MARCH TO ETZEL.
Dietrich in with Etzel, king of the Huns, from the
time Rüdiger them together. When the hero came from
Burgundy, he had sent to the king, and promised to help him
if he was in any difficulty. It was not long he was of
this promise.
The Margrave, who was in all lands by the title of the good and
gentle, came to Bern one day as he had often come before, for he was a
welcome guest. On such occasions the would talk over their
past adventures, and tell of and deeds. Rüdiger
told other of his in Spain, and how he had at
last left that country, and taken service under King Etzel, who had
always been a true friend to him since the of their
acquaintance. He on to relate how King Etzel, powerful as
he then was, did not to speak of the and of
his early youth.
"Yes, truly," Master Hildebrand, "and I know as much of his
early as the great king himself. Once when Wilkinus was
ruler of the Wilkin-men--"
"Ha! my great-grandfather!" Wittich. "What have you to say of
him?"
"I only know," the master, "that he was a chief, and
that many kings were to him; others, King Hertnit.
After the death of Wilkinus, Hertnit against his son and heir,
Nordian, and the to him as his lord.
The king the of Zealand in fief, and declared
himself satisfied, although he had four sons, namely,
Asperian, Edgar, Awentrod, and terrible Widolf of the club, who was
always up, he did so much he
was in a rage. When great Hertnit died, he his amongst
his three sons. Osantrix (Oserich) the over the
Wilkin-men, Waldemar that over the Reussen, and Ylias of
the Greeks. The of the three Oda, of
Melias, king of the Huns. He her by and force, with the
help of Nordian's four sons. Oda's father and husband became
allies after the marriage, but they not the bold
Frisians, who often into the land of the Huns, and burnt,
destroyed, or they their hands on. For Melias was
old and weak, and the Wilkin-men so away that their help
always too late. The leader of these was the
mighty man of now as King Etzel, or Attila as he is
sometimes called. He was a son of the Frisian Osid, and after
his father's death had to allow his Ortnit to succeed to the
rule of Friesland, and himself go out into the wide world, with nothing
but his and a good sword. But Frisians are a and warlike
people. Many of them joined themselves to the hero, and
accompanied him in his into the land of the
Huns. When Melias died, the of the land elected their former
enemy, Etzel, to be their king, and thus the and
invader the and protector of the country he had once
laid waste."
"Yes," returned Rüdiger, "that is true, and there is more to
tell. King Etzel to Erka (Herche or Helche), the beautiful
daughter of Osantrix, of the Wilkin-men. I was sent as ambassador
to her father, and was well received; but when I told the king the
object of my mission, he wrathful, and said that he would never
give his to such a marriage, for Etzel was not the rightful
chief of the Huns; adding that the position was his by right of his
wife, the of Melias. He not when I him with
war; but me to go my way. Etzel the country with his
men; and when, after much fighting, a was at last to,
neither had much advantage.
"A year later, I with a number of men, and had a strong
castle for me in the Falster-wood. This done, I my face,
and otherwise by a long beard, again to visit Osantrix.
I told him I was a of the late King Melias, that I had
been ill-treated and of my lands by Etzel, and had therefore
taken with him. This me his confidence, and having
occasion to send his Erka a message, he me his
ambassador. I told the of Etzel's wooing, and how he to
share his power and with her. At she was very angry, but at
last to him.
"One moonlight night, I to the gates of the fortress
where she was up with her sister; the bars, and
carried off the princesses. We were pursued, but managed to the
castle in the where my men were me. I had time
to send a message to Etzel, when Osantrix came upon us with all his
host. He to our stronghold; but we managed to defend
ourselves till Etzel came with a great army, and the Wilkin-men
to withdraw. Ever since then, there has been a predatory
warfare the two nations, and Osantrix has now our
land with a large army. He is by Nordian's sons, who
are the terror of our people. Now, Dietrich, Etzel thinks that if
you will come and help him, he is sure of victory."
"Ah well! If my dear Wildeber will go with me," Wittich,
"I think that we two shall be able to with the giants."
Dietrich promised his help, and ordered all to be for
the campaign. The Bernese just in time, for the two
armies were opposite each other in array. The fight
began.
Dietrich and his men took up their position in the centre division. The
Amelung banner, by Herbrand, proudly above their heads,
and Wittich into the fray. He the
grim Widolf, who gave him a on the with his iron
club. The that the top of the was by the
terrible blow, and although Wieland's work did not break, the hero
himself from his horse, and on the ground. Over him
rushed the men-at-arms in the wild _mêlée_. Heime alone rein. He
stooped, and the Mimung out of Wittich's hand, for he held
him to be dead. When the wild was over and done, the Wilkin-men
retreated from the field, and the Huns them, where
they could. Hertnit, nephew of Osantrix, the battle-field too
late. He not prevent his uncle's defeat, but he Wittich, as
yet from his swoon, and took him prisoner.
