ng, the shock well-nigh drove both Gunther and his unseen friend
to their knees.

But in a moment Siegfried's hand had dealt the Queen such a blow with
the handle of his spear (he would not use the sharp point against a
woman) that the maiden cried aloud, "King Gunther, thou hast won this
fray." For as she could not see Siegfried because of his Cloak of
Darkness, she could not but believe that it was the King who had
vanquished her.

In her wrath the Queen now sped to the ring, where lay a stone so
heavy that it could scarce be lifted by twelve strong men.

But Brunhild lifted it with ease, and threw it twelve arms' length
beyond the spot on which she stood. Then, leaping after it, she
alighted even farther than she had thrown the stone.

Gunther now stood in the ring, and lifted the stone which had again
been placed within it. He lifted it with an effort, but at once
Siegfried's unseen hand grasped it and threw it with such strength
that it dropped even beyond the spot to which it had been flung by the
Queen. Lifting King Gunther with him Siegfried next jumped far
beyond the spot on which the Queen had alighted. And all the warriors
marveled to see their Queen thus vanquished by the strange King. For
you must remember that not one of them could see that it was Siegfried
who had done these deeds of prowess.

Now in the contest, still unseen, Siegfried had taken from the Queen
her ring and her favorite girdle.

With angry gestures Brunhild called to her liegemen to come and lay
their weapons down at King Gunther's feet to do him homage. Henceforth
they must be his thralls and own him as their lord.

As soon as the contests were over, Siegfried had slipped back to the
ship and hidden his Cloak of Darkness. Then boldly he came back to the
great hall, and pretending to know nothing of the games begged to be
told who had been the victor, if indeed they had already taken place.

When he had heard that Queen Brunhild had been vanquished, the hero
laughed, and cried gaily, "Then, noble maiden, thou must go with us to
Rhineland to wed King Gunther."

"A strange way for a vassal to speak," thought the angry Queen, and
she answered with a proud glance at the knight, "Nay, that will I not
do until I have summoned my kinsmen and my good lieges. For I will
myself say farewell to them ere ever I will go to Rhineland."

Thus heralds were sent throughout Brunhild's realms, and soon from
morn to eve her kinsmen and her liegem