them forth, she said, "For God's sake, if ye win at
them, slay none save the one man, false Hagen; let the others live."

Then spake the fiddler, "Friend Hagen, we must bear this matter through
together. I see armed folk before the house. I ween they come against
us."

"Hold thy peace," answered Hagen. "Let them come nigher. Or they are
ware of us, there will be helmets cloven by the swords in our two hands.
They shall be sent back to Kriemhild in sorry plight."

One of the Hunnish knights saw that the door was guarded, and said
hastily, "We cannot carry this thing through. I see the fiddler standing
guard. He hath on his head a shining helmet, bright and goodly, with no
dint therein, and stark thereto. The rings of his harness glow like
fire. Hagen standeth by him. The strangers are well watched."

They turned without more ado. When Folker saw this, he spake angrily to
his comrade, "Let me go out to these knights. I would ask Kriemhild's
men a question."

"Nay, as thou lovest me," said Hagen. "If thou wentest to them, thou
wouldst fall in such strait by their swords that I must help thee, though
all my kinsmen perished thereby. If both the twain of us fell to
fighting, two or three of them might easily spring into the house, and do
such hurt to the sleepers as we could never mourn enow."

But Folker said, "Let us tell them that we have seen them, that they deny
not their treachery." Then Folker called out to them, "Why go ye there
armed, valiant knights? Is it murder ye are after, ye men of Kriemhild?
Take me and my comrade to help you."

None answered him. Right wroth was he.

"Shame on you, cowards! Would ye have slain us sleeping? Seldom afore
hath so foul a deed been done on good knights."

The queen was heavy of her cheer when they told her that her messengers
had failed. She began to contrive it otherwise, for grim was her mood,
and by reason thereof many a good knight and bold soon perished.

Thirty-First Adventure

How the Burgundians Went to Church

"My harness is grown so cold," said Folker, "that I ween the night is far
spent. I feel, by the air, that it will soon be day."

Then they walked the knights that still slept.

The bright morning shone in on the warriors in the hall, and Hagen began
to ask them if they would go to the minster to hear mass. The bells were
ringing according to Christian custom.

The folk sang out of tune: it was not mickle wonder, when Christ