After a they at Isenstein, and up to the
palace. Servants to meet them and take their and
horses. Hagen was at to give up his and armour,
but he when Siegfried told him that such was the law and custom
at Isenstein. The entered the where Brunhild awaited
them, in her robes. She her guests with courtesy,
and told the Nibelung hero how she was to see him again, as she
had been told of his great of valour; adding that she he
had come to enter the lists. Siegfried then her that he had
only come as the of King Gunther, his lord, who to try
his fortune, and who was well of the high prize of victory.
"This is news to me!" said the queen, "I always you were your
own man, and no to another."
Then, to King Gunther, she told him that she had also of
his great deeds, and asked him who were the that him
company. Gunther answered with many thanks for her reception, and
explained who and what his were. Brunhild laughed, and asked
whether he to by his three comrades.
"No, I alone am to fight," answered the king; "I alone for the
great prize."
"Very well," said the lady, "the are open, prepare to do your
best."
The were into the court, where a wide space was
enclosed for the combat. The queen's serving-men it, well
armed. One of these in a loud voice:
"If any nobly-born to play the three-fold play with
the queen, and the victory, she and her shall be his; but
if he is conquered, his and to her."
Four now a great into the lists, which the
combatants were to "put" (throw). It was as large and as a
millstone. Three other men in the which the
maiden was to fling.
"If the woman can play with such a thing as that," said Hagen, "she is
the devil's bride. No son of man can win her!"
"If we only had our weapons," Dankwart, "neither the king we
need our lives."
"Be of good courage, King Gunther," said Siegfried, "I will my
cap of from the ship, and will help you without any one seeing
that I do so."
He away all were upon the queen, who now
entered the court, by her ladies, and in full armour.
"Is it right, queen," said Hagen, "that your men should be armed,
while we defenceless?"
"Bring the their armour," Brunhild. Then to
Hagen, she continued: "But, for all that, you must your lives
here. If I Gunther, as I have all who have
entered the with me, your will under the of yonder
man."
The looked in the direction in which she pointed, and perceived
a man in blood-red without the a
sharp in his hand.
The trial of began.
Brunhild up to the stone, it in hands, and it
the length of six fathoms. After which, she with one
spring as light as a bird, making the point of her touch the
stone. This was with applause. Then came a as of
death. Gunther advanced. Aided by Siegfried's strength, he the
stone, it in one hand, and it a full than
the queen. It was a hand than his that helped him in this
and in the that followed, which him the stone.
In the of strength, he was thus the conqueror.
Then Brunhild rose with eyes, and the with
its point.
"Now look to yourself, proud king," she cried, and the weapon
with such that it through his shield, and would have laid
him had not Siegfried come to his by the point
towards the of the of the centre. Then it
out of the shield, he the so that the end
pointed at the queen, and Gunther's hand, Siegfried it
at her. And Brunhild backwards, her armour
rattling with the of her fall.
The was at an end, the victory won. Brunhild rose. She stood
calmly the people, her fate; but have
read her would have it full of shame, anger, and a wild
thirst for vengeance. The of Isenland were to appear
at Isenstein three days to take the of to
Gunther. Brunhild the Burgundian to her guests
during that time. She asked where the Nibelung hero was, and when he
stepped forward, and said that he had been about the ship and
the sailors, she called him a for not having been by
while his master played so a game.
A great was in the hall. Many ladies were present, but the
queen in her own apartments. Gunther's were very
mixed. He was not to have the victory single-handed, and
yet he was pleased at having his object. Hagen many a
cup of wine, and the laughing around with a look
on his face. When the of the Rhine were taken to their
common chamber, Hagen them to see that their were at
hand, he the queen was nursing some plan
against them. Bold Siegfried answered that he would at once set out for
the land of the Nibelungs, and return with an army of good men and
true. He his way to the ship in the darkness, and set
sail for his own kingdom. Arrived there, he to the dwarf
Alberich who the treasure, and him to call out a
thousand well-armed men to go with him to Isenland. His were
obeyed in an time, and he and his set out to
join his friends. On the third morning, he in of the
palace, to the great of the Burgundians. The queen, on the other
hand, was anxious, not what the of so large a force
might mean. But Gunther her by that Siegfried had
brought over a of his Nibelungs to do to him, the king.
