Produced by Chris Curnow, Matthew Wheaton and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) [Illustration: HELGA IN THE FAIRY KING'S PARADISE. p. 154.] Fairy Circles TALES AND LEGENDS OF Giants, Dwarfs, Fairies, Water-Sprites, and Hobgoblins FROM THE GERMAN OF VILLAMARIA WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS London: MARCUS WARD & CO., 67 & 68, CHANDOS STREET AND ROYAL ULSTER WORKS, BELFAST 1877 CONTENTS. PAGE BARBAROSSA'S YOUTHFUL DREAM 7 KING LAURIN 32 THE DWARF OF VENICE 54 RHINE GOLD 100 THE FRIENDSHIP OF THE DWARFS-- PART I. THE DYING DWARF-QUEEN 115 PART II. THE FRIENDS IN THE ROCK 124 THE FLOWER OF ICELAND 142 THE SEA-FAIRY 172 THE FAITHFUL GOBLIN 201 THE FALLEN BELL 223 THE LAST HOME OF THE GIANTS 249 Illustrations. PAGE HELGA IN THE FAIRY KING'S PARADISE (p. 155) _Frontispiece._ FREDERICK TAKES LEAVE OF GELA 7 BARBAROSSA IN THE HOLY LAND 21 BARBAROSSA AND GELA IN THE KYFFHAeUSER 27 VRENELI IN KING LAURIN'S ROSE-GARDEN 32 KING LAURIN IN VRENELI'S COTTAGE 43 THE DWARF OF VENICE TAKES HIS DEPARTURE FOR HIS NATIVE LAND 54 HANS SEES KING LAURIN'S KINGDOM IN THE MAGIC MIRROR 63 HANS RECEIVES A HEARTY WELCOME FROM AN OLD FRIEND 92 HACO THROWS THE TREASURE OF THE NIBELUNGEN INTO THE RHINE 100 CHARLEMAGNE MEETS WITH KRIEMHILD 109 THE COUNTESS MATILDA RESTORES THE DWARF-QUEEN TO HEALTH 115 ECKBERT'S WILD RIDE ON KUNO'S HORSE 124 KUNO LISTENS TO THE WISE MAN'S TALK 134 HELGA AT HER MOTHER'S FEET 142 "IN HELGA'S HEART MEMORY CEASED TO THRILL" 155 THE OLD MAN BESIDE THE CORPSE OF ANTONIO 172 ANTONIO IN THE CRYSTAL CASTLE 178 ANTONIO LAYS THE DEAD MAIDEN IN HER LAST RESTING-PLACE 189 FIRST ACQUAINTANCE WITH PUCK 201 "GERO CAUGHT PUCK SUDDENLY AND SET HIM BEFORE HIM ON HIS SADDLE" 212 THE STORM HURLS THE BELL INTO THE STREAM 223