As of old, the hero laughed aloud.

'Should Hagen deny what I shall ask in courtesy, he shall learn that strong is my right hand!' cried the Prince. 'His country and his kings I will surely wrest from him if he treat me with disdain.'

'Speak not thus foolishly,' said King Siegmund. 'Should thy wild words be carried to Hagen's ears, thou wouldst never be allowed to cross the borders of his country. If go thou must to Burgundy, take with thee an armed force. See, I will summon my warriors to follow thee lest danger befall.'

'Nay, but an army will I not take with me, lest Gunther dream I have come to invade his land. I, with eleven brave knights to follow me, will ride to Burgundy. Your help do I crave, good father. Give me, I pray thee, eleven stalwart warriors.'

Then Siegmund called for eleven of his bravest knights, and bade them prepare to follow their Prince.

Meanwhile Queen Sieglinde had been weeping bitterly for fear lest her dear son should fall into danger in King Gunther's country.

But Siegfried stole to her side, and taking her frail, white hands in his strong ones, he said tenderly, 'Lady mother, I pray thee weep not, neither fear for me.' Then, knowing well what would please the Queen best, he pleaded with her to aid him in his adventure.

'Provide me and my eleven knights with beautiful garments,' thus he coaxed his lady mother, 'that we may go to Burgundy clad as proud heroes should.'

Swiftly the Queen dried her tears. 'If go thou must, dear son,' she said, 'thou shalt go clothed in the best apparel ever warrior wore, thou and also thy brave comrades.'

Thus day by day, while the eleven warriors polished their armour until it shone as the noontide sun, Sieglinde and her maidens sat st.i.tching, st.i.tching. Gladly they st.i.tched, nor ever did their fingers loiter at their seams until Prince Siegfried's garments were complete.

At length all was ready and Siegfried and his eleven brave warriors took farewell of their native land. Gently the bold hero kissed his lady mother as once again her sad tears fell. 'Fear not, dear mother,'

he said, 'fear not; ere long I will return and bring with me the beauteous maiden Kriemhild.' Yet the Queen and her maidens wept, and over the little band of knights a sudden gloom fell, they knew not why.

But ere long as they journeyed along, gay thoughts cheered the warriors, laughter and merry jests filled the air, for were they not going forward to fame and fair adventure.

For six days Siegfried and his knights journeyed, and on the seventh they reached the sandbank by the Rhine which led them into Worms.

Boldly, and clad in their most costly garments, the Prince and his companions entered the royal city.

CHAPTER VI

SIEGFRIED'S WELCOME TO WORMS

[Ill.u.s.tration: The heroes entered the streets of Worms]

As the heroes entered the streets of Worms the people came out of their houses all agape with wonder. Who could the bold strangers be?

See how their horses' trappings shone as burnished gold and how their white armour glittered in the sunlight.

Then down from the castle rode Gunther's warriors to welcome the strangers. Right courteously did they greet Siegfried and his eleven brave knights. As the custom was, they sent their minions to lead away the strangers' chargers to the stalls, and to bear their shields to a place of safety.

But Siegfried cried gaily, 'Nay, from our steeds and our armour will we not part, for ere long I and my gallant warriors will ride away again to our own country. I pray thee now tell me where I shall find thy King, for to speak with him came I thither.'

'King Gunther,' cried his warriors, 'is even now seated in yonder hall, and around him are gathered many gallant heroes, many brave knights.'

Now in the hall tidings had reached King Gunther of the band of strangers who had so boldly entered into the royal city.

When he heard of their gorgeous raiment and their shining armour, much did he desire to know from whence they came.

Then one of his lords said to the King, 'We know not who these strangers be, yet if thou wilt send for Hagen, it may be he can tell thee. For to Hagen strange lands are well known, as also the kings and princes who dwell therein.'

Therefore Hagen was summoned in all haste to the presence of King Gunther.

'Tell me now,' said the King, as his counsellor bowed low before him, 'tell me, if in truth thou knowest, who be these strangers that ride so boldly towards the castle?'

