Now while Brunhild was speaking, Siegfried whispered to the King to fear nothing, but to accept the Queen's challenge. 'I will be near though no one will see me, to aid thee in the struggle,' he whispered. Gunther had such trust in the Prince that he at once cried boldly, 'Queen Brunhild, I do not fear even to risk my life that I may win thee for my bride.' Then the bold maiden called for her armour, but when Gunther saw her shield, 'three spans thick with gold and iron, which four chamberlains could hardly bear,' his courage began to fail. [Illustration: The maiden hurled her spear] While the Queen donned her silken fighting doublet, which could turn aside the sharpest spear, Siegfried slipped away unnoticed to the ship, and swiftly flung around him his Cloak of Darkness. Then unseen by all, he hastened back to King Gunther's side. A great javelin was then given to the Queen, and she began to fight with her suitor, and so hard were her thrusts that but for Siegfried the King would have lost his life. 'Give me thy shield,' whispered the invisible hero in the King's ear, 'and tell no one that I am here.' Then as the maiden hurled her spear with all her force against the shield which she thought was held by the King, the shock well-nigh drove both Gunther and his unseen friend to their knees. But in a moment Siegfried's hand had dealt the Queen such a blow with the handle of his spear (he would not use the sharp point against a woman) that the maiden cried aloud, 'King Gunther, thou hast won this fray.' For as she could not see Siegfried because of his Cloak of Darkness, she could not but believe that it was the King who had vanquished her. In her wrath the Queen now sped to the ring, where lay a stone so heavy that it could scarce be lifted by twelve strong men. But Brunhild lifted it with ease, and threw it twelve arms' length beyond the spot on which she stood. Then, leaping after it, she alighted even farther than she had thrown the stone. Gunther now stood in the ring, and lifted the stone which had again been placed within it. He lifted it with an effort, but at once Siegfried's unseen hand grasped it and threw it with such strength that it dropped even beyond the spot to which it had been flung by the Queen. Lifting King Gunther with him Siegfried next jumped far beyond the spot on which the Queen had alighted. And all the warriors marvelled to see their Queen thus vanquished by the strange King. For you must remember that not one of them could see that it was Siegfried who had done these deeds of prowess. Now in the contest, still unseen, Siegfried had taken from the Queen her ring and her favourite girdle. With angry gestures Brunhild called to her liegemen to come and lay their weapons down at King Gunther's feet to do him homage. Henceforth they must be his thralls and own him as their lord.