She laughed on him, and arose; and when
she stood up, tall and golden, he seemed somewhat afeard of so big a
creature, but stood his ground valiantly. Then she stooped down to
him and kissed him, and he naysaid her not, but seemed rather glad
when it was over; but when Birdalone went to the little maid, and
kissed her, the child clung to her as if she were her mother, and
babbled to her.
Then comes the lad to her, and takes her hand, and would draw her
away, and speaks to her in his prattle, and she understood him to
mean that she should come with him to see the father. So she went,
wondering what should next betide; and the little maiden went on the
other side of her, holding by a fold of her skirt. Forsooth the goat
followed bleating, not well pleased to be forgotten.
Now had Birdalone time to look about her, though the two babes fell
to prattling with her in their way, and she thought it sweet to look
down on the two little faces that looked up to her so pleased and
merry.
She was in a grassy plain, somewhat over rough and broken to be
called a meadow, and not enough be-timbered to be called a wood; it
rose up a little and slowly as they left the water, but scarce so
much as one might call it a hill.
Pages:
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148