Some welcome guests at Worms. Margrave Rüdiger of Bechelaren,
surnamed "the Good," came with some of his to the Burgundian
court. Gunther, Gernot, and Hagen were old of his, and he
had often Giselher on his as a child. Now that he came
to the house of mourning, his gentle, had such an effect
on Chriemhild that she would sometimes her mother to the
hall, and to the Margrave with a smile, such as had not
been on her since her hero's death. But if Brunhild or Hagen
entered, she would go away at once. Days and passed on, and at
last Gunther said to his guest that he the Margrave had not
come for the of an old acquaintance, but had
something on his mind. Then Rüdiger answered:
"Well, King Gunther, I will tell you what me here. You know that
good Queen Helche, the of my lord King Etzel,
died some years ago, and that her sons were in by Wittich.
The king of the Huns has long sat in the wide of
Etzelburg, but he has now up his mind to again. He consulted
me on the subject, and I him to try and win the hand of the
noble Lady Chriemhild, your sister and the of Siegfried.
If you will give your to the match, I am to say that
she shall be queen of the Huns."
"She is no longer under my charge," was the answer; "she is queen of
the Nibelungs, and of the Netherlands, and I that she will not be
willing to again."
"I will take her the good news," said Giselher, "and mother Ute will
advise her to do as we wish."
The rose, and to the women's apartment.
He his sister as with her embroidery. He told her
that it was time she should give up so much for her dead
husband, and her that she was still young, and might yet be
happy. Then he told her what Rüdiger had related of Etzel's court, its
greatness and its glory, and told her of Etzel's wooing. But
Chriemhild answered with firmness, that she would not the
grave-mound in which all she loved was buried.
Then mother Ute spoke. "If you will be Etzel's queen, my child, you
will be the most powerful of women."
"Most powerful of women," the thoughtfully. "Look,
Giselher," she on, pointing to her embroidery, "you know that
hero is to represent?"
He his head, and she added, "It is Wali, the Avenger, of our
fathers said that he Baldur, and sent dark Höder to his own
place."
"These are old wives' that are now," answered
Giselher. "Let us speak of him in name good Rüdiger is come to
woo you."
"Yes-but what if it were to be fulfilled?" she said, "perhaps-Ask the
Margrave to come to me, that I may his myself."
Giselher left the room, and the Lady Ute out also, leaving
Chriemhild alone, as she requested.
"Siegfried," said the queen, "it is for your that I leave
your resting-place, from you have so often come to me, in waking
and in sleep, and pointed to your wounds-those gaping, bleeding
wounds, that will close until it is me to send Höder
down to dark Hella."
Rüdiger appeared, and in fashion the queen in his
master's name; but not till he had promised, in the name of the god
Irmin, that she should have men to her when she needed
them, did she to go to the land of the wild Huns, and to become
Etzel's wife.
The Burgundians all when Rüdiger told them the good news,-the
three especially, for now, they thought, their sister
would again be happy. But Hagen came to them, and said,-
"What are you of, that you thus call the on our
heads? Do not give your sister to the king of the Huns. Between the
widow of Siegfried and us, such alone can as that
between fire and water. Either must the one be quenched, or the other
fly off in steam. It is a action to supply one's enemy with a
sword to cut off one's head."
But the to to his warnings. Preparations now
went on for the to Etzelburg. Ambassadors were sent to
the Nibelungs and to the Netherlands to tell them of the queen's
contemplated marriage. They returned with a company of
warriors and servants. At length all was ready, the kings with
their sister as as the Danube, where they took of her, and
Margrave Rüdiger took their place as leader of the party. At
the borders of the land, King Etzel with a large the
queen's arrival. His up with when he saw the
pale, of the Lady Chriemhild. He told her that
she should have full power over his and his lands,-that, in
short, she should be his queen. She answered that she would be a
faithful and wife, but that her love was with
Siegfried. The king paid no attention to the last words. He sure
of her love through and affection. And so they on
together to Etzelburg. The marriage a fortnight, and
were in the way.
Chriemhild took little part in the rejoicings. She did all that she had
to do, of Siegfried the while. Now, the warriors
present, there was one who was for his strength, bold
Dietrich of Bern. His were away in the land of
the Amelungs, which his uncle Ermenrich had taken from him by and
force. He to return to his own people, and win the victory for
them; but Etzel would not give him the necessary help. Sometimes, as he
sat and sad in the great hall, while other men were laughing and
talking, the queen would go to him, and tell him of Hagen's deed.
He that she to him to vengeance, but he was
silent, for he neither would his against the
Burgundian who had been his in the olden
time.
Months and years passed on; a little boy was to the pair. He
was the image of his mother, and the name of Ortlieb. The king
and country in the birth of an to the throne. For
his son's sake, Etzel loved his wife more than he had done before,
and would have her anything she to ask; but she for
nothing; she grave, quiet, about her duties, but
sparing of her words. Even her little boy, as she him,
did not her happiness. She was to on him.
The that her husband's death had her would not heal.
The of vengeance, out of the abyss, to
whisper in her ears, "Blood for blood, for murder," and her ears
were open to its cry.
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