to eat save fish or crabs.

But the knight loved Undine's wayward words. And well he knew that
after she had shown her anger most, she would in but a little while be
again kind and gentle as before.

On the quiet island Huldbrand heard no call to knightly deeds. His
sword hung unused on the cottage wall, his steed fed undisturbed among
the sweet-scented meadows.

'The maiden is the daughter of a great prince, thought the knight. 'It
is not possible that she should remain in this humble cottage all her
life. She shall be my bride, and in days to come she shall dwell in my
castle of Ringstetten on the banks of the Danube.'

Meanwhile, naught disturbed the dwellers in the little cottage, save
now and again when her foster-mother would chide Undine in the
presence of the knight.

Now, though this displeased Huldbrand, he could not blame the old
woman, for it was ever true that the maiden deserved reproof more
often than she received it.

At length wine and food began to grow scarce in the little cottage.
In the evening, when the wind howled around their home, the fisherman
and the knight had been used to cheer themselves with a flask of wine.
But now that the fisherman was not able to reach the city, his supply
of wine had come to an end. Without it the old man and the knight grew
silent and dull.