The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-27

I threw her arms around his neck and begged
| him to her from the terrible giant.
But what could Hagen do? No man could
| hope to conquer such a huge fellow as
Bode. And, besides that. King Hagen had
to think of his people. for the giant had
promised 10 destroy the kingdom if he did
] not get to marry Burnhilda. And so. al
though the King loved his daughter very
much. for the sake Of his country and per-
haps because he was little afraid Of the
! giants anger. he at last told Burnhilda
that she would have to marry Bode.
Very WELL, she answered. Since you
| with ali your mans strength and wisdom
are afraid Of this monster. 1 shall try what
simple girl can do against him.
! 'Thereupon she went out of the room,
| leaving the father looking after her in an
amazed and angry fashion. She went softly
down the stairs. and. suddenly throwing
] open the door, stood in all her beauty be-
fore the eyes Of the giant He was
astonished at her loveliness that he could
not say word. but we may be sure that
he we'll pleased because his chosen
bride was so beautiful. Brunhilda. although
she had never before seen a giant.
not much frightened. Smiling at him a
little. she said:
You do me too much honor. my dear
Bode, in asking me to be your wife. 1 am
only such a girl as other girls are and not
at all Mt to be the bride of so great war
rior as yourself. L could not even ride your
! horse there
Wh-wh-why.' stammered the giant,
what is the difference? You wouldn't have
to ride horse even If you were my wife
4 DIT Il CHI he
girl and 1 shall never marry you unless
you will promise to teach me first how to
ride that white horse In months time
can learn: then shall be our wedding day.
Does that please you?' she asked with
other smile.
Yes Bode answered, but you must
take a lesson every day
All right replied Brunhilda, and we
may as we'll begin now. Bring the horse up
here to the step, so that 1 can mount
him
THE giant did as he was bid. and the
maiden sprang into the saddle as lightly
as a bird. Snowcloud reared and pranced
little at having to bear so strange bur-
den; but the heavy hand and gruff voice of
Bode soon quoted him. This first day the
two rode only once about the castle. After
a few days, however. they went further and
further away and put their horses to swift
er and swifter PAGES. At last. as the end of
the month drew near. Brunhilda often
challenged Bode to race, and sometimes
won. More often, however, she was beaten.
but she did not care, for she had learned
how to manage the giant horse.
The wedding day at last arrived Long
before sunset great crowds of Hagen's sub
Jects gathered in the courtyard to witness
the strange marriage and to feast and
drink. In the great hall of the castle stood
Bode, Hagen and a priest. all waiting for
the lovely Brunhilda to come. Suddenly, as
they stood there, they heard the neighing of
horses; and as they all fastened TO the
window and looked out, they saw Brunhilda
in her white wedding gown and with
golden crown on her head, gaHoping away
on Snowcloud as fast as horse could gall
lop. The white figure. cleaning in the moon
light, with golden hair streaming to the
winds, was lovely sight. But Bode did not
see it. With frightful oath he clutched his
battle-ax. leaDed out of the window
sprang on Thunder's back and rode away
after the girl.
"Ah. that was fearful race, All night
the two horses strained every nerve.
Sparks flew from their flying hoofs as from
under the blacksmiths hammer. The rat
tie of galloping feet upon the hard rock
was like the crash of thunder, and the
painting of the steeds like the blasts of
the north wind among the trees of the for
est. But the black horse was slowly gain
ing. At last, just as the day dawned,
Brunhilda saw almost at her feet deep
chasm. To fall into this seemed certain
death. But Bode was just behind AL
ready she felt the hot breath of the black
horse. In despair she struck her steed q
sharp blow, and with a mighty Spring he
landed safe on the other side, leaving the
imprint of his great hoof upon the hard
rock. At the next moment Bode, too, tried
the leap. But Thunder was tired from
carrying the great weight of his master;
and so it happened that he fell, fell to the
very bottom of the chasm and with his
master was dashed to pieces. Even to this
day the sharp rocks in that depth are
pointed out to the traveller as the splintered
bones of BOde and his horse. and the
chasm itself is called BODIES Death.
when the morning dawned Brunhilda
found herself i'm the territory of the Prince
of the Hartz mountains. She FASTENED to
his palace. where they were married after
few days. OF course. as the giants were
now all dead. they lived happily; and no
horse in the world was ever more petted
than Snowcloud. who had saved his mis-
tress from death, and the kingdom from
destruction" LOUIS c. WARD.
Bloomington, Ind