Chapter XXIX.
HOW YWAIN CAME INTO THE LOST LANDS OF THE SOUTH, AND OF THREE SIGNS WHEREBY THAT COUNTRY MIGHT BE KNOWN.

Now Ywain had in his going but one only intent, and that was by reason of his lady’s word that he should find her in the South. So he ceased from his running and his shouting, and he looked upon the stars; and under the Herdsman he found the South and made to go thitherward. But he went not by the way of the high-road: for he supposed that Vincent and his would raise hue and cry after him. So he left the road and climbed forthright upon the foothills that were hard by the city. And as he had supposed, so he saw it come about upon the road beneath him: for there issued suddenly out of the gateway both lanthorns and torches, like a scattering of sparks out of a chimney. And they which bore them ran hither and thither both up and down the road, bawling and babbling in the worst manner: for their voices were harsh to hear, and out of all tune of bells. And Ywain sat above and beheld them unaware: and all their fury was by reason only that one had forsaken their ordinance.

Then he left them to their hunting, and climbed further above the foothills: and he went all night to the Southward by starlight only. And when the cold of dawn was past then the sun shone warmly upon him: and a shepherd gave him milk and bread to break fast, and he lay long thereafter in a hollow of the hills. And about him was much blossom of wild flowers, and upon the blossom came a million of bees, some great and some small, and every one of them droning busily upon his bagpipes: and also below that place was a meadow of sheep with many lambs bleating. And Ywain had joy of those beasts and of their droning and their bleating: for whether he slept or wakened the sound of them was in his ears and in his blood.

Then at the dusk he set forth again, and so he went nine nights and days: for always he voyaged by night and slept by day, because of espial. But on the ninth night he came into the lands which Aithne named to him, for she named them the Lost Lands of the South; and when he was come therein he knew them by a sign, and the sign whereby he knew them was the third of three.

For when he first came into those lands it was evening, and not long past moonrise: and notwithstanding that all day he had taken joy of the sun and of the noise of beasts and birds, yet now he had no less joy of the coolness and the silence. And he strode forward upon the shoulders of the hills, going swiftly and strongly: for the moon was now waxing fast, and the light of her lightened the green spaces of the grass.

Then as he went his eyes also were lightened, and he saw the world anew. For he perceived how that the beauty of it was of no fading excellence, but only by long time forgotten: and belike remembered again and again forgotten many times, according as men made clean their hearts or darkened them. And he saw that land as a land of gods and not of men only: and though he saw not the gods nor heard them, yet he perceived plainly both their radiance and their breathing.

Then in his joy he gave thanks to the Moon, as to the Queen of Heaven: for he knew no longer what he did. And immediately he saw before him an upland all hoar in moonlight: for upon the sides of it there was a semblance as of mist rising. Yet was that semblance no mist, for it moved swiftly without wind: and Ywain looked again and saw it as a company of maidens dancing together. And their attire was all of cloudy silk, and their feet were bright as with ten thousand dew drops: and their hair was whirled about them like wisps of smoke. And it seemed to Ywain that they danced so lightly as no thing living, save music only: for that will dance lightly without sound in the imagination of the heart.

And Ywain knew not the dancers nor how they might be named: but I suppose that they were of the hill maidens, which were of old time called by the name of Oreads. And it is like enough that they which he saw were the same: for their beauty also was of the earth but nowise transitory. And Ywain beheld their dancing gladly and kept no count of time; for as he stood the Moon passed over him and went Southing, and he marked her not. But at the last they danced more quickly, and with the sight of them his blood began to work: and he endured it not long, but he went running towards the upland. And as he ran the maidens whirled them thrice into the air, and so sank down: and Ywain saw them no more, for the earth received them, and the hill lay bare before him.

Then he took his way Southward and looked again upon the moon: and the silver of her beam was faded, and the sable of her shadows, for she was well-nigh drowned in dawn. And when the day was risen he began to go more wearily: for in those lands the sun was nearer and bore hard upon the wayfarers. And within a fair mile he saw a wood before him: and the wood was full of great ilex-trees, with laurels shining about the margent of it. And he devised to go therein, by reason of the shade and coolness.

But when he was come thither he clean forgot his weariness: and he perceived that the wood was no lonely place but full of magic. For when he looked he saw nothing stirring: but when he looked not then always he perceived a stirring or a flitting or a vanishing on the one side or on the other. And he walked no more freely, but warily, by reason of the eyes and ears that were about him: yet he saw neither eyes nor ears to give him reason.

Then at the last he came again to open ground, and he laid him down upon the edge of it within the shadow of the wood: and he took his rest and thought to be there alone. But within a while he returned into his restlessness: for he heard a sighing as of a little wind that came quickly and went past him and so along the hillside upwards. And in the passing of the wind he saw as it were three damsels running swiftly one after another. And as they ran his eyes were dazed with the beauty of them and his wits stood still and the whole world moved about him. And he got him to his feet and laid his hand upon his eyes: and when he had covered his eyes then he remembered how he had seen those damsels plainly. For they were tall and slender of form and clear brown of colour: and they were arrayed all in green and gold like young boughs in sunlight. Also they ran smoothly as a full river will run towards a weir.

Then he lifted his eyes and looked again: and he saw them and saw them not. For the place was still and no thing moved upon it: but under the sun were three trees there before him. And the trees were by seeming three laurels windy-blown: for they leaned a little forward one after another, and their greenery went all one way, as it were streaming up the hillside. And Ywain supposed that in the dazzle of his eyes he had seen the trees and taken them for damsels: yet he looked long upon them as though perchance they were damsels indeed, and trees by semblance only. So he went forward pondering, and this time also he knew not that it was a sign which he had seen.

Then he began to leave the high hills, and he came into a little downland with downs that tumbled divers ways. And it was a bare land, but warm and rich: and in the valleys were cots with corn about them, and rivers going softly in deep meadows. And as he went he saw before him a beechen grove with seven trees therein: and the grove was lonely and clear of boskage, and it seemed to Ywain that he had sight of children playing between the trees. So he came nearer, going slow and craftily: and he stood behind the endmost tree and looked through the grove, for it was but little. And that which he saw was passing strange to him: for the children were there before him, and the like of them he saw never in all his days. Naked they were and manlike to the middle,—in their flesh fat and in their countenance all merry babes: but below they were of another fashion, for their hams were wool-begrown and they were goatkneed and goat-footed. Also their hair upon their heads was woolly and their ears were pointed and a-prick like little horns. And it was plain to see that they were kin to the beasts and of them well understanded: for one child held a squirrel between his hands, and the squirrel feared not, but kept his tail a-high; and one sat piping to a company of small fowls, which also sat and piped to him. But there was yet another child fast by, which vexed the piper with a barley straw: and he ceased not for his brother’s frowning, but tickled him evilly amidst his ear.

Then when Ywain saw those babes and their playing his thoughts left him and forgetfulness and joy came upon him very suddenly, and his heart was delivered of a great laughter. And that laughter went rolling forth from him as smoke goes rolling from a fire of green wood, and like smoke it was renewed continually, bursting thickly forth without end. And the children heard it and ceased from their playing: yet it brought no fear upon them, neither upon the beasts that were their fellows. For the squirrel chattered and the small fowls piped more loudly, and the children also wantoned in laughter, and rolled upon the ground together: and when they came upon their feet again they spied Ywain and cried out joyously upon him, and they ran against him with their heads and blethered after the manner of kids. And when Ywain felt the butting of their heads and the busyness of their hands about him then there came before his eyes a haze of brightness, so that he saw the world as it were golden and gleaming, and it seemed to him that he had returned into the morning of his youth.

Then with his much laughter his strength went from him, and for content he sighed and so laid him down upon the ground: and the children sat them beside him and tumbled one with another. And as they sported and tumbled together it bechanced that one of them struck Ywain with his foot: and Ywain started a little, for the kick was notable. And he perceived right well the reason: for he saw again the child’s foot, how it was small and hard like the hoof of a goat. And instantly his thought quickened that before had been sleeping: and he knew the land whereto he had come. For this was the third sign, and sign past doubting: howbeit the first two were also signs and plain enough. But what he perceived not by Oreads and by Dryads, that he learned easily by Fauns: for of those he had but vision of the eyes, but with these there came also kicking of the flesh.