may now command. The good Knight Rudeger hath
served you to his end. And ye will not believe the tale, we'll let you
see."

To their great grief 'twas done; they bare the slain hero to where the
king might see him. Never had there happed to Etzel's men a grief so
great. When they saw the margrave borne forth dead, no scribe might
write or tell the frantic grief of men and women, which there gan show
itself from dole of heart. King Etzel's sorrow waxed so great that the
mighty king did voice his woe of heart, as with a lion's roar. Likewise
did his queen. Beyond all measure they bewailed the good Knight
Rudeger's death.

ENDNOTES:
(1) "Parlous", older English for 'perilous'.
(2) "Fey", 'doomed to death', here in the sense of 'already
slain'. See Adventure V, note 2.
(3) "Strangers", i.e., those who are sojourning there far from
home.

ADVENTURE XXXVIII. How All Sir Dietrich's Warriors Were Slain.

On every side one heard a grief so great, that the palace and the towers
rang with the wailing. Then a liegeman of Dietrich heard it, too. How
quickly he gan haste him with the fearful tales! To the lording he
spake: "Hear, my lord, Sir Dietrich, however much I've lived to see till
now, yet heard I never such a monstrous wail, as now hath reached mine
ears. I ween, King Etzel himself hath come to grief. How else might all
be so distressed? One of the twain, the king or Kriemhild, hath sorely
been laid low by the brave strangers in their wrath. Full many a dapper
warrior weepeth passing sore."

Then spake the Knight of Borne: "My faithful men, now haste ye not
too fast. Whatever the homeless warriors may have done, they be now in
mickle need. Let it profit them, that I did offer them my peace."

At this brave Wolfhart spake: "I will hie me hence and ask for tidings
of what they have done, and will tell you then, my most dear lord, just
as I find it, what the wail may be."

Then spake Sir Dietrich: "Where one awaiteth wrath, and rude questions
then are put, this doth lightly sadden the lofty mood of warriors. In
truth, I will not, Wolfhart, that ye ask these questions of them."

Then he told Helfrich (1) to hasten thither speedily, and bade him find
from Etzel's men or from the guests themselves, what there had fortuned,
for men had never seen from folks so great a grief. The messenger gan
ask: "What hath here been done?"

At this one among them spake: "Whatever of joy we had in