t crying and mourning.

With loud wail the people followed after. None was joyful, neither woman
nor man. They sang and read or they buried him. Ah, what good priests
were at his funeral!

Or Siegfried's wife came to the grave, her faithful body was wrung with
such grief that they ceased not from sprinkling her with water. None
could measure her sorrow.

It was a wonder that she lived. Her weeping women helped her. Then said
the queen, "Ye men of Siegfried, as ye love me, do me this grace. Give
me, in my sorrow, this little joy: to see his dear head once more." She
begged this so long, and with such bitter weeping, that they brake open
the rich chest.

Then they bought the queen where he was. She lifted his lovely head with
her white hand, and kissed him. Her bright eyes, for grief, wept blood.
It was a pitiful parting.

Then they carried her thence, for she could not walk. And she lay in a
swoon, as her fair body would have perished for sorrow.

When the noble knight was buried, they that were come with him from the
land of the Nibelungs made measureless dole. Little joy was seen in
Siegmund. For three whole days some neither ate nor drank for woe.
Longer than that their bodies endured it not. And so they ate and got
well of their grief, as many a one doth still.

Kriemhild lay senseless in a swoon all that day and that night, till the
next morning; she knew nothing that they said. And in like case lay also
King Siegmund. Scarce got the knight his wits again, for his strength
was weakened by reason of his great dole. It was no wonder.

Then his men said, "Sir knight, let us home. We may not tarry longer
here."

Eighteenth Adventure

How Siegmund Returned Home

Kriemhild's father-in-law went to her and said, "Let us hoe to our land.
I ween we are unwelcome guests by the Rhine. Kriemhild, dear lady,
return to my country with me. That treason has bereft thee here of thy
dear husband shall not be avenged on thee. I will stand by thee truly,
for love of thy husband and his noble child. Thou shalt also have all
the power that Siegfried, the valiant knight, gave thee. The land and
the crown are thine, and all Siegfried's men shall serve thee gladly."

They told the squires they would away. There was hurrying for the
horses, for life was a burden to them among their stark foemen. Women
and maidens were bidden seek out their clothes.

But when King Siegmund would have set out, Kriemh