The Story of Siegfried Page 14

  "I myself will be the steersman, for I know the way," he said.

  And the sails were unfurled to the brisk south wind, and the vessel spedswiftly toward the sea; and many fair eyes were filled tears as theywatched it until it could be seen no more. And with sighs and gloomyforebodings the good people went back to their homes, and but few hopedever again to see their king and his brave comrades.

  Driven by favorable winds, the trusty little vessel sailed gayly downthe Rhine, and, ere many days had passed, was out in the boundless sea.For a long time the heroes sailed and rowed through Old AEgir's waterykingdom. But they kept good cheer, and their hearts rose higher andhigher; for each day they drew nearer the end of their voyage and thegoal of their hopes. At length they came in sight of a far-reachingcoast and a lovely land; and not far from the shore they saw a noblefortress, with a number of tall towers pointing toward the sky.

  "What land is that?" asked the king.[EN#25]

  And Siegfried answered that it was Isenland, and that the fortress whichthey saw was the Castle of Isenstein and the green marble hall of thePrincess Brunhild. But he warned his friends to be very wary when theyshould arrive at the hall.

  "Let all tell this story," said he: "say that Gunther is the king, andthat I am his faithful vassal. The success of our undertaking depends onthis." And his three comrades promised to do as he advised.

  As the vessel neared the shore, the whole castle seemed to be alive.From every tower and turret-window, from every door and balcony,lords and ladies, fighting-men and serving-men, looked out to see whatstrangers these were who came thus unheralded to Isenland. The heroeswent on shore with their steeds, leaving the vessel moored to the bank;and then they rode slowly up the beach, and across the narrow plain, andcame to the drawbridge and the great gateway, where they paused.

  The matchless Brunhild in her chamber had been told of the coming of thestrangers; and she asked the maidens who stood around,--

  "Who, think you, are the unknown warriors who thus come boldly toIsenstein without asking leave? What is their bearing? Do they seem tobe worthy of our notice? or are they some straggling beggars who havelost their way?"

  And one of the maidens, looking through the casement, answered, "Thefirst is a king, I know, from his noble mien and the respect which hisfellows pay to him. But the second bears himself with a prouder grace,and seems the noblest of them all. He reminds me much of the brave youngSiegfried of former days. Indeed, it must be Siegfried; for he ridesa steed with sunbeam mane, which can be none other than Greyfell. Thethird is a dark and gloomy man: he wears a sullen frown upon his brow,and his eyes seem to shoot quick glances around. How nervously he graspshis sword-hilt, as if ever guarding against surprise! I think his tempermust be grim and fiery, and his heart a heart of flint. The fourthand last of the company is young and fair, and of gentle port. Littlebusiness has he with rude warriors; and many tears, methinks, would beshed for him at home should harm overtake him. Never before have Iseen so noble a company of strangers in Isenland. Their garments areof dazzling lustre; their saddles are covered with gem-stones; theirweapons are of unequalled brightness. Surely they are worthy of yournotice."

  When Brunhild heard that Siegfried was one of the company, she washighly pleased, and she hastened to make ready to meet them in the greathall. And she sent ten worthy lords to open the gate, and to welcome theheroes to Isenland.

  When Siegfried and his comrades passed through the great gateway, andcame into the castle-yard, their horses were led away to the stables,and the clanging armor and the broad shields and swords which theycarried were taken from them, and placed in the castle armory. Littleheed was paid to Hagen's surly complaint at thus having every means ofdefence taken away. He was told that such had always been the rule atIsenstein, and that he, like others, must submit.

  After a short delay the heroes were shown into the great hall, where thematchless Brunhild already was awaiting them. Clad in richest raiment,from every fold of which rare jewels gleamed, and wearing a coronet ofpearls and gold, the warrior-maiden sat on a throne of snow-white ivory.Five hundred earl-folk and warriors, the bravest in Isenland, stoodaround her with drawn swords, and fierce, determined looks. Surely menof mettle less heroic than that of the four knights from Rhineland wouldhave quaked with fear in such a presence.

  King Gunther and his comrades went forward to salute the queen. Witha winning smile she kindly greeted them, and then said to Siegfried,"Gladly do we welcome you back to our land, friend Siegfried, We haveever remembered you as our best friend. May we ask what is your will,and who are these warriors whom you have with you?"

