."

Siegfried was amused at Gunther's earnestness, and he answered, "Do
not think of taking such a following. You would waste twelve months in
building and victualling such a fleet. You would take from Burgundy its
only safeguard against foes from without; and, after you should reach
Isenland, you would find such a large force to be altogether useless.
Take my advice: have one small vessel built and rigged and victualled
for the long and dangerous voyage; and, when the time shall come,
you and I, and your kinsmen Hagen and Dankwart,--we four only,--will
undertake the voyage and the emprise you have decided upon."

Gunther knew that his friend's judgment in this matter was better than
his own, and he agreed readily to all of Siegfried's plans.

* * * * *

When, at length, the winter months began to wane, many hands were busy
making ready for the voyage. The peerless Kriemhild called together
thirty of her maidens, the most skilful seamstresses in Burgundyland,
and began the making of rich clothing for her brother and his
friends.[EN#24] With her own fair hands she cut out garments from the
rarest stuffs,--from the silky skins brought from the sunny lands of
Lybia; from the rich cloth of Zazemang, green as clover; from the silk
that traders bring from Araby, white as the drifted snow. For seven
weeks the clever maidens and their gentle mistress plied their busy
needles, and twelve suits of wondrous beauty they made for each of
the four heroes. And the princely garments were covered with fine
needle-work, and with curious devices all studded with rare and costly
jewels; and all were wrought with threads of gold.

Many carpenters and ship-builders were busy with axes and hammers, and
flaming forges, working day and night to make ready a vessel new and
stanch, to carry the adventurers over the sea. And great stores of
food, and of all things needful to their safety or comfort, were brought
together and put on board.

Neither were the heroes themselves idle; for when not busy in giving
directions to the workmen, or in overseeing the preparations that were
elsewhere going on, they spent the time in polishing their armor (now
long unused), in looking after their weapons, or in providing for the
management of their business while away. And Siegfried forgot not his
trusty sword Balmung, nor his cloak of darkness the priceless Tarnkappe,
which he had captured from the dwarf Alberich in the Nibelungen Land.

Then the twelve