rs, and bade her maidens
look out their richest robes that they might welcome the young bride
as became her rank.

Then the King and Queen rode forth to meet the travellers, and greeted
them with kisses and fair words, and with great rejoicings the whole
company returned to the castle. Here a great feast was held, and
Siegmund, calling together all his liegemen, placed the crown upon his
dear son's head, bidding them henceforth swear fealty to him alone.

The Netherlanders were indeed well pleased to have the mighty hero
Siegfried for their king, and the castle walls shook with the shouts
of strong men crying, 'Hail, King Siegfried, hail!'

For ten years Siegfried ruled and did justice in the land. At the end
of ten years a little son came to gladden the hearts of the brave King
and his gentle wife, and in memory of her royal brother, Kriemhild
named him Gunther.

Now Queen Sieglinde had grown old and feeble, and after her little
grandson had been born she grew still more weak until one day she
passed away from earth.

Then Kriemhild took charge of the royal household. So kind was she and
gentle that she was loved by all her maidens and indeed by all who
dwelt in the castle.

Meanwhile Brunhild, the haughty Queen of Burgundy, was not happy, even
her little son could not bring joy to her heart. Little had she to vex
her, yet day by day her unhappiness grew.

Siegfried was now a mightier King than Gunther, and this displeased
her more and more, for certainly he had once been but her lord's
vassal. Had she not herself, from her castle window at Isenland, seen
him hold King Gunther's charger until he had mounted, and that a
Prince would have scorned to do. Yet to-day Siegfried was a King,
Brunhild could not understand how this could be, and the more she
thought about it, the angrier she grew. Even the gentle Kriemhild
seemed to have grown haughty and disdainful, and for her too Brunhild
had no love.

At length Brunhild made up her mind to speak to her husband.

'It is many years,' she said to King Gunther, 'since Siegfried has
been at Worms. Bid him come hither with his wife.'

Then Gunther frowned, ill-pleased at her words. 'Thou dost not dream
that I may command so mighty a King as Siegfried!' he cried.

But these words only made the Queen more angry. 'However great
Siegfried may be, he dare not disobey his lord,' she said.

King Gunther smiled to himself at Brunhild's foolish thoughts. Full
well he knew t