“Even this do I promise,” said Gunther, “O Siegfried, on thine hand;

And if Brunhild the lovely cometh hither to this my land,

Then will I give thee my sister to wife in requital for this;

So mayest thou with thy fair one for ever live in bliss.”

Then by an oath did they pledge them, those noble warriors twain;

But thereof unto both was begotten exceeding toil and strain.

Or ever they brought into Rhineland that lady of princely blood,

In peril exceeding grievous those valiant heroes stood.

(C) Now concerning the tameless Earth-dwarfs this thing have I heard folk say,

That they dwell in the mountain-caverns, and about their heads they lay