She  winds  this  about  his  hands  and  feet,  and  hangs
him  by  it  to  a  hook  fastened  in  the  wall ;  he  is  set
free  only  afier  much  begging.  Sad  and  ashamed,  the
next  day  he  tells  Siegfried,  who  again  assumes  his
obscuring  tnaotle,  wrestles  with  Brunhild,  and  a
second  time  subdues  her.
For  a  time  all  misfortune  slumbers.  Siegfried
with  his  young  wife  goes  joyfully  home  to  his  par-
ents. His  father  yields  to  his  son  crown  and  king-
dom. For  ten  years  they  enjoy  their  happiness  in
entire  peace,  —  Siegfried,  ruler  of  the  Netherlands,
and  of  the  realm  of  the  Nibelungen,  with  their  innu-
merable treasures,  the  most  powerful  of  kings ;
Kriemhild  the  most  beautiful  and  happy  of  queens.
But  in  Brunhild's  heart  the  anger  still  bums.
"How  does  Kriemhild  dare  behave  so  proudly  to-
ward us,"  she  cries,  "  as  not  to  visit  us  once  in  all
this  time.  Is  not  Siegfiied  your  vassal?  Yet  for
ten  long  years  he  has  rendered  us  no  service."


80  GERMAN  LITERATURE.
Gunther  yields,  and  sends  messengers  to  Siegfried.
They  invite  him  to  a  great  festival,  which  at  the  sol-
stice —  the  old  German  festival  time  —  is  to  be  cele-
brated at  the  Burgandian  court  at  Worms.  With  a
retinue  of  a  thousand  nobles,  Siegfried  and  Kriem-
hild,  accompanied  by  Siegfried's  father,  in  the  se-
cure cheerfrilness  of  innocence,  go  to  Worms  on  the
Rhine.  Rich  gifts  of  red  gold  and  gleaming  jewels
are  borne  along,  that  Siegfried  may  be  generous  at
the  Burgundian  court.
