Page:The Nibelungenlied - tr. Shumway - 1909.pdf/348

290 for this. Thou sayest, I be a craven, and hast told thy tale too loud at court.”

His fist he clenched, then ran he at him and smote the Hunnish man so mightily that he lay dead at his feet full soon. Through this King Etzel’s woe grew greater.

“Away, thou arrant coward,” cried Rüdeger, “forsooth I have enow of grief and pain. How dost thou taunt me, that I fight not here? Certes, I have good cause to hate the strangers, and would have done all in my power against them, had I not led the warriors hither. Of a truth I was their safeguard to my master’s land. Therefore the hand of me, wretched man, may not strive against them.”

Then spake Etzel, the noble king, to the margrave: “How have ye helped us, most noble Rüdeger! We have so many fey in the land, that we have no need of more. Full evil have ye done.”

At this the noble knight made answer: “Forsooth he grieved my mood and twitted me with the honors and the goods, such store of which I have received from thy hand. This hath cost the liar dear.”

The queen, too, was come and had seen what fortuned to the Huns through the hero’s wrath. Passing sore she bewailed it; her eyes grew moist as she spake to Rüdeger: “How have we deserved that ye should increase the sorrows of the king and me? Hitherto ye have told us, that for our sake ye would risk both life and honor. I heard full many warriors accord to you the palm. Let me mind you of your fealty and that ye swore, when that ye counseled me to Etzel, good knight and true, that ye would serve me till one of us should