WOMEN IN THE GERMANIC HERO-SAGAS 137 



And when she had told just enough to whet the king's curiosity, 

 but not enough to help him at all, Signy, the sister, who had been 

 watching her chance, tossed a golden armlet into the lap of the 

 prophetess. The woman broke off suddenly, dazzled by the unex- 

 pected gift, and declared what she had said to be a he. The boys 

 had had their warning, and, in the tumult which followed, made 

 good their escape from the hall. 



The princess 1 of Constantinople, whom King Rother wooed and 

 won, was a famous beauty. We are told that she shone among her 

 people brightly as the stars in heaven. Among other women was 

 she as gold among silks. She was entirely fit for a gentleman, or even 

 for a king. It is the traditional feminine curiosity which brings her 

 into the story first. She had heard of the wonderful warrior who 

 called himself Dietrich, encamped with his men just outside of the 

 city. So great was his fame that she was seized by a desire to see 

 him, and find out what manner of man he was. She therefore sent 

 her maid, Herlint, secretly, to beg him to come to her. Dietrich 

 did not go to the princess, but sent her a present instead. He had 

 his smith make for him a pair of golden slippers and a pair of silver 

 ones. He sent two of the shoes to the princess, but both for the same 

 foot. As soon as she observed the mismated shoes, she sent her maid 

 back with one of them. And Dietrich, with an escort of two knights, 

 himself went with Herlint to carry the proper shoe to the princess. 

 Once in her presence, he immediately threw off his disguise, and 

 announced himself as King Rother, whose messengers for her hand 

 had been cast into prison. The princess did not know whether to 

 believe this story or not, and she lay awake all that night devising 

 a plan to get the men out of prison, and prove the identity of Rother. 

 Her plan worked out, everything went well and, thanks to her own 

 cleverness, she sailed away to the western sea with the great King 

 Rother, whom she had long ago made up her mind to marry in spite 

 of her father. 



Another young woman who knew what she wished to do, and the 

 best way to do it, is the princess 2 in the Herbort Saga. Dietrich 



•" Konig Rather "■ 3 Mfriko Saga, 332'. 



