I. The Maiden and the Princely Suitor 11 II. The Contest 17 III. Siegfried’s Revenge 23 IV. Hartmut Captures Gudrun 26 V. The Evil Tidings 30 VI. The Battle on the Wulpensand 34 VII. Gudrun’s Danger 40 VIII. The Reception 43 IX. Gudrun’s Test 46 X. Ortrun 51 XI. Gudrun’s Trials 54 XII. On the Wulpensand 57 XIII. The Tale of Hagen and the Griffin 62 XIV. The Welcome Message 78 XV. The Two Knights 83 XVI. Danger and Stratagem 93 XVII. The Morning 102 XVIII. Hartmut Fights with Ortwin and Horant 110 XIX. Ludwig Fights with Herwig 114 XX. Hartmut Fights with Wate 117 XXI. Gudrun and Ortrun 120 XXII. Retribution 123 XXIII. The Home Coming 129 Illustrations How Hartmut Sued for Gudrun _Frontispiece_ Gudrun on the Strand 78 Gudrun’s Deliverance 126 Gudrun Chapter I The Maiden and the Princely Suitor There once lived in Denmark a mighty King named Hetel, whose fame spread far and wide. His wife Hilda bore him two children, a son and a daughter called Ortwin and Gudrun, who were endowed with such surpassing strength and beauty that as they grew to manhood and womanhood the whole country rang with their praises. Ortwin’s master-in-arms was Count Wate, a hero who loved the strife and tumult of battle better than making merry with fair dames, and from him the young prince acquired skill in all knightly exercises. Gudrun grew up so tall and strong that she too could have wielded a sword with credit had such feats been seemly for a maiden, and when the brother and sister stood side by side, all who beheld them declared no sculptor could have wrought anything half so beautiful.