thatwouldbeaspectacleforthegods,andbetterstilltofollowinitscourse."

butthevikingwouldnotallowhimtodiesuchadeathasthat,especiallyashewasthedisownedanddespiserofthehighgods.inafewdays,hehaddecidedtohavehimofferedasasacrificeontheblood-stoneinthegrove.forthefirsttime,amanwastobesacrificedhere.helgabeggedtobeallowedtosprinkletheassembledpeoplewiththebloodofthepriest.shesharpenedherglitteringknife;andwhenoneofthegreat,savagedogs,whowererunningabouttheviking'scastleingreatnumbers,sprangtowardsher,shethrusttheknifeintohisside,merely,asshesaid,toproveitssharpness.

theviking'swifelookedatthewild,badlydisposedgirl,withgreatsorrow;andwhennightcameon,andherdaughter'sbeautifulformanddispositionwerechanged,shespokeineloquentwordstohelgaofthesorrowanddeepgriefthatwasinherheart.theuglyfrog,initsmonstrousshape,stoodbeforeher,andraiseditsbrownmournfuleyestoherface,listeningtoherwords,andseemingtounderstandthemwiththeintelligenceofahumanbeing.

"neveroncetomylordandhusbandhasawordpassedmylipsofwhatihavetosufferthroughyou;myheartisfullofgriefaboutyou,"saidtheviking'swife."theloveofamotherisgreaterandmorepowerfulthanieverimagined.butloveneverenteredthyheart;itiscoldandclammy,liketheplantsonthemoor."

thenthemiserableformtrembled;itwasasifthesewordshadtouchedaninvisiblebondbetweenbodyandsoul,forgreattearsstoodintheeyes.

"abittertimewillcomefortheeatlast,"continuedtheviking'swife;"anditwillbeterribleformetoo.ithadbeenbetterfortheeifthouhadstbeenleftonthehigh-road,withthecoldnightwindtolulltheetosleep."andtheviking'swifeshedbittertears,andwentawayinangerandsorrow,passingunderthepartitionoffurs,whichhunglooseoverthebeamanddividedthehall.

theshrivelledfrogstillsatinthecorneralone.deepsilencereignedaround.atintervals,ahalf-stifledsighwasheardfromitsinmostsoul;itwasthesoulofhelga.itseemedinpain,asifanewlifewerearisinginherheart.thenshetookastepforwardandlistened;thensteppedagainforward,andseizedwithherclumsyhandstheheavybarwhichwaslaidacrossthedoor.gently,andwithmuchtrouble,shepushedbackthebar,assilentlyliftedthelatch,andthentookuptheglimmeringlampwhichstoodintheante-chamberofthehall.itseemedasifastrongerwillthanherowngaveherstrength.sheremovedtheironboltfromtheclosedcellar-door,andslippedintotheprisoner.hewasslumbering.shetouchedhimwithhercold,moisthand,andasheawokeandcaughtsightofthehideousform,heshudderedasifhebeheldawickedapparition.shedrewherknife,cutthroughthebondswhichconfinedhishandsandfeet,andbeckonedtohimtofollowher.heutteredsomeholynamesandmadethesignofthecross,whiletheformremainedmotionlessbyhisside.

"whoartthou?"heasked,"whoseoutwardappearanceisthatofananimal,whilethouwillinglyperformestactsofmercy?"

thefrog-figurebeckonedtohimtofollowher,andledhimthroughalonggalleryconcealedbyhangingdraperytothestables,andthenpointedtoahorse.hemounteduponit,andshesprangupalsobeforehim,andheldtightlybytheanimal'smane.theprisonerunderstoodher,andtheyrodeonatarapidtrot,byaroadwhichhewouldneverhavefoundbyhimself,acrosstheopenheath.heforgotheruglyform,andonlythoughthowthemercyandloving-kindnessofthealmightywasactingthroughthishideousapparition.asheofferedpiousprayersandsangholysongsofpraise,shetrembled.wasittheeffectofprayerandpraisethatcausedthis?