Gudrun's Trials
From that day fresh hardships fell to the lot of the King's daughter;
yet when the enraged Queen ordered her to return once more to her
drudgery, saying it was only pride that caused her to refuse Hartmut's
hand, Gudrun answered quietly: "God knows my heart, and if it be His
will that I should suffer thus, it is not for me to rebel, but to do all
thou dost require of me, so that it touch not the faith I have sworn
with Herwig!"
To this the Queen replied: "Then shall it be thy daily task to wash
garments, and take heed that thou art not found idle a single hour from
early morn till nightfall!"
And this the maiden was forced to do, though she knew nothing of such
work; nor did Gerlinda fail to greet her with taunts and jeers whenever
she saw her. But Hartmut went about silently, with never a friendly word
to any man, for his heart was sore within him.
So diligently did Gudrun apply herself to her task, however, that soon
it would have been hard to find a more skilful washerwoman than the
high-born maiden, but her companions' hearts were well-nigh broken when
they saw the heavy labor their beloved mistress was compelled to
perform. One of them, indeed, named Heregart, proved disloyal to her and
wedded a Norman duke, the King's cup-bearer, whereby she found favor at
court, and all went well with her, but the rest of the damsels, like
Gudrun, remained true to their own land and to one another through all
their trials and sufferings. One of them, the Princess Hildburg, was so
grieved at Gudrun's hard lot, and wept and lamented so bitterly over it,
that Gerlinda at last observed it and maliciously said to her: "Since
thou takest Gudrun's fate so much to heart, go thou and take her place
when she is weary."
"Gladly would I bear all her burdens, if such might be!" replied
Hildburg. "In God's name, madame, put not the maiden to such shame!
Remember that her father wore a crown. Yet I, who am also a prince's
child, would rejoice if I might only share her lot."
"Now, by my faith, that shalt thou surely do, in payment for thy bold
words, thou malapert!" cried Gerlinda, furiously. "Through the snow
shalt thou go with Gudrun daily to the shore, and I will see to it thou
hast work enough to weary thee, I warrant!"
Gerlinda little knew that instead of inflicting a heavy punishment upon
the loyal maiden, she had made her happier than she had been for many a
day. Scarcely could she wait for evening to come, and when at last she
spied Gudrun wearily returning from her day's labor, she ran to meet her
and they wept in one another's arms. Then Hildburg said, "I have
persuaded that monster to let me go with thee to the shore and share thy
toil."
"May God reward thy loyalty, dear Hildburg!" cried Gudrun, embracing her
once more, "if I but have thee to talk with while I am at my work, the
hours will seem short indeed!"
So the next morning, and thereafter, they went together with their
baskets to the shore, and though the work was hard and painful, their
love for each other sustained them and enabled them to endure their
sufferings patiently.