Undine (2nd translation) | Page 6

with
us in the cottage." All was silent without, only a suppressed laugh was
audible, and the fisherman said as he returned: "You must pardon it in
her, my honored guest, and perhaps many a naughty trick besides; but
she means no harm by it. It is our foster-child, Undine, and she will not
wean herself from this childishness, although she has already entered
her eighteenth year. But, as I said, at heart she is thoroughly good."
"You may well talk," replied the old woman, shaking her head; "when
you come home from fishing or from a journey, her frolics may then be
very delightful, but to have her about one the whole day long, and
never to hear a sensible word, and instead of finding her a help in the
housekeeping as she grows older, always to be obliged to be taking care
that her follies do not completely ruin us, that is quite another thing,
and the patience of a saint would be worn out at last."
"Well, well," said her husband with a smile, "you have your troubles
with Undine, and I have mine with the lake. It often breaks away my
dams, and tears my nets to pieces, but for all that, I have an affection
for it, and so have you for the pretty child, in spite of all your crosses
and vexations. Isn't it so?"
"One can't be very angry with her, certainly," said the old woman, and
she smiled approvingly.
Just then the door flew open, and a beautiful, fair girl glided laughing
into the room, and said "You have only been jesting, father, for where
is your guest?"
At the same moment, however, she perceived the knight, and stood
fixed with astonishment before the handsome youth, Huldbrand was
struck with her charming appearance, and dwelt the more earnestly on
her lovely features, as he imagined it was only her surprise that gave
him this brief enjoyment, and that she would presently turn from his
gaze with increased bashfulness. It was, however, quite otherwise; for
after having looked at him for some time, she drew near him

confidingly, knelt down before him, and said, as she played with a gold
medal which he wore on his breast, suspended from a rich chain: "Why,
you handsome, kind guest, how have you come to our poor cottage at
last? Have you been obliged then to wander through the world for years,
before you could find your way to us? Do you come out of that wild
forest, my beautiful knight?" The old woman's reproof allowed him no
time for reply. She admonished the girl to stand up and behave herself
and to go to her work. Undine, however, without making any answer
drew a little footstool close to Huldbrand's chair, sat down upon it with
her spinning, and said pleasantly: "I will work here." The old man did
as parents are wont to do with spoiled children. He affected to observe
nothing of Undine's naughtiness and was beginning to talk of
something else. But this the girl would not let him do; she said: "I have
asked our charming guest whence he comes, and he has not yet
answered me."
"I come from the forest, you beautiful little vision," returned Huldbrand;
and she went on to say:--
"Then you must tell me how you came there, for it is usually so feared,
and what marvellous adventures you met with in it, for it is impossible
to escape without something of the sort."
Huldbrand felt a slight shudder at this remembrance, and looked
involuntarily toward the window, for it seemed to him as if one of the
strange figures he had encountered in the forest were grinning in there;
but he saw nothing but the deep dark night, which had now shrouded
everything without. Upon this he composed himself and was on the
point of beginning his little history, when the old man interrupted him
by saying: "Not so, sir knight! this is no fit hour for such things."
Undine, however, sprang angrily from her little stool, and standing
straight before the fisherman with her fair arms fixed in her sides, she
exclaimed: "He shall not tell his story, father? He shall not? but it is my
will. He shall! He shall in spite of you!" and thus saying she stamped
her pretty little foot vehemently on the floor, but she did it all with such
a comically graceful air that Huldbrand now felt his gaze almost more
riveted upon her in her anger than before in her gentleness.

The restrained wrath of the old man, on the contrary, burst forth
violently. He severely reproved Undine's disobedience and unbecoming
behavior to the stranger, and his good old wife joined with him heartily.
Undine quickly retorted: "If you want