Opera Stories from Wagner
By Florence Akin

Presented by
Authorama
Public Domain Books

The Dragon

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

This was the one in which the dragon lay guarding the hoard.

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 snatch the ring.

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

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