Chapter IV.
HOW YWAIN CAME TO AN HERMITAGE IN A WOOD.

So Ywain marched alone in the high wood, and for a time he saw no more the sun, nor the light of the sun, for the wood was of pines and they were marvellous thick above his head. But the stems were far enough apart and the track went this way and that among them, and whiles it turned aside and whiles it forked, and whiles it was no track at all. But Ywain went always right forward and would not stay, nor leave following his own thought. And as he went it came again into his mind that he was a new man, for though he was still amazed with questions yet he carried neither forethought nor repentance, and he marched to a song that was in his ears. And in his marching there came to him the remembrance of the child that had led him forth, and though he knew surely that he was now alone, yet, by the imagination of his heart, he could well see the child dancing before him upon the path of the forest.

And at last when he had gone a long way and could by no means tell how long, on a sudden he looked far before him and saw the ground all fresh with grass, and no more pine-needles upon it but sunlight and shadow. And he went quickly forward and came out from the dark wood and stood in an open grove that was hoar with silver-birches: and beyond the grove was a stream that ran burbling, and beyond the stream was a bank with great beeches upon it. So for delight of that place he turned and left following the path, and went along between the beechroots and the stream.

And as he went the bank upon the right hand was ever higher and steeper, until there were no more beeches upon it, but by the stream was a bare lawn between this wood and that, and a little cliff thereby, as sharp as a cliff of the sea. Now the cliff was of red sand, and the face of it was carven curiously: for in it were two steps and a doorway, as it were the doorway of a church, and two windows of like fashion with a little mullion to each: so that Ywain knew it for an hermitage. And he sat down to look upon it, stepping back within the shadow of the beech-trees: and when he looked, it did him great good to see and to think upon it, for the house was small and secret, and though the carven work of it was but plain, yet it well showed the pleasure of him that had worked at it.

Then the hermit came out from within, and when he saw him Ywain kept close to watch what he would do, for he knew not the manner of hermits, nor how they live all their life-days, seeing that they have time before them like new-fallen snow, without fence or foot-mark.

Now the hermit had bread in his hand, and Ywain hungered at the sight of it, for he had had none since the morning was early, and it was now late, and this he knew by the hermit’s shadow, for it lay small and squat about his feet. Nevertheless he would not move, but kept still where he sat, for his desire to see was greater than his desire to eat, and he thought moreover that he might yet come to the eating after the seeing.

So he looked and saw as he desired: for the hermit broke the bread and rubbed it in his hand and threw the crumbs abroad upon the lawn: and instantly there came upon the place a dozen of small fowls, such as dunnocks and finches, and they hovered and hopped after the bread as long as he would throw it. And some part of it he would not throw, but he walked away from the birds and came to the stream and held out his hand above a little pool where the water ran curdling. And Ywain knew that he was giving the remnant to the fish, and that they were by likelihood trout that came for it, for where a crumb fell upon the pool there he saw the water broken, and at some times there was no splashing but only a ridge that ran swiftly upon the face of the pool.

Then when all was finished the hermit stood looking upon the water as one that loved the sound of it and had no need to be elsewhere. But the sun was strong upon his head, and Ywain saw how he drew his hood around his neck where it was bare at the nape, and so went back to the house in the rock. And as he entered in at the doorway the shadow was cool and dark upon him, and then he was gone as a fox goes into his earth.

But Ywain mused yet a little while longer, and all that he had seen seemed strange and very good to him, like the tales of the elves and pixies, of whom there is nothing told that will not please young children, because they also have their dealing with the little things of the earth, and are of no account with grown men. And he wondered if this might be the end of his desire, to live secretly and far off from men, having his converse only with the creatures of the greenwood.