The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-03-20

/ the witch a blow. tt was 4 clefu<d
sword, and the blow killed Teri
Lying on the floor of the house he saw
the dead body or Grendel. With his
sword he tried to cut off the head, but
so venomous was the MONSTERS blood
that the blade melted away TO the hilt.
Escaping from the house. Beowulf rose
to the surface of the lake and. SWIM
ming to tie shore. rejoined his compan-
ions bringing back as trophy the hilt
cf the magic sword.
Now that Grendel and his mother were
dead. the Danes had nothing more to fear.
The feasts began again in Heorot and the
queen put around Beowulfs neck a car
canet of rubies. Many other rich rewards
did King Ilrothgar give to Beowulf and
his companions, and at last they departed
across the sea for their home, leaving
their great fame behind them to last until
the latest day. In his own land Beowulf
was received a conquering hero, and
upon the death of Hygelac and of his only
son the people made him king. Many
years did he reign, many battles did he
win and much additional fame did lie
gather. But his conquest of Grendel, his
purging of Heorot, will always remain his
most popular achievement in the minds Of
the people.
1t only remains to tell how Beowulf met
his death. He grew old and regned for
several years in peace and plenty. Then
there came news of a secret hoard of gold,
buried many years before under a mound
by the last of band of earls who had
taken 1t in forays by land and sea. This
hoard of gold, of jeweled goblets and of
other priceless and rich things, had been
discovered by dragon who now lived in
the barrow where it had been buried and
loved to gloat over 1t. A man by chance
found the entrance to the barrow. He
was fugitive from the wrath of his lord,
and sought hiding. When he saw the
hoard and the dragon sleeping upon 1t he
seized jeweled cup and ran with it back
to his lord. With this he purchased for
giveness for his wrongdoing. But the
dragon missed the cup and sent out 80
find who had stolen 1t. Also the man told
others of the secret hoard, and they came
TO the barrow to rifle il. All this enragcd
the dragon, and he came out filed with
dire vengeance and wrath against all men
so that he created great slaughter in the
region roundabout. He was a fiery
dragon, and his breath caused men to
shrivel up with its great heat. Beowulf
heard of these things, and taking with
him a chosen band of young men, he went
forth to engage the monster.
Alone the aged king descended into the
plain where the dragon was raving. and
valiantly he fought with the beast All of
his companions, except one. were so ter
rifed that instead of coming to his as
sistance when they saw the king en-
veloped in fire and steam from the breath
ing of the terrible monster, they ran to
the woods. But one of them. a youth
named Wiglaf, ran to the kings assist
ance, and though the fiery breath of the
monster burned up the wooden backing
of his Shield he managed to deal great
blow at the dragon below the scales which
protected its Sides Beowulf followed this
up by few more mighty strokes, so that
thke dragon fell dead But the dragon
had at one stage of the combat, fastened
its fangs upon the neck of the king and
so poisonous was its bite that now the
king felt himself dying from the venom
of the bite. And there on his last field,
he died with the faithful Wiglaf attend
| ing him, and the other earls. ashamed
now of their deserton, running to his
| aid
They built for Beowulf a great funeral
pyre upon a mighty cape that jutted out
into the stormy sea-. After the funeral
| fire had died out thousands of his sub
| jects Joined in the erection over the en-
| bers of vast and towering mound, a
tumuis which is beacon to all mariners
along those stormy and rough. coasts.
| Next weeks one-page classic Will be
| The Romance of a Poor Young Man,
| by Octave Feuillet.