So I went till I came to a little flowery dell, beset with
blossoming whitethorns and with a fair stream running through it;
a place somewhat like to this, save that the stream there was bigger.
And the sun was hot about noontide, so I did off my raiment,
which was rough and poor, and more meet for winter than May-tide,
and I entered a pool of the clear water, and bathed me and
sported therein, smelling the sweet scent of the whitethorns
and hearkening to the song of the many birds; and when I came
forth from the water, the air was so soft and sweet to me,
and the flowery grass so kind to my feet, and the May-blooms fell
upon my shoulders, that I was loth to do on my rough raiment hastily,
and withal I looked to see no child of man in that wilderness:
so I sported myself there a long while, and milked a goat and drank
of the milk, and crowned myself with white-thorn and hare-bells;
and held the blossoms in my hand, and felt that I also had some might
in me, and that I should not be a thrall of that sorceress for ever.
And that day, my friend, belike was the spring-tide of the life
and the love that thou holdest in thy kind arms.
"But as I abode thus in that fair place, and had just taken my
rock and spindle in hand that I might go on with my task and give
as little occasion as I might for my mistress to chastise me,
I looked up and saw a child of man coming down the side of the little
dale towards me, so I sprang up, and ran to my raiment and cast them
on me hastily, for I was ashamed; and when I saw that it was a woman,
I thought at first that it was my mistress coming to seek me;
and I thought within myself that if she smote me I would bear it
no more, but let it be seen which of the twain was the mightier.
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