Reinhard continued along the shore. A stone's throw from the land he
perceived a white water-lily. All at once he was seized with the
desire to see it quite close, so he threw off his clothes and entered
the water. It was quite shallow; sharp stones and water plants cut his
feet, and yet he could not reach water deep enough for him to swim in.

Then suddenly he stepped out of his depth: the waters swirled above
him; and it was some time before he rose to the surface again. He
struck out with hands and feet and swam about in a circle until he had
made quite sure from what point he had entered the water. And soon too
he saw the lily again floating lonely among the large, gleaming
leaves.

He swam slowly out, lifting every now and then his arms out of the
water so that the drops trickled down and sparkled in the moonlight.
Yet the distance between him and the flower showed no signs of
diminishing, while the shore, as he glanced back at it, showed behind
him in a hazy mist that ever deepened. But he refused to give up the
venture and vigorously continued swimming in the same direction.

At length he had come so near the flower that he was able clearly to
distinguish the silvery leaves in the moonlight; but at the same time
he felt himself entangled in a net formed by the smooth stems of the
water plants which swayed up from the bottom and wound themselves
round his naked limbs.

The unfamiliar water was black all round about him, and behind him he
heard the sound of a fish leaping. Suddenly such an uncanny feeling
overpowered him in the midst of this strange element that with might
and main he tore asunder the network of plants and swam back to land