The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-17

under Frederick the Great. His family was French originally. but his ancestors had emigrated to Prussia, and there was nothing left of French in them except the name when he made it famous.
 In the beginning of the 18th century Fouque was one of the most celebrated authors of his time. Today practically all of his works have become forgotten with the brilliant exception of one beau tiful story-"Dndne." It is quite just to characterize this exquisitely tender, pure and brave tale as one of the very fine creations of the literary art of the world. NE beautiful evening en old fish
 erman sat before his hut at the O point of a green peninsula that extended into a glorious inland sea in the southern part of Germany. From time to time he cast shy glances at the immense black forest that cut his lonely habitation off from the rest of humanity. Few men dared to enter it, and when the old fisherman carried his catch to the walled city that lay on the other side, he never forgot to sing pious songs on the way.
 Suddenly it seeemed to him as if he heard strange sounds in the gloomy thick cts. It seemed to him. too, as if he saw a tall, snowy-white man, who nodded continually. He said a prayer with all the simple faith of simple old heart, and 90 soon as he had uttered his Amen" he saw with smile how his eyes had de- ceived him.
 The white. nodding man was the famil- far mountain stream that threw itself, 1rothing and laundering, out of the wood cd ravines and sprang into the sea at the neck of the peninsula. The strange noises became those of a horse, crashing through underbrush; and in another mo- ment young knight rode out of the for est
 scarlet cloak hung over his gold embroidered tunic. Red feathers waved ever his golden helmet His white stall lion. harnessed with gold and steel, stepped over the grass as gracefully as deer.
 "Can you give me shelter for the night, my good old fisherman" asked the knight q see a great water before me; and to ride back again after sunset through that strange forest is a venture for which I care not"
 Let us not speak of the wood," said the fisherman. and led the guest into his hut, where his old wife arose with pleasant smile and bade him welcome so heartily that the stranger felt, he knew not why, as if he had come home after long wandering. The old people told him about the peninsula and their lonely life, and they listened with pleasure to his story how his name was Huldbrand von Ringstetten. and of his adventures since he had left his castle at the source of the Danube.
 Several times during his tale the stranger had heard a sound at the win dow as if someone was splashing it with water The old man started up and cried; "Undine! Will you ever step your child isl pranks?" Farming to the knight, lie said: You must pardon this, and perhaps other tricks, my honored guest. It is our adopted daughter Undine who cannot for get her youthful folles though she is lS But she is Q dear good girl, for all thatr'
 Tt is easy for you to talk" said the old woman. You see her only when you return from fishing, and then, no doubt, Ter tricks are quite amusing. But to have her about one all day, and to be forced to watch her all the time instead of get tinS some help from her&how would you like that? And yet one cannot be angry with her." concluded she, and smiled loy ingly.
 The door was thrown open and a ra- oiant little creature slipped through it. T shoulders like the rebellious waves of mountain brook when the sunlight has dived to it's gravel bed and turned it to bright laughing gold. Her eyes were so blue and clear that it was as if the blu est sky of spring had left it's pure splen- dor there, to shine henceforth on earth.
 She stepped toward the guest and gazed with honest admiration at the handsome youth. He in turn looked at the beautiful girl with delight such as no other wo- mans face ever had given to him.
 Suddenly she sank to her knees before him and said "Why how did you find your way into our poor hut, you kind, pleasant guest? Do you come from the evil forest, you handsome youth?' a The two old people scolded her for her boldness and ordered her to sit down and do her sewing, as a modest maiden should She placed little footstool by the knights feet and sat down, saying: ..Now you shall tell me how you came to 20 through the wonderful woods, which people fear so much"
 Huldbrand felt a little tremor flee over his skin He glanced involuntarilys at the panes through which the black night looked. For moment he imagined that fantastic faces were grinning out there. He was about to begin nevertheless. when the old man interrupted him with: "Noble knight, this is an i'll time to tell such a tale"
 Undine sprang up, stood defantly be- fore them and cried: "3ut he shall tell his tale. He shall!'
 She stamped her little foot, and the knight admired her none the less for her i'll behavior; but the old people reproyed her angrily. ''Very we'll" cried Un- dine. "if you will scold sleep alone in your smoky hut" and the next instant she vanished into the gloom.
 Huldbrand and the old fisherman ran after her, but though they searched as best they could in the pitchy darkness, they had to return to the hut without her. "It is not the first, time she has spent the night under the open sky" said the old man. We are accustomed to it in