Undine

A mysterious water spirit. A noble knight. A love that reaches across the boundary between the mortal and supernatural worlds.

On the shores of a secluded lake lives Undine, the beautiful and unpredictable foster daughter of an elderly fisherman and his wife. When the knight Huldbrand seeks shelter at their cottage after an unsettling journey through an enchanted forest, he becomes captivated by the strange young woman. Their growing love leads to marriage-and to the revelation of Undine's extraordinary secret: she is an elemental spirit of the waters who, through union with a human, has gained the immortal soul she once lacked.

Yet the gift of a soul brings with it the joys and sorrows of human existence. As Huldbrand's former affection for the beautiful Bertalda threatens their marriage, Undine finds herself caught between human love and the ancient laws governing her supernatural kind. Filled with enchanted forests, restless waters, elemental beings, romance, betrayal, sacrifice, and tragedy, Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué's Undine is a haunting masterpiece of German Romantic fantasy-a timeless tale of what it means to love, to possess a soul, and to discover the terrible price that both may demand.