The at Susat, and over their great deeds; but
Dietrich was sad at heart, for he had sixty of his men; and, worst
than all, his friend and comrade, Wittich, was among the missing. In
vain had they him on the battle-field. All what had
become of him. When the king of Bern, for his help by
Etzel, for his departure, Wildeber came to him, and asked
for of absence, he would not, not, go home without
Wittich. Dietrich gave his consent, for he not help the
foolish up his that Wittich might
be yet alive, and that his friend might him.
The next day, Wildeber out hunting, and a of unusual
size. He it, and with the skin to Isung, the minstrel, and
arranged with him a plan to free Wittich, should he be a in
the hands of Osantrix. Isung helped him to the skin over his
armour, and it up carefully; then him in the of a
dancing to the of the of the Wilkin-men.
Now players and merry-andrews, of every sort, were welcome
guests in all and cottages, so Isung and his were well
received.
Osantrix laughed at the of the in
dancing and to the of the fiddle, and Widolf, the
grim giant, who was about with a by his Awentrod,
laughed for the time in his life, making the shake with the
sound. Suddenly it to the king that it would the sport
to set his twelve boar-hounds on the bear, to see how it was.
Isung the king to the sport, alleging
that his was more to him than all the gold in the royal
treasury; but Osantrix was not to be persuaded. The great dogs were
loosed, and the sport began. To the of all, the
boar-hounds were either or to death by the bear.
Osantrix to his feet, and at the creature's
shoulder with his sword; but the under the
bear-skin saved the hero's life. Another moment, and the had
wrenched the from the king's hand, and his open. The
second did to death Widolf, the third his Awentrod.
Isung by his friend when the Wilkin-men to
avenge their king. The courtiers, however, soon took in deadly
fear of the player and his wild beast.
Wildeber now off the bear-skin, took the off one of the
giants, and armed, set out in search of Wittich. The heroes
searched the palace. They Wittich's good Skeming, and his
armour; but neither him the Mimung they discover.
At length they on him in a damp, dark dungeon, to a
wall, and so and thin as to be recognisable. Fresh
air, food, and soon a in his appearance. He put on his
armour, and sadly took another sword, saying that none be as good
as Mimung.
"Now let us begone," said Isung, "lest the Wilkin-men should come back."
So Wildeber and he helped themselves to from the stables,
and the three away.
"Of a truth," King Etzel, when he their story, "you are
bold men. You have done me good service, and have the to an
end unaided. The lord of Bern is than I, in that he has comrades
who their own to a brother-in-arms."
He the for days to their strength, and then
sent them home with rich gifts.
Dietrich was to see his again, and them
honour in many ways; but noticing that Wittich was silent, and
had no for or food, he asked him what him. And
Wittich answered that he for the of Mimung, his father's
best gift, and would go in search of it though he had to through
every land.
"I have a that you need not take so long a journey," the
king, "for I cannot help that the Heime is as like
Wieland's work as one of blood is like another."
The was by the of two in rich
armour, who had been sent by the Emperor Ermenrich, Dietrich's uncle,
to tell the hero that Yarl Rimstein, his in a great fief, had
revolted against his authority. Ermenrich, therefore, his
nephew's aid, and Dietrich promised to help the emperor.
MARCH AGAINST RIMSTEIN.
Before starting, Wittich said that he not go to Rimstein without
his sword, and Heime to give it up, that it was his by
right of war; but the king for the time by desiring
Heime to it to his the campaign.
The set out. The proved himself a than
had been expected, and after and months had passed, his
castle as as ever.
One moonlight night when Wittich was out alone, he met six warriors
whom he knew, by the device upon their shields, to to the enemy.
They fought, and Wittich their chief, his Mimung him
in two from the to the waist. The other five in terror, lest
a like should them. On the man, Wittich
found it was the himself that he had slain, so he returned to the
camp well pleased. Next he told Dietrich and his what
had chanced, and how the was now at an end.
"He is a warrior," said Heime sarcastically; "he has slain
a weak old man, who not himself a than a woman.
But now, I must have Mimung again, for I only it for this
enterprise."
"Let me try it on your head, false comrade," answered Wittich
indignantly. "You left your brother-in-arms to die in a land,
and were to him of his of as well.
You shall now pay the of your meanness."
Heime his Nagelring, and a was imminent; but Dietrich
thrust himself the angry men, and them on their
allegiance to keep the peace.
Ermenrich to of Wittich's deed, and that the was at
an end. He gave rich presents to Dietrich and his men, and asked the
royal hero to give Wittich of absence, that he might fair
Bolfriana, the emperor's ward, and the government of her rich
fief of Drachenfels (the "Trekanfil" of Norse legend). Dietrich was
pleased at his comrade's good fortune, and at parting, he merely
reminded him of his of fidelity, which the hero at once renewed.
Not long Wittich was married to Bolfriana, and was endowed
by the with the great of Drachenfels, which to
Fritilaburg (Friedburg?), and the mountains. So
Wittich a chief, as he had told his father that he would.
Heime also, when his father Studas died, to Ermenrich's to
take the of allegiance. He other lands from his imperial
master, and, what he liked still better, much red gold besides.
[Illustration: RANDWER GIVES SWANHILD A NOSEGAY.]
