criedtherobbers,seizingthehorsebythebridle,anddraggingthetworidersfromitsback.

thepriesthadnothingtodefendhimselfwith,buttheknifehehadtakenfromhelga,andwiththishestruckoutrightandoftherobbersraisedhisaxeagainsthim;buttheyoungpriestsprangononeside,andavoidedtheblow,whichfellwithgreatforceonthehorse'sneck,sothatthebloodgushedforth,andtheanimalsunktotheground.thenhelgaseemedsuddenlytoawakefromherlong,deepreverie;shethrewherselfhastilyuponthedyinganimal.thepriestplacedhimselfbeforeher,todefendandshelterher;butoneoftherobbersswunghisironaxeagainstthechristian'sheadwithsuchforcethatitwasdashedtopieces,thebloodandbrainswerescatteredabout,andhefelldeadupontheground.thentherobbersseizedbeautifulhelgabyherwhitearmsandslenderwaist;butatthatmomentthesunwentdown,andasitslastraydisappeared,shewaschangedintotheformofafrog.agreenishwhitemouthspreadhalfoverherface;herarmsbecamethinandslimy;whilebroadhands,withwebbedfingers,spreadthemselvesoutliketherobbers,interror,lethergo,andshestoodamongthem,ahideousmonster;andasisthenatureoffrogstodo,shehoppedupashighasherownsize,anddisappearedinthethicket.thentherobbersknewthatthismustbetheworkofanevilspiritorsomesecretsorcery,and,inaterriblefright,theyranhastilyfromthespot.

thefullmoonhadalreadyrisen,andwasshininginallherradiantsplendorovertheearth,whenfromthethicket,intheformofafrog,creptpoorhelga.shestoodstillbythecorpseofthechristianpriest,andthecarcaseofthedeadhorse.shelookedatthemwitheyesthatseemedtoweep,andfromthefrog'sheadcameforthacroakingsound,aswhenachildburstsintotears.shethrewherselffirstuponone,andthenupontheother;broughtwaterinherhand,which,frombeingwebbed,waslargeandhollow,andpoureditoverthem;buttheyweredead,anddeadtheywouldremain.sheunderstoodthatatlast.soonwildanimalswouldcomeandteartheirdeadbodies;butno,thatmustnothappen.thensheduguptheearth,asdeepasshewasable,thatshemightprepareagraveforthem.shehadnothingbutabranchofatreeandhertwohands,betweenthefingersofwhichthewebbedskinstretched,andtheyweretornbythework,whilethebloodrandownherhands.shesawatlastthatherworkwouldbeuseless,morethanshecouldaccomplish;soshefetchedmorewater,andwashedthefaceofthedead,andthencovereditwithfreshgreenleaves;shealsobroughtlargeboughsandspreadoverhim,andscattereddriedleavesbetweenthebranches.thenshebroughttheheavieststonesthatshecouldcarry,andlaidthemoverthedeadbody,fillingupthecreviceswithmoss,tillshethoughtshehadfencedinhisresting-placestronglyenough.thedifficulttaskhademployedherthewholenight;andasthesunbrokeforth,therestoodthebeautifulhelgainallherloveliness,withherbleedinghands,and,forthefirsttime,withtearsonhermaidencheeks.itwas,inthistransformation,asiftwonatureswerestrivingtogetherwithinher;herwholeframetrembled,andshelookedaroundherasifshehadjustawokefromapainfuldream.sheleanedforsupportagainstthetrunkofaslendertree,andatlastclimbedtothetopmostbranches,likeacat,andseatedherselffirmlyuponthem.sheremainedtherethewholeday,sittingalone,likeafrightenedsquirrel,inthesilentsolitudeofthewood,wheretherestandstillnessisasthecalmofdeath.

butterfliesflutteredaroundher,andclosebywereseveralant-hills,eachwithitshundredsofbusylittlecreaturesmovingquicklytoandfro.intheair,dancedmyriadsofgnats,swarmuponswarm,troopsofbuzzingflies,ladybirds,dragon-flieswithgoldenwings,andotherlittlewingedcreatures.thewormcrawledforthfromthemoistground,andthemolescreptout;but,exceptingthese,allaroundhadthestillnessofdeath:butwhenpeoplesaythis,theydonotquiteunderstandthemselveswhattheymean.nonenoticedhelgabutaflockofmagpies,whichflewchatteringroundthetopofthetreeonwhichshesat.thesebirdshoppedclosetoheronthebrancheswithboldcuriosity.aglancefromhereyeswasasignaltofrightenthemaway,andtheywerenotcleverenoughtofindoutwhoshewas;indeedshehardlyknewherself.

whenthesunwasnearsetting,andtheevening'stwilightabouttocommence,theapproachingtransformationarousedhertofreshexertion.sheletherselfdowngentlyfromthetree,and,asthelastsunbeamvanished,shestoodagaininthewrinkledformofafrog,withthetorn,webbedskinonherhands,buthereyesnowgleamedwithmoreradiantbeautythantheyhadeverpossessedinhermostbeautifulformofloveliness;theywerenowpure,mildmaidenlyeyesthatshoneforthinthefaceofafrog.theyshowedtheexistenceofdeepfeelingandahumanheart,andthebeauteouseyesoverflowedwithtears,weepingpreciousdropsthatlightenedtheheart.

