Hauke Haien is a brilliant outsider who fulfills a childhood dream as a young dyke master: the construction of an innovative dike designed to better withstand the waves. The villagers are skeptical and see him as the embodiment of an ancient legend: when he rides over the dike on his white horse, Hauke Haien becomes the demonic rider who disrupts their lives and laws. Theodor Storm's most famous novella is a masterpiece of realistic storytelling, exploring the conflict between rationality and superstition, progress and tradition.