The Evil Tidings
King Hetel, who had been joined by Herwig and his warriors, still
besieged the castle within whose walls Siegfried defied all their
assaults. One day messengers from home arrived, and when Hetel saw them
coming he hastened joyfully to meet them, crying, "Tell me quickly, good
sirs, how fares it with my wife and my dear daughter Gudrun?"
The messengers' glances fell as one of them said sorrowfully: "Great is
the evil that hath befallen, my lord! Burned are thy cities, and thy
castles ruined. Full a thousand brave knights have fallen fighting for
thy house. Thy treasures hath the enemy despoiled, and thy daughter
Gudrun is taken captive!"
At these words the King laid hold of him fiercely, saying: "Thou
speakest in frenzy, man! Who could have done this? Speak, speak, I say!"
"'Twas Ludwig of Normandy and his son Hartmut, my lord," replied the
messenger, "who suddenly appeared before Matalan with a mighty army."
Then the King cried aloud and tore his long gray beard in anguish.
Quickly the news spread through the camp, and the heroes Herwig and
Wate, Irolt, Frute, and Horand, hastened to his side. In bitter grief he
cried:
"To you, faithful comrades, I pour out my woe!
On my house hath dire evil been wrought by the foe:
Alas! but ill-guarded we left our own shore,
Its gallant defenders shall guard it no more.
My castles are ruined, my country laid waste,
My liegemen lie slaughtered, my daughter disgraced;
In bondage, alas! must that noble maid sigh
Whom I to the Norman as bride did deny!"
Tears streamed down Herwig's cheeks when he heard these dreadful
tidings, and all were moved by the grief of the father and lover of
Gudrun. Count Wate alone remained calm.
"Take heart, my lords," he said, "for the day shall yet come when our
sorrow will be turned to joy again. Cease these laments, I pray, lest
Siegfried hear the sound thereof and take delight in your affliction."
Hetel strove to regain his composure and asked mournfully what was to be
done. Wate replied: "Now must we press Siegfried so closely on all sides
that he will gladly seize an offer of alliance with us. This done, we
shall have his aid and be free to pursue the base marauders!"
This counsel cheered all the knights, and the next morning they began
such a furious assault on the castle as Siegfried never yet had been
forced to endure. After many knights on both sides had fallen, Irolt
shouted up to the walls: "If thou wouldst have peace with us then ask it
of King Hetel, else shall no man of you go back alive to his own land!"
Siegfried answered: "I may not in honor sue for peace to any man. And
thinkest thou to conquer us? 'Tis but more heroes sent to death on
either side."
Then Frute raised his voice and said: "Swear thou wilt ever abide by us
with loyal service, and thou mayst go hence in peace." And Siegfried,
together with all his knights, raised their hands and swore it.
Then the gates of the castle were thrown open, Siegfried and Hetel
clasped hands, and the rest of the heroes did the same; so all were
friends who but a short time before had been fighting to the death.
Hetel now opened his heart to Siegfried and told him of the calamity
that had befallen them. And Siegfried said to Herwig:
"Even as I have hated thee, that thou didst win the love of Gudrun, whom
I too would fain have wed, so now will I loyally aid thee to win her
back from Hartmut. Had ye not burned my ships, then might we have
pursued the Norman thieves without delay."
"There is a band of pilgrims near the shore," said Wate, "with ten large
ships and many smaller vessels. These they must lend us, whether they
will or no!"
This plan was hailed with joy. Taking with him an hundred knights, Wate
forthwith brought the ships to land, while the pilgrims, whose treasures
were safely stored on shore, were pacified with promises of a speedy
return. The next morning Hetel, with all his companions and followers,
embarked, and a favoring wind soon bore them out to sea.