Her hands and her arms, you nought in them could blame, Her nails they so clear were, people saw themselves in them; And her hair ribbons were of silk costly, Which she left down hanging, the maiden fair and free. She set upon her head high a crown of gold red,-- Elberich the little, he grieved for the maid;-- In front of the crown lay a carbuncle stone, That in the royal palace like a taper shone. Elberich endeavours to persuade her to become a Christian, and espouse Otnit; and to convince her of the incapacity of her gods, he tumbles their images into the fosse. Overcome by his representations and her father's danger, the princess, with her mother's consent, agrees to wed the monarch whom Elberich points out to her in the battle, and she gives her ring to be conveyed to him. The Dwarf, unperceived, leads her out of the city, and delivers her to her future husband, strictly forbidding all intercourse between them, previous to the maiden's baptism.[255] When the old heathen misses his daughter he orders out his troops to recover her. Elberich hastens to king Elias, and brings up the Christians. A battle ensues: the latter are victorious, and the princess is brought to Sunders;--ere they embark Elberich and Elias baptise her, and ere they reached Messina "the noble maiden was a wife." As yet not intimately acquainted with Christianity, the young empress asks Otnit about his god, giving him to understand that she knew his deity, who had come to her father's to demand her for him. Otnit corrects her mistake, telling her that the envoy was Elberich, whom she then desires to see. At the request of Otnit the Dwarf reveals himself to the queen and court. Long time he refused,--he showed him then a stone, That like unto the sun, with the gold shone; Ruby and carbuncle was the crown so rich, Which upon his head bare the little Elberich. The Dwarf let the people all see him then, They began to look upon him, both women and men; Many a fair woman with rosy mouth then said, "I ween a fairer person no eye hath e'er survey'd." * * * * * Then Elberich the little a harp laid hold upon; Full rapidly he touched the strings every one In so sweet a measure that the hall did resound; All that him beheld then, they felt a joy profound. After giving Otnit abundance of riches, and counselling him to remunerate those who had lost their relatives in his expedition, Elberich takes leave of the king. He then vanishes, and appears no more. Otnit is the most pleasing poem in the Heldenbuch. Nothing can be more amiable than the character of the Dwarf, who is evidently the model of Oberon. We say this, because the probability is much greater that a French writer should have taken a Dwarf from a German poet, than that the reverse should have occurred. The connexion between the two works appears indubitable.