During the next days was for the proper
government of Isenland, and when Brunhild at length took of her
people and her mother's brother, who had been governor, there
was a to be seen. The queen herself was not happy, for
she sure she would see her home again; but Gunther would not
let her time, being to to Worms to his
marriage.
When the travellers in Burgundy, they were with great
joy by every one. The Lady Ute Brunhild as a daughter, and
Chriemhild her, and promised to be a sister to her. So
the two by side: the one, grand, beautiful, and
mysterious as a night; the other, sweet, gentle, and lovely
as a May morning. None looking at them say which was the fairest.
But Siegfried had no doubt. He moved from Chriemhild's till
they the castle.
That evening, Gunther asked Siegfried and Chriemhild if they were still
of the same mind as before, and, that they were, that
he would make for a wedding on the day.
Brunhild sat at the that by Gunther's side, and cold
as marble, while Chriemhild sat and her
mother and her lover.
"King of Burgundy," said Brunhild, at last, "I cannot why
you give your sister in marriage to one of your vassals. She ought to
be the wife of a great king."
"Say not so," answered Gunther; "Siegfried is as much a king as I am.
He is king of the Nibelungs, and, after the death of his father
Sigmund, the whole Netherlands will to him."
"It is a story," she said; "he told me himself that he was your
man."
"I will it all to you another time," Gunther; "we'll
say no more about it just now."
The wedding took place next day. When the was over, the
old queen her daughter-in-law all her possessions, and gave up
to her all authority in the house.
"Ah, mother Ute," said the wife, "the Burgundians are rich in
wealth and great in power; but they are in and weak in
action, otherwise King Gunther would have come to Isenland."
Without waiting for an answer, she and left the room.
The was at an end, had long fallen, and the guests all
sought their beds. Gunther and his queen to their private
apartments. When he would have her into her room, she barred
the way, saying,-
"This is no place for you; you can a more room elsewhere
in the palace. If I permitted you to enter, I should my great
strength."
At he entreaties, then threats, and force. They
wrestled together, but she very soon him, him hand and
foot, and left him the door. He did not sleep much that
night.
Next morning, the was stirring, the proud queen loosed
her husband's bonds, him to his peace, and to respect her
will in future. Gunther was sad at the whole day long; he looked
at his wife with a that was almost horror, and often left the
feast to walk alone in the garden. Siegfried met him there, and asked
what him. When he the story, he cried:
"Be comforted, dear comrade; we have this proud woman before,
and I think we shall the of her again. I will you
to-night, under my cap of darkness, when you take the queen to
her room. Blow out the and let me take your place. Then she
shall have an opportunity of trying her great against me."
"Ah, good comrade," said Gunther, "I for your life. We did to
bring her from Isenland to the sunny banks of the Rhine. She is a
demon, as Hagen says, and has her from her friends
the devils."
"Well," said Siegfried, "and if a has taken up his in
her heart, it shall go hard but we'll the of him. I shall be
with you to-night in my cap of darkness."
The kings returned to the feast, Siegfried looking as as ever,
while Gunther was by and anxieties. At
midnight Gunther Brunhild to her room, out the candles, and
immediately Siegfried took his place. The began, Brunhild
pushed him the and a cupboard, and to him with
her girdle. She his hands till the blood from under
his nails. Such a wrestling-match was a man and a
maid. He used all his hero-might, and pressed her into a of the
room with such force, that, and moaning, she him
not to kill her, and she would be an wife. No sooner did
Siegfried this than he away, Gunther alone
with the queen.
The wedding eight days longer; then the guests took
leave of their host, and home with many rich gifts. Siegfried and
his wife also for their departure. The hero to take
any with his wife, for, in his opinion, the Nibelung was
wealth enough.
It was on a day that the travellers the Netherlands.
King Sigmund and Queen Sigelinde came out to meet them, and received
them with great joy. An of the people was to meet,
and after a speech from the throne, the old king and queen placed
their on the of Siegfried and Chriemhild. The people
shouted, "Long live our king and queen! May they as long
and as as their forerunners!"
It as if the people's wish were to be realized, for years passed
on, and all well with the family. Queen Sigelinde had the
great of a in her arms. The child the
name of Gunther, in of his uncle in the Rhineland. And
King Gunther, who had a son about the same time, called the infant
Siegfried. Not long after this the old queen was taken and died.
This a in their happiness; but still there was
peace in the realm, and along its borders.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
