“Truly,” sighed old Herbrand, “I would not give a hair of my head for the prize.  ’Tis but a crown of roses and a kiss from one of the queen’s ladies; though it is said, indeed, that they are as lovely as women may be.”

“Are there no fair maids in Bern?” cried the warriors indignantly.  “Must we go to the Rhine for them?”

“For myself,” said Dietrich, “I care little for the reward; yet methinks that for the honour and glory I would e’en meet these doughty warriors, and peradventure overcome them.  Who will follow me to Burgundy?”

As with one voice his knights responded to his appeal, and he chose eight from among them to accompany him on his quest.  As there were still but nine, including Dietrich himself, to meet the twelve guardians of the Rose Garden, the king decided to send for three knights who were absent from the court.  At the suggestion of Hildebrand he selected Ruediger of Bechlarn, Dietleib of Styria, and Ilsan, who was brother to Hildebrand and at that time a monk in the monastery of Munchenzell.  Ruediger was margrave to King Etzel, and had to obtain his lord’s permission to venture forth on the romantic undertaking; Dietleib’s father strongly recommended that the quest be abandoned, though the youth himself was as eager as any to accompany Dietrich; while as for Ilsan, he found it especially difficult to obtain leave of absence, for, naturally, his abbot deemed the enterprise a strange one for a monk who had fled all earthly delights.  However, all difficulties were eventually overcome, and when the party was ready for departure Ruediger was sent on an embassy to King Gibich at Worms, to prepare him for their coming.  Gibich gave his ready consent to the proposed trial of strength, whereupon the warriors set out for the Rhine to see whether they might not win a kiss and a garland from some fair lady.

An imposing array did the knights of the Rose Garden make as they awaited the approach of the strangers, but no less imposing were Dietrich and his warriors.  Each chose an opponent and immediately engaged in a fierce hand-to-hand struggle, which was to end disastrously for more than one brave knight.  The first to dispatch his antagonist was Wolfhart, who submitted to being crowned with a rose-wreath, but disdained to accept the rest of the reward.  The monk, who was the next victor, took the roses and kissed the maiden heartily.  But alas! a bristly beard covered his chin, and the maid was left ruefully rubbing her pouting lips.  One by one Dietrich’s knights overcame their adversaries, some of whom were slain and some wounded.  Toward nightfall a truce was called, and Dietrich and his company set out to return to Bern, well satisfied with having disproved the assertion of Herbrand that there were better warriors in the world than Dietrich and his noble company.

The Devil’s Vineyard

There is a curious legend told to account for the excellent quality of the wine of Worms.  An old nobleman who at one time lived in that neighbourhood was in the habit of drinking more of the Rhenish wine than was good for him.  In every other respect he was a most worthy man, kind, generous, and pious.