These folk seemed to me happy and of good wealth, though to my lord they seemed poor and lacking of the goods of the world.

Forsooth, by that time we lacked more than they, for we were worn with cold and hunger, and hard life: though for me, indeed, happy had been the days of my wayfaring, but my lord remembered the days of his riches and the kingdom of his father, and the worship of mighty men, and all that he had promised me on the happy day when I first beheld him: so belike he was scarce so happy as I was.
"It was springtime when we came to that folk; for we had worn through the autumn and winter in getting clear of the wilderness.

Not that the way was long, as I found out afterwards, but that we went astray in the woodland, and at last came out of it into a dreadful stony waste which we strove to cross thrice, and thrice were driven back into the greenwood by thirst and hunger; but the fourth time, having gotten us store of victual by my woodcraft, we overpassed it and reached the peopled country.
"Yea, spring was on the earth, as we, my lord and I, came down from the desolate stony heaths, and went hand and hand across the plain, where men and women of that folk were feasting round about the simple roofs and woodland halls which they had raised there.

Then they left their games and sports and ran to us, and we walked on quietly, though we knew not whether the meeting was to be for death or life.

But that kind folk gathered round us, and asked us no story till they had fed us, and bathed us, and clad us after their fashion.