ADVENTURE VI
How Gunther Fared To Isenland (1) for Brunhild.

New tidings came across the Rhine. 'Twas said that yonder many a
fair maid dwelt. The good king Gunther thought to win him one of
these; high therefore rose the warrior's spirits. There lived a
queen beyond the sea, whose like men knew not anywhere. Peerless
was her beauty and great her strength. With doughty knights she
shot the shaft for love. The stone she hurled afar and sprang
far after it. He who craved her love must win without fail three
games from this high-born dame. When the noble maid had done
this passing oft, a stately knight did hear it by the Rhine. He
turned his thoughts upon this comely dame, and so heroes must
needs later lose their lives.

One day when the king and his vassals sate and pondered to and
fro in many a wise, whom their lord might take to wife, who would
be fit to be their lady and beseem the land, up spake the lord of
the Rhinelands: "I will go down to the sea and hence to Brunhlld,
however it may go with me. For her love I'll risk my life. I
will gladly lose it and she become not my wife."

"Against that do I counsel you," spake then Siegfried, "if, as ye
say, the queen doth have so fierce a wont, he who wooeth for her
love will pay full dear. Therefore should ye give over the
journey."

Then spake King Gunther: "Never was woman born so strong and bold
that I might not vanquish her with mine own hand."