After a while the thick beech-wood gave out, and he came into a place
where great oaks grew, fair and stately, as though some lord's
wood-reeve had taken care that they should not grow over close together,
and betwixt them the greensward was fine, unbroken, and flowery.
Thereby as he rode he beheld deer, both buck and hart and roe,
and other wild things, but for a long while no man.
The afternoon wore and still he rode the oak wood,
and deemed it a goodly forest for the greatest king on earth.
At last he came to where another road crossed the way he followed,
and about the crossway was the ground clearer of trees,
while beyond it the trees grew thicker, and there was some
underwood of holly and thorn as the ground fell off as towards
a little dale.
There Ralph drew rein, because he doubted in his mind which was
his right road toward the Burg of the Four Friths; so he got off
his horse and abode a little, if perchance any might come by;
he looked about him, and noted on the road that crossed his,
and the sward about it, the sign of many horses having gone by,
and deemed that they had passed but a little while.
So he lay on the ground to rest him and let his horse stray
about and bite the grass; for the beast loved him and would
come at his call or his whistle.
Ralph was drowsy when he lay down, and though he said to
himself that he would nowise go to sleep, yet as oft happens,
he had no defence to make against sleepiness, and presently
his hands relaxed, his head fell aside, and he slept quietly.
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