“Accept, Damon and Pythias, my life to link with yours in friendship’s chain,” said the tyrant.
And thus Damon, Pythias, and Dionysius became the closest of friends.
SIEGFRIED SLAYS THE DRAGON
He who is without fear can do marvelous things. The faint heart is defeated before the battle begins.
Many years ago there lived in the Netherlands a king named Siegmund. When he died he gave his broken sword to his queen telling her to give it to his little son when he became a man. Now, this was a magic sword which had come from Odin, and which no one but Odin could break. Odin had appeared in battle and had shattered the sword in Siegmund’s hand, and had wounded him to death. The name of the sword was “Gram,” which means Wrath.
The young prince was named Siegfried. He grew up to be a man of great strength and was without fear. No other could handle a sword so well as he. When he was old enough his mother gave him his father’s broken sword and took him to a cunning smith who could make swords so sharp that they would cut iron and never turn an edge. The smith was named Mimer.
Mimer told Siegfried strange stories of the dwarfs under the earth, and of the golden treasures of the Nibelings guarded by a dragon, and of a helmet which made the wearer invisible, and of a ring that gave the owner power over all the earth. The dragon’s name was Fafnir, and he was very dreadful. His eyes shot fire, and smoke came out of his nostrils, and his tail could cut down a forest tree at one blow. His tongue was like a sword, and his claws were sharp as steel.
“I have no fear of the dragon,” said Siegfried. “What is fear?” At this Mimer started up, for there was an old legend that said the dragon should be slain by a youth who had no fear. Mimer and Siegfried began to make a sword. They mended the broken sword of Siegfried’s father so well that when Siegfried struck the anvil he split it half in two, but the edge was not dulled. Then it cut a lock of wool that lay upon it, by its own weight. It was indeed a sword fit to slay the terrible Fafnir.
They went to a great hollow in the mountain side and waited for Fafnir to come down. Siegfried blew his horn so loudly that the echoes rang far into the valley. The dragon heard him and came crashing down his path. He was on his way to the river. He saw Siegfried: “Ah!” said he, “I was looking for drink, but I also find food!” At that he made a lunge at Siegfried.