that his treasures were so well defended to be angry,
Siegfried now seized the little dwarf by his beard, and pulled it so
long and so hard that Alberich was forced to cry for mercy. Then
Siegfried bound him hand and foot as he had done the giant.

Alberich, poor little dwarf, gnashed his teeth with rage. Who would
guard the treasure now, and who would warn his master that a strong
man had found his way to Nibelheim?

But in the midst of his fears he heard the stranger's merry laugh.
Nay, it was no stranger, none but the hero Prince could laugh thus
merrily.

'I am Siegfried your master,' then said the Prince. 'I did but test
thy faithfulness, Alberich,' and laughing still, the hero undid the
cords with which he had bound the giant and the dwarf.

'Call me here quickly the Nibelung warriors,' cried Siegfried, 'for I
have need of them.' And soon thirty thousand warriors stood before him
in shining armour.

Choosing one thousand of the strongest and biggest, the Prince marched
with them down to the sea-shore. There they embarked in ships and
sailed away to Isenland.

Now it chanced that Queen Brunhild was walking on the terrace of her
sea-guarded castle with King Gunther when she saw a number of sails
approaching.

'Whose can these ships be?' she cried in quick alarm.

'These are my warriors who have followed me from Burgundy,' answered
the King, for thus had Siegfried bidden him speak.

'We will go to welcome the fleet,' said Brunhild, and together they
met the brave Nibelung army and lodged them in Isenland.

'Now will I give of my silver and my gold to my liegemen and to
Gunther's warriors,' said Queen Brunhild, and she held out the keys of
her treasury to Dankwart that he might do her will. But so lavishly
did the knight bestow her gold and her costly gems and her rich
raiment upon the warriors that the Queen grew angry.

'Nought shall I have left to take with me to Rhineland,' she cried
aloud in her vexation.

'In Burgundy,' answered Hagen, 'there is gold enough and to spare.
Thou wilt not need the treasures of Isenland.'

But these words did not content the Queen. She would certainly take at
least twenty coffers of gold as well as jewels and silks with her to
King Gunther's land.

At length, leaving Isenland to the care of her brother, Queen
Brunhild, with twenty hundred of her own warriors as a body-guard,
with eighty-six dames and one hundred maidens, set out for the royal
city of Worms.

For