o Siegfried
and his eleven brave warriors. It is true that his boldness when he
entered the city had made the Kings and their liegemen wish to serve
the dauntless hero, yet now it was not of his boldness that they
thought, but of his happy, winsome ways. Indeed it was but a short
time until he was the most favoured Prince in all the gallant throng
of courtiers that gathered round King Gunther in his royal city.

Only one in all the country hated the gallant Prince of the
Netherlands, and that one was the stern and fierce-eyed Hagen; but of
the counsellor's ill-will the light-hearted hero knew nought.

Merry were the frolics, gay the pastimes at the court of Worms, and
in every game and sport Siegfried was the most skilful.

Did the warriors hurl the stone? None could hurl it as far as could
Siegfried. Did they leap? No one ever leaped as far as did the Prince.
Did they go a-hunting? No one brought down the prey as often as did
the hero. Did they tilt in the tournament? Siegfried it was who ever
gained the prize. Yet none was envious of the Prince, so glad he was,
so light of heart.

When games were held in the great castle hall, ladies clad in garments
of richest hue, and sparkling with gems of ruddy gold, would come into
the galleries. And ever as they watched the gallant knights their eyes
would follow the most gallant of them all, the hero Siegfried. But
among these fair counts and ladies the Princess Kriemhild was never to
be seen, and Siegfried had no thought to spare for any other damsel.
In his heart was ever the image of the maiden whom he had come hither
to win.

The Princess might not go down to the great hall to see the
tournament, yet as she sat in her tower she would ofttimes think of
the mighty strength of this hero, of his heart of gold. And almost
before she was aware Kriemhild had found the Prince whom she would
gladly call her lord.

When she heard the knights running and leaping in the courtyard,
Kriemhild would lay her seam aside, and Princess though she was, she
would run to her lattice window, and peeping through, she would watch
her hero with glad eyes, victor in every pastime. Nor would she turn
away until the sports were ended and the courtyard once again grew
silent and deserted.

Siegfried did not know that Kriemhild's glad eyes were peeping through
her lattice window, and had he known he would scarce have dared to
dream that her glance was fixed on no other save on him alone.

Inde