Exhausted by the mighty fray,

Beneath the Head he now lies sleeping,

But early morning's shining ray

Already o'er the sky comes creeping,

And turns the Head's thick locks in play

To molten gold. Our young knight, blinking,

So sharp's the light, from earthen bed

Springs quickly up, and in a twinkling

By his swift steed is onward sped.

The days run on, the fields turn yellow,

The leaves drop from the trees' bared crowns;

The autumn wind's fierce whistling drow

The winged songsters' music mellow.

The nude brown hills are daily haunted

By heavy fogs, for winter's near.

But our young gallant knows no fear

And, bv its icv breath undaunted,

Heads northward. Daily now he meets

Fresh barriers: now bravely fights he

Another knight, now beats a mighty

And awesome giant, now defeats

crafty witch. One night he even

As in a dream saw mermaids sit

On swaying, mist-clothed branches lit

By silver moonbeams. Closer driven,

He watched them, full of wonder. They

Said ne'er a word, but smiling slyly,

Tried to enchant and to beguile him.

By kind fate shielded, fast away

The stalwart rode: they could not win him,

Desire soundly slept within him;

To find Ludmila was his goal:

For he was hers-hers, heart and soul.

Meanwhile, kept from the dwarfs advances