Page:Stories of Norse Gods and Heroes.djvu/103

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
GUDRUN.
97

ran out and begged the two kings not to kill each other.

For her sake they became friends. Hetel promised to give Gudrun to Herwig.

As soon as Siegfried of Moorland heard of this, he gathered an army and went to Herwig' s kingdom.

When Herwig could fight no longer, he sent to Hetel for help.

King Hetel went with his army and left only a few knights to guard the castle.

Hartmut of Normandy heard of this and came to Hetel's kingdom with a great army.

They captured Gudrun and carried her to Normandy, with sixty of her maidens.

Hilde sent word to Hetel. Very soon he set sail to Normandy with all his warriors.

Hartmut's army came down to meet them. A battle was fought on the sea-shore. So many men were slain that the waves were red with blood.

At last Hetel was killed. The Hegelings went back to their own land sadly, and left Gudrun in Normandy.

The knights went to their homes, but they did not forget that their princess had been carried away and their king killed. Gudrun lived in the castle with Hartmut's mother, but she would not be Hartmut's wife.