Siegfried and Kriemhild
“Was he completely covered by the stream of blood?” asked Hagen, with great interest.
“Yes,” answered Kriemhild, “he was bathed from head to foot, except one small spot upon his shoulder, on which a leaf happened to fall.”
“Are you not afraid that he may be struck in that place by a spear or arrow, and so meet his death?”
“It might indeed be so,” said Kriemhild, “but I do not fear it.”
“Still,” persisted Hagen, “it would be well to have some one always near Siegfried in battle, to guard him against any death-blow, and since I alone know of his point of weakness, let me be the one to protect him. This service I shall be better able to render if you will sew a mark upon his coat over the exact spot on his shoulder where the leaf fell, so that when we are beset by enemies upon the road, or go forth to battle, I may keep beside him and shield him from a possible death blow.”
Kriemhild was greatly moved by this evidence of loyalty in Hagen, and thanking him warmly for his devotion, she promised to sew upon Siegfried’s coat some mark by which the vulnerable spot could be known. Then she hurried away to begin her task, not dreaming of Hagen’s wicked purpose in obtaining her secret.
Some days later Hagen proposed that there should be a great hunt given in one of the neighbouring forests, and Gunther, who had promised to aid him in his plans, urged Siegfried to accompany them. Siegfried gladly consented, for he had greatly enjoyed this sport since his first coming to Burgundy, and had spent many a pleasant hour with Gunther and his knights in search of deer or fox, or the fierce wild boar. In all of these expeditions he had been foremost in the hunt, and had usually borne off the prize, both in the size and number of his game. His spear was sharp, and shone brightly as he rode along, mounted on the faithful Greyfel, and his aim was so quick and sure that his weapon never missed its mark, but went straight to the heart of the beast he was pursuing. This superiority in the chase added much to Hagen’s anger and jealousy, for as Siegfried had proved himself the greatest of warriors on the battle-field, so in the hunt he was the peer of all the knights of Burgundy.
A day was set for the great hunt, and a forest was chosen which was famous for the number and fierceness of its wild beasts. Then early one morning Gunther, Hagen and Siegfried set forth with their knights, in full expectation of having a profitable as well as exciting day. It was a beautiful morning in early spring, and the spirits of the hunting party rose high as they cantered out of the city gates and made their way toward the forest.