Undine | Page 6

the fisherman's voice as he
called out pitifully, 'Undine! Undine!' Now in his search the knight had
reached the edge of the stream. The stream, as you know, had already
overflowed its bank, and as the moon suddenly shone through the dark
clouds, Huldbrand saw that the water was rushing back toward the
forest. In this way the little bit of meadow-land on which the
fisherman's cottage stood was turned into an island.
A terrible thought struck the knight. Had Undine strayed into the
fearful forest she could not now return to the cottage, save across the
raging stream, nay, she might even now be surrounded by the spirits of
the wood. She would be among them alone, helpless.
At once Huldbrand made up his mind to cross the torrent. He plunged
into the water, and even as he did so he seemed to see on the other
shore the figure of a tall white man, who nodded his head and mocked
him as he struggled on. Huldbrand knew the tall white figure only too
well. It was the one that had followed him as he journeyed through the
forest.
Now; in his haste to find Undine, the knight was leaping from stone to
stone, sometimes slipping into the water, then with a struggle placing
his feet once again upon the stones. These, tossed by the rushing stream,
gave no firm foothold to the knight, and he was forced to seize the
branch of a fir-tree to help him across the dangerous passage.
While he was still in the midst of the current, he heard a sweet voice
crying, 'Trust not the stream, trust it not, for it is full of craft!'
The knight knew the voice. It was that of the maiden for whom he
sought. Yet though he peered eagerly through the gloom he could see

no trace of her.
'See! you can find me now, Sir Knight, for the moon is shining clear,'
cried the voice he longed to hear, and looking around him Huldbrand
saw where Undine had found a shelter. It was on a little island, beneath
the branches of a great tree, that the maiden sat. There was no terror of
the storm in her eyes. She was even smiling happily as she nestled amid
the sweet scented grass, safe from the fury of the storm.
A few quick strides and the knight had crossed the stream and stood by
the side of the maiden. She bade him sit down on the grass, and then,
whispering low, she said, 'You shall tell me your story here, Sir Knight,
on this quiet island here, where no cross old people will disturb us, and
where we are sheltered from the storm that rages beyond.'
[Illustration: Amid the sweet-scented grass, safe from the fury of the
storm]
Then Huldbrand forgot all about the old man who was still seeking for
his child, forgot too all about the old woman who was alone in the little
cottage by the lake, and he sat down to tell his tale as the maiden
wished.
Meanwhile the fisherman had reached the brink of the stream, and great
was his surprise to see the knight seated by the side of his lost child.
'You have found her, you have found my little one!' he cried
reproachfully. 'Why did you not hasten to tell me she was found, Sir
Knight?'
Then Huldbrand was ashamed, though, as he told the old man, it was
but a little while since his search had ceased.
'Bring her without more delay to the mainland!' shouted the fisherman,
when he had listened to the sorry excuse which was all the knight could
offer.
But Undine had no wish to go home. She would rather stay with the

knight in the forest than go back to the cottage, for there, so she said,
no one would do as she wished.
Then, flinging her arms around the knight, she clung to him and begged
him to stay with her in the forest.
The old fisherman wept as he heard her words, yet Undine did not seem
to notice his tears. But the knight could not help seeing the old man's
grief, and he was troubled.
'Undine,' he cried, 'the tears of your foster-father have touched my heart.
We will return to him.'
The blue eyes of the maiden opened wide with surprise, yet she
answered gently, 'Sir Knight, if this is indeed your will, we shall return
to the mainland. There you must make the old man promise to listen in
silence to all that you saw as you journeyed through the forest.'
'Only come, and you shall do all that you wish!' cried the fisherman,
and he stretched out his arms and nodded his head, to show to the
maiden how