  "Most noble queen," answered he, "right thankful am I that you havenot forgotten me, and that you should deign to notice me while in thepresence of this my liege lord," and he pointed towards King Gunther."The king of all Burgundy-land, whose humble vassal I am, has heard thechallenge you have sent into different lands, and he has come to matchhis strength with yours."

  "Does he know the conditions?" asked Brunhild.

  "He does," was the answer. "In case of success, the fairest of women forhis queen: in case of failure, death."

  "Yet scores of worthy men have made trial, and all have failed," saidshe. "I warn your liege lord to pause, and weigh well the chances ere heruns so great a risk."

  Then Gunther stepped forward and spoke:--

  "The chances, fairest queen, have all been weighed, and nothing canchange our mind. Make your own terms, arrange every thing as pleasesyou best. We accept your challenge, and ask to make a trial of ourstrength."

  The warrior-maiden, without more words, bade her servants help her tomake ready at once for the contest. She donned a rich war-coat, broughtlong ago from the far-off Lybian shores,--an armor which, it was said,no sword could dint, and upon which the heaviest stroke of spear fellharmless. Her hemlet was edged with golden lace, and sparkled all overwith rich gem-stones. Her lance, of wondrous length, a heavy weight forthree stout men, was brought. Her shield was as broad and as bright asthe sun, and three spans thick with steel and gold.

  While the princess was thus arming herself, the heroes looked on withamazement and fear. But Siegfried, unnoticed, hastened quietly out ofthe hall, and through the open castle-gate, and sped like the wind tothe seashore and to their little ship. There he arrayed himself in theTarnkappe, and then, silent and unseen, he ran back to his friends inthe great hall.

  "Be of good cheer," he whispered in the ears of the trembling Gunther.

  But the king could not see who it was that spoke to him, so well wasthe hero hidden in the cloak of darkness. Yet he knew that it must beSiegfried and he felt greatly encouraged.

  Hagen's frowning face grew darker, and the uneasy glances which shotfrom beneath his shaggy eyebrows were not those of fear, but of angerand deep anxiety. Dankwart gave up all as lost, and loudly bewailedtheir folly.

  "Must we, unarmed, stand still and see our liege lord slain for awoman's whim?" he cried. "Had we only our good swords, we might defythis maiden-queen and all her Isenland."

  Brunhild overheard his words. Scornfully she called to her servants,"Bring to these boasters their armor, and let them have their keen-edgedswords. Brunhild has no fear of such men, whether they be armed orunarmed."

  When Hagen and Dankwart felt their limbs again enclosed in steel, andwhen they held their trusty swords in hand, their uneasiness vanished,and hope returned.

  In the castle-yard a space was cleared, and Brunhild's five hundredwarriors stood around as umpires. The unseen Siegfried kept close byGunther's side.

  "Fear not," he said. "Do my bidding, and you are safe. Let me take yourshield. When the time comes, make you the movements, and trust me to dothe work."

  Then Brunhild threw her spear at Gunther's shield. The mighty weaponsped through the air with the swiftness of lightning; and, when itstruck the shield, both Gunther and the unseen Siegfried fell to theground, borne down by its weight and the force with which it was thrown.Blood gushed from the nostrils of both; and
sad would have been theirfate if the friendly Tarnkappe had not hidden Siegfried from sight, andgiven him the strength of twelve giants. Quickly they rose. And Guntherseemed to pick up the heavy shaft, but it was really Siegfried whoraised it from the ground. For one moment he poised the great beam inthe air, and then, turning the blunt end foremost, he sent it flyingback more swiftly than it had come. It struck the huge shield whichBrunhild held before her, with a sound that echoed to the farthestcliffs of Isenland. The warrior-maiden was dashed to the earth; but,rising at once, she cried,--

  "That was a noble blow, Sir Gunther. I confess myself fairly outdone.But there are two chances yet, and you will do well if you equal me inthose. We will now try hurling the stone, and jumping."

  Twelve men came forward, carrying a huge rough stone in weight a ton ormore. And Brunhild raised this mass of rock in her white arms, and heldit high above her head; then she swung it backwards once, and threw it adozen fathoms across the castle-yard. Scarcely had it reached the groundwhen the mighty maiden leaped after, and landed just beside it. And thethousand lookers-on shouted in admiration. But old Hagen bit his unshornlip, and cursed the day that had brought them to Isenland.

