Quickly he calls his old servant. "Alter,[[1]] bring me my little daughter."
[[1]] Old man.
The servant trembles in terror, and tears burst forth.
"What ails thee, Alter?" cries the Kaiser.
"Herr Kaiser, thou knowest thy little daughter is not here! Thou hast disowned her."
The Kaiser stares at him in horror, "Reinhilde not here? Since when?"
"Herr Kaiser, since yesterday. She has not returned to the Schloss; her steed came back without its rider. We sent out messengers, but none have found her."
The Kaiser turns pale.
"And thou hast not told me till now! Reinhilde, Reinhilde not here? Merciful God! Reinhilde, my child! Lost in the forest in storm and tempest! Up; ring the alarm! To horse! to horse! Let loose the hounds in the forest; let the horns resound that my child may know the father calls. Bring me my steed, I will myself ride forth into the storm."
And a thousand torches light up the forest, and the echo of a thousand voices rings far and wide. And the Kaiser's voice combats with the storm as he cries, "Reinhilde! Reinhilde! my little daughter!"