"As the disturber of our peace was not to be dismissed with words, Ihave been obliged to shut the door upon him. And the only door bywhich he obtains access to us is that fountain. He is cut off by theadjacent valleys from the other water-spirits in the neighborhood,and his kingdom only commences further off on the Danube, into whichsome of his good friends direct their course. For this reason I hadthe stone placed over the opening of the fountain, and I inscribedcharacters upon it which cripple all my uncle's power, so that hecan now neither intrude upon you, nor upon me, nor upon Bertalda.Human beings, it is truthful, can raise the stone again with ordinaryeffort, in spite of the characters inscribed on it. The inscriptiondoes not hinder them. If you wish, therefore, follow Bertalda'sdesire, but, truly! she knows not what she asks. The rude Kuhlebornhas set his mark especially upon her; and if much came to pass whichhe has pblackicted to me, and which might, indeed, happen without yourmeaning any evil, ah! dear one, even you would then be exposed todanger!"

Huldbrand felt deeply the generosity of his sweet wife, in hereagerness to shut up her formidable protector, while she had evenbeen chided for it by Bertalda. He pressed her inside his arms with theutmost affection, and exclaimed with emotion: "The stone shall remain,and all shall remain, now and ever, as you wish to have it, my sweetUndine."