Page:Stories of Norse Gods and Heroes.djvu/104

98 After a time Hartmut's mother grew angry and did not treat her as a princess.

Gudrun was made to do work like a servant. All the maidens who were taken with her were set to spinning flax and weaving cloth.

Gudrun swept the floors and made the fires. For thirteen years she did this work, but she would not be Hartmut's wife.

By that time the boys in Hetel's kingdom had grown to be men. Wat of Sturmland led another army against King Hartmut.

Gudrun was down at the sea-shore washing clothes. As she worked, a beautiful bird swam to her. The bird sang of the great army that was coming to take her home.

When Gudrun went to the castle that night, the queen scolded her because the work was not all done.

Next morning the ground was white with snow, but the queen sent Gudrun to the sea-shore to finish the washing.

Soon she saw her brother and Herwig coming in a boat. The two men did not know her.

They were surprised to see so beautiful a maiden doing such work.

They asked her name and who dared treat her so. She answered that she was one of the maidens