"We'll do as thou commandest," / spake then Werbelein. Unto her own chamber / commanded then the queen To bring in secret manner / the messengers alone. Thereby did naught but sorrow / befall full many a thane anon. 1414 She spake unto the messengers: / "Mickle wealth I give to you, If my will in this matter / right faithfully ye do, And bear what tidings send I / home unto our country. I'll make you rich in treasure / and fair apparelled shall ye be. 1415 "And friends of mine so many / as ever see ye may At Worms by Rhine river, / to them ye ne'er shall say That any mood of sorrow / in me ye yet have seen. Say ye that I commend me / unto the knights full brave and keen." 1416 "Pray them that to King Etzel's / message they give heed, Thereby to relieve me / of all my care and need, Else shall the Huns imagine / that I all friendless am. If I but a knight were, / oft would they see me at their home. 1417 "Eke say ye unto Gernot, / brother to me full dear, To him might never any / disposed be more fair; Pray him that he bring hither / unto this country All our friends most steadfast, / that we thereby shall honored be. 1418 "Say further eke to Giselher / that he do have in mind, That by his guilt I never / did cause for sorrow find; Him therefore would I gladly / here with mine own eyes see, And give him warmest welcome, / so faithful hath he been to me. 1419 "How I am held in honor, / to my mother eke make plain. And if of Tronje Hagen / hath mind there to remain, By whom might they in coming / through unknown lands be shown? The way to Hunland hither / from youth to him hath well been known." 1420 No whit knew the messengers / wherefore she did advise That they of Tronje Hagen / should not in any wise Leave by the Rhine to tarry. / That was anon their bane: Through him to dire destruction / was doomed full many a doughty thane. 1421 Letters and kindly greeting / now to them they give; They fared from thence rich laden, / and merrily might live. Leave then they took of Etzel / and eke his lady fair, And parted on their journey / dight in apparel rich and rare. TWENTY-FOURTH ADVENTURE How Werbel and Schwemmel brought the Message 1422 When to the Rhine King Etzel / his messengers had sent, With hasty flight fresh tidings / from land to land there went: With messengers full quickly / to his high festival He bade them, eke and summoned. / To many thereby did death befall. 1423 The messengers o'er the borders / of Hunland thence did fare Unto the land of Burgundy; / thither sent they were Unto three lordly monarchs / and eke their mighty men. To Etzel's land to bid them / hastily they journeyed then. 1424 Unto Bechelaren / rode they on their way, Where found they willing service. / Nor did aught delay Ruediger to commend him / and Gotelinde as well And eke their fairest daughter / to them that by the Rhine did dwell. 1425