hen Gudrun heard that Sigurd had asked for her, she said to the Queen:
"Oh, my mother, your wisdom should have strengthened me to bear such
joy. How can I show him that he is so dear, so dear to me? But I shall
try not to show it, for he might deem that there was no sense in me but
sense to love him. So great a warrior would not care for such love. I
would be with him as a battle-maiden."

Sigurd and Gudrun were wed and all the kingdom that the Nibelungs ruled
over rejoiced. And Queen Grimhild thought that though the effect of the
potion she gave would wear away, his love for Gudrun would ever fill his
heart, and that no other memory would be able to find a place there.

[Illustration]

HOW BRYNHILD WAS WON FOR GUNNAR

Now that Sigurd had wed Gudrun he was one with the Nibelungs. The hoard
that was in Fafnir's cave he brought away and he left it in their
treasure house. He went into his fosterfather's kingdom again, and he
saw King Alv and Hiordis, his mother. But he had no memory now of the
House of Flame, nor of Brynhild, who waited there for him.

King Giuki died, and Gunnar, Sigurd's sworn brother, became King in his
stead. His mother would have him wed, but Gunnar told her he had seen no
maiden whom he would choose for his wife.

But when Sigurd and he were together Gunnar would speak of a maiden far
away, one whom he often thought on. And one day when Sigurd pressed him
to tell who this maiden was, he spoke of one whom the wisest of the
poets told of, a maiden in a Hall with a flame around it, a maiden named
Brynhild who was guarded by a ring of fire.

Sigurd laughed to think that his shrewd brother was beguiled by one whom
he had only heard of. But if he was beguiled by the tale of her, why
should he not come to her and wed her? So Sigurd said. Then Gunnar bent
to him and asked Sigurd would he aid him to win her? And Sigurd took
Gunnar's hand and swore that he would.

So they started off for Hindfell, Gunnar and Hoegni and Sigurd. They rode
on until they came in sight of the black walls with the mounting and
circling fire around them. No memory had Sigurd of the place. With the
flame of eagerness upon his stolid face Gunnar went forward to ride
through the ring of fire. He brought Goti, his horse, near the flame,
but the horse, for no urging, would go through it. Then Gunnar thought
that, mounted on Grani, Sigurd's horse, he could ride through the ring
of fire. He mounted Grani and came near to th