"In the moat the new-born babe meanwhile in silence lay,
Sleeping on the verdant grass, gently, all the day.
From the swathing and the bath the child had stinted weeping;
No one saw, or heard its voice, in the meadow sleeping."
_Heldenbuch_ (Weber's tr.).

When the faithful nurse, released at last, rushed out to find her charge,
who could creep about, she could discover no trace of him; and not daring
to confide the truth to Hildburg, she informed her that she had sent the
child out to nurse.

A few days later, Berchther of Meran arrived at Thessalonica, saying that
Hugdietrich had fallen in love with Hildburg on hearing a description of
her charms from the exiled princess, his sister, and openly suing in his
name for her hand. Instead of giving an immediate answer to this proposal,
Walgund invited the ambassador to hunt with him in a neighboring forest on
the morrow.

[Sidenote: Rescue of Wolfdietrich.] Accidentally separated from their
respective suites, Walgund and Berchther came to a thicket near the
princess's tower, and peering through the underbrush to discover the
meaning of some strange sounds, they saw a beautiful little boy sitting on
the grass, playfully handling some young wolf cubs, whose struggles he
seemed not to mind in the least. While the two men were gazing spellbound
at this strange sight, they saw the mother wolf draw near, ready to spring
upon the innocent child and tear him limb from limb. As Berchther
skillfully flung his spear past the child and slew the wolf, Walgund sprang
forward and caught the babe in his arms, exclaiming that if he were only
sure his grandchildren would be as handsome and fearless as this little
boy, he would soon consent to his daughter's marriage.

As the child was so small that it still required a woman's tender care,
Walgund next proposed to carry it to the tower, where his daughter and her
attendants could watch over it until it was claimed; and as Berchther
indorsed this proposal, it was immediately carried out. Hildburg received
the charge with joy, revealed by her emotion that the child was her very
own, and told her father all about her secret marriage with Hugdietrich,
whom Walgund now graciously accepted as son-in-law.

In memory of this adventure the baby rescued from the beast of prey was
called Wolfdietrich, and he and his mother, accompanied by a nobleman named
Sabene, were escorted in state t