frightened out of his wits, but ventures to remark that it would
be better still if the helmet could transform its owner into some
tiny creature that could hide and spy in the smallest cranny.
Alberic promptly transforms himself into a toad. In an instant
Wotan's foot is on him; Loki tears away the helmet; they pinion
him, and drag him away a prisoner up through the earth to the
meadow by the castle.

Fourth Scene

There, to pay for his freedom, he has to summon his slaves from
the depths to place all the treasure they have heaped up for him
at the feet of Wotan. Then he demands his liberty; but Wotan must
have the ring as well. And here the dwarf, like the giant before
him, feels the very foundations of the world shake beneath him at
the discovery of his own base cupidity in a higher power. That
evil should, in its loveless desperation, create malign powers
which Godhead could not create, seems but natural justice to him.
But that Godhead should steal those malign powers from evil, and
wield them itself, is a monstrous perversion; and his appeal to
Wotan to forego it is almost terrible in its conviction of wrong.
It is of no avail. Wotan falls back again on virtuous
indignation. He reminds Alberic that he stole the gold from the
Rhine maidens, and takes the attitude of the just judge
compelling a restitution of stolen goods. Alberic knowing
perfectly well that the judge is taking the goods to put them m
his own pocket, has the ring torn from his finger, and is once
more as poor as he was when he came slipping and stumbling among
the slimy rocks in the bed of the Rhine.