Opera Stories from Wagner
By Florence Akin
The Doom of Valhalla
Siegfried had been away several days.
Brunhilde sat looking far out over the valley.
She was thinking of Siegfried and of how he was proving his courage to the world.
She lifted her hand to her lips and kissed the ring, Siegfried’s pledge of love.
“Heiho! hoyotoho! heiho!” came from the valley below.
Brunhilde sprang to her feet with the answer:–
“Heiho! hoyotoho! heiho!”
Could it be that one of her sisters was coming to see her?
Was it possible that one of the Walkuere would so far dare Wotan’s wrath as to venture to the mountain’s crest?
Nearer came the call:–
“Heiho! hoyotoho! heiho!”
And a battle-maiden came in sight.
Brunhilde was very happy to see her sister again, but the battle-maiden looked sad.
She brought bad news from Valhalla.
She and Brunhilde sat down upon the rock, and the battle-maiden told the sad story of the last days of the giants.
“Brunhilde,” she said, “Wotan does not know that I have come. Valhalla is in deepest gloom.
“Wotan has never sent us to a battlefield since that day when we last saw you.
“Not long ago he came home with his magic spear broken into splinters. He sat down and buried his face in his hands, and there he sits day after day.
“He tell us the giants are passing from the earth. A little while and Valhalla shall be no more.
“He refuses all of Freya’s golden fruit. He has grown very old and very sad.
“Yesterday I heard him say, ’Oh! if Brunhilde would only give the ring back to the Rhine-daughters, and release the world from the terrible curse of gold!’
“And, Brunhilde, I have come to beg of you, will you not give the ring back to the Rhine-daughters?”
Brunhilde clasped the ring close to her breast.
“Give the ring to the Rhine-daughters?” she cried.
Then she looked far away toward the valley––and Siegfried.
“This ring of mine is Siegfried’s pledge of love!”
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