“Yea; thus much I remember for the first of my memories; That I lay on the grass in the morning and above were the boughs of the trees.  But nought naked was I as the wood-whelp, but clad in linen white, And adown the glades of the oakwood the morning sun lay bright.  Then a hind came out of the thicket and stood on the sunlit glade, And turned her head toward the oak tree and a step on toward me made.  Then stopped, and bounded aback, and away as if in fear, That I saw her no more; then I wondered, though sitting close anear Was a she-wolf great and grisly.  But with her was I wont to play, And pull her ears, and belabour her rugged sides and grey, And hold her jaws together, while she whimpered, slobbering For the love of my love; and nowise I deemed her a fearsome thing.  There she sat as though she were watching, and o’er head a blue-winged jay Shrieked out from the topmost oak-twigs, and a squirrel ran his way Two tree-trunks off.  But the she-wolf arose up suddenly And growled with her neck-fell bristling, as if danger drew anigh; And therewith I heard a footstep, for nice was my ear to catch All the noises of the wild-wood; so there did we sit at watch While the sound of feet grew nigher:  then I clapped hand on hand And crowed for joy and gladness, for there out in the sun did stand A man, a glorious creature with a gleaming helm on his head, And gold rings on his arms, in raiment gold-broidered crimson-red.  Straightway he strode up toward us nor heeded the wolf of the wood But sang as he went in the oak-glade, as a man whose thought is good, And nought she heeded the warrior, but tame as a sheep was grown, And trotted away through the wild-wood with her crest all laid adown.  Then came the man and sat down by the oak-bole close unto me And took me up nought fearful and set me on his knee.  And his face was kind and lovely, so my cheek to his cheek I laid And touched his cold bright war-helm and with his gold rings played, And hearkened his words, though I knew not what tale they had to tell, Yet fain was my heart of their music, and meseemed I loved him well.  So we fared for a while and were fain, till he set down my feet on the grass, And kissed me and stood up himself, and away through the wood did he pass.  And then came back the she-wolf and with her I played and was fain.  Lo the first thing I remember:  wilt thou have me babble again?”

Spake the Carline and her face was soft and kind: 

   “Nay damsel, long would I hearken to thy voice this summer day. 
   But how didst thou leave the wild-wood, what people brought thee
   away?”

Then said the Hall-Sun: 

   “I awoke on a time in the even, and voices I heard as I woke;
   And there was I in the wild-wood by the bole of the ancient oak,
   And a ring of men was around me, and glad was I indeed
   As I looked upon their faces and the fashion of their weed. 
   For I gazed on the red and the scarlet