Strong and stern Hagen stood up before the King. No winsome hero was this man, but a warrior fierce and grim, with eyes to pierce all on whom he gazed, so keen, so quick they were.

'The truth, sire, will I tell to thee,' answered Hagen, and he walked over to the castle window, flung it wide and cast his searching glance on Siegfried and his n.o.ble knights, who were now drawing near to the castle.

Well was the grim counsellor pleased with the splendour of these strangers with their shining helmets, their dazzling white armour, their n.o.ble chargers, yet from whence they came he could not tell.

Hagen turned from the window to where the King stood awaiting his answer.

'Whence come these knights I know not,' he said. 'Yet so n.o.ble is their bearing that they must needs be princes or amba.s.sadors from some great monarch. One knight, the fairest and the boldest, is, methinks, the wondrous hero Siegfried, though never have I seen that mighty Prince.'

Then, his fierce eyes gleaming, Hagen told the King of the great treasure Siegfried had won from the Nibelungs. His eyes gleamed with a greed he could not hide as he told King Gunther of the gold that had been strewed upon the mountain-side, of the jewels that had sparkled there, for Hagen was envious of the riches of the great hero.

He told the King, too, how Siegfried had seized the good sword Balmung, and with it had killed the two little princely dwarfs, their twelve giants and seven hundred great champions of the neighbouring country. Of Alberich, too, Hagen told his master, of Alberich from whom Siegfried had taken the Cloak of Darkness and the Magic Wand, and who now guarded the h.o.a.rd for the mighty hero alone.

Never was such a warrior as Siegfried, thought King Gunther, who was himself neither strong nor brave.

But yet more had Hagen to tell, even how Siegfried had slain a great dragon and bathed in its blood until his skin grew tough and h.o.r.n.y, so that no sword-thrust could do him any hurt.

But of the linden leaf and of the tiny spot between the hero's shoulders where he could be smitten as easily as any other knight, of these things Hagen, knowing nothing, did not speak.

'Let us hasten to receive this young Prince,' said the counsellor, 'as befits his fame. Let us hasten to gain his good-will lest our country suffer from his prowess.'

The King was well pleased with the counsel of his uncle Hagen, for as he gazed at the young hero from the castle window King Gunther loved him for his strength of limb, for his fair young face, and would fain welcome him to the land of Burgundy.

'If in truth the knight be Siegfried,' said the King, 'right glad am I. More bold and peerless a prince have I never seen.'

'Siegfried, if so he be, is the son of a wealthy king,' said Hagen.

'Well pleased would I be to know for what purpose he and his knights have journeyed to our land.'

'Let us go down and welcome the strangers,' said Gunther. 'If their errand be peaceful they shall tarry at our court and see how merry the knights of Burgundy can be.'

With Hagen by his side and followed by his courtiers, Gunther then walked toward the gates of the castle, which he reached as Siegfried and his knights rode through them.

Graciously then did the King welcome the n.o.ble knight, and Siegfried, bowing low, thanked him for his kindly greeting.

'I beseech thee, n.o.ble knight,' said the King, 'tell me why thou hast journeyed to this our royal city, for thy purpose is yet unknown.'

Now Siegfried was not ready to speak of the fair Princess of whom he had heard in his own country, so he answered the King thus:

'Tidings reached me in my fatherland of the splendour of thy court, O King. Never monarch was more bold, more brave than thou, never ruler had more valiant warriors. Such tales were told to me by the people of my land and I have come to see if they be true. I also, King Gunther, am a warrior, and I, too, shall one day wear a crown, for I am Siegfried, Prince of the Netherlands. Nor shall I be content until I have done great deeds to make the whole world marvel. For then in truth will people cry aloud that I am worthy to reign.'

At that moment Siegfried caught sight of Hagen's grim, stern face, and something he saw in it provoked the gay prince to say right hardily, 'Therefore to do great deeds have I come to Worms, even to wrest from thee, King Gunther, thy broad realm of Burgundy and likewise all thy castles. They shall be mine ere many suns have set.'