  Let him burst these flames of war,
  Let him leap this fiery bar!”

More About the Stories • The Rhine-Gold • Alberich • The Careless Rhine-Daughters • The Theft • The Sad Rhine-Daughters • A Castle On the Rhine • The Morning • The Payment • Loki • Youth or Age? • Nibelheim • The Best Smith in Nibelheim • The Master • The Boaster • The Wishing-Cap • The Trick • The Curse • The Greedy Fafner • A Slave to Gold • The Beautiful Valhalla • The Walkuere • The Valiant Siegmund • Hunding’s Wife • Hunding • The War-Maidens • Wotan’s Wife • Wotan and Brunhilde • Off to the Battlefield • The Flight • The Punishment • The Sleep • The Magic Fire • Siegfried • The Dragon • A Baby in the Forest • Mimi and the Baby • Siegfried and His Friends • The Broken Sword • A Big Brown Bear • Siegfried and Mimi • Siegfried Mends His Father’s Sword • Siegfried Goes to Fight the Dragon • A Wood-Bird’s Song • Siegfried and the Dragon • A Change Comes Over Siegfried • Mimi Has a Surprise • Mimi and Alberich Stop to Quarrel Too Long • Siegfried Reaches the Mountain • Siegfried Learns What Fear Is • The Awakening • Goetterdaemmerung • A Song of the Present • A Song of the Future • A Pledge of Love • The Doom of Valhalla • Love