But the old man over there must first give me his promise that he will allow you, without objection, to relate what you saw in the wood, and--well, other things will settle themselves." "Come--only come!" cried the fisherman to her, unable to utter another word.

At the same time he stretched his arms wide over the current towards her, and to give her assurance that he would do what she required, nodded his head.

This motion caused his white hair to fall strangely over his face, and Huldbrand could not but remember the nodding white man of the forest.

Without allowing anything, however, to produce in him the least confusion, the young knight took the beautiful girl in his arms, and bore her across the narrow channel which the stream had torn away between her little island and the solid shore.
The old man fell upon Undine's neck, and found it impossible either to express his joy or to kiss her enough; even the ancient dame came up and embraced the recovered girl most cordially.

Every word of censure was carefully avoided; the more so, indeed, as even Undine, forgetting her waywardness, almost overwhelmed her foster-parents with caresses and the prattle of tenderness.
When at length the excess of their joy at recovering their child had subsided, morning had already dawned, shining upon the waters of the lake; the tempest had become hushed, the small birds sung merrily on the moist branches.
As Undine now insisted upon hearing the recital of the knight's promised adventures, the aged couple readily agreed to her wish.