Stories of the Nibelungen for Young People Part 5

"And pray, who invited you here, Sir Hagen? Who bid you to this feast?"

Hagen replied that he was a retainer of Gunther's, and that wherever Gunther went, he, too, must go; but her att.i.tude and greeting showed him plainly that she had not forgiven him for his treachery.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "AND, PRAY, WHO INVITED YOU HERE, SIR HAGEN?"]

Kriemhild greeted her brothers very cordially, and seemed rejoiced to see them, and for a few days all went well. Then came the banquet, in the midst of which in rushed Dankwart, Hagen's brother, with blood flowing from a dozen wounds, and told them that the Huns had fallen upon Gunther's men and slain them all.

And immediately everything was in the wildest confusion. Protected by Rudiger, Kriemhild and Etzel escaped from the banquet hall. Then ensued a fierce battle in which all of the Huns, with the exception of Dietrich, and all the Burgundians, except Gunther and Hagen, were slain. Finally Dietrich vanquished these two, and bound them hand and foot. Then he sought Kriemhild, and made her give her word of honor that he, and he alone, should be permitted to put them to death. After that he turned the prisoners over into her keeping. She ordered them to be confined in separate dungeons.

Then she visited Hagen and sought by every means in her power to discover what he had done with the Rhine gold. This he refused to tell, saying he had taken a solemn oath never to reveal its hiding-place so long as one of his lords remained alive. Then she said that she would spare Gunther's life if Hagen would tell her where the gold was secreted.

But Hagen would not tell his secret, even to save the life of his liege lord and kinsman. And so she ordered that both of them should be beheaded, according to the custom of these olden times. And thus at last was Siegfried's death avenged by the once gentle and beautiful queen.

And of all the men of Burgundy who had crossed the water to attend King Etzel's feast, but one remained to carry the sad news back to their native land; and that was the old chaplain of Gunther's court.

Everything had come to pa.s.s just as the swan-maiden had predicted. And back in Burgundy, Uota sorrowfully lived out her days with none in all that broad land to brew for her lips the cup of forgetfulness, such as she had given Siegfried. And so we must leave her alone with her sad memories.

[Ill.u.s.tration]