I stood for one moment afraid beyond measure, though the woman did not look
at me, and I hoped she had not seen me; then I ran back into the storm,
though it was now wilder than ever, and ran and hid myself in the thicket
of the wood, half-dead with fear, and wondering what would become of me.
But finding that no one followed after me, I grew calmer, and the storm
also drew off, and the sun shone out a little before his setting:
so I sat and spun, with fear in my heart, till I had finished my
tale of thread, and when dusk came, stole back again to the house,
though my legs would scarce bear me over the threshold into the chamber.
"There sat the woman in her rich attire no otherwise than her wont,
nor did she say aught to me; but looked at the yarn that I had spun,
to see that I had done my task, and nodded sternly to me as her wont was,
and I went to bed amongst my goats as I was used to do, but slept not till
towards morning, and then images of dreadful things, and of miseries
that I may not tell thee of, mingled with my sleep for long.
"So I awoke and ate my meat and drank of the goats' milk with a heavy heart,
and then went into the house; and when I came into the chamber
the woman looked at me, and contrary to her wont spoke to me, and I
shook with terror at her voice; though she said naught but this:
'Go fetch thy white goat and come back to me therewith.'
I did so, and followed after her, sick with fear; and she led me
through the wood into a lawn which I knew well, round which was a wall,
as it were, of great yew trees, and amidst, a table of stone,
made of four uprights and a great stone plank on the top of them;
and this was the only thing in all the wood wherein I was used
to wander which was of man's handiwork, save and except our house,
and the sheds and fences about it.
Pages:
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207