ontheraisedmoundwhichshehadmadeasagraveforthedeadpriest,shefoundthecrossmadeofthebranchesofatree,thelastworkofhimwhonowlaydeadandcoldbeneathit.asuddenthoughtcametohelga,andsheliftedupthecrossandplantedituponthegrave,betweenthestonesthatcoveredhimandthedeadhorse.thesadrecollectionbroughtthetearstohereyes,andinthisgentlespiritshetracedthesamesigninthesandroundthegrave;andassheformed,withbothherhands,thesignofthecross,thewebskinfellfromthemlikeatornglove.shewashedherhandsinthewaterofthespring,andgazedwithastonishmentattheirdelicateshemadetheholysignintheair,betweenherselfandthedeadman;herlipstrembled,hertonguemoved,andthenamewhichsheinherridethroughtheforesthadsooftenheardspoken,rosetoherlips,andsheutteredthewords,"jesuschrist."thenthefrogskinfellfromher;shewasoncemorealovelymaiden.herheadbentwearily,hertiredlimbsrequiredrest,andthensheslept.

hersleep,however,wasshort.towardsmidnight,sheawoke;beforeherstoodthedeadhorse,prancingandfulloflife,whichshoneforthfromhiseyesandfromhiswoundedneck.closebyhissideappearedthemurderedchristianpriest,morebeautifulthanbaldur,astheviking'swifehadsaid;butnowhecameasifinaflameoffire.suchgravity,suchsternjustice,suchapiercingglanceshonefromhislarge,gentleeyes,thatitseemedtopenetrateintoeverycornerofherheart.beautifulhelgatrembledatthelook,andhermemoryreturnedwithapowerasifithadbeenthedayofjudgment.everygooddeedthathadbeendoneforher,everylovingwordthathadbeensaid,werevividlybeforehermind.sheunderstoodnowthatlovehadkeptherhereduringthedayofhertrial;whilethecreatureformedofdustandclay,soulandspirit,hadwrestledandstruggledwithevil.sheacknowledgedthatshehadonlyfollowedtheimpulsesofanevildisposition,thatshehaddonenothingtocureherself;everythinghadbeengivenher,andallhadhappenedasitwerebytheordinationofprovidence.shebowedherselfhumbly,confessedhergreatimperfectionsinthesightofhimwhocanreadeveryfaultoftheheart,andthenthepriestspoke."daughterofthemoorland,thouhastcomefromtheswampandthemarshyearth,butfromthisthoushaltarise.thesunlightshiningintothyinmostsoulprovestheoriginfromwhichthouhastreallysprung,andhasrestoredthebodytoitsnaturalform.iamcometotheefromthelandofthedead,andthoualsomustpassthroughthevalleytoreachtheholymountainswheremercyandperfectiondwell.icannotleadtheetohedebythatthoumaystreceivechristianbaptism,forfirstthoumustremovethethickveilwithwhichthewatersofthemoorlandareshrouded,andbringforthfromitsdepthsthelivingauthorofthybeingandthylife.tillthisisdone,thoucanstnotreceiveconsecration."

thenheliftedheronthehorseandgaveheragoldencenser,similartothoseshehadalreadyseenattheviking'shouse.asweetperfumearosefromit,whiletheopenwoundintheforeheadoftheslainpriest,shonewiththeraysofadiamond.hetookthecrossfromthegrave,andhelditaloft,andnowtheyrodethroughtheairovertherustlingtrees,overthehillswherewarriorslayburiedeachbyhisdeadwar-horse;andthebrazenmonumentalfiguresroseupandgallopedforth,andstationedthemselvesonthesummitsofthehills.thegoldencrescentontheirforeheads,fastenedwithgoldenknots,glitteredinthemoonlight,andtheirmantlesfloatedinthewind.thedragon,thatguardsburiedtreasure,liftedhisheadandgazedafterthem.thegoblinsandthesatyrspeepedoutfrombeneaththehills,andflittedtoandfrointhefields,wavingblue,red,andgreentorches,liketheglowingsparksinburningpaper.overwoodlandandheath,floodandfen,theyflewon,tilltheyreachedthewildmoor,overwhichtheyhoveredinbroadcircles.thechristianpriestheldthecrossaloft,anditglitteredlikegold,whilefromhislipssoundedpiousprayers.beautifulhelga'svoicejoinedwithhisinthehymnshesung,asachildjoinsinhermother'ssong.sheswungthecenser,andawonderfulfragranceofincensearosefromit;sopowerful,thatthereedsandrushesofthemoorburstforthintoblossom.eachgermcameforthfromthedeepground:allthathadliferaiseditself.bloomingwater-liliesspreadthemselvesforthlikeacarpetofwroughtflowers,anduponthemlayaslumberingwoman,youngandbeautiful.helgafanciedthatitwasherownimageshesawreflectedinthestillwater.butitwashermothershebeheld,thewifeofthemarshking,theprincessfromthelandofthenile.

thedeadchristianpriestdesiredthatthesleepingwomanshouldbeliftedonthehorse,butthehorsesankbeneaththeload,asifhehadbeenafuneralpallflutteringinthewind.butthesignofthecrossmadetheairyphantomstrong,andthenthethreerodeawayfromthemarshtofirmground.

atthesamemomentthecockcrewintheviking'scastle,andthedreamfiguresdissolvedandfloatedawayintheair,butmotheranddaughterstoodoppositetoeachother.

"amilookingatmyownimageinthedeepwater?"