Undine

Undine is the name of the water maiden whose story you will read as you turn the leaves of this little book. Undine is beautiful as the dawn stealing across the waters, beautiful as the spray of the crystal waves. Yet when she comes to earth she comes to seek for that without which her beauty will be for ever cold, cold and chill as the surge of the salt, salt sea. Look deep into her blue eyes and you will see why her beauty is so cold, so chill. In the eyes of every mortal you may see a soul. In the gay blue eyes of Undine, look you long and never so deep, no soul will look forth to meet your gaze. Love, joy, sorrow, these are the pearls that shine in the eyes of every mortal. But in the eyes of the water maiden there is no gleam of love, no sparkle of joy, no tear of sorrow. Undine has come to earth to seek for a soul. Without one she may never know the golden gifts God has given to each mortal, gifts these of love, joy, sorrow. You will read in this little book how Undine, the water maiden, won for herself a human soul.

- Taken from "Undine" Told To The Children by Mary MacGregor, written by Friedrich de la Motte Fouquée