his knights
made with us. With such good will he did the king's bidding, that he and
his men all lie dead. Look round thee for another, Kriemhild, to obey
thee. Rudeger served thee till his death. If thou doubtest, thou mayest
see for thyself."

To her grief they did it. They brought the mangled hero where Etzel saw
him. Never were Etzel's knights so doleful. When the dead Margrave was
held up before them, none could write or tell all the bitter wailing
whereby women and men alike uttered their heart's dole. Etzel's woe was
so great that the sound of his lamentation was as a lion's roar. Loud
wept his wife. They mourned good Rudeger bitterly.

Thirty-Eighth Adventure

How Dietrich's Knights Were All Slain

So loud they wept on all sides, that palace and towers echoed with the
sound. One of Dietrich's men of Bern heard it, and hasted with the news.

He said to the prince, "Hearken, Sir Dietrich. Never in my life heard I
such wail as this. Methinketh the king himself hath joined the
hightide. How else should all the folk make such dole. Either the king
or Kriemhild--one of them at the least--have the guests killed through
hate. The valiant warriors weep bitterly."

The prince of Bern answered, "Judge not so hastily, my good men. What
the stranger knights have done, sore peril hath constrained them to. Let
it boot them now that I sware peace to them."

But bold Wolfhart said, "I will go and ask what they have done, and will
tell thee, dear master, when I know the truth."

Sir Dietrich answered, "When a knight is wroth, if one question him
roughly, his anger is soon kindled. I would not have thee meddle
therein, Wolfhart."

He bade Helfrich haste thither, and find out from Etzel's men, or from
the guests, what had happed, for he had never heard folk wail so loud.

The messenger asked, "What aileth you all?"

One among them answered, "Joy is fled from the land of the Huns. Rudeger
lieth slain by the men of Burgundy. Of them that entered in with him,
not one is left alive."

Helfrich was sore grieved. He had never told so sad a tale, and went
back weeping.

"What news?" cried Dietrich. "Why weepest thou so bitterly, Sir
Helfrich?"

The knight answered, "I may well mourn. The Burgundians have slain
Rudeger."

But the prince of Bern said, "God forbid! That were stark vengeance and
devil's sport. What had Rudeger done to deserve it? Well I know he was
their friend."

Wolfhart