  Gunther and the unseen Siegfried, not at all disheartened, picked up theheavy stone, which was half buried in the ground, and, lifting it withseeming ease, threw it swiftly forward. Not twelve, but twenty, fathomsit flew; and Siegfried, snatching up Gunther in his arms, leaped after,and landed close to the castle-wall. And Brunhild believed that Guntheralone had done these great feats through his own strength and skill;and she at once acknowledged herself beaten in the games, and bade hervassals do homage to Gunther as their rightful liege lord.

  Alas that the noblest of men-folk should gave stooped to such deed ofbase deception! The punishment, although long delayed, came surely atlast; for not even the highest are exempt from obedience to Heaven'sbehests and the laws of right.

  When the contest was ended, the unseen Siegfried ran quickly back to thelittle ship, and hastily doffed the magic Tarnkappe. Then, in his ownform, he returned to the castle, and leisurely entered the castle-yard.When he met his pleased comrades and the vanquished maiden-queen, heasked in careless tones when the games would begin. All who heard hisquestion laughed; and Brunhild said,--

  "Surely, Sir Siegfried, the old sleep-thorn of Isenstein must havecaught you, and held you in your ship. The games are over, and Gunther,your liege lord, is the winner."

  At this news Siegfried seemed much delighted, as indeed he was. And allwent together to the great banquet-hall, where a rich feast was servedto our heroes and to the worthy earl-folk and warriors of Isenland.

  Adventure XV. In Nibelungen Land Again.

  When the folk of Isenland learned that their queen had been outwittedand won by a strange chief from a far-off and unknown land, great wastheir sorrow and dismay; for they loved the fair maiden-queen, and theyfeared to exchange her mild reign for that of an untried foreigner. Norwas the queen herself at all pleased with the issue of the late contest.She felt no wish to leave her loved people, and her pleasant home, andthe fair island which was her kingdom, to take up her abode in a strangeland, as the queen of one for whom she could feel no respect. And everyone wondered how it was that a man like Gunther, so commonplace, and sofeeble in his every look and act, could have done such deeds, and wonthe wary warrior-maiden.

  "If it had only been Siegfried!" whispered the maidens among themselves.

  "If it had only been Siegfried!" murmured the knights and thefighting-men.

  "If it had only been Siegfried!" thought the queen, away down in themost secret corner of her heart. And she shut herself up in her room,and gave wild vent to her feelings of grief and disappointment.

  Then heralds mounted the swiftest horses, and hurried to every villageand farm, and to every high-towered castle, in the land. And theycarried word to all of Brunhild's kinsmen and liegemen, bidding them tocome without delay to Isenstein. And every man arose as with one accord,and hastened to obey the call of their queen. And the whole land wasfilled with the notes of busy preparation for war. And day by day to thecastle the warriors came and went, and the sound of echoing horse-hoofs,and the rattling of ready swords, and the ringing of the war-shields,were heard on every hand.

  "What means this treason?" cried Gunther in dismay. "The coywarrior-maiden would fain break her plighted word; and we, here in ourweakness, shall perish from her wrath."

  And even old Hagen, who had never felt a fear when meeting a host inopen battle, was troubled at the thought of the mischief which wasbrewing.

  "'Tis true, too true," he said, and the dark frown deepened on his face,"that we have done a foolish thing. For we four men have come to thischeerless land upon a hopeless errand; and, if we await the gathering ofthe storm, our ruin will be wrought." And he grasped his sword-hilt withsuch force, that his knuckles grew white as he paced fiercely up anddown the hall.

  Dankwart, too, bewailed the fate that had driven them into this net,from which he saw no way of escape. And both the warriors besought KingGunther to take ship at once, and to sail for Rhineland before it wastoo late. But Siegfried said,--

  "What account will you give to the folk at home, if you thus go backbeaten, outwitted, and ashamed? Brave warriors, indeed! we should becalled. Wait a few days, and trust all to me. When Brunhild's warriorsshall be outnumbered by our own, she will no longer hesitate, and ourreturn to Rhineland shall be a triumphant one; for we shall carry theglorious warrior-queen home with us."

  "Yes," answered Hagen, mocking, "we will wait until her warriors areoutnumbered by our own. But how long shall that be? Will the lightningcarry the word to Burgundy? and will the storm-clouds bring our bravemen from across the sea? Had you allowed King Gunther's plans to befollowed, they would have been here with us now, and we might havequelled this treason at the first."

  And Dankwart said, "By this time the fields of the South-land are greenwith young corn, and the meadows are full of sweet-smelling flowers, andthe summer comes on apace. Why should we stay longer in this chilly andfog-ridden land, waiting upon the whims of a fickle maiden,--as fickleas the winds themselves? Better face the smiles and the jeers of thefolk at home than suffer shameful shipwreck in this cold Isenland."

  But Siegfried would not be moved by the weak and wavering words of hisonce valiant comrades.

  "Trust me," he said, "and all will yet be well. Wait here but a few dayslonger in quietness, while I go aboard ship, and fare away. Within threedays I will bring to Isenstein a host of warriors such as you have neverseen. And then the fickle fancies of Brunhild will flee, and she will nolonger refuse to sail with us to the now sunny South-land."

  Hagen frowned still more deeply; and as he strode away he muttered,"He only wants to betray us, and leave us to die in this trap which hehimself has doubtless set for us."

  But Gunther anxiously grasped the hand of Siegfried, and said, "Go! Itrust you, and believe in you. But be sure not to linger, for no oneknows what a day may bring forth in this uncertain and variable clime."

  Without saying a word in reply, Siegfried turned, and hastened down tothe shore. Without any loss of time he unmoored the little ship, andstepped aboard. Then he donned his Tarnkappe, spread the sails, andseized the helm; and the vessel, like a bird with woven wings,sped swiftly out of the bay, and Isenstein, with its wide hallsand glass-green towers, was soon lost to the sight of the invisiblehelmsman. For four and twenty hours did Siegfried guide the flyingvessel as it leaped from wave to wave, and sent the white foam dashingto left and right like flakes of snow. And late on the morrow he came toa rock-bound coast, where steep cliffs and white mountain-peaks rose up,as it were, straight out of the blue sea. Having found a safe andnarrow inlet, he moored his little bark; and, keeping the Tarnkappe wellwrapped around him, he stepped ashore. Briskly he walked along the roughshore, and through a dark mountain-pass, until he came to a place wellknown to him,--a place where, years before, he had seen a cavern'syawning mouth, and a great heap of shin
ing treasures, and two princesdying of hunger. But now, upon the selfsame spot there stood a frowningfortress, dark and gloomy and strong, which Siegfried himself had builtin after-years; and the iron gates were barred and bolted fast, and noliving being was anywhere to be seen.

  Loud and long did Siegfried, wrapped in his cloak of darkness, knock andcall outside. At last a grim old giant, who sat within, and kept watchand ward of the gate, cried out,--

  "Who knocks there?"

  Siegfried, angrily and in threatening tones, answered,--

  "Open the gate at once, lazy laggard, and ask no questions. A stranger,who has lost his way among the mountains, seeks shelter from the stormwhich is coming. Open the gate without delay, or I will break it downupon your dull head."

  Then the giant in hot anger seized a heavy iron beam, and flung the gatewide open, and leaped quickly out to throttle the insolent stranger.Warily he glanced around on every side; but Siegfried was clad in themagic Tarnkappe, and the giant could see no one. Amazed and ashamed, heturned to shut the gate, and to go again to his place; for he began tobelieve that a foolish dream had awakened and deceived him. Then theunseen Siegfried seized him from behind; and though he struggled hard,and fought with furious strength, our hero threw him upon the ground,and bound him with cords of sevenfold strength.

  The unwonted noise at the gate rang through the castle, and awakenedthe sleeping inmates. The dwarf Alberich, who kept the fortress againstSiegfried's return, and who watched the Nibelungen treasure, which wasstored in the hollow hill, arose, and donned his armor, and hurried tothe giant's help. A right stout dwarf was Alberich; and, as we have seenin a former adventure, he was as bold as stout. Armed in a war-coat ofsteel, he ran out to the gate, flourishing a seven-thonged whip, on eachthong of which a heavy golden ball was hung. Great was his amazementand his wrath when he saw the giant lying bound and helpless upon theground; and with sharp, eager eyes he peered warily around to see if,perchance, he might espy his hidden foe. But, when he could find noone, his anger grew hotter than before, and he swung his golden scourgefiercely about his head. Well was it for Siegfried then, that theTarnkappe hid him from sight; for the dwarf kept pounding about in airso sturdily and strong, that, even as it was, he split the hero's shieldfrom the centre to the rim. Then Siegfried rushed quickly upon thedoughty little fellow, and seized him by his long gray beard, and threwhim so roughly upon the ground, that Alberich shrieked with pain.