to death. Let her love now the Hunnish king. Siegfried cometh not
again, he hath long been buried."

"Let us not talk of Siegfried's wounds, but if Kriemhild still live,
scathe may hap again," so spake Sir Dietrich, the lord of Berne. "Hope
of the Nibelungs, guard thee well against this."

"Why should I guard me?" spake the high-born king. "Etzel sent us envoys
(why should I question more?) to say that we should ride to visit him,
hither to this land. My sister Kriemhild sent us many a message, too."

"Let me counsel you," quoth Hagen, "to beg Sir Dietrich and his good
knights to tell you the tidings further, and to let you know the Lady
Kriemhild's mood."

Then the three mighty kings, Gunther and Gernot and Sir Dietrich, too,
went and spake apart. "Pray tell us, good and noble knight of Berne,
what ye do know of the queen's mood?"

Answered the lord of Berne: "What more shall I tell you? Every morning I
hear King Etzel's wife wail and weep with piteous mind to the mighty God
of heaven over the stalwart Siegfried's death."

"That which we have heard," spake bold Folker, the fiddler, "cannot be
turned aside. We must ride to court and abide what may hap to us doughty
knights among the Huns."

The brave Burgundians now rode to court. In lordly wise they came after
the fashion of their land. Many a brave man among the Huns wondered what
manner of man Hagen of Troneg be. It was enough that men told tales,
that he had slain Kriemhild's husband the mightiest of all heroes. For
that cause alone much questioning about Hagen was heard at court. The
knight was fair of stature, that is full true; broad he was across the
breast; his hair was mixed with gray; his legs were long, and fierce his
glance; lordly gait he had.

Then one bade lodge the Burgundian men, but Gunther's fellowship was
placed apart. This the queen advised, who bare him much hate, and
therefore men later slew the footmen in their lodgings. Dankwart,
Hagen's brother, he was marshal. The king earnestly commended to him his
followers, that he purvey them well and give them enow to eat; The hero
of Burgundy bare them all good will. Kriemhild, the fair, went with her
maids-in-waiting to where, false of mood, she greeted the Nibelungs.
Giselher alone she kissed and took by the hand. That Hagen of Troneg
saw, and bound his helmet tighter. "After such a greeting," quoth Hagen,
"doughty knights may well bethink them. One giveth kings a greeting
different from thei