“What though he be Odin himself, still will I dare! It is not I: it is the Norns, who shape every man’s fate.”
When Siegfried reached the camp with his prize, the huntsmen shouted with delight; and the hounds howled loudly, and shook their chains, and tried hard to get at the shaggy beast. The king leaped to the ground, and unloosed the cords which bound him; and at the same time the hounds were unleashed, and set upon the angry, frightened creature. Hemmed in on every side, the bear rushed blindly forwards, and leaped over the fires, where the cooks were busy with the dinner. Pots and kettles were knocked about in great confusion, and the scared cooks thrown sprawling upon the ground; and many a dainty dish and savory mess was spoiled. The bear fled fast down the forest road, followed by the baying hounds and the fleet-footed warriors. But none dared shoot an arrow at him for fear of killing the dogs; and it seemed as if he would surely escape, so fast he ran away. Then Siegfried bounded forwards, swifter than a deer, overtook the bear, and with one stroke of the sword gave him his death-blow. And all who saw this feat of strength and quickness wondered greatly, and felt that such a hero must indeed be without a peer.
When Gunther’s cooks had made the dinner ready, the company sat down on the grass, and all partook of a merry meal; for the bracing air and the morning’s sport had made sharp appetites. But, when they had eaten, they were surprised to find that there was nothing to drink. Indeed, there was neither wine nor water in the camp.
“How glad I am,” said Siegfried gayly, “that I am not a huntsman by trade, if it is a huntsman’s way to go thus dry! Oh for a glass of wine, or even a cup of cold spring-water, to quench my thirst!”
“We will make up for this oversight when we go back home,” said Gunther; and his heart was black with falsehood. “The blame in this matter should rest on Hagen, for it was he who was to look after the drinkables.”
“My lord,” said Hagen, “I fell into a mistake by thinking that we would dine, not here, but at the Spessart Springs; and thither I sent the wine.”
“And is there no water near?” asked Siegfried.
“Yes,” answered Hagen. “There is a cool, shady spring not far from here, where the water gushes in a clear, cold stream from beneath a linden-tree. Do but forgive me for the lack of wine, and I will lead you to it. It is a rare spring, and the water is almost as good as wine.”
“Better than wine for me!” cried Siegfried. And he asked to be shown to the spring at once.
Hagen arose, and pointed to a tree not far away, beneath whose spreading branches Siegfried could see the water sparkling in the sunlight.