Excerpt from Das Rheingold (the Rhinegold): A Music-Drama in Four Scenes; Prelude to the Trilogy "Der Ring Des Nibelungen" (The Nibelung's Ring) Having been obliged to yield up all his treasures, even the Tarnhelm and Ring, as the price of his freedom, alberich lays a deadly curse on the latter. It shall cause every one's death who owns it. Wotan is reluctant to yield this potent ta] isman, until warned by erda (the goddess of Earth) to consent. On gaining it, the two giants quarrel, and fasolt is slain. Struck by the power of the curse, wotan turns all his thoughts to saving himself from his menacing fate. Donner clears the air with a thunderstorm, and bids his fellow-god, froh, build a rainbow bridge for the Walhalla, their new castle of refuge. As they are about to cross the bridge, the voices of the rhine daughters are heard from below, bewailing the loss of the gold. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.