Dietrich was now a man in the prime of life—a perfect hero, and man of
valour. The number of his comrades had much increased, and many doughty
deeds had been done.
Once when the king was feasting with many of his comrades, he looked
round the table with pride, and said he believed that no ruler on earth
had such heroes about him, that no other had prospered so well as he
with the help of his chosen comrades, and that none might be compared
with them. The warriors shouted their approbation. One alone was
silent. The king turned to him, and asked whether in all his journeys
he had seen bolder warriors.
“That I have,” cried Herbrand. “I have seen some that have not their
match upon earth. It was at the good town of Worms, near the River
Rhine, in the land of Burgundy. It is there that the great Rose Garden
lies—five miles long by two-and-a-half broad. The queen and her ladies
tend it themselves, and twelve great warriors keep watch and ward lest
any one enter the garden without the queen’s permission. Whoever does
so must fight with the guard, and no one yet, whether giant or warrior,
has been able to withstand them.”
“Let us go and pluck the roses that have been watered with the blood of
heroes,” cried Dietrich. “I think that my comrades and I will get the
better of the guard.”
“If you mean to try your luck,” said Herbrand, “you must know that the
victor will receive a kiss and a wreath of roses from lovely women.”
“Ah, well,” said the old master, “for the sake of a rose and a woman’s
kiss I would not risk a single hair of my head or beard. He who wishes
to pluck roses or kiss women will find enough at Bern; he need not go
to the Rhine to find them.”
[Illustration: ILSAN TAKES LEAVE OF THE HOLY BROTHERHOOD.]
Trusty Eckehart and a few more of the comrades agreed with him, for
well they knew what the Burgundian warriors were like. But Dietrich
loudly declared that he was not going to fight for the sake of roses
and kisses, but for honour and fame; and that if his comrades did not
wish to go with him, he could go alone. Of course, they would not hear
of that, and all who were present agreed to go. The names of those who
thus adventured their lives were: Dietrich himself, Master Hildebrand,
strong Wittich, Henne called the Grim, Wolfhart, the young heroes
Siegestab and Amelung (or Omlung), Trusty Eckehart, and Hertnit, Prince
of the Reussen; but they only numbered nine in all, and twelve were
needed to meet the twelve watchmen of the garden. Hildebrand knew what
was to be done. He said,—
“Good Rüdiger of Bechelaren will not refuse to be the tenth; the
eleventh must be brave Dietleib of Styria, and the twelfth my pious
brother, the monk Ilsan.”
They started forth at once to induce the chosen three to join them.
They went first to Bechelaren, in the land of the Danube. Rüdiger
received them hospitably, and at once consented to go with them, but
said that he must first get leave of absence from Etzel, whose margrave
he was. The heroes then went on to Styria to visit Dietleib. They did
not find him at home, but his father Biterolf, who was there, earnestly
entreated them to give up the journey to the Rhine, because, he said,
only a fool would undertake a conflict for life or death with the
world’s bravest warriors, for the sake of a rose and a kiss. But when
they met the young hero a short time after, they found him ready to go
with them. This settled, they went on to Münchenzell, the monastery to
which Hildebrand’s brother belonged. As soon as Ilsan heard the object
of their journey, he went straight to the abbot, and asked leave to
accompany the hero of Bern to the Rose Garden. The abbot told him that
such was scarcely a monkish quest, but Ilsan grew so angry, and so
loudly affirmed that valiant deeds were in his eyes as seemly for a
monk as for any other man, that the abbot quailed before him, and gave
him leave to go. So Ilsan donned his armour under his monkish dress,
and started with his friends. His heart beat high with joy that he was
again bound on one of Dietrich’s adventures, while his brother monks
stood by and shook their heads, saying they feared it would not end
well, seeing it was no saintly quest, but a worldly.
The heroes went first to Bern, which was to be the general
meeting-place. Margrave Rüdiger was the last to arrive, for he had been
detained by his visit to Etzel. Rüdiger was now sent on before the
others as ambassador to King Gibich at Worms, to inform him of their
intended invasion of the Rose Garden. The Margrave was well known in
the Rhineland, and was received as an old friend by the king, who
rejoiced to hear of his leader’s enterprise.
The garden was entered on the appointed day, and the warriors stood
opposite each other ready for battle; twelve against twelve, and yet
always one against one. It was a terrible sight, for many a hero fell
dying amongst the roses, and watered them with his heart’s blood. When
proud Wolfhart had slain his adversary, he contemptuously refused the
kiss offered him by a lovely maiden, and contented himself with the
garland of roses. The monk, Ilsan, walked into the lists on foot, clad
in his grey robes. He jumped about among the roses with such strange
agility that his opponent thought he had a madman to deal with. But he
soon found that his reverend foe was made of sterner metal than he
supposed, for he lay vanquished, a wiser man, though wounded almost to
the death. The victor received the wreath of roses on his tonsured
head, but when he kissed the lovely maid who gave it him, she shrieked
aloud, for his bristly beard had stung her rosy lips. Seeing this, he
said with comical disgust,—
“The maidens of Rhineland are fair to see,
But far too tender to pleasure me.”
Many other heroes received the prize of victory, while others were
severely wounded. Peace was not concluded until sunset. The brave hero
of Bern soon afterwards returned home, pleased with the result of his
quest.
